November was busy, but December is scary

The macabre theme continues this month. I don't even remember them dressing me up for this: http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1164594333

I'm a Brave Christmas Soldier

I lasted 65 seconds. And if you ask me, that is pretty impressive. I'm tough for my size, but M&D plopped me down on this big guy's knee and expected me to SMILE and LAUGH? I barely kept the chin quiver in check long enough for the flashy light to go off once.

Is November ALWAYS this busy?

Saturday, November 10th: Grampa Buzz and Gramma Pattie arrived for a visit!

Sunday, November 11th: We went walking, then ate brunch the next day at a nice table on the sidewalk outside The Fat Lady, then I got to walk around a fountain with a little boy who looked a lot like me. Then Gramma and Grampa went home.

Tuesday, November 13th: Gramma Pattie came back on the train! She was just in time, too. Daddy was looking pretty stressed out - I could tell he wanted to play on the floor with me, but he kept clicking away on his computer instead. He did jump whenever I called though. I made sure to test him regularly. As soon as Gramma arrived, Daddy took off. That was weird. I’m glad I didn’t have to stay home alone! That would have been boring. And the cats have been looking at me in a sort of scary way lately. I don’t know exactly what they have in mind.

Thursday, November 15th: Gramma went home. We had such a good time while she was here! Every day, she took me on walks and played with me on the floor a lot. That’s my favorite thing. Daddy wasn’t around much, so I’m glad she was there.

Friday, November 16th: Mommy stayed home and ran around like crazy stuffing stuff in bags. Daddy had to work a little, but I could hear him running around like crazy once they thought I was asleep.

Saturday, November 17th: What the….??! Since WHEN do I get up at 4:30 in the morning? And get in the car when it’s still dark out? And what’s with this huge building with all the people running around and the noise? And this weird, long, skinny room with all the people in chairs facing the same direction? And more noise! My ears felt funny. Mommy explained that we were on an airplane, flying high above the surface of the earth. That doesn’t seem safe, but I trust M&D. They brought my car seat so I felt pretty secure. After we took off and Mommy was done stuffing chewy snacks into my mouth, I took a nap. When I woke up, we played a little bit, then I had some more snacks and Daddy changed my diaper in the smallest restroom I’ve ever seen. Then it got bumpy and we left the airplane and were someplace new! M&D called it Minneapolis, which is where Grandma Penne and Papa John live.

Saturday, November 17th though Saturday, November 24th: MINNEAPOLIS! I like it here! Grandma and Papa’s house is big, and they have LOTS of toys from when my cousin Alexander was my size. He’s big now – six years old! One day, Mommy said we should go for a walk, which I thought sounded reasonable. The other people looked at her like she was crazy, but smiled just like Daddy smiles when he’s “humoring her” and put on heavy coats. M&D bundled me up pretty good, but wow… my face went all tingly and numb when had been outside for a few minutes! It was fun. Daddy carried Cousin Alexander on his back all the way home because Alexander was cold. I’m glad I had my stroller, but probably would have enjoyed a piggy back ride.

The rest of the week was spent this way:

• Sleeping very, very little
• Wondering why Mommy has such dark circles under her eyes
• Zooming around on my hands and knees checking out all the great new stuff
• Playing with my Aunt Jessie, and my Greatgrandma, and the nice kitties
• Picking up delicious things from the floor and eating them before anyone could stop me
• Trying to get my hands on the big, warm, black metal box full of pretty red and orange lights before anyone could yell “No, Aemon! Hot!” and scoop me up. I never made it…
• Scooting around on a Red Rider trike. I got really good!!
• Practicing Jiu Jitsu with Alexander. I rock. Though I’ve been told that I’m not allowed to be a cage fighter when I grow up, no exceptions. I’m also not allowed to be a test pilot, pig farmer, or self-help guru. Papa John says I’ll probably be all of those things just because I’m not supposed to.

• Eating lots of good food, which everyone else seemed to enjoy doing too. And they sure practiced a lot! I really like the slippery red things they're calling grapes. Cousin Alexander does too, but the ones he eats are bigger. Something about him having more rocks in his mouth.
  

Saturday, November 24th: Back on an airplane. I only cried a little, tiny bit (I was really, really bored). Another baby a couple of rows behind us cried almost the WHOLE…WAY…HOME. And he was 13 months old! Shameful. But I talked to him back before we got on the plane, and he’d been viciously clawed on the cheek by a Pomeranian at his grandparents house in Minneapolis, so I guess I don’t blame him completely (after all, someone had to be the “screaming baby on the plane” and it wasn’t going to be me!)

Monday, November 26th: Not only is it my 10 Months Old Today Birthday, but Daddy left me at a new daycare this morning. Elizabeth (who is very nice, but in the “don’t get on my bad side and don’t mess with my kids if you know what’s good for you” sort of way) runs the place. I’ve met her a couple times before, and like her greatly. Her assistants are Raymond (her nephew), Adriona, and her daughter Raeshonae (I’m guessing at that spelling…). They’re all great, though Raymond scares me when he wears a sombrero.

The other kids are Cooper ("Loopy Coopy" who is 2), Seth ("Penguino" who is 1), his sister Annabelle (who is 3), Ezekiel ("Ziggy" who is 2), and Lucy (who is 2). Talk about different than Jenny’s daycare, where there were WAY more kids and too many babies. I worried about them, because there weren’t enough grown ups to hold them all. But this is different! WE HAD SUCH A FUN DAY!!! I got home and went to sleep at 6:00, I was so worn out. I hope I get to do it again tomorrow. I like it that they all call me Baby Aemon! I’m special. But in a good way.

Bakersfield + Halloween = Major Funtime

Grampa Buzz and Grandma Pattie and GreatGramma and Uncle Clint and Auntie Kirstin and Cousin Hannah live in Bakersfield, which smells funny and takes a LONNNNNG time to get to. But there is SO much space to crawl and SO many new things to look at and taste!

On my birthday (I turned nine months old on October 26th!) M&D strapped me into the car for a trip to visit the aforementioned relatives. After about three years driving through many smelly regions of the central valley, we arrived. WOW - last time I was here, I couldn't crawl yet. But this time! This time, I made the most of my new skill. I did laps! I skidded! I spun on my rear end! I put on the Turbo Boost! I almost got to eat apple pie!! (it sounds really yummy).

On Saturday morning, I watched Cousin Hannah play soccer. She's really good, and really fast. A long time ago, she promised to teach me to play one day. I'm almost ready, I think.

Grampa took me flying like he used to. It was nice to remember the good old days of six months ago.

The following Monday, Mommy stayed home from work so she could "do all that blasted housework" that she loves to do, and so M&D could take me for my 9-month checkup together. I now weigh 21 pounds, 12 ounces (70th percentile in weight), and am now 29 1/2 inches long (86th percentile in height). Not ginormous like Daddy says, but no small beans either thanksyouverymuch.

On Halloween, Daddy had to teach class, so Mommy took me over to Finn's house. Finn was dressed like a sailor baby, and I was dressed like a 2 year old baby. Excellent costumes! Mom was really creative. We went home at 7:00 and I went to sleep.

Three Babies Enter, One Baby Leaves

Mommy (oh heck, "M") took me somewhere new on Wednesday. It's called "Tumble and Tea" (http://www.tumbleandtea.com/). I get the tumble part, but not the tea part. The stuff that M spilled all over her arm smelled like the coffee she is forever guzzling, not that pansy tea stuff.

Anyway, back to the tumbling part. It was a lot like my vague memories of daycare, except with way more stuff to climb on and way more nervous parents hovering over their kids.

I was the second youngest freerange baby there, so I understand that M was concerned... but really. It's embarrassing. I could have totally handled myself against those 15-month old twins (Phoenix and Chaden for everyone out there who thinks MY name is weird. Don't you realize I live in the Bay Area? If I were to meet a kid my age named Steve, Chad, Tim, or John, I would think THAT was weird.)

Phoenix and Chaden took it upon themselves to pound me on the head a little bit. Their mommy kept saying "soft, soft!", but I was fine. They have NOTHING on the 2 year old girls where I used to go during the day. Ferocious, those were.

M now refers to Tumble & Tea as "Thunderdome", but I have no idea why.

My Dance Card is Full

So much has been happening! For one, it's still just me and Daddy 4 days a week. Mommy leaves right after the sun comes up and comes home right before the sun goes down, but the time in between is just me and the Big Guy (Mommy is home with us 3 days a week though).

We have fun: I chase him around, bang on things, pull things over, eat whatever I can find on the floor, and generally redecorate and scare the beejezus out of him and the cats. He chases me around, tries to feed me stuff, puts on fun music, drinks lots of coffee, and laughs a lot. It's a good life.

Last Wednesday, we took the boat across the water to meet Mommy for lunch. That was fun - I liked all the other kids on the boat. I miss other kids.

On Saturday, Max had his first birthday party at Tres Agaves restaurant. I got to eat dried apples, Teddy Puffs, and some mushy stuff that was tangy. I tried to eat the menu. And I gave Max a shirt with a robot on it. Here he is pointing at something in my nose.


The next day, M&D and I got back on a boat (a lonnnng ride) and went to Angel Island (http://www.angelisland.org/photo.htm). Once we got to land, it was so quiet and relaxing that I fell asleep in my stroller. When I woke up, it was still quiet and relaxing and I fell asleep again. A ton of time must have gone by, because by the time I woke up after THAT we were almost back to were we started!

Mommy decided it was time for me to eat, so we picked a nice, quiet, out of the way bench on which to enjoy a snack. There was no sound at all but the birds and the breeze in the trees. I could totally concentrate. Mmm... snack time... But THEN a big group of people on Segway scooters stopped right behind us for a lesson! I had to try to see over Mommy's shoulder - it was fascinating. She muttered something about them scooting right on down the cliff, but I don't think they heard her. They moved on eventually, but by that time I'd totally forgotten I was hungry.

That was a nice day. I got to eat my first dirt (though I had to sneak it - M&D don't like me to eat as many things as I think I'd like to eat).

Catching Up with Me

Good luck! I'm fast. Really fast. But I'm being too literal.

I thought you'd like to hear a bit about my first September. Grampa Buzz and Grandma Pattie came for a visit, and we went out to eat with some nice people named Jim and Joan, in a very foggy place. Grampa let me sit on his shoulders during lunch so that I wouldn't steal Mommy's soup. I wasn't going to steal her soup - I just wanted to feel the chunks squish in my hand. But anyway, here I am, no soup being had.

After everyone else ate, I got to see the ocean for the first time! I thought that big water outside our house was the ocean, but boy was I wrong. There are no waves THIS big at our house! It was a little chilly, but Grampa and Grandma kept me warm.

A couple weeks later, Grampa Jim and Grandma Janet came for a visit. Here we are! We like blue. We also like farmers markets and playing on the grass. M&D like coffee a lot, too. Lots of it.

I also like flashlights a lot. Here's my Halloween face. Boo!

Enough with the sweet "Grampa and Grandma Visits" updates. I want to get back to this teething thing for a moment. Once I got used to the searing pain, I discovered all sorts of neat things to do with my new tooth: clicking it on spoons, chewing ANYthing and everything, biting M&D's fingers, you name it. And I've also discovered how interesting things taste! I very much enjoy licking everything I can. Allow me to share with you...

• The stereo speakers: slightly metallic and woodsy at the same time, with a dusty undertone.
• The kitchen cabinets: strange, oddly flavorless, but reminiscent of dry nutmeg and sage.
• The big trash can: metallic and cold, smooth and tangy with a plastiky aftertaste.
• Dad's booklight: Salty and sweet, the perfect combination.
• Moldy leaves: Crunchy, nutty, with a lingering air of cinnamon.
• The bathroom toilet: smooth, fresh and with a hint of rain and citrus.

I wonder how Mommy's laptop tastes...

What is this new torture?

Two days ago, it began. I was minding my own business decorating the kitchen floor with pieces of crumpled up paper and cardboard, and suddenly I felt what seemed to be small, jagged rocks trying to explode out of my gums. THE PAIN!

Owowowow here it comes ag-

Something's Going On

I have a feeling that something funny's going on around here. I'm home with Daddy AGAIN today. I was supposed to have had an afternoon date with my girl Caroline and some markers! She's going to be very upset that I didn't show up.

However, I overheard Mommy and Daddy talking about how there were too many babies at daycare (I didn't mind - I could outshout them all). And last Thursday night (dangerously overlapping my bedtime, thankyouverymuch) we went and met a nice lady with a room in her house that looked suspiciously like the play room at Jenny's, except with couches and just one other kid. She was blond, like Mommy, but was speaking some words that were totally new to me (and Mommy and Daddy looked like they didn't understand either). She let me chew on things, though. I liked her.

I taught Mommy and Daddy (I'm just going to start referring to them as "M&D" I think - it's much easier) a new trick this weekend! All I have to do is hold my arm up over my head and open and close my hand a few times while looking right at them, and they get very excited and start frantically waving at me and saying "Hi Aemon! Hi Aemon!" over and over again. It's very cute.

But not as cute as Mom trying to feed me nasty pears. Yuck. I don't think she'll try that again. Bring on the yams and applesauce, lady! And throw in some Teddy Puffs while you're at it! (Here's a picture of me eating oatmeal from a long time ago. I think it captures my "You're crazy if you think that's going in my mouth" look nicely.)

Other big news from this weekend: I now find myself strapped into what M&D call my "big boy chair" whenever we get into the car. It doesn't feel anything like a "big boy chair" if you ask me. When do I get to face FORWARD?

Yesterday was Tuesday

Yesterday was Tuesday, and I got to stay home with Daddy! I played with him for a while in the morning, then let him rest at his desk while I quickly recharged with some deep meditation in my crib. After that, we went and had lunch at The Fat Lady.

Now, when I say "we", I mean "he" - for some reason he thinks I won't like hamburgers with gorgonzola and deep fried onion strings. WHATever. I guess the real reason behind our Lads Who Lunch outing was so Daddy could meet some friends. Luckily, one was my size - bigger actually. Max has great hair. And he shared his dried apples with me. Then the lady who brought food to everyone except Max and me showed me some pictures of her puppy. Why, I don't know.



The people from lunch came home and all sat around while Max and I played with my toys. At one point, Max took Gobo (here's a picture of him) - I would have handled the situation very differently had the adults managed to look away even for an instant. But alas, I had to smile and grit my gums until he lost interest.

Day 234

I have finally figured out how to blog. It only took me 234 days, which I think is pretty good. Kyle at daycare is still working out how to use a cell phone, but he's always been a little behind.

Ooo...a shoelace. More later. Gotta go.