Dec 12 2010
Grandma and Grandpa came down for a visit to attend Filoli’s Christmas extravaganza with us. We had a wonderful time!
The house and grounds had lovely displays…
in the cafe with Grandma…
Lucy loved the toy room…
and so did Grandpa!
There were magical things to see around every corner…
and we topped it all off with a rollicking game of jump in the leaves with grandma!
was that a reindeer?!
Dec 9 2010
A few weeks (months?!) back we had a pirate birthday party for Mike. Everyone was game and wore their pirate gear, we made cardboard swords, silver dubloons and drew a map for the treasure hunt. Here are a few pics!
essential pirate gear…hat, eye patch, and cardboard sword…
ye olde pirate cupcakes…some were stolen treasure before the party started!
Dec 6 2010
“Wubie put on his nighttime pants with sardine sausages and I put on a pretty dress. And the dress had lots of balls of kittens!”
— The kid adding to our usual “Lucy and Wubie” bedtime story
2010.12 Gma Vita Visit (Panasonic HM-TA1 Test) from Mike C on Vimeo.
We closed out the weekend with a nice visit with Gma Vita. Luckily, we were able to spend some time in her backyard before the rain hit. Once it got too wet, we retreated inside for an impromptu concert by Lucy. Her rendition of “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head” was a big hit.
Later, Lucy and her mom helped Gma Vita decorate her Christmas tree. (I used this time to take a nice nap on the La-Z-Boy. It was awesome!) Somewhere between the singing, decorating, and napping, we hammered out details for an upcoming vacation we’ll all be taking together early next year. Lucy can hardly wait!
Nov 30 2010
A few Lucy quotes from November:
“Sometimes the squirrels wake up and throw nuts at us. Those sneaky squirrels!”
— A conversation w/ Lucy while walking to the mailbox
“Ha! Wheels are faster than feet, Daddy!”
— Lucy’s words as she races by me in a shopping cart being pushed by her mommy
“Pants I don’t think is good for a child.”
— Lucy’s reasoning for not wearing pants“I am the best girl and I am a special girl, the most special girl in the whole wide world, the whole wide world!”
— A confident Lucy singing a song
Can you believe it, 2011 is just around the corner! Incredible. Oh well, here’s an end-of-the-month collage. Some happenings from November, 2010:
Nov 26 2010
What could be better than a Thanksgiving get-together? Howzabout two Thanksgiving get-togethers? Yesterday we had a great time at two family gatherings, getting double the fun, food, and of course double the quality time with our families.
Above is a slideshow of pics from our first Thanksgiving get-together at Auntie Laura’s place. There, Lucy met Jill’s cousin Ryan and got a chance to play with her Gpa Tom and Gma Karen. She also used her visit to catch up with Luna, Izzy, and Omie, the four-legged cousins who live with Auntie Laura and Uncle John.
Once we said our goodbyes, we were off to Gma Vita’s for our second Thansgiving. There, Lucy promptly ditched us for the “cool crowd” and went off playing with her cousins.
Throughout the night the kids ran around, danced, played monopoly and poker, and chowed down in between all their activities. My night was much more sedentary, catching up with the family and partaking in my second Thanksgiving dinner. It was a great day and night. We hope to see everyone again at Christmas!
Nov 22 2010
“Don’t recommend things, Mommy!”
— Lucy doesn’t want to hear it right now
Earlier this month the kid and her mom visited Gpa Peter in Half Moon Bay. Here are some pics from that day.
Nov 1 2010
A few Lucy quotes from October:
“Spider-Legs, Spider-Legs, your friendly neighborhood Spider-Legs.”
— Lucy singing the Spider-Man cartoon theme song
“I draw snails easily!”
— Lucy just stating the facts
“You’re a big fat hot dog!”
— An agitated Lucy
Daddy: “What’s the name of your store?”
Lucy: “Umm (long pause)…Costco!”
— Playing “shopkeeper” with the kid“You have to go, Daddy. I’m about to close.”
— Lucy, putting an end to “playing shopkeeper” for the night
October is over and done with. Here’s another end-of-the-month post/collage to make it official. Some happenings from October, 2010:
Oct 30 2010
“Daddy, I like jewelery. It’s very sparkly!”
— Lucy at the store
Los Altos Spooktacular from Mike C on Vimeo.
Yesterday, Lucy went trick-or-treating at the Los Altos “Spooktacular” with her mommy and Auntie Laura. Many of the downtown shops participated, dispensing assorted sugary treats to any trick-or-treater that darkened their door.
In addition to the tooth decay-fest, the Spooktacular also featured a parade. The above video shows it off a bit of it. Lucy’s wearing a Minnie Mouse outfit she made with help from her mom.
Music used:
Oct 10 2010
“Great job, my little man!”
— Lucy congratulating Wubie on a successful trip to the litterbox
Recently, I posted about starting a family history project. Originally, the project’s main point was the following:
Fortunately, Auntie Laura read the post and recommended a place called ScanCafe for the actual scanning of photographs. I checked them out, liked what I saw, and ordered a kit which arrived yesterday (see pics) so I’m on my way in regards to getting the actual scanning done.
So, with the project actually being started, I’m feeling good about it. (Sometimes just starting is the hardest part!) However, in addition to the scanning of photos I’ll be expanding the project to include a family history video that will include family interviews, old and new footage, etc..
The family history video is something I’ve attempted a few times in the past. I’ve even used content from a previous attempt in a blog post.
However, I never got anywhere because the task of actually creating a 30 minute video with lots of interviews, photos, etc., just seemed too overwhelming. This time, I’m approaching it differently, as a series of short video capsules, each one focusing on a particular person, time or event. I’m hoping this incremental approach will prove successful for me.
I’m interviewing my mom next weekend, looking to concentrate on her and her family, and what life was like in the Philippines before the Japanese occupation that started in 1942 (we’ll go over that in a later interview).
I’m really looking forward to this project.
BTW, this is our 500th post. We started this blog on Dec 29, 2006, a little over 197 weeks ago (or 1,382 days ago if ya wanna be exact.) So, with 500 posts that’s a little over 2.5 posts per week, a pretty decent clip. In case you’re interested, here are some past ‘milestone’ posts:
Oct 9 2010
Daddy: “It’s the weekend, kid—what do you want to do?”
Lucy: “Maybe we can go to french fry town and then the park!”
Daddy: “And visit Gma too, and see her garden!”
Lucy: “Yes, and we can go to her garden and see if there are any snails that need a snail race!”
— sorting out weekend plans with Lucy
Pumpkin Patch Visit from Mike C on Vimeo.
I spent last weekend in front of my computer, finishing up a project for work. However, the kid and her mom got to go out and have some fun in Half Moon Bay.
This video is of a pumpkin patch they visited with GpaTom, Gma Karen, Auntie Laura, and Uncle John. Check out Lucy on her first ever pony ride!
Music Used:
