“Wubie crushed my wand — no magic show for him!”
— Lucy’s response after she waved her ‘magic wand’ (stick with a ribbon) in front of Wubie one too many times (he destroyed it).

We went to the SJ Obon with friends recently and had loads of fun, especially Lucy…she got to dance in her first Bon Odori.

Lucy went to her first Obon fest way back in 2008, when she was still a baby. Grandmommy had suggested we go, she had cut out a clipping from the newspaper for us, and urged us to go that very day (it was a Sunday and we had been visiting her in the hospital). We went and had a lovely time. Shortly thereafter Grandmommy got out of the hospital, so we all went together to the Palo Alto Obon fest. That was about a month before she passed away in September, and it was our last big outing together.

The Obon festival is held to remember ancestors and loved ones who are gone…so it seems appropriate that we keep going in memory of Grandmommy. (Posts from last year’s visits here and here.) If she were still here, she would surely be dancing with us!

Madame also enjoyed playing with the birthday girl’s toys….

But kept going back to the bouncy house….she even convinced her daddy to bounce!

They were crafts…a pinata…loads of balloons…cupcakes…phew!

It was a great party, and we stayed til the very end. Just as we were about to leave, she got in one last bounce!

February hasn’t been the best of months. A good friend had a bit of a rough month health-wise. Fortunately, though things were looking a little hairy for a while, he’s doing a lot better now.

Stuff I’ve watched/read this month:

movies & books

• The Invention of Lying
• The Family Man
• The Hunger Games
• Catching Fire

tv

• Pawn Stars
• Sons of Anarchy

Misc. February Events

• 2010 Winter Olympics
• Valentine’s Day
• Family Get-Together
• UFC 110: Big Nog losing (bummer); Wandy winning (cool!)

He endures from her things which he would never tolerate from anyone else…like being dressed in hats and covered in blankets.

He has seen her grow from a tiny baby, and it seems he knows her vulnerability, and that she is little, and still growing.

He loves to play with her, and when she is asleep, he often sits next to her, watchfully, or if it has been a very long nap, prods her to wake up so he can play with her.

He rarely bites or scratches, unless he is really provoked. It takes a lot to get him to do it, and she almost always deserves it.

Even when he is napping, he always seems to have an ear cocked listening for her. The vet says this is the kind of interaction that will keep him young, keeping his mind active and occupied.

So here’s to you Wubie, the very patient cat!

I found a neat tool online, The Squirrelizer, that lets users make their own Squirrel Crasher pics. Check it out if you find yourself thinking your photographs need that little something extra.

A few weeks ago we got together with friends on a warm afternoon for a barbecue.

Lucy loved eating outdoors, playing with the other kids, and generally romping around. We even found a caterpillar…

Lucy was so enthralled by dining al fresco, she wanted to have dessert outside too…even after it got a bit chilly and everyone else had gone inside.

A good time was had by all!

It was Lucy’s first trip to a tea parlour, though she has had tea actually on several occasions (lukewarm and watered down of course).

She was very interested in exploring the salon and the lovely items displayed throughout (especially the dolls)…

so it took some persuading and the promise of ice cream to get her back in her chair…

Afterwards, we wandered around, looking in the shops, and found one displaying some rather familiar friends…

Special thanks to Kitty for meeting us for tea, and also for all the lovely books and presents she had for Miss Lucy. We must do this again soon!