“Daddy, I want to watch that spinniness!”
— The kid wants to watch the spinning wheel game

Yesterday we went to the Palo Alto Obon Festival with some Peter, Laura, and John. The kid was really looking forward to this particular Obon because she’d won a stuffed animal (a cat, of course) the two previous years playing the “Spinner” game (basically a variation on Roulette).

Would she win this year? There’s only one way to find out.

Dad: (watching the kid create a barricade in the hallway) “Why do you like making barriers?”
The Kid: “It’s fun, like making a sand castle! Why do you like cleaning up (cat) poop?”
- The kid answers a question with a question

2011 Mountain View Obon Festival from Mike C on Vimeo.

Yesterday we went to the Mountain View Obon Festival. Here’s the video.

(This is part two of our weekend reunion with old friends…see part one here.)

The next day we got together again for a barbecue. Madame was excited to visit again after getting to stay up late to play the night before…she said she dreamed about the marble run.

The guys lounged in the backyard while the kids played and our hosts cooked…sushi and barbecue.

The weather was perfect, sunny but not too warm. After dinner we strolled over to a nearby park.

Did I mention their almost grownup kitten, Smores? She’s so cute!

Last weekend we saw some old friends we hadn’t seen in a long, long time. We had a great get together that stretched over the whole weekend.

On Saturday we were invited to check out a golf club, and ended up being treated to dinner by our friend who is a member there. Note the plaque – Chris is very proud of his win.

It was a tranquil, beautiful place, with wild deer roaming about. The weather was nice so we explored the grounds while waiting for our meal.

Look at the food!

As the sun went down, we headed back to meet up with the rest of the gang.

The kids stayed up late playing with a marble run while the grownups played Mille Bornes. We had so much fun, everyone decided to get together again the next day!

Stay tuned for part two of the story…

This year the big event of the day was Lucy winning a prize at one of the game booths…a kitty cat! She has had luck on the ‘wheel of fortune’ two years in a row. Yay Lucy! I think you’ve found your game!

“Nice hairdo, Daddy!”
— Lucy smiling (after I’d made an effort to look less unkempt). When I asked if she was making fun of me, she said without hesitation: “Yes!”

Last weekend we met some good friends at the San Jose Obon Festival.

Lucy’s been to a few Obons in her time (she’s 3 and a half, ya know) so she’s an old pro now. (She even has her own yukata.)

In addition to seeing the sites, playing games, having her parents chase her to and fro, and chowing down, Lucy participated in her first Bon Odori dance. She was very excited about it.

The San Jose Bon Odori was huge, with hundreds of people. Lucy had a blast attempting to duplicate the movements of all the dancers. I think she did an admirable job, though her concentration may have wavered a bit in parts.

Pics:

The kid will be busting her yukata out again this weekend for another festival. Actually, I think she also has a birthday party to attend, so her dance card will be full for the next couple of days. I’ll make sure to bring along my trusty camcorder.

Video:

SJ Obon Festival from Mike C on Vimeo.

Here’s a pic of Lucy and I with some cool cards she made with her mom. It looks like some bed-head made it into this pic!

Here’s a pic of us playing Lucy’s current favorite game. Wubie always pops up whenever we bust out the board games. Also, a close-up of a Valentine’s Day card.

Feeling inspired, Lucy ran up to her easel and drew “Mommy Holding a Valentine.” She was very proud of it. Her style is changing so much as she grows up, getting much more representational.

Above you can also see how Wubert got “volunteered” for our newspaper pirate hat show.

More drawing, along with a visit with Gma Vita (where we found some time to watch a bit of Pawn Stars.) If you look close, you can see that Gma is holding her own card.

More hat pics.

Here are some pics of the kid doing Yoga along with her Nintendo Wii. She’s actually pretty good at it (a lot better than her dad, that’s for sure!) However, I think Wubert is the best at doing the Savasana.

More Yoga pics are available here.

2009 Palo Alto Obon Festival from Mike C on Vimeo.

Hey, didn’t I just post an Obon Festival video? Well, here’s another one. This video was taken at the Palo Alto Obon Festival held at the PA Buddhist Temple this past weekend.

Lucy got all dressed up for this one (her Mom knows what the outfit is called). We had a lot of fun. We saw Gpa Peter for a bit, had some shaved ice and fries, saw some Taiko drums, and played a few games. Lucy even won (another) cat! Woohoo, just toss it onto the stuffed cat pile we have at home, kid.

Camera Used: Creative Vado HD.

2009 Mountain View Obon Festival from Mike C on Vimeo.

Here’s a video to go along with Jill’s previous post on our day at the 2009 Mountain View Obon Festival.

Camera Used: Creative Vado HD. Soundtrack:

• “Travelin’” and “Steeplechase Lane” from The Essential Chet Atkins by Chet Atkins