Dad (telling a story): ”Wubie rounded the corner and headed straight for the kid!”
The Kid (thinking quickly): “…And she jumped up high onto the ceiling where there was a little hook!”
— The kid describes how she eludes Wubert in a make-believe story

What the Hail from Mike C on Vimeo.

Here’s a quick video from March when we had a bit of hail outside our place.

“Wubie’s a dirty poodle!”
- Lucy, after hearing my comment about playing “dirty pool” with Wubie when I deposited him outside the bedroom and shut the door

Christmas Eve, 2010 from Mike C on Vimeo.

Here’s a video shot an hour or two ago of the kid putting out some cookies and milk for Father Christmas along with carrots and apples for his reindeer. She’s fast asleep right now, tuckered from an exciting day that included visits from her Gpa Peter, Auntie Laura, and Uncle John.

It’s good that she’s getting her rest. She has a busy weekend ahead of her, including spending Christmas with my family tomorrow and a showing of the Nutcracker on Sunday. Yep, it’s good to be almost 4.

Merry Christmas.

Music Used:

• “Quiet Village” from 88 Elmira St. by Danny Gatton

Daddy (from kitchen): “Hi, kid.”
Lucy (sniffing air): “Hi.” (excitedly) “Did you make fried rice w/ bacon?”
Daddy: “No, but I made chicken. Would you like some?”
Lucy: (disappointed) “Yes, if it isn’t weird chicken!”
— A conversation with the kid

Waldorf School (2010) from Mike C on Vimeo.

Every year, the Waldorf school in Los Altos has a holiday fair. We checked it out last year for the first time. I remember Lucy being very excited because it was her first visit to a real school. The kid is a year older now, a year closer to school. She’s still pretty stoked about going to school, so that’s a very good thing.

Like last year, the fair had a good turnout with lots of families, lots of kids running about. This year Lucy got a chance to do the following:

• decorate cookies
• meet a pirate
• make a doll
• visit gnomeland
• play the drums
• play lots of games
• and lots of other fun stuff!

Check out the above video to see Lucy at the fair.

Note: I got a chance to use my Zoom H1 microphone for this video. Below is a pic of how it looked plugged into my camcorder. It worked out pretty well. However, one important thing I learned while making this video: it definitely needs a windscreen for outside use on windy days!

“Teen Dentists — LET’S GO!”
— Lucy singing along to the Teen Titans theme by Puffy Ami Yumi

I’ve posted about Farmers’ Markets in the past. I think this one on California Avenue is my favorite because of the following:

• Not too big
• Easy to access w/ lots of parking around California Street
• It’s on a downtown street, so there are lots of non-FM shops and restaurants when you need a break from ogling rutabagas

Here’s a video from this morning:

Palo Alto Farmers’ Market from Mike C on Vimeo.

Music Used:

“Nattöppet” from E18 Album by Detektivbyrån

“Oh, I love…everything!”
— Lucy in the morning (she actually meant to say, “I love shakes!” but had a momentary loss of words)

2010.09 Filoli from Mike C on Vimeo.

In remembrance of Jill’s mom, Susan, we got together at Filoli with Auntie Laura and Uncle John. Filoli was one of Susan’s favorite places, so it was the perfect spot to mark the occasion.

Both Jill and Laura took a lot of pics, so I’m sure we’ll have another post up soon showcasing many of them. For now, here’s a video of our day at Filoli. It’s dedicated to Susan.

Music Used:

• Alternate Route To Vulcan Street from Rings Around The World by Super Furry Animals

“They are having catfood soup, carrotcakes, ice cream tea, and cheesy muffins. And they’re having vanilla cookies because a girl is coming over, and a girl can’t eat catfood!”

— Lucy explaining her dolls’ and stuffed animals’ lunch menu

Macbook Pro from Mike C on Vimeo.

When August began, we didn’t have any plans to upgrade our two main computers. However, as the month closes, that’s exactly what’s happened.

Earlier this month, we purchased a new iMac to replace one we’d sold to my sister. Well, recently we learned that a nephew about to start college was in the market for an inexpensive Macbook. So, to make a long story short, he now has Jill’s old laptop and Jill has a pretty nifty early Christmas present: a Macbook Pro.

So, here’s the second Mac unboxing video of the month. Since it’s Jill’s computer, she and the kid nudged out Wubie a bit this time (though he does make an appearance at the end.) We should now be set computer-wise for a while (I think!)

Music Used:

• Neonland from Wermland by Detektivbyrån

Lucy: (yelling) “Aaaaaaaah, YOGURT!”
Mom: “You’re screaming at your yogurt cup?”
Lucy: (calmly) “Yes, it won’t open.”
— another conversation overheard at the dinner table

2010.08 Friday Night Movies from Mike C on Vimeo.

Last night we went to Los Altos for a movie night. It was pretty neat. The city shut down a section of Main Street, set up a screen, and propped up a movie projector. In addition to this, they also brought in a jumpy house, a couple of slides, balloons, etc.. Needless to say, Lucy gave all of this a very hearty approval.

The kid had a blast, running from slide to jumpy house to slide again. She also got a balloon (in the shape of a pink bunny of course) and some body art. I managed to shoot some video. Hopefully,  Jill will be posting some pics too.

Thanksgiving, 2009 from Mike C on Vimeo.

Here’s a Thanksgiving video we shot at Gma Vita’s house. We missed Nina and Larry (hope you had a great TDay in Texas!), Sam and family (how’s the weather in Oregon?), Tisa and Jim (any updates from Kauai?) and Mario and family (I finally saw the Star Trek movie—it rocked!) this year. However, we made the best of it here in California. We’ll post some pics shortly.

After you watch the video, click here to see pics from last year’s Thanksgiving to see how much the kids have grown in the past year.

• Music: “I’ll See You in My Dreams” from Strictly Guitar by Merle Travis

PS: if this (294 MB) video runs too slow for you, you can try one of the following:

Right-click here and “save target” or “save link” to your computer.

Have a Drink from Mike C on Vimeo.

In an attempt to eat a bit better, I’ve been making green smoothies a few times a week. They taste surprisingly good (even the girls like ‘em!) and have been really effective in increasing our intake of fruits and veggies. Another added benefit:  they’re a great way to use up stuff that’s been sitting in the fridge for a while, so you really cut down on food waste.

Anyway, you can toss about anything into a smoothie (once in a while I even toss beans into mine!) I have a couple of staples I always use, like *spinach and bananas. For sweeteners I usually alternate between frozen fruits like strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, mangoes, pineapples, etc. For green stuff, I’ll add things like kale or chard (which look like they’re from Star Trek) , celery, cabbage, etc.

I’m still at the stage where I’m experimenting with every smoothie I make (btw, in the video I’m using one stalk of chard, not kale). However, I think I’ll eventually stick with a few favorite recipes (once I find out what they are.)

*I’m now averaging over a pound of spinach a week. I think that’s Popeye territory.

Music:

• “Om Du Möter Varg” from Wermland by Detektivbyrån