Mike, Jill, Lucy, & Wubie!

Lucy: Tell me a pretend story about how Wubie doesn’t like Christmas lights and it’s Christmas.
Jill: Does Wubert get a present?
Lucy: Yes, a catnip mouse…but he doesn’t like it!
Jill: What would he rather have?
Lucy: A sardine sandwich!
Jill: OK. Wubert gets a sardine sandwich. Did he get a present for you?
Lucy: Yeah, a poop! Yech!
— A conversation overheard in the car

Academy of Sciences from Mike C on Vimeo.

I’ve been cranking out the videos lately in an attempt to get caught up with the mountain of footage Jill and I shoot on a continual basis. So with that said, here’s another gem from my “Getting Caught Up/Making Room on the Drobo” series.

Jill shot this video in April when she, the kid, and Auntie Laura visited the Academy of Sciences. It’s full of penguins, fish, stingrays, and seahorses, with a couple of squirrels thrown in for good measure.

It also features a little kid having a most fun and memorable day, courtesy of her mommy and auntie. Check it out and see if you can spot where Jill encounters the elephant butt.

Since we’re seeing Auntie Laura and Gpa Peter later on today in SF, I thought I’d post a collage of pics Laura took the last time the kid gave her a visit.

In these pics you’ll see the kid:

• Jump up and down on a bed
• Battle a squid!
• Get sniffed by a cat (or is that a really small dairy cow?)
• Stare down a Rover security sphere (aka, a 10 cent white balloon)
• Play with blocks!

Auntie Laura took us to a park a few weeks back which overlooks the city of San Francisco. It was an interesting, sometimes harrowing ride up to the park, which is level with some big tower at the top of a hill (auntie can tell us which).

The beautiful park is open to dogs, so Luna came along, and met up with other dogs big and small.

It’s wooded in places, hilly and meadowy in others, and it felt like we were in the middle of a forest, rather than a city. (It also reminded me of Hitchcock’s Vertigo.)

Here are some of the breathtaking views:

That green strip is Golden Gate Park.

Toward the Sunset, you can see the beach:

Auntie points out her house:

Luna having fun.

Auntie, Luna and Lucy wander down a path.

Lucy chasing the ‘piglet’ doggie:

We hope to visit again soon.

Baseball Game from Mike C on Vimeo.

I went to a MLB game last night, my first Giants game since the early 90’s. It was neat to finally see Pac Bell/SBC/AT&T park. Jill and I used to go to games in the days of Will Clark, Robby Thompson and Brett Butler, players long since retired, so it was good to get caught up a bit.

My friend Keith came up w/ the great (and free) tickets (thanks, Keith!) He’s been a regular attendee for years, so he got a chuckle at some of my clueless comments:

“They show instant replays on the scoreboard? Cool!”

“You don’t have to make a constant, conscious effort to make sure your hat doesn’t get blown off your head and out of the stadium? (I lost a favorite cap at Candlestick by forgetting this once) Cool!”

“The relief guys warm up right there on the sidelines? Cool!”

“They come to your seat and take food orders? Really Cool!” (Now, that’s what I call progress!)

Despite the Giants basically rolling over and playing dead the entire night, I had a good time. The place had a great atmosphere and was much more family-friendly than I remembered—even with all the Dodger blue in the crowd.

Music:

• “Summer Song” from The Extremist by Joe Satriani

Auntie’s birthday was this week, and Lucy and I had a little party with her on the day (bigger party to come.)

We painted plates, had cake, and played in the garden. It was a lovely day.

Oh, and Lucy sang her the birthday song. Happy Birthday Auntie!

This weekend it was very hot in the valley, mid-90’s, so we went up to the cooler city to visit Auntie. Lucy helped Auntie plant some flowers…

These marigolds reminded us of the inchworm song. Didn’t see an inchworm, but Lucy, ever alert for ladybugs, found one who actually walked across her finger!

We also saw worms, slugs, bees, a few other exciting bugs…and Auntie made a rainbow!

Lucy went to the zoo for the first time with Auntie and me last week. Highlights included watching the penguins zoom round their pond (occasionally leaping out of the water mid-zoom), talking to a noisy peacock,  brushing a goat and watching a sleepy koala snooze. Lucy’s favorite had to be the carousel…she went round three times!

SF Trip (Partially) in Black and White from Mike C on Vimeo.

Here’s a video of our time in SF yesterday with Auntie Laura, Gpa Tom, Gma Karen, and a few four-legged friends. I made some of the video black and white after watching a bit of some Oasis documentary tour film this morning that reminded me how striking high contrast B&W can look.

Mix in a little slow-mo in the right spots and even a two year old can look pretty cool!

Camera Used: Flip Video Ultra 60. Soundtrack:

• “If Love is the Drug” from Tepid Peppermint Wonderland: A Retrospective by The Brian Jonestown Massacre

Here are a few pics Auntie Laura snapped of Lucy and Izzy B, one of Laura’s cats…

I like how the accuser has frosting on her chin in this scene.

As you can see, Lucy likes getting up close and personal w/ her fuzzy friends. Luckily, said friends are usually pretty patient with her.

(though Izzy looks like she’s about to ptoink the kid in this last pic!)

More Lucy in SF from Mike C on Vimeo.

Here’s a video Lucy’s Auntie Laura shot during Lucy’s time in SF last month. From Laura:

“I made a compilation of the videos I took while Jim and Peg were here with Lucy. If you have 7+ minutes, check it out…highlights include Lucy stepping on bugs, Lucy chasing squirrels, and Lucy eating ice cream.

I love seeing her interact with the other kids, and when she’s squirrel hunting, watch closely and listen when the squirrel goes up the tree–she sighs just before she runs away, it’s so cute!”

• Music: “Dahomey Dance” from Olé Coltrane by John Coltrane