Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Daddy helped me make a Valentine's Day card for Mommy, and I helped Daddy make heart-shaped scones for Mommy for breakfast. It rained off and on today, so we had a lazy family day running errands. I fell asleep almost immediately, so Mommy & Daddy ate some Yoshi's in the car while I napped. When I woke up, they got me a couple hamburgers from Mickey D's. Then we went to Target, where I got a cool "Astronaut & Rocket" suitcase, backpack, and fanny pack. I really like rolling the suitcase around the store. We also picked me up a pair of new sneakers. I needed a pair that didn't have black soles for my toddler gym class that starts next month. I'm gonna learn how to play T-ball, soccer, basketball, & hockey with Daddy. Next, we went to Bed, Bath, & Beyond, where we got me a new folding chair. It's a little tall for our coffee table, so Daddy is going to saw the legs down a couple inches. (My little $1.50 red plastic Daiso chair finally went kaputs - the seat cracked.) Lastly, we went to Costco to pick up some USDA prime ribeye steaks that Daddy made for dinner along with sauteed broccoli and scalloped potatoes. Dinner was delicious. I had 2nds and 3rds.

Daycare Valentine's

We brought Valentine's Day balloons for everyone at daycare. We had lots of treats today. My favorite were the brownies with gummy bears on top.

This is Hannah, Ava, and Me with our Valentine's balloons.

Freedom & Independence

After months of keeping me from mischief, I finally conquered my captor - our Hand-Free Security Gate. I locked myself in my room today. When Daddy didn't come to my rescue fast enough, I stepped on the peddle and slipped my other foot through the gate to the other peddle, and then hopped until the gate sprung open - Sweet FREEDOM!

I've been opening the refrigerator door by myself for a few weeks now. I'd just open it and check things out. However, today while Daddy & I were watching TV, I realized I was hungry. So, I got up from the couch, opened the refrigerator, pulled open the vegetable drawer, grabbed a pint of blueberries, closed the drawer and the door, and brought them back to the couch. Then I exclaimed to Daddy, "I opened and closed the refrigerator ALL BY MYSELF." Sweet INDEPENDENCE!

Later this afternoon, I discovered Daddy's secret chocolate stash in the bottom drawer of the refrigerator. SCORE!!!

Gung Hay Fat Choy!!!

Happy Year of the Ox!

These were the Red Envelopes that Mommy passed out to all the kids

at the Hohmann's SuperBowl Block Party.

Gilroy Gardens Holiday Lights

I enjoyed Disneyland so much that Mommy & Daddy took me and Grandpa to the local amusement park for their special holiday event. During the month of December, Gilroy Gardens goes all out decorating their park in holiday splendor. We met up with Ben and his mama. After taking the The North Pole Express around the park. Ben and I rode the Tubs-O-Fun together a couple times, then I got to ride Bulgy the Goldfish all by myself. Daddy & I took a quick spin on Strawberry Sundae. Afterwards, we all enjoyed the holiday feast of turkey and ham huddled beneath the heat lamps. It was quite cozy under the lamps, but pretty chilly elsewhere. After dinner, Ben & his mama went home cuz it was getting too cold for them. Daddy & I braved the cold to ride the Balloon Flight. Then I got to drive the four of us in a vintage car around the South County Holiday Drive before we heading home. We made a stop by the ticket office so Mommy & Daddy could buy memberships. I'll be coming back next season. Yippee!

Christmas 2008

This was the first Christmas that I really got to appreciate the true meaning of Christmas - PRESENTS. Grandpa and Mommy had wondered if I would go for the BIG boxes or the PRETTY presents. Being my father's son, I went for the F-O-O-D. I honed in on this tin of popcorn. I need the energy for my morning gift unwrapping. Next, I surprised them further, by going for the smaller presents. I played with each gift before opening the next. In fact, Mommy had to keep prompting me to open more. Here I am playing with my magnetic fishing puzzle. And later, Mommy and I try out my new Leapfrog Clickstart Computer. The Loui Family hosted yet another scrumptious Christmas dinner of prime rib and turkey. This was the first Christmas Grandpa has spent with his family in California in nearly 39 years. Sadly, Uncle Howard (Grandpa's eldest brother) and his wife Auntie Ping weren't able to join us. However, Grandpa did get to spend the holiday with his sister Auntie Moi, his nieces & nephews, and of course Us. After dinner, Cousin Timothy showed me a few chords on the guitar.

Merry Christmas

From Our Family to Yours.

Wishing you a Healthy & Happy Holiday Season.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!!!

The Happiest Place on Earth

This was a very eventful week. First, Auntie Terry & Uncle Bill had flooding in their basement, so they couldn't caravan with us down to Anaheim. Then I had a confrontation with a door jamb which led to a visit from a fire truck & paramedics before resulting in a trip to the hospital to get my forehead glue shut. I had a gash on my forehead about 3/4" long and 1/8" wide. After getting patched up, we hit the road for Anaheim. 2 pitstops and 7 hours later, we checked into the Disneyland Hotel. After getting to our room, we got to watch fireworks over the park from our balcony. Then we went searching for some grub in Downtown Disney. We settled on the Rainforest Cafe. It was an awesome restaurant with wild animals hiding in every nook and cranny, waterfalls, and a thunderstorm every 20 minutes. Pretty cool. The food wasn't too bad either.

Tuesday was our first full day at Disneyland. We headed straight for It's a Small World which was decked out for the holidays, then we went to Mickey's Toontown where I road Gadget's Go Coaster TWICE. I literally dragged my mommy back on it the second time. I also went on Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin which was a dark and twisty ride but still fun. Then I explored Goofy's Playhouse, Donald's Boat, Chip 'n' Dale's Tree House, Minnie's House, and Mickey's House. I even got to meet the mighty mouse himself. We ate hot dogs at Pluto's Dog House in Toontown before taking the Disneyland Railroad back to Main Street to head over to California Adventure. Over there, we went straight to A Bug's Land where I rode every ride I could, often twice - Flik's Flyers, Heimlich's Chew Chew Train, and Tuck & Roll's

Drive 'em Buggies. We also caught the Playhouse Disney Live on Stage show where we prepared for a surprise birthday party for Minnie Mouse. We also saw the Muppet Vision 3D show which was cool at first with its 3D characters that I could almost reach out and touch, but about 3/4 of the way through a scary vacuum came out and vacuumed up the whole screen. It totally freaked me out. Then there were flying cannonballs and lots of loud noises. No more shows for us after that. While I napped in my stroller after all the excitement, Daddy rode the Maliboomer 180' up into the sky. When I woke up just before sunset, Daddy & I rode the Golden Zephyr. I LOVED flying through the sky. Afterwards, we headed to the parade route to watch the Pixar Play Parade. It was getting passed chilly, so we head back to the hotel to Uncle Bill & Grandpa (Aunt Terry had to stay behind to take care of the flooding.) . We went back to Downtown Disney for dinner. We had cajun food at the Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen.

It rained ALL DAY Wednesday. So, we met up with Great Auntie Yee & Cousin Michael and his family for lunch. We went out for yummy dim sum. Grandpa stayed behind to visit with his sister while we went back to the hotel. Mommy & I napped, while Daddy & Uncle Bill went to the huge LEGO Imagination Center. Later, we ate dinner at a local El Torito before picking Grandpa up.

We woke up to a dry Thursday, so we all hit the park. We thought we'd grab a bite to eat in New Orleans Square, but the restaurant wouldn't be open till 11am. So, we took a ride on the Jungle Cruise. Then while Uncle Bill & Grandpa explore the Haunted Mansion which was decked out Tim Burton style for Christmas, Daddy, Mommy, & I checked out The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh in Critter Country. It was a pretty psychedelic ride. Afterwards, we headed back to Cafe Orleans and got a table outside by the wrought iron fence so Grandpa and Uncle Bill could spot us. I had Mickey's Cheesy Macaroni with fresh fruit off the Kid's Menu while Mommy had the decadent Monte Cristo. Grandpa and Daddy had the Mardi Gras Chicken Sandwich, and Uncle Bill had the Creole Ratatouille. Everything was quite yummy. After lunch, we headed back to FantasyLand so Grandpa could catch a ride on It's a Small World. I got to enjoy a tub of popcorn while we waited in line. Daddy ditched us to explore on his own for a while. The ride was much more fun the second time around. I wasn't quite as overwhelmed as I was on Tuesday. Next on the list was the Mad Tea Party for Daddy & Me. Everyone else chickened out. Afterwards, Grandpa & Uncle Bill had to hit the souvenir shops before hitting the road back to the bay area. We bid our farewells, then headed to Mr. Toad's Wild Ride followed by Dumbo the Flying Elephant. I then took a nap in the stroller while Mommy & Daddy grabbed a bite to eat & some hot chocolate at the Enchanted Cottage, Sweet and Treats. When I woke from my nap, it was nearly dark. We headed back to Main Street to stake out a good spot to watch the parade. We sat on a blanket on the sidewalk for over a half an hour and people watched. We almost had a front row seat to enjoy the holdiday parade.

Afterwards we tried to tracked down on the balloon vendors to get me a Mickey Balloon. We eventually found a pink one at Calfornia Adventures. With balloon in hand, I left the park a happy camper. We trekked back to the car which was still parked at the Disneyland Hotel. After loading up the car, we hit the road and grabbed dinner at the nearby Cheesecake Factory before checking into our new hotel, Hotel Menage, which was close to Disneyland, just north of Hwy 5. Mommy was not impressed with the hotel. It was a just a cheap motel with a facelift - looks pretty at first glance and in the photos, but if you look closely you notice the cheap trendy furnishings, old fixtures & air conditioner, and no closets, towel bars, or refrigerator. Luckily, it was only for a night.

We hit the road Friday around lunch time. We were intending to stop for a quick bite once we got out of Anaheim, but I ended up falling asleep so we didn't stop until we almost reached the foothills of the Grapevine. We stopped again at the rest area at the top of the Grapevine so I could play in the SNOW. The Grapevine was closed down the day before (forcing Uncle Bill to take the long route home) because of all the snow. Even though it had been sunny and clear all Friday, there was still a good 6 inches of snow on the ground. Mommy bundle me up in my coat, hat, & gloves. As soon as we reached the snow, I knew exactly what to do. I started pelting Daddy with snow balls. Then, Mommy & I built a little snowman. We had to call it quits after a while cuz Mommy & Daddy didn't bring any gloves, but I got to take a cup of snow along with me in the car. Course, it melted after a while.

Overall, my first trip to Disneyland was a huge success. I can't wait to go back. I also can't wait to play in snow again.

Deck the Halls

This year I got to help decorate our Christmas tree. I got to hang ornaments, jingle bells, silver bows, and ribbon. Our tree started out with all the decorations about two feet off the ground. Mommy redistributed them around the tree when I wasn't looking. Beneath the tree is the Gingerbread (a.k.a. Graham Cracker) House I made at daycare. I helped Daddy put the star on top. Mommy was so nervous that she forgot to take a picture. So, we recreated the event a few days later. In the last picture, I'm trying on our Christmas stockings. They didn't quite fit, so we hung them over the fireplace instead.

Rock Climbing at Ortega Park

Okay, so technically, it's called bouldering. I call it fun. Mommy says I have potential. She can't wait till I get big enough to take to the climbing gym - Planet Granite. She used to do a lot of indoor rock climbing before she and daddy got married.

Thanksgiving Leftovers w/ Ben & Jacob

We got together with Ben & Jacob's family to share Thanksgiving leftovers. After stuffing ourselves with Turkey, ham, and lots of fixin's, Saba read Jacob and me a story. Then I got to take a bubble bath with Ben & Jacob. We had lots of fun playing with bubbles and being silly.

Rub-A-Dub, 3 Boys in a Tub.

Charming the Ladies at Christmas in the Park

We went to downtown San Jose to decorate Christmas trees for Arlene's Daycare (my daycare) and Las Madres Working Moms 2006 (Mommy's mommy group) for Christmas in the Park. LMWM06 Tree was decorated in a star theme. Mommy & I couldn't make it to the ornament decorating playdate, so Drake's mommy gave us some supplies. I got to decorate my stars at home before we went up at Sea Ranch. Arlene's Tree was decorated with TONS of ornaments us kids had made since Thanksgiving. Arlene came prepared with yummy Fruit Loop necklaces and chocolate chip cookies for us. The whole daycare gang showed up. We had lots of fun.

Hopping on giant peppermint candies with Marisol.





Stomping on "fake" snow with Ava.

Arlene's Gang

Sea Ranch R&R

We went up to Sea Ranch for a little pre-Thanksgiving R&R. We rented this house on the meadow. It was also just a short hike to One-Eyed-Jack's Playground and Shell Beach. Every morning, we saw deer grazing in the meadow. It was a nice lazy vacation. Daddy baked a big ham the first day, so we feasted on ham every day - ham steaks, ham & eggs, grilled ham & cheese, ham salad, etc. Mommy & Daddy got some reading in while I was introduced to our portable DVD player. I watched the Dora DVD that Khai gave me for Halloween over and over. We took walks every day, rain or shine. If it was raining, we took cover underneath the cypress trees. If it was sunny, I got to slide and swing at One-Eyed-Jack's or play in the sand at Shell Beach. We did a photo shoot for our Holiday photo card beneath the trees at One-Eyed-Jack's, and later took a family photo at The Sea Ranch Chapel. Mommy & Daddy originally wanted to get married at the Chapel, but it could only hold 20 people. So, instead, they exchanged their vows on the bluff top overlooking the ocean at The Sea Ranch Lodge. It was a really nice getaway. Can't wait to come back again.

Playing in the sand at Shell Beach.

Trying out the drinking fountain at One-Eyed-Jack's Playground.

Tumbling w/ Daddy

While we were up at Sea Ranch, Daddy showed me how to do somersaults.

Big Wheel

Mommy & Daddy finally put together the Big Wheel that Uncle Bill & Aunt Terry got me for my birthday. It's awesome.

"It's tangled up" - refers to the kite that been stuck in the power line since the summer.

Alphabet Song

(with a little help from Mommy)

Halloween '08

For this auspicious occasion, I dressed up at the Dread Pirate Zachary. Mommy originally was going to put me in this cute Monkey costume from Old Navy, but I wouldn't have anything to do with that sissy costume. I also didn't care for the oversized frilly shirt that came with my pirate costume, so Mommy had to make me this cool T-shirt. The holiday festivities started off with a party at daycare, and what better way to celebrate than costumes and cupcakes. We had the perfect Fright Night weather that evening - storm clouds rolling in and wind whistling thru the trees. It was so windy that Mommy couldn't put out all her usual spider and web paraphernalia. Luckily, the rain held off until I completed my Trick-or-Treating down the block and back. Also, I ended up with extra loot cuz we had lots of left over candy cuz there weren't as may kids out this year. SCORE!!!