Oh, I forgot to blog last week about Todd's checkup last Thursday, 24 May. His vital stats:
Height: 39.5 inches (over 95th percentile)
Weight: 33 lb, 8 oz (75th percentile)
Got a shot on his leg, and though it hurt, he didn't cry. Went back on Tuesday to get the TB test shot on his arm. Again, I asked if it hurt, he said yes. But when I asked if he cried, he proudly proclaimed "No". He then went around the house using a plastic straw as a needle, poking everyone (including his stuffed animals) in the arm or leg, giving them "shots" :-D
Woe is me!
This video captures a sampling of what Todd looks/sounds like when he's in the throes of a "woe is me!" outburst, quite obviously in a ploy for sympathy. I mean, who could resist those pitiful, heart wrenching wails? :-P
Of course, it should come as no surprise that as soon as he's sufficiently distracted, the tears instantly subside. I sat at my desk to upload this video, and he moved from the sofa to me, burying his head in my lap and continuing his crying. As soon as I uploaded the video and started playing it on my computer, he lifted his head, tears all but gone, and watched quietly, intently... and amusedly :-)
Of course, it should come as no surprise that as soon as he's sufficiently distracted, the tears instantly subside. I sat at my desk to upload this video, and he moved from the sofa to me, burying his head in my lap and continuing his crying. As soon as I uploaded the video and started playing it on my computer, he lifted his head, tears all but gone, and watched quietly, intently... and amusedly :-)
Froggy Headaches
If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a video must be worth ten thousand. Little more needs to be added to this video I captured today with our digital camera. Don't you love the look on his face when he's asked "What are you doing?" :-D
Happy 3rd Birthday (again)!
Last weekend we enjoyed a quiet little family celebration of cake, ice cream and presents on our back patio. This weekend we ventured out of our apartment complex and enjoyed celebrating Todd's birthday in one of his favorite spots-- the Goleta Train Depot, with its little museum of the old station and caboose, as well as the little train ride!
Mommy, Daddy and Todd arrived at the park at lunchtime in order to set up. We laid out the appetizers and drinks, and kept a watchful eye on our phones as Oma and Opa, and Grandma and Grandpa Duaine phoned in with location updates. We picked a heck of a weekend to hold the party-- Memorial Day Weekend, not without its typical slew of crazy traffic.
Everyone arrived by 2pm, and we settled down for some snacks and conversation, while Todd took turns riding the train with everyone-- once with Daddy, once with Mommy, once with Opa, once with Oma, and once with Grandma Diane (he sat nicely with her while Mommy and Daddy sat behind)-- all throughout the afternoon.
We opened a big bunch of presents, where Todd received a stuffed tiger, a remote-control car, a soft baseball and bat, a coloring book, wooden do-it-yourself assembly kits (for a truck and an airplane), and erector set, a Spiderman outfit, and best of all-- a drum!
Afterward we headed to Zaffiro for dinner. Mommy made a quick detour to the apartment to grab the cake out of the fridge and bring it along to the restaurant so they could serve it to us after dinner.
We enjoyed a nice leisurely dinner, and then topped it all off with a delicious milk cake with strawberry filling-- decorated in a Finding Nemo design!
By the time we got home, we were pretty tired, but happy-- it had been a nice, enjoyable day and of course, the birthday boy had LOADS of fun.
Here he is enjoying his favorite toy-- the drums-- with great glee!
As always, the rest of the photos have been uploaded to the web album:
http://whistler.cs.ucsb.edu/linpha/viewer.php?albid=188&stage=3
Mommy, Daddy and Todd arrived at the park at lunchtime in order to set up. We laid out the appetizers and drinks, and kept a watchful eye on our phones as Oma and Opa, and Grandma and Grandpa Duaine phoned in with location updates. We picked a heck of a weekend to hold the party-- Memorial Day Weekend, not without its typical slew of crazy traffic.
Everyone arrived by 2pm, and we settled down for some snacks and conversation, while Todd took turns riding the train with everyone-- once with Daddy, once with Mommy, once with Opa, once with Oma, and once with Grandma Diane (he sat nicely with her while Mommy and Daddy sat behind)-- all throughout the afternoon.
We opened a big bunch of presents, where Todd received a stuffed tiger, a remote-control car, a soft baseball and bat, a coloring book, wooden do-it-yourself assembly kits (for a truck and an airplane), and erector set, a Spiderman outfit, and best of all-- a drum!
Afterward we headed to Zaffiro for dinner. Mommy made a quick detour to the apartment to grab the cake out of the fridge and bring it along to the restaurant so they could serve it to us after dinner.
We enjoyed a nice leisurely dinner, and then topped it all off with a delicious milk cake with strawberry filling-- decorated in a Finding Nemo design!
By the time we got home, we were pretty tired, but happy-- it had been a nice, enjoyable day and of course, the birthday boy had LOADS of fun.
Here he is enjoying his favorite toy-- the drums-- with great glee!
As always, the rest of the photos have been uploaded to the web album:
http://whistler.cs.ucsb.edu/linpha/viewer.php?albid=188&stage=3
Unbreakable Plastic
Last night I enjoyed a quiet evening with Toddy, we sat across from each other at the coffee table, enjoying bowls of ice cream together. Then Todd got up to get a napkin to wipe his face, returning with a napkin for Mommy. He then unfolded his napkin and placed it on his lap, and instructed Mommy to do the same (guess all those trips to restaurants have rubbed off on him!).
Afterward, he helped me wash dishes, rinsing silverware while I washed and rinsed everything else. What a fun night!
The cute Todd-ism for the night occurred when he spied a piece of glass on the floor. He asked what it was, and that's when I noticed it was a glass shard from a bowl my Mom had accidentally dropped on the floor earlier that day. This shard had shot into a corner, so she missed it when sweeping up the mess. I pulled out an identical, whole bowl from the cupboard and held it up next to the piece of glass. Then I explained to Todd that when you drop such a glass bowl on the floor, it shatters into pieces like the one he found.
He examined the glass piece studiously for a few seconds before looking back up and me and piping up with his logical conclusion:
"You can use a plastic bowl!"
Afterward, he helped me wash dishes, rinsing silverware while I washed and rinsed everything else. What a fun night!
The cute Todd-ism for the night occurred when he spied a piece of glass on the floor. He asked what it was, and that's when I noticed it was a glass shard from a bowl my Mom had accidentally dropped on the floor earlier that day. This shard had shot into a corner, so she missed it when sweeping up the mess. I pulled out an identical, whole bowl from the cupboard and held it up next to the piece of glass. Then I explained to Todd that when you drop such a glass bowl on the floor, it shatters into pieces like the one he found.
He examined the glass piece studiously for a few seconds before looking back up and me and piping up with his logical conclusion:
"You can use a plastic bowl!"
Don't Listen!
Yesterday while I was puttering around in the bathroom, I could hear Todd talking animatedly with Opa in the bedroom next door. Of course I didn't understand a word he was saying, as he was rapidly speaking Chinese, but once in a while he threw an English word in there and I could make out "Disneyland" and "balloons".
So I popped into the bedroom so I could get a better look/listen. Todd immediately ordered me: "Close the door. All the way!"
I pointed out that I just wanted to hear him telling Opa his stories!
To which Todd replied: "No! You talk to Oma" (Oma was in the kitchen)
I pressed on: "I can't listen to Pao-pao's stories?"
He said: "No!"
I asked "Why not!?"
His reply? "You listen Chinese!"
(in other words, he's speaking Chinese with Opa, which Mommy wouldn't understand anyway) :-D
So I popped into the bedroom so I could get a better look/listen. Todd immediately ordered me: "Close the door. All the way!"
I pointed out that I just wanted to hear him telling Opa his stories!
To which Todd replied: "No! You talk to Oma" (Oma was in the kitchen)
I pressed on: "I can't listen to Pao-pao's stories?"
He said: "No!"
I asked "Why not!?"
His reply? "You listen Chinese!"
(in other words, he's speaking Chinese with Opa, which Mommy wouldn't understand anyway) :-D
Happy 3rd Birthday!
Today we held a little family celebration in honor of Todd, who was born exactly 3 years ago today. We started off the day with Daddy taking Todd to the playground so Mommy could wrap his presents. After lunch, Daddy iced an angel food cake and we took the loot to the back patio, where we sang Happy Birthday, ate cake and ice cream (well, Todd favored the black cherry ice cream more than the sweet cake) and then the fun part-- opening presents!
Here he is unwrapping his first present:
We got him a small backpack, a couple of books (including a Bob the Builder popup book), a "Dragon Tales" VHS tape extolling the virtues of sharing, arm flotation rings for swimming, and a little toy set full of "Clever Builder" toys-- road signs, building tools, etc...
Here are the pictures from the day's events:
http://whistler.cs.ucsb.edu/linpha/viewer.php?albid=188&stage=3
And of course, the little man enjoyed holding up 3 fingers and proudly proclaiming, "Three!" whenever anyone asked how old he is now :-)
Here he is unwrapping his first present:
We got him a small backpack, a couple of books (including a Bob the Builder popup book), a "Dragon Tales" VHS tape extolling the virtues of sharing, arm flotation rings for swimming, and a little toy set full of "Clever Builder" toys-- road signs, building tools, etc...
Here are the pictures from the day's events:
http://whistler.cs.ucsb.edu/linpha/viewer.php?albid=188&stage=3
And of course, the little man enjoyed holding up 3 fingers and proudly proclaiming, "Three!" whenever anyone asked how old he is now :-)
Turtles
I am hopelessly enchanted with the stuffed turtle that Uncle Ron and Aunt Debbie brought back for Todd from their most recent trip to Hawaii. Here's a few cute Todd-isms related to his turtle.
This morning, as I picked him up out of the crib, he handed me his turtle and said, "You can sleep with turtle tonight". He then hugged his favorite pillow (security pillow?) to his chest and said "I sleep with pillow tonight". Yay for sharing! :-D
Now, unlike ordinary animals, turtles don't make a common noise we imitate. Not like a dog's "arf" or a cat's "meow" or a cow's "mooo". So, since the turtle is green and matches the myriad of stuffed frogs in the house, we've taken to making the turtle say "ribbit". Daddy keeps laughing at this notion, but plays along, most of the time. And of course, ALL stuffed animals can speak English like humans, when voiced by Mommy and Daddy :-)
So, last weekend, Todd was playing with his turtle and Mommy idly asked him, "What sound does a turtle make?" expecting him to respond with "Ribbit".
But no, "Turtles don't make a sound", said Todd.
Puzzled, I inquired further, and Todd explained: "Turtles can talk!"
Indeed they can-- it's called human-speak! :-D
Here's a pic I found of the turtle, along with his bigger and smaller brothers/sisters. Todd's is the same as the one on the left, the middle-sized turtle. Soooooo cute and huggable!!
This morning, as I picked him up out of the crib, he handed me his turtle and said, "You can sleep with turtle tonight". He then hugged his favorite pillow (security pillow?) to his chest and said "I sleep with pillow tonight". Yay for sharing! :-D
Now, unlike ordinary animals, turtles don't make a common noise we imitate. Not like a dog's "arf" or a cat's "meow" or a cow's "mooo". So, since the turtle is green and matches the myriad of stuffed frogs in the house, we've taken to making the turtle say "ribbit". Daddy keeps laughing at this notion, but plays along, most of the time. And of course, ALL stuffed animals can speak English like humans, when voiced by Mommy and Daddy :-)
So, last weekend, Todd was playing with his turtle and Mommy idly asked him, "What sound does a turtle make?" expecting him to respond with "Ribbit".
But no, "Turtles don't make a sound", said Todd.
Puzzled, I inquired further, and Todd explained: "Turtles can talk!"
Indeed they can-- it's called human-speak! :-D
Here's a pic I found of the turtle, along with his bigger and smaller brothers/sisters. Todd's is the same as the one on the left, the middle-sized turtle. Soooooo cute and huggable!!
Always the opposite
About a half hour ago I received a phone call from my mom and as soon as I picked up the receiver, but before I could even say "Hello?", I heard the distinct sounds of Todd wailing to high heaven, in the background.
My mom then launched into another blog-worthy story:
She was eating oatmeal for breakfast this morning, and Todd came up to her and watched her. She offered him some of hers: "Want some?" He said "No."
He kept looking at her, though, so she offered yet again: "Want some?" Again, he refused: "No. I want my own oatmeal!"
Okay, thought my mom, and finished her oatmeal so she could prepare a new bowl for him. As she scraped the last bits from her bowl, however, Todd peered into it and declared: "I want Oma's oatmeal!"
"I'll make some more for you" offered Oma.
"No! I want Oma's!!" insisted Todd, and began howling and crying in protest. That's when Oma decided to pick up the phone and share the sounds with Mommy :-D
And we chalk up yet another case of Todd being contrary... just for the sake of being contrary!
My mom then launched into another blog-worthy story:
She was eating oatmeal for breakfast this morning, and Todd came up to her and watched her. She offered him some of hers: "Want some?" He said "No."
He kept looking at her, though, so she offered yet again: "Want some?" Again, he refused: "No. I want my own oatmeal!"
Okay, thought my mom, and finished her oatmeal so she could prepare a new bowl for him. As she scraped the last bits from her bowl, however, Todd peered into it and declared: "I want Oma's oatmeal!"
"I'll make some more for you" offered Oma.
"No! I want Oma's!!" insisted Todd, and began howling and crying in protest. That's when Oma decided to pick up the phone and share the sounds with Mommy :-D
And we chalk up yet another case of Todd being contrary... just for the sake of being contrary!
Speaking of TV...
This morning, I got up just as Todd was finishing his morning bottle. I went into his room to retrieve the empty bottle and dress him, and we went through our usual "Good Morning. Did you sleep well?" routine.
He saw that I was already dressed, and then the following conversation ensued:
Todd: Where are you going?
Mom: Mommy's going to work!
Todd: And....
Mom: And Pao-Pao stays home. Stay home with Oma. Play with Oma, read with Oma.
Todd: Noooo
Mom: No!? Then what?
Todd: Watch TV with Ama-Ama!
:-D
He saw that I was already dressed, and then the following conversation ensued:
Todd: Where are you going?
Mom: Mommy's going to work!
Todd: And....
Mom: And Pao-Pao stays home. Stay home with Oma. Play with Oma, read with Oma.
Todd: Noooo
Mom: No!? Then what?
Todd: Watch TV with Ama-Ama!
:-D
Sneaking alone time
Yesterday Oma had some errands to run-- library books to return, grocery shopping to do, etc... Todd was watching a children's TV show with Ama-Ama in her room, and Oma stepped in to ask if he wanted to go along. Much to her surprised, he immediately proclaimed, "No!"
Oma sat for a few more minutes watching the TV program with them, during which time Todd kept pushing her and saying "You go shopping!"
So, when the program ended she switched the channel to a boring CSPAN-like station before turning the TV off, knowing full well that Todd would turn the TV back on once she left.
When she got back home, Ama-Ama confirmed that Todd had indeed switched the TV on, got bored (he doesn't know about changing channels, yet), and within 15 minutes, started wandering around the house looking for Oma, clamoring to "go shopping with Oma!"
Sneaky little boy! :-)
Oma sat for a few more minutes watching the TV program with them, during which time Todd kept pushing her and saying "You go shopping!"
So, when the program ended she switched the channel to a boring CSPAN-like station before turning the TV off, knowing full well that Todd would turn the TV back on once she left.
When she got back home, Ama-Ama confirmed that Todd had indeed switched the TV on, got bored (he doesn't know about changing channels, yet), and within 15 minutes, started wandering around the house looking for Oma, clamoring to "go shopping with Oma!"
Sneaky little boy! :-)
Gardening
Late this morning, after settling down at work, I got a call from my Mom. But before she could speak, Todd, knowing she was calling me, clamored to talk on the phone. The following conversation ensued:
Toddy: Hi Mommy!
Mommy: Hi Sweetie!
Toddy: I want to cut the grass!
Mommy: Oh, you're cutting the grass, are you?
Toddy: But Oma needs to cook, and (unintelligible) needs water!
Mommy: Huh? What needs water?
Toddy: The plants!
Mommy: Oh, you're watering the plants?
Toddy: No, Oma watering the plants!
Hee hee... guess the little man was helping Oma in the garden, cutting the grass (with his scissors, no doubt) before she had to go back inside to get lunch ready.
Toddy: Hi Mommy!
Mommy: Hi Sweetie!
Toddy: I want to cut the grass!
Mommy: Oh, you're cutting the grass, are you?
Toddy: But Oma needs to cook, and (unintelligible) needs water!
Mommy: Huh? What needs water?
Toddy: The plants!
Mommy: Oh, you're watering the plants?
Toddy: No, Oma watering the plants!
Hee hee... guess the little man was helping Oma in the garden, cutting the grass (with his scissors, no doubt) before she had to go back inside to get lunch ready.
Funny Faces
I was playing around with posting videos on Myspace comments, and was using this old video (Todd is a little less than a year old in it) as my guinea pig. I actually posted it on the baby diary a few months ago (back when it was still on Tripod). But Tripod wouldn't let me embed videos, so I thought I'd give it another go while sharing another Todd story:
Todd eagerly watched it as I played it, he instantly recognized Ama-Ama's laugh on the video when he heard it. And of course, he identified himself as "Baby Pao-Pao" (a bit redundant, when you consider the literal meaning of it, but it works!)
I explained why Ama-Ama was laughing, whereupon Todd went to Daddy to regale him with the tale of the video: "Ama-Ama is feeding Baby Pao-Pao, and she's laughing because Pao-Pao is making funny faces!"
Todd eagerly watched it as I played it, he instantly recognized Ama-Ama's laugh on the video when he heard it. And of course, he identified himself as "Baby Pao-Pao" (a bit redundant, when you consider the literal meaning of it, but it works!)
I explained why Ama-Ama was laughing, whereupon Todd went to Daddy to regale him with the tale of the video: "Ama-Ama is feeding Baby Pao-Pao, and she's laughing because Pao-Pao is making funny faces!"
Don't get mad!
I was busy changing Todd and putting his pajamas on while he busily played with a coin he found on the bathroom counter (pocket change from when Mommy took a shower). As I looked up from putting his socks on, I noticed he had the coin in his mouth!
Quick as can be, I pushed it out and admonished him: "Don't put the coin in your mouth!". My tone was a bit annoyed, because I was in a hurry to get it out and because it wasn't the first time anyone had told him never to put money in his mouth.
He was silent for a moment before piping up with "Don't be angry!"
That just made me laugh and I nuzzled him while quietly explaining why money is dirty and why you should never put it in your mouth. That seemed to satisfy him, and he agreed not to do it again. Only time will tell if he actually listens or not!
Quick as can be, I pushed it out and admonished him: "Don't put the coin in your mouth!". My tone was a bit annoyed, because I was in a hurry to get it out and because it wasn't the first time anyone had told him never to put money in his mouth.
He was silent for a moment before piping up with "Don't be angry!"
That just made me laugh and I nuzzled him while quietly explaining why money is dirty and why you should never put it in your mouth. That seemed to satisfy him, and he agreed not to do it again. Only time will tell if he actually listens or not!
Medicinal observations
Yesterday Mommy picked up some prescription pills from the pharmacy to help manage her lower back pain. As with most prescription bottles nowadays, you can put the lid on upside-down to make it non-childproof. And since most childproof bottle caps manage to elude Mommy, she decided to put it on upside down.
Todd spied the bottle, picked it up and observed, "It's upside-down!" He handed it to Oma to fix. After she did, he wagged his finger at her and said in his most grown-up, authoritative voice: "Remember, don't put it on upside-down!"
Now that the bottle cap was fixed, he examined the bottle, and became curious about the pills inside. He begged Oma to open it so he could look through the "hole" (the opening of the bottle). When that wasn't satisfactory, he asked to take one out.
Oma strictly admonished him that medicine was not for playing with.
But Todd wasn't going to play with it, as he pointed out: "You can put it on my hand, and I can look at it!"
We reached a compromise by letting him look at a pill resting in Oma's hand instead :-)
Todd spied the bottle, picked it up and observed, "It's upside-down!" He handed it to Oma to fix. After she did, he wagged his finger at her and said in his most grown-up, authoritative voice: "Remember, don't put it on upside-down!"
Now that the bottle cap was fixed, he examined the bottle, and became curious about the pills inside. He begged Oma to open it so he could look through the "hole" (the opening of the bottle). When that wasn't satisfactory, he asked to take one out.
Oma strictly admonished him that medicine was not for playing with.
But Todd wasn't going to play with it, as he pointed out: "You can put it on my hand, and I can look at it!"
We reached a compromise by letting him look at a pill resting in Oma's hand instead :-)
Not later!
Just as many little kids do, Todd clamors to do something at inappropriate times, such as asking for a snack right before mealtime, or wanting to play outside right before nap time. So we usually tell him no, not now, he can do/eat it later, and explain why.
His response? Usually a very loud and very insistent "Not later!!"
Recently, he's begun turning the tables on us. When we tell him to do some loathed chore, such as taking a shower, going on the toilet, or brushing his teeth, he'll yell, "No! I'll do it later!"
Mimicry at its best ;-)
His response? Usually a very loud and very insistent "Not later!!"
Recently, he's begun turning the tables on us. When we tell him to do some loathed chore, such as taking a shower, going on the toilet, or brushing his teeth, he'll yell, "No! I'll do it later!"
Mimicry at its best ;-)
More than one Daddy
My mom has fallen into the habit of referring to my dad as "Daddy", as most parents do when talking to their children. After 30 years of doing so, it's a pretty tough habit to break.
So whenever she tells me something involving my dad, it turns into "Daddy did this" and "Daddy said that".
And when Todd happens to listen in? He's quick to chime in and correct her:
"Not Daddy! Opa!"
So whenever she tells me something involving my dad, it turns into "Daddy did this" and "Daddy said that".
And when Todd happens to listen in? He's quick to chime in and correct her:
"Not Daddy! Opa!"
I'm a what?
As I was getting ready to change Todd's poopy diaper, I remarked, "You're a smelly boy!"
Todd indignantly insisted: "I'm not a smelly boy!"... followed by a pause as he mulled it over and then said quizzically: "Smelly boy is what?" (his way of asking "what's a smelly boy?")
Apparently he didn't need to know the definition of "smelly" in order to deduce from my tone of voice, that it wasn't a compliment!
Todd indignantly insisted: "I'm not a smelly boy!"... followed by a pause as he mulled it over and then said quizzically: "Smelly boy is what?" (his way of asking "what's a smelly boy?")
Apparently he didn't need to know the definition of "smelly" in order to deduce from my tone of voice, that it wasn't a compliment!
More Todd-isms at the park
So, just as I blogged his Disneyland Todd-isms separately from the post describing the trip itself, I thought I'd put Todd's cute sayings during our trip to California Adventure, in its own post as well.
During the drive from Sylmar to Anaheim in the morning, Todd spied Daddy holding Mommy's hand (they were both up front and he was seated in the back). He immediately commanded Daddy: "Let go Mommy's hand!" Daddy instantly pulled back his hand. Mommy turned around to look at Todd, where she noticed his outstretched hands. His request?
"Hold my hand!"
So Mommy obliged and grabbed hold of Todd's hand. Timidly, Daddy peeked at his son and asked "May I hold Mommy's other hand?" to which Todd affirmed "Okay!"... leaving Mommy in the awkward position of having her arms split between the front and back seats :-P
On the drive back home from the restaurant, Todd kept piping up with "I wanna go Santa Barbara with Daddy!", knowing Daddy was returning to SB either that night or the next morning. So Mommy humored him and agreed: "Okay, make sure you tell Oma."
Todd mulled this over for a moment and replied: "YOU tell Oma. I go with Daddy!"
And when we got home? Everytime Oma and Opa tried asking Todd what he'd seen/done that day, all he could do was repeat himself: "I wanna go Santa Barbara with Daddy!"
During the drive from Sylmar to Anaheim in the morning, Todd spied Daddy holding Mommy's hand (they were both up front and he was seated in the back). He immediately commanded Daddy: "Let go Mommy's hand!" Daddy instantly pulled back his hand. Mommy turned around to look at Todd, where she noticed his outstretched hands. His request?
"Hold my hand!"
So Mommy obliged and grabbed hold of Todd's hand. Timidly, Daddy peeked at his son and asked "May I hold Mommy's other hand?" to which Todd affirmed "Okay!"... leaving Mommy in the awkward position of having her arms split between the front and back seats :-P
On the drive back home from the restaurant, Todd kept piping up with "I wanna go Santa Barbara with Daddy!", knowing Daddy was returning to SB either that night or the next morning. So Mommy humored him and agreed: "Okay, make sure you tell Oma."
Todd mulled this over for a moment and replied: "YOU tell Oma. I go with Daddy!"
And when we got home? Everytime Oma and Opa tried asking Todd what he'd seen/done that day, all he could do was repeat himself: "I wanna go Santa Barbara with Daddy!"
California Adventure
2 weeks after our trip to Disneyland to (belatedly) celebrate Allan's birthday, we returned to the park and hit California Adventure as part of our "two-for" ticket that allowed us to visit both parks within 30 days, for the price of one.
We headed to Anaheim, with a diaper bag full of food to tide us over the entire trip. We started off with a visit to the Disney Playhouse, where we were regaled with stories by children's favorites such as JoJo and Winnie the Pooh. At the end, bubbles fell from the ceiling, here's Todd catching some:
We enjoyed a Muppet show in 3D, and got a chance to talk to Crush the Turtle from "Finding Nemo"-- a really cool attraction where the animated turtle interacted with the audience from the other side of the "tank" which was the big computer screen. We enjoyed the turtle show so much we even went twice! :-)
Then we headed to Monstropolis, where we enjoyed a ride through the city that houses the scenes of Monsters Inc. Here's Daddy and Toddy helping conserve Monster Energy:
We hit Bug's World (based on "Bug's Life") and enjoyed a number of kiddie rides, such as Heimlich's train ride and Flik's flying contraption, as well as taking in the 3-D Bug's Life show, a tad scarier than the Muppet one.
Then we made our way to the area that contained lots of rides and roller coasters, and enjoyed a spin on the carousel. Afterward, we hit the Ferris Wheel, where the individual cages coasted along within the wheel, causing the cage to rock back and forth rather violently. Yes, each cage came equipped with a barf bag.
We were all pretty tired by day's end, and headed to Acapulco's in Orange for dinner. Todd sacked out nicely on the drive to the restaurant, and continued to sleep even after we got in and were seated! Just sat up and leaned against Daddy's arm, and zzzzz....
All in all, a fun and activity-filled day! We probably had more fun at California Adventure Park than at Disneyland! Not only was it less crowded, but it just seemed so much more child-oriented.
Definitely look forward to more visits in the coming years :-)
Oh, and as always, more pictures can be found here:
http://whistler.cs.ucsb.edu/linpha/viewer.php?albid=168&stage=3
We headed to Anaheim, with a diaper bag full of food to tide us over the entire trip. We started off with a visit to the Disney Playhouse, where we were regaled with stories by children's favorites such as JoJo and Winnie the Pooh. At the end, bubbles fell from the ceiling, here's Todd catching some:
We enjoyed a Muppet show in 3D, and got a chance to talk to Crush the Turtle from "Finding Nemo"-- a really cool attraction where the animated turtle interacted with the audience from the other side of the "tank" which was the big computer screen. We enjoyed the turtle show so much we even went twice! :-)
Then we headed to Monstropolis, where we enjoyed a ride through the city that houses the scenes of Monsters Inc. Here's Daddy and Toddy helping conserve Monster Energy:
We hit Bug's World (based on "Bug's Life") and enjoyed a number of kiddie rides, such as Heimlich's train ride and Flik's flying contraption, as well as taking in the 3-D Bug's Life show, a tad scarier than the Muppet one.
Then we made our way to the area that contained lots of rides and roller coasters, and enjoyed a spin on the carousel. Afterward, we hit the Ferris Wheel, where the individual cages coasted along within the wheel, causing the cage to rock back and forth rather violently. Yes, each cage came equipped with a barf bag.
We were all pretty tired by day's end, and headed to Acapulco's in Orange for dinner. Todd sacked out nicely on the drive to the restaurant, and continued to sleep even after we got in and were seated! Just sat up and leaned against Daddy's arm, and zzzzz....
All in all, a fun and activity-filled day! We probably had more fun at California Adventure Park than at Disneyland! Not only was it less crowded, but it just seemed so much more child-oriented.
Definitely look forward to more visits in the coming years :-)
Oh, and as always, more pictures can be found here:
http://whistler.cs.ucsb.edu/linpha/viewer.php?albid=168&stage=3
Todd-isms at Disneyland
Thought I'd keep this in a separate post from the stories about the trip to Disneyland itself, and share a few nuggets of "Todd-isms" while we were there:
Before each ride, the announcer always makes the usual safety announcements-- please stay seated, please keep your arms inside, please watch your children, etc... and everytime Todd heard the last part, he'd announce to us: "Watch your children!"
Standing in long lines gets tiring for little legs, so Todd was always clamoring to be in Daddy's arms. When Daddy got tired and his back started aching, he'd ask Todd for a break, saying "You're heavy". Todd's response? "I'm not heavy!"
But when Mommy tried taking over and scooped him up in her arms, he resisted, wanting to be in Daddy's more comfortable shoulders instead. His excuse? "No! I'm heavy!"
Before each ride, the announcer always makes the usual safety announcements-- please stay seated, please keep your arms inside, please watch your children, etc... and everytime Todd heard the last part, he'd announce to us: "Watch your children!"
Standing in long lines gets tiring for little legs, so Todd was always clamoring to be in Daddy's arms. When Daddy got tired and his back started aching, he'd ask Todd for a break, saying "You're heavy". Todd's response? "I'm not heavy!"
But when Mommy tried taking over and scooped him up in her arms, he resisted, wanting to be in Daddy's more comfortable shoulders instead. His excuse? "No! I'm heavy!"
Adventures in Disneyland
At long last, I have both the time and inclination to write about our recent trip to Disneyland. It took place on Wednesday, April 18, 2007.
We enjoyed lunch at a McDonald's in Anaheim before heading to the park. It was a windy, chilly day, and since it was the middle of the week, that only served to lessen the crowds there. Average wait time in lines for rides was about 10 minutes, fantastic!
We started out in Fantasyland and hopped on the rides Allan used to work on-- Snow White, Pinocchio and the Casey Jr train. I think Snow White and Pinocchio scared Mommy more than Toddy, on account of the dreadfully LOUD noises! We then had fun riding on the big carousel before heading to everyone's all-time favorite: Small World :-) No surprise that Todd enjoyed the train ride more than anything.
We made our way around the park and hit the Pirates of the Caribbean ride (updated to include the Johnny Depp character now that the movies are a big hit in theaters). Todd had fun at the petting zoo in Big Thunder Ranch, where he bravely reached out and pet a variety of sheep and goats. He also had fun running around and pointing out the activities of the various animals to Mommy and Daddy.
After a quick visit to the docked Mark Twain Riverboat, we took a snack break at the Golden Horseshoe, where we arrived just in time for the actors to troop by and put up an outdoor performance. Halfway through the skit, as they were developing the storyline, one of the actors scanned the audience for a volunteer to play a big scary bear. As his eyes roamed our section of the audience, they immediately fell on Allan and lit up. We knew what was coming next: Allan got selected to play the big scary bear with one line: "ROWR! I'm hungry!!" Looks like the freakish tallness pays off! :-D
We then made our way to Winnie the Pooh, where we waited the longest time in line (20 minutes?) in order for Todd to get his picture taken with Pooh and Eeyore. It was well worth the wait, as Todd hugged Pooh and then Eeyore, before posing for the pictures :-)
Passing by the Haunted Mansion, we decided to make a stop in there. We started out in the gigantic elevator, which turned pitch black as part of the haunted story. Todd buried his face in Daddy's shoulder, where Daddy tried to hug and comfort him. When the lights came back on, he looked up and proudly announced: "I'm not scared anymore!"
We had fun on the Jungle Cruise (amidst the corny jokes!) and then hit Fantasyland again to go on Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. Todd recognized the Wind in the Willows characters while waiting in line, and promptly regaled us with tales of the stories of Mr. Toad's arrest and escape, recalling what he had seen on the DVD movie of "Wind in the Willows".
We got to enjoy Mommy's favorite-- teacups! before trying to make our way to Toontown, only to be thwarted by a parade. So we hurried across the street and found ourselves in Tomorrowland, where Mommy and Toddy enjoyed riding on the airplanes. Too bad the seats were too small to seat all of us, and Daddy couldn't join us.
We weren't interested in seeing the parade, and as it was nearly 7pm and we were both hungry and exhausted, we decided to simply leave, eat dinner, and go home.
What a loooong, but fun-filled day! :-D
We enjoyed lunch at a McDonald's in Anaheim before heading to the park. It was a windy, chilly day, and since it was the middle of the week, that only served to lessen the crowds there. Average wait time in lines for rides was about 10 minutes, fantastic!
We started out in Fantasyland and hopped on the rides Allan used to work on-- Snow White, Pinocchio and the Casey Jr train. I think Snow White and Pinocchio scared Mommy more than Toddy, on account of the dreadfully LOUD noises! We then had fun riding on the big carousel before heading to everyone's all-time favorite: Small World :-) No surprise that Todd enjoyed the train ride more than anything.
We made our way around the park and hit the Pirates of the Caribbean ride (updated to include the Johnny Depp character now that the movies are a big hit in theaters). Todd had fun at the petting zoo in Big Thunder Ranch, where he bravely reached out and pet a variety of sheep and goats. He also had fun running around and pointing out the activities of the various animals to Mommy and Daddy.
After a quick visit to the docked Mark Twain Riverboat, we took a snack break at the Golden Horseshoe, where we arrived just in time for the actors to troop by and put up an outdoor performance. Halfway through the skit, as they were developing the storyline, one of the actors scanned the audience for a volunteer to play a big scary bear. As his eyes roamed our section of the audience, they immediately fell on Allan and lit up. We knew what was coming next: Allan got selected to play the big scary bear with one line: "ROWR! I'm hungry!!" Looks like the freakish tallness pays off! :-D
We then made our way to Winnie the Pooh, where we waited the longest time in line (20 minutes?) in order for Todd to get his picture taken with Pooh and Eeyore. It was well worth the wait, as Todd hugged Pooh and then Eeyore, before posing for the pictures :-)
Passing by the Haunted Mansion, we decided to make a stop in there. We started out in the gigantic elevator, which turned pitch black as part of the haunted story. Todd buried his face in Daddy's shoulder, where Daddy tried to hug and comfort him. When the lights came back on, he looked up and proudly announced: "I'm not scared anymore!"
We had fun on the Jungle Cruise (amidst the corny jokes!) and then hit Fantasyland again to go on Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. Todd recognized the Wind in the Willows characters while waiting in line, and promptly regaled us with tales of the stories of Mr. Toad's arrest and escape, recalling what he had seen on the DVD movie of "Wind in the Willows".
We got to enjoy Mommy's favorite-- teacups! before trying to make our way to Toontown, only to be thwarted by a parade. So we hurried across the street and found ourselves in Tomorrowland, where Mommy and Toddy enjoyed riding on the airplanes. Too bad the seats were too small to seat all of us, and Daddy couldn't join us.
We weren't interested in seeing the parade, and as it was nearly 7pm and we were both hungry and exhausted, we decided to simply leave, eat dinner, and go home.
What a loooong, but fun-filled day! :-D
Disneyland
Filler post for now, to be updated later.
Meantime, photos can be found here:
http://whistler.cs.ucsb.edu/linpha/viewer.php?albid=82&stage=3
Meantime, photos can be found here:
http://whistler.cs.ucsb.edu/linpha/viewer.php?albid=82&stage=3
Rock Head
This morning, as Daddy was dressing Todd, he was struggling to pull a sweater over his head. Daddy commented: "You have a big head!"
Todd's reply?
"It's like a rock!"
Considering that he can nearly put dents into walls and doors, practically break off doorknobs, give people black eyes (when head-butting them) and do major faceplants that would have most kids wailing to high heaven for hours on end, and barely flinches, he MUST have a head made of stone...!
Todd's reply?
"It's like a rock!"
Considering that he can nearly put dents into walls and doors, practically break off doorknobs, give people black eyes (when head-butting them) and do major faceplants that would have most kids wailing to high heaven for hours on end, and barely flinches, he MUST have a head made of stone...!
How's your tummy?
Todd's had a rough week-- constipated for nearly 3 days straight, and on the 2nd day, he awakened at night and threw up all over himself. Bits of whole food everywhere-- on his pajamas, his bedding, pillow, blanket, the floor... hey, at least I could see what he had for dinner, as I could easily make out the whole peas, carrots and chunks of chicken.
I had to peel him out of bed and drag him, at arms-length, into the shower, where I promptly hosed him off, struggling desperately not to upchuck myself at the smell of his vomit.
I asked him how his tummy was doing, and he brightly replied "Better! I spit up and now my tummy is all better!"
Next day Oma took him to the doctor's and got some medication. When I came home and checked in on him, and asked him how he was doing, he said "Better! I took medicine and now I'm better!"
Well, cheery responses are always a good sign of good health :-)
He's doing better today-- plenty of prune juice later, he finally cleared his system of some major poopie blockages :-D
I had to peel him out of bed and drag him, at arms-length, into the shower, where I promptly hosed him off, struggling desperately not to upchuck myself at the smell of his vomit.
I asked him how his tummy was doing, and he brightly replied "Better! I spit up and now my tummy is all better!"
Next day Oma took him to the doctor's and got some medication. When I came home and checked in on him, and asked him how he was doing, he said "Better! I took medicine and now I'm better!"
Well, cheery responses are always a good sign of good health :-)
He's doing better today-- plenty of prune juice later, he finally cleared his system of some major poopie blockages :-D
