Friday, April 30, 2010

Zoo

Last weekend, we took Casey to the zoo for the first time. I'd say the highlight was seeing him and Mommy ride an elephant! Casey got to see lots of different species of monkeys, farm animals and birds. A lowlight for Mommy was when Casey decided to imitate a zoo animal and urinate.. soaked himself and Mommy!

Back in the saddle again! Here is Casey in total control of Dixie the elephant!
Thanks for the lift, buddy!
And straight ahead, we have a very rare breed of monkey. This cute little critter is named Casey!
I hate paparazzi!
Hey buddy, your head feels funny!

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Drunken Master

Casey has a new hobby. He spins in a circle again and again, and then tries to walk. The result is a drunken stumble until he falls on the floor. A few times, he has wobbled close to tables and other objects, but thus far, he has managed to avoid them, and consequently, avoid serious injury. Either its innate ability and agility, or he's just been dumb-ass lucky so far. So, I wonder, what is in those 'water' bottles he is drinking from... Video to (hopefully) follow soon...

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Garden

From the beach to the botanical garden. Casey spend a lazy Sunday with his Momma and Daddy at the botanical garden. The garden has so much to offer; 87 acres of flowers, trees, shrubs, etc... And Casey enjoyed... playing in the dirt and throwing rocks in the creek. Ah, the simple things in life...
Um, why do you have dirt on your lips?
Then, there was this bridge. It had quite a grade, and Casey walked up one side, and down the other... and turned around and did it again.. and again... and again.

Boys Beach Day

Last weekend, Mommy was away 'packing meat'. No, thats not a euphemism for some shady activity. Thats really what she was doing. So, Daddy and Casey had a beach day. Casey throughly enjoyed himself. Playing in the sand, climbing on EVERY beach chair he saw. He is definitely growing up and learning. For example, he still picked up handfuls of sand, but unlike a month ago, he didnt put the whole handful in his mouth. There is a saying, learn from your mistakes... So, I give him credit for that. I'm proud of you son!
Dude isnt shy. He would see an empty beach chair, and he'd just help himself. He's recently learned to climb things, so he put those skills to good use. Here, he snagged himself a comfortable spot to kick back and watch some action on the beach.

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Pinball Wizard

Ever since I was a young boy
I've played the silver ball
From Soho down to Brighton
I must have played them all
But I ain't seen nothing like him
In any amusement hall
That deaf, dumb and blind kid
Sure plays a mean pinball..

He's a pinball wizard...

For those who didnt know me during my UCSB days, there are about 3 spots you could count on finding me. UCEN, Woodstocks Pizza or 7-11. What do these 3 places have in common??? They had the best pinball machines. All through the late '80s and early 90's you could check the high scorer list on machines in these locations, and there was a good chance you would see PSW scroll by pretty often. My first memories of pinball machines are from the boardwalk at Ocean City, Maryland. My parents used to take us down there during the summer. So yes, I've been playing pinball a long time. But Casey is taking it to the next level. First of all, he has a pinball machine in his living room... at his house. He will walk up to it throughout the day, and point to it. So, when his daddy comes home, we play. Casey stands on the Ottoman, and it gives him a perfect view of the action. He's learning to push the flipper button, and he can launch the ball via the plunger. Soon, we'll be seeing WXX dominating the high score list!

Hold on, lemme pose for a photo!
Daddy and Casey playin pinball!
I know you are following the ball, but baby, its hard to see the ball with your doggie in the way!

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Snow

We took Casey to the snow for the first time. It took some planning and packing... Snowboarding pants, shell for Daddy, Columbia ski jacket for Mommy, snowboarding gloves for both Mommy and Daddy. What about Casey? Well..... Tennis shoes, cloth mittens, and nylon track pants... Sorry little buddy... Thats some bad planning by Mommy and Daddy.. and boy, did you pay the price.In hindsight, nothing we dressed Casey in was waterproof, water resistant, water repellent, or water anything; except for water soakable...
When we first set Casey on the snow, he reached down and grabbed two handfuls, just like he does with dirt and sand... Only, this stuff was COLD. So, Daddy thought.... hmm, maybe we should put on his mittens. Those soaked thru in about 10 seconds.. So, now he has cold, wet hands.. We took turns sliding down the hill with him. The front of the sled acted like a huge snowplow... One that wasn't calibrated, and 'plowed' all the snow straight over the front, and into the faces of the occupants. So now, the rest of Casey was cold and wet... Yet we continued to take him on rides.. I was fully dressed in snowboard attire, with gloves and thermals.... It never did dawn on me that Casey MIGHT be cold. Finally, he'd had enough, told us so in no uncertain terms.. We checked his skin... and it was a$$ cold and WET! We rushed him to the car to dry him, change him into dry, warm clothes, and gave him a chance to thaw out...

Casey touching snow for the first time.. Hmm, maybe we should have put gloves on him first...
There we go.. Cloth mittens. That should keep his hands warm and dry.... Or not.
Occupants of the sled getting a face full of snow. Action shot. I'm not sure what Casey's expression is... Fear, shock....???
This expression seems like fear, or at least uncertainty...

Friday, April 9, 2010

Feathered Friends

Recently we found out about a park that has a pond with ducks. It is the Wilderness Park in Redondo Beach. It's amazing what you find in your own backyard if you look. We took a family trip to check out the park. Casey enjoyed the ducks and he was also mesmerized by a little girl with bright pink shoes.

Near our home is another great park that has a man made pond that usually several ducks call home. Occasionally a couple of ducks would fly over to the man made pond and waterfall structures that grace the entrance to our complex. Currently the pond in the park is under renovation so a couple of the ducks have made the ponds in our complex their new home. This is great for Casey! He has gotten to see live ducks up close and personal when we take our daily walks to pick up the mail or just get some fresh air. Sometimes the ducks walk around the complex so we find them in the roads. This offers Casey the perfect opportunity for a game of chase. He likes to try to get close to the ducks while "talking" to them. It gets challenging when the pair of ducks part ways and go in opposite directions. It's funny to watch Casey try to decide which one to chase. On occasion we have gotten to see the ducks take off and fly into the air. It's cute to see Casey's face as he watches them in amazement until they are out of sight.

Check out Casey's duck adventures in the video below. I warn you it is a bit long and since it was shot with a handheld digital camera it is a bit grainy and at times unsteady.



Another feathered animal that Casey has gotten to see up close are the chicken's at my parents home. On a recent visit I let him run free to see what he would do. See for yourself in the video below. Too cute! Again same warning above applies.