Friday, December 31, 2010

Mama told me there'd be days like this...

It seems that Casey is hitting a new milestone. And it ain't a good one. Often, I have heard it referred to as the.. terrible two's. On a recent trip to SD, Casey had a complete meltdown on two separate occasions. We were visiting some friends and there were some other kids there. These kids were a little older, I'm guessing in the 5-6 yr old range. I'm not sure how it started, but all of a sudden I hear Casey crying/screaming... Turns out, he wanted to play with a certain truck toy. A few minutes later, one of the older kids comes over to Casey and hands him said truck. Casey immediately calmed down.

Now, as I said, I don't know the details of what previously transpired. Was Casey playing with the truck, and this kid comes and takes it from him? Was the truck this kids' favorite toy and Casey wanted to play with it? Did Casey just not want to share the toy?

I also don't know the reason the kid ultimately came over and handed Casey the toy. Did his parents ask him to do it? Did his parents bribe him to do it? Did he get sick of hearing Casey scream and cry? Or maybe he was just being a nice kid... In any case, everyone within a 1000' radius was happy with the result. It saved all our eardrums...

The next day, we were visiting some other friends. We take Casey on a tour of the house, and we find the playroom. And it was stocked with toys.. Cars and trucks to be specific. Casey latches onto a big rig truck and starts carrying it all over the house. At some point, we were going to have to leave.. and I saw a potential problem brewing.. Sure enough, when it was time to go, Casey had a death grip on the truck, and was wailing.. Just as daddy pried the truck from Casey's fingers, the host graciously offered to give Casey the truck. Ever focusing on the big picture, I declined her generous offer. My thought is that it sets a bad precedence. If we give in every time Casey pitches a fit...

So, to everyone at that party, "I'm sorry about the horrible screaming and crying" I'd imagine they were all rooting for me to "Just take the damn truck"

Terrible two's huh? This is gonna be interesting... Stay tuned.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Round 1

Last night, I was coming from work. Before I even parked the car in the garage, I can hear Casey crying, screaming, wailing... I'm in my car, pulling into the garage, and he's inside the house, and its LOUD.

So, I go find out what's happening. I'm thinking, is he hurt? Did his baby brother pop out of Mommy's belly 6 weeks early? What could possibly cause that torrent of tears and wailing.. I get in the house and ask him... In between sobs and slurping of snot, he says, 'Books'... To make a long story short, Mommy and Casey were having a battle of wills. They were getting ready to go 'bye-bye' (go outside for a walk) and Casey wanted to carry two of his books with him. Mommy was trying to compromise, and said he could take one book. He kept insisting on taking two, so Mommy said fine, then we aren't going outside.

I just got done with a long day at work, I'm sick, so I figure I'll take Casey out. I get him (re)dressed, and carry him out of the house. He starts crying, I figure once we get outside and he sees some of his favorite sights, (pool, hottub, trees decorated with Christmas lights) he'll forget about the damn books...

Um, not so much. I carried him FAR, and he's bawling the whole time. I set him down, and he RUNS all the way home. I figured 'screw it' whats the harm in letting him lug two books around. So, I get his books for him, and he settles down. BOTH books in hand; Daddy and Casey proceed to have a good time outside.

I got to thinking about the whole scene, and realized this whole meltdown episode was over taking two books instead of one book to carry while going outside. I also realized my kid is really stubborn, and sometimes unreasonable. Hmmm, wonder where he got that from.

In the opening round of undoubtedly many battle of wills, Casey's will outdid Daddy's. So, did I set a bad precedent, or am I just choosing my battles?

Monday, December 13, 2010

Choreographed by Casey

One morning, we are hanging around the house, and Casey invented a new game as he watched himself in the mirrored closet doors. He choreographed this whole thing... and everyone had a blast! Notice, part of the way through, he signs 'MORE'.



Games with Casey from p wang on Vimeo.

Christmas Fireworks

This being Los Angeles and all; Manhattan Beach, Ca has a tradition of shooting off fireworks off the pier, over the ocean. They are called Christmas fireworks, and they have this annual show in mid-December. Yesterday, Dec. 12th, it was about 80 degrees during the day. We took Casey to Redondo Beach in the morning, and he ran around in the sand, and 'chased' the surf. Of course, he isn't as fast as the waves and eventually, he got soaked. After a warm shower with Daddy, and lunch, Casey settled in for a well deserved nap.

Following his nap, we partook in the Manhattan Beach fireworks festivities. The outing started at the fire department where the firefighters put on a spaghetti feed. Since Casey LOVES 'pa-ta' (pasta) and fire trucks ( I cant even pronunciate his words for fire truck), we figured this would be a cool experience for him. In order to accommodate all the people for the feed, they move all their fire trucks out of the station, and set up long tables and tons of chairs. Then, its just like one huge feeding trough. Trudge thru a line, they pile tons of spaghetti on a plate, and you sit and graze.. Kinda reminds me of the dorms or prison. Yes, I've experienced ONE of these two... We sat Casey on Mommy's lap and he was slurping 'pa-ta'.. But his attention was on the parmesan cheese container. All he kept saying was 'cheese'. We had complete strangers sneaking the cheese containers under the table, so Casey wouldn't spot it, and fixate on it! We got thru the meal without making too much of a mess.

Next, it was off to Betty and Larry's house to watch the fireworks. There is some saying about location, location, location.. Well, that saying is appropriate for this occasion. Their house is right on the boardwalk, a great viewing spot for Casey to check out chicks... err, I mean fireworks over the pier... I don't know if it was chicks, or the ocean, or what that caught his attention, but Casey would make a beeline for the exit and take off up and down the boardwalk. He must have done this for about 45 minutes straight. He was good about it; he never ventured far, only 15 feet or so in each direction, and each time, he would run back onto the porch... only to turn around and take off again.

Then, the fireworks started. Casey was mesmerized by the display. Based on his reactions to the 4th of July fireworks (July 4th Fireworks)and this show, I'd say he digs fireworks!

Family Pix

There were so many nice photos from the photoshoot, I broke them up into a few different posts. These are family pix, which capture some of the actions we share with Casey regularly.







Friday, December 3, 2010

Drinking from the toilet

Casey decided to try something new this morning. For quite a while now he would watch us go pee, see us flush, and say bye bye pee pee. Then he would open the toilet lid and say pee pee then close the lid. No harm, no foul. Today he decided to open the lid say pee pee then "aqua" (water) and proceed to dip is fingers in it and put them in his mouth and say "mmmm". I'm kinda speechless. I mean, that's nasty, right? Guess it could have been worse. At least, it was flushed.. Is there such thing as clean toilet water?

And to think, one year in college, me and my roommates made a pact; we weren't going to flush the toilet EVER, to see if we could pee enough to make the liquid flow out of the bowl. To this day, I still don't know who chickened out and couldn't handle the stench of stale pee... and flushed.

I guess I have lots to teach my little guy. Don't drink from the crapper. Don't eat the yellow snow. Don't pee INTO the wind...

Oh yeah, and if you ever see a cabin on fire, peeing on it with your best friend WON'T put out the fire. Trust me, daddy knows best.

Photoshoot Continued

Despite his fascination with vacuum cleaners, we were able tear his attention away from them long enough to capture some other nice shots.

Priceless expressions!





Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Favorites

Right now, Casey has some unique interests and habits. Its safe to assume these wont last forever, so we are doing our best to capture the 'moments'. We planned to have him as the subject of a photoshoot, and took some props along; his favorite stuffed animals, a volleyball, etc.. So we get to the photo studio, and he walks around, exploring.. Well, he finds the supply closet, and spots... a ca-ish... VACUUM CLEANER!!!

So guess what was prominently featured in the photos?



Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Perfect Moment



Once in awhile, you are in the right place at the right time to capture truly classic moments. When she grows older, and sees this photo, Casey's friend CJ isnt going to be happy with him!

Naughty Casey. Wonder where he gets that from???

My neck, my neck

We went out to dinner last night. For the most part, Casey did pretty well. Toward the end, he did get a little restless while confined to his high chair, so I took him out and walked around with him while Mommy finished up. He got a little tired of walking, so I thought I’d hoist him on my shoulders and let him ride around. So, I lifted him up over my head, his legs straddling my head, and rested him on my neck and shoulders… and all of a sudden, my neck felt really warm… and moist. Hmmm, I wonder when was the last time we changed his diaper? Oh well, too late now. He starts fussing, so instinctively, I start bouncing him up and down on my neck. All the while picturing the squishing, smooshing and sponging of whatever is oozing out of/ through his diaper onto my neck. Of course, he enjoys the bouncing, so I have no choice to keep going. All I could think of was getting home and taking a shower, and scrubbing my neck… Ah, the joys of parenting.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Halloween 2010

And so it starts. Casey got to really experience his first Halloween this year. Last year, he got dressed up as a cute monkey, but didnt really get to participate. This year, he KNOWS what is going on...

The costumes: As usual, things are centered around Casey. For his 1st birthday, he was given a beautiful traditional Chinese outfit, fit for an emperor. So there was our theme. Any high profile, important figure needs a bodyguard, so Daddy was his Secret Service bodyguard. Since it was gonna be night, we needed someone to light the way. Mommy, in her 'current condition' ie: 6 months prego, was the guiding lantern. A special thanks to Ron, a mega-talented artist who painted the Chinese lantern and Chinese character for light...

The plan: Casey's a pimp, yo... He kicks it with two honey's, so naturally, he spent Halloween with both of 'em.

Trick or treat: We armed Casey with a plastic pumpkin to hold his loot. He caught on pretty fast, walking from house to house, fearlessly going up to doors and knocking.. and saying, 'tik-o-teet'... He even signed thank you a few times.. A natural, he had the process down quick. To him, it must have been the greatest concept of all time. "All, I gotta do is walk to people's houses, knock on the door, and they give me 'teets' ( treats)? Hell yeah, I could get used to this" However, all things gotta end: At some point, the festivities had to end. In the car, on the way home, purely for safety purposes, Daddy took his pumpkin full of treats from him. The emperor pitched a fit. But once we got home and reunited the emperor with his treats, he was all smiles.

The human lantern:

The lantern and the emperor

Checkin' the loot!

Halloween 2

No, my title doesn't refer to a lame movie sequel. Just more Halloween 2010 pix of the emperor.

Secret Service escorting the emperor.
Family Portrait.
The emperor on Halloween 2010!

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Go Figure

I'll admit, Before I had Casey, I had no clue about babies and kids... What they liked to do, what kind of toys they like, I never even gave it any thought. I mean, I've been to peoples houses, and seen tons of crap, err, baby toys, scattered about the house, but I never paid any attention to what toys they were. I know they make noise, and sing little baby rhymes... But when it comes to picking specific toys that a baby will like... well, who knows.

In fact, I'm willing to bet no one knows with any certainty which toy will really hit it big. Take Casey for example. For months now, he has been infatuated with vacuum cleaners. Admittedly, our vacuum cleaner is pretty cool. It has a bunch of lights, and ton of buttons. It even has a 'headlight'. Anytime Mom would vacuum the house, Casey would chase it around. He called it a 'Ca-caish'... which happens to be Portugese slang for... poop...

He knows where we store the 'Ca-caish' (In the hall closet). Every night, before we take him upstairs for bed, he has to stop at the closet, open the door, and say goodnight to the 'ca-caish'. Every morning, when he wakes up, its a toss up what his first word is going to me. Momma, or 'ca-caish'.. Every once in a blue moon, he MIGHT say 'Da-da'.

So, I'm secretly wondering, dude, is my kid strange? Does he have some unhealthy love affair with vacuum cleaners? Then, one day, Mom goes to the toy store. What does she see? A mini toy vacuum cleaner... When I heard this, I was relieved. I mean, they wouldn't produce and sell a mini toy vacuum if OTHER kids didn't love vacuums. So, now Casey has his own mini 'ca-caish'. Come to find out, there are other kids in the neighborhood who love vacuums.

I can only imagine how this started. Some parent saw their kid chasing the family vacuum around the house, and thought, "I got an idea"... And went to her boss (who doesnt have kids) at Mattel, or Fisher-Price.. and got laughed out of the boardroom. So, she went home, made a prototype, hit it big and retired. All from inventing a baby 'ca-caish'. Go figure.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Water Fountain

Recently, we had a family outing. Yes, it happened to coincide with one of the hottest days Los Angeles has EVER seen. And, instead of heading west, toward the beach, we ventured inland; toward the heat. We started at a carnival, and these giant spinning Strawberries caught Casey's attention. He kept staring at this ride. So, I decided to take one for the team and ride with him on it. (For those of you who dont know, I dont do well with rollercoaster and carnival rides.) But, this is all about Casey, so I figured 'how bad could it be'.. Yeah well, famous last words. Casey seemed to enjoy the ride just fine, but my stomach didnt feel so good.

But the most memorable aspect of the day was the heat. Was it ever hot. But then, I had an idea. FOUNTAIN!!! Yeah, who cares if its a public water fountain. It was hot, and we are, err, he is a kid.

At first, he was a little hesitant.

But after just a little encouragment, he was having the time of his life. His smile that day was PRICELESS! It is perhaps the happiest we have ever seen him. And I gotta tell you, there is something undescribable about witnessing your child's unbridled happiness!

Changing of the guard

Just a quick observation. Sesame Street and Elmo are on my 58" HD Plasma TV more than Sportscenter. In case there was even a doubt who is in charge...
Here is Casey, intense concentration and focus on.... Sesame Street!

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

American As Apple Pie

Recently, I was able to fulfill a dream. Ever since, well, before Casey was born, I thought one of the coolest thing about being a daddy would be to goto sporting events with my son. Some of my memories of my childhood involve my dad taking me to games. He took me to see Pele play soccer. He took me to see the Harlem Globetrotters. And he took me to see baseball games. I also remember one time my big brother promised to take me to a baseball game too. On the day of the game, I was so excited, only to have my brother cancel on me... cause he had a date! With a girl.. EWWWW, she probably had cooties... Anyhow, I digress.

Back on track. On a recent visit to see Nai-Nai and Ye-Ye, I got to take Casey to his first baseball game. But that's not even the best part. Nai-Nai and Ye-Ye rallied and came too! So Casey got to experience his first ever baseball game with his daddy and his grandpa! (Oh, and mommy and grandma too). I think Casey had a great day. Honestly, I think his highlights were the train ride to the stadium, and the stairs and waterfall at Petco Park. What could be better than a baseball with your dad and grandpa. It's as American as apple pie!

We got Casey all dressed in his Padres outfit and took him to Petco Park. He got a tour around the stadium, and we visited the 'Park in the Park'. When he gets a little older, I'm sure he will be more active in the Park.

Casey's first trolley ride:
With Nai-Nai and Ye-Ye at Petco Park. His FIRST baseball game!Casey, in the 'Park at the Park'

Daddy and his son at his first baseball gameIn his Padres jersey, Casey is pointing at the waterfall.
Family portait in front of the Petco Park waterfall.

Monday, September 27, 2010

Hitting for the cycle

In baseball there are four types of hits; single, double, triple and home run. If a player gets one of each type, in one game, its called 'hitting for the cycle'...

In Los Angeles, these past few days have been HOT. Like record-setting hot. We took Casey to the pool in the afternoon for some relief from the heat. I guess there's some special "diapers" called swimmers, or something like that. At this point, I don't know much about them, and it really isn't that important. But you gotta know, somehow, they are gonna factor into this story, else I wouldnt have mentioned them. Since Casey hasnt learned to swim yet, I have to hold him in the water. Alternatively, he can stand on the steps leading into the pool. Depending on which step he is on, the water reaches his shins, his belly, or his chin. Today, I brought my swimming goggles, and would dive underwater, and pop up in front of him and yell 'peek-a-boo'. So, one time while I'm underwater, I look in his direction, and I see a dark-ish cloud expanding in the water... Being emitted from Casey... To be specific, emitting from just behind Casey. You know in the movies, when they show the mushroom cloud from the atomic bomb in slow motion.. Kinda like that, 'cept it was underwater, and brownish... It was just spreading in the water, and I thought, 'Uh Oh'...

Yup, he went #2 in his 'swimmers'. Drop a deuce in the bath tub. Drop a log in the shower. Splash some floaties into the bathwater. And now, pull a "Caddyshack" and poop in the pool.

Way to go kid, you just hit for the cycle.

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Hide and Seek

Little Casey is quite the playful one. During a recent trip to visit Nai-Nai and Ye-Ye, he engaged in a game of hide and seek with Nai-Nai. He 'hid' on Nai-Nai's bed, surrounded by pillows.

Here I am!You found me, and my doggie!

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Floaties

We had a great family day today. Casey got lathered in sunscreen, spent most of the day outside, walking in the LA sunshine, and running through a fountain. (Post to follow) He got so tuckered out that he took a great afternoon nap. After naptime, we all went out to eat. And Casey ate like a champ. He polished off about 4 'adult' bowls of food. We are trying to have him eat with his own spoon. So, he began with his spoon in his left hand, scooping food, having some of it fall off the spoon, missing his mouth with some more, and finally getting a small fraction of the original spoonful into his belly. Like his daddy, he's always thinking about making process' more efficient. So, he takes his right hand and grabs handfuls of food and shoves them in his mouth. I can tell he's thinking, "You people and your utensils... so inefficient". The downside to this method is that it is messy. Food all over his hands, face, arms, in his hair, and some stuck on his legs. Nothing a good bath cant take care of...

So, our great day culminated in bathtime. I gave him a bath, let him stay in the tub to splash around in the water. He was splashing so hard, water was getting everywhere. So, I pulled the shower curtain partially shut, and he thought I was playing 'peek-a-boo' with him. He also decided to take advantage of his newfound privacy. I pulled the curtain back, said 'peek-a-boo'... and looked down at the water... FLOATIES.. Yup, Casey was dropping nuggets in the water. I ran downstairs and grabbed my camera to preserve the moment.

And with this episode, he pretty much completes the trifecta. Drop a deuce in the bath tub. Check. Drop a log in the shower. Check. And now.. splash some floaties into the water. Check.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Melts in your...

A long time ago, when I was a kid, a well known candy company had an advertising jingle that went something like 'melts in your mouth, not in your hand'
Ummm, really?

"Whoa, my hand looks wierd!"
"Hey guys, does my mouth look funny too?"

Saturday, September 4, 2010

Big Bro, Little ...

Soon, Casey will have someone to play catch with, to get mischevious with, to play hooky with, to pull all-nighters with, to bitch about his 'lame' parents with, to be his best friend, to be his partner in sports drills, to be his opponent in endless one-on-one games.

Soon, Casey will have a LITTLE BROTHER!

Friday, September 3, 2010

Swimming Pools


I have seen this photo for quite awhile now. But never really realized what I was looking at until MY mom recently told me a story.

She said, and I paraphrase, That I was so stupid, that I walked right up to the pool.. and kept right on walking. That's right, what I am wearing in that photo, is not 1960's childrens swimwear. That's my regular clothes. My poor Dad had to jump in the pool to save me from drowning.

Why do I bring this up now? Well, this summer I have starting taking Casey to the pool. He is adventurous, curious, independent, and apparently, smarter than his Daddy. Casey will walk up to the edge of the pool... And stop.

But he loves the water, and is really happy when I take him in. He hasnt quite mastered the concept of shutting his mouth so as to not drink pool water.

Saturday, August 21, 2010

In compliance

I know what you guys are thinking. 'Casey, riding without a helmet... PSW is such an irresponsible parent".. While that is debatable, you will be happy to know that the day after our maiden bike voyage, I bought Casey a bike helmet. After driving around town to find a helmet to fit his little head, the next question was whether or not he would keep it on. The initial fitting took place in the house.. Once we strapped it on his head.. He took too running around the room.. Chest all puffed out, chin up high... He loved his new 'hat'. I took it off him briefly, and he immediately signaled 'MORE'! So, I put it back on his and let him wear it while we got ready to ride.

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Maiden Voyage

I recently got the coolest gift. A front-mount bike seat. This way, Casey and daddy can go on bike rides, and Casey can face forward, look around, and feel the wind in his hair. We were so anxious to try it out, we took a little ride around the 'hood, sans helmet. Casey did great, he wasnt scared and the moment we stopped, he asked for 'MORE'!!!