Cassidy Pierce Barrett Brooks

franklin's tower

2012-02-12T22:51:00.000-08:00

good things about being three, by cassidy:

valentine's day balloons going oh so high

building towers to the sky

in the car to go see friends

high five when the visit ends

cereal and milk in the afternoon

posing in the living room

lounging with a pop up book

at the park giving girls the look

hugs from mommy are always right

It's a George and Martha reading night!

been a long time since I did the stroll

2012-01-22T22:44:00.000-08:00

It's been a while...The new year has been full of pop-up books, giraffe puzzles, hiding with cousins, trips to the park, books with mommy and daddy, and the all-around joy and wonder of being 3. the pictures tell the story.

twelve toys a-bleeping

2011-12-30T22:31:00.000-08:00

Cassidy's third Christmas - the first one he really was able to appreciate, at least in part. He loves the tree, and contributed his first ornament - a snowman that he made at daycare. He also got to take part in our annual Christmas Eve tradition of a museum visit and take-out Indian food; we went to Randall Museum to touch snakes and see hawks and owls.

He was definitely a big fan of the present-opening. Not surprisingly, he was the primary recipient (although we all did well), so now the house is filled with the traditional Christmas sound of electronic children's toys.

party at ground zero

2011-12-20T22:32:00.000-08:00

Cassidy had his third birthday party almost a week and a half ago now. All the toys that look new and pristine in these pictures are already showing the signs of wear and tear that only a dedicated and passionate three-year-old can provide. We all had fun - friends, family, balloons, cake, singing, bubbles, and camaraderie. What more could you ask for from a birthday party?

Three is a magic number

2011-12-06T00:49:00.001-08:00

Cassidy turns three today ...

(click here to go to YouTube, where you can see it much biggerer)

thanksgiving filter

2011-11-27T22:15:00.001-08:00

There's plenty for us to be thankful for this year: visits with family, a great dinner with friends, a rousing game of ring-around-the-rosie, hugs from grandma, impeccable fashion sense, the chance to lay back with a good book, a trip to the zoo, some ducks to feed, and a sweet and lovable (if occasionally willful) little child.

go ask alice

2011-11-07T22:08:00.000-08:00

Here's some belated Halloween pictures for your enjoyment. We took Cassidy over to the Oakland Zoo to meet Freya, Mike and DD. They had a very awesome set of Alice in Wonderland costumes. Cassidy decided that he didn't want to wear his giraffe costume, and instead went as a stubborn toddler. Nevertheless, he had fun holding hands, seeing animals, and sharing his French fries.

my favorite things

2011-10-29T21:47:00.000-07:00

(to the tune of my favorite things)

Spontaneous leg hugs while washing the dishes
using the potty to scale the bookshelf
cuddling with dinos and flashing a smile
these are a few of my favorite things

lifting the big ball, much bigger than me
reading with froggy and also daddy
looking through cabinets and striking a pose
these are a few of my favorite things

when it's bedtime
when I'm hungry
when I'm feeling sad
I simply remember my favorite things
and then I don't feel so bad

on returning

2011-10-21T13:43:00.000-07:00

dear entire universe -

sorry for the lack of updates - it's not like there haven't been big goings-on in my busy toddler life - ticklings, cuddlings, dapper-looking bibs, delicious lunches, haircuts, riddle books, overnight stays with Barb and Grandma, and so much more.
The most plausible explanation I can come up with is that my dad must be slacking around - I'll get on him to put a more proper post together if he expects to be allowed to play 'hide' anymore.

love,
Cassidy

i'm an animal

2011-09-25T22:48:00.000-07:00

The California li'l bear (ursus adorablicus californicus) is a small, friendly species native to the San Francisco Bay Area. It is known for its mellow, easygoing nature, love of literature, and its willing smile. It is easily approached, and sightseers are encouraged. It is extremely omnivorous, but its preferred diet is milk, graham crackers and hot dogs. It can often be found rolling in hallways, examining its feet, or charming visitors. The li'l bear loves tickling, but novice ticklers should be aware that once a tickling session has begun, the bear will insist quite forcefully that it continue for long periods.

The California li'l bear has a dominance relationship with several similar, larger animals whose primary role seems to be to provide for and entertain him, and occasionally to publicize his existence.

p.s. i love you

2011-09-19T22:07:00.000-07:00

Dear adoring fans,

It's been great having my aunt Barb out here to spend time with me. She reads me books, helps bounce my animals on the exercise ball, and suggests to mommy and daddy that they take me to kite festivals and buy me French fries. I like having yet another person to comment on how cute and sweet I am and admire my impeccable fashion sense. I think I'll let her stick around.

Love,
Cassidy

alphabet city

2011-09-11T23:29:00.000-07:00

our weekend, from A to Z...

A- Adventure
B- Barb
C - Cassidy
D - Damon and Meriel
E - Elephant
F- Freya
G - Giraffes!
H - Hat
I - Interested
J - jamming
K - Kids
L - love
M - Muppet Show!
N - nature
O - Oakland
P - Petting zoo
Q - quality time
R - riding the carousel
S - sunny
T - Tiger
U - Ukelele
V - verdant
W - weekend
X - x-citement
Y - yawn!
Z - zoo!

working for the weekend

2011-09-06T15:24:00.000-07:00

Here in San Francisco, Labor Day weekend means the end of summer fog and the return of warm weather. Cassidy enjoyed the long weekend away from his busy schedule to get in some of his favorite activities, including:
- A trip to Golden Gate Park with Grandma and Barb to admire the decorations and ride the carousel.
- Some swing-oriented high-fiving.
- Using the FaceTime app to have a video chat with cousin Sara. He was kind enough to serenade her on the ukelele.
- A little balloon-oriented frolicking.
- Going down the slide by himself.

Now it's back to his daily grind, which includes pretty much the same sorts of things as his weekend. It's rough being a toddler.

bring the family

2011-08-15T21:20:00.000-07:00

Family month continues with the arrival of Aunt Barb and visits from the cousins Kali and Sara. A momentous occasion, this is the first time all three cousins have been together. Cassidy was thrilled to have a new audience to try out his material on, including such favorites as reading 'Be Nice To Spiders' and the Infinite Hiding Game. He also got to spend some quality time with Mommy on the Big Ball, plus a trip to the beach to appreciate the ocean. By Sunday evening he was a tired bear, and ready for some downtime.

what is life

2011-08-10T20:02:00.000-07:00

It was a busy weekend for Cassidy. Grandma Sonnie and Grandpa Chris came for a visit, including some extended games of "hide" and a trip to the zoo. Cousin Sara is also visiting, which meant a trip to the park down the street with her and Grandma Rachel and mommy. After all that fun, he was ready for a bath.

Our little bear has grown into a happy, healthy 2.5 year old. He runs and climbs, recites the alphabet, and counts to 20. He loves to tell you about his favorite animals "giraffe" and "hippo" and "other giraffe" and about his friends at daycare. With the slightest of prompts, he breaks into a joyful if somewhat off-key version of "Alouette." He has simple pleasures, and lives in the moment. It's a good lesson for us grownups.

every picture tells a story

2011-07-17T20:59:00.000-07:00

love from san francisco and point reyes

this here giraffe

2011-07-04T19:57:00.000-07:00

We took Cassidy to the San Francisco Zoo for Fourth of July. He had a lot of fun racing around and seeing all the animals. He was quite impressed with the giraffe - according to him, his favorite animals were "giraffe" and "other giraffe." He humored us by agreeing to see the hippos and eagles when there weren't giraffes nearby.

wave that flag

2011-07-02T21:37:00.000-07:00

Cassidy is enjoying his first tattoo (don't worry, it's temporary). It gives him a bit of a bad-boy edge, and is a big winner with the girls at the playground. His oh-so-stylish dinosaur hat, worn at a rakish angle, is also a proven crowd-pleaser.

give the drummer some

2011-06-13T21:41:00.000-07:00

Cassidy is hedging his career bets by preparing for a career as a drummer, in case his preferred jobs as alphabet reciter and professional hider don't work out. He's even doing some supplemental reading to brush up; it's always good to know how animal punk rock bands handle fame and success.

attack of the killer b's

2011-06-09T22:57:00.000-07:00

bouncing on blue balls, buttons, being beguiling ... our boisterous, beautiful, beloved bear brings a bevy of boundless brilliance to boggle our brains and bring us bliss.

i'm only sleeping

2011-06-05T22:51:00.000-07:00

So 10 minutes before this first picture was taken, Cassidy had fallen asleep during dinner. Totally asleep - head down, no responding, snoring away. I figured he was out for the night and took him in to be enjammied. He woke up a little during that process, so we threw a t-shirt on and came back out to see if he'd at least eat a few more bites, or maybe drink a little milk. Little Lazarus wound up eating his entire dinner, smiling and giggling, read books afterward, and took an hour to fall asleep.

Oh, also, swings are fun.

Knockturne

2011-05-31T14:26:00.000-07:00

Knock knock!
Who's there?
Des.
Des who?
Des no place to put your feet!

Knock knock!
Who's there?
Egg.
Egg who?
Eggstremely proud of my artwork!

Knock knock.
Who's there?
Orange.
Orange who?
Orange you glad I'm not asking you to read this knock-knock book yet again?

Knock knock.
Who's there?
Chair.
Chair who?
Chair a book with me, mommy!

Knock knock.
Who's there?
Hole.
Hole who?
Hole my hand!

Knock knock.
Who's there?
Ivan.
Ivan who?
Ivan to pet some baby animals.

Knock knock.
Who's there.
Dewey.
Dewey who?
Dewey have to hear more awful knock-knock jokes?

everybody's talking

2011-05-24T22:42:00.000-07:00

As we approach the 2.5 year milestone, Cassidy is getting more and more verbal every day. He's very chatty now, and loves to repeat phrases he hears. He'll often repeat whole sections of a book to us from memory, which is pretty amazing - granted, he's heard them quite a few times. Still, it's wild to be driving in the car with him, pass a tree, and have him recite the first pages of Spooky Old Tree.

Otherwise, it's business as usual for our little bear. He's developing an appreciation for sunglasses and Sesame Street, and continues to be fond of tickling, reading, swings, and the occasional nap.

my favorite things

2011-05-09T15:59:00.000-07:00

Things Cassidy likes:

Helping out in the garden

Walking down stairs like a big boy

Cuddling with Mommy on Mother's Day after having French Toast for brunch

Playing on oversized exercise balls

Multiple balloons

Very belated blog posts with cute pictures

something to talk about

2011-04-19T22:03:00.000-07:00

We made the journey over to the wilds of El Sobrante last weekend to pay a visit to Freya. She and Cassidy had fun racing around and playing with her vast array of toys.

Our little bear is really growing from a toddler into a child. The language explosion is pretty wild to watch - every day he has some new word or phrase to surprise us with. His memory is also amazing; he can recite passages from his favorite books, or go and grab them off the shelf if we throw out a memorable line. Soon he'll be repeating what we say, which means that Holly and I need to be a lot more vigilant about our potty mouths.

nice new outfit

2011-04-10T13:43:00.000-07:00

Submitted for your approval, our son the fashion plate. Not surprisingly for those of you who've seen both Holly and I dress, he (wisely) takes his wardrobe cues from his mom.

repeater

2011-04-04T13:00:00.000-07:00

Cassidy's life has a definite rhythm and constancy these days. He seems to do well with a routine, and has no problem doing the same thing over and over again. Some of the things he likes:

Lots of reading. "Green Eggs and Ham" is a new favorite, usually accompanied by his gleeful shouting of the title: "Green! Eggs! Haaammmm!"

He's very into doing flash cards of letters and shapes. (I promise, we're not drilling him here.) Some mornings he insists on doing this before having breakfast. He recognizes and can say all the letters, and can count to 20.

Balloons always get a big smile.

Feet are apparently something to be marveled at and displayed whenever possible.

Looking cute and modeling new jammies is a lot of fun.

hey ladies

2011-03-22T20:09:00.000-07:00

As ~~threatened~~ promised, here's some more pictures of our Hawaiian trip, featuring Raina, Keelee, and Jody. Cassidy was very impressed with them, and had a great time playing in the ocean, seeing fish, and adventuring around.

blue hawaii

2011-03-20T13:47:00.000-07:00

For Spring Break this year, we took Cassidy to Hawaii for a few days to visit our friends Todd, Jody, Raina and Keelee. It's a long trip for a little guy, but he was a trooper. Here's the first batch of photos - more to come once all the appropriate releases are signed.

Cassidy had a lot of fun racing around and playing in the ocean. He impressed the locals with his toddler fashion style, which also helped protect his very fair skin from the sun. He had a great time playing "tug-of-peace" (as Holly calls it) with Howie the chihuahua, and got a new stuffed turtle to boot. The zoo in Hilo was cool, and had lots of birds and other tropical animals. But by the end of the trip he was ready to be home, where Grandma Rachel left a welcoming note for him.

tv eye

2011-03-03T14:12:00.000-08:00

Life continues apace for our young hero. He continues to enjoy all of the standard two-year-old things: balloons, swings, being scary, modeling Chinese fashions, and careful study of his feet. In the middle, we can also see the effect that television (which he rarely sees) has on Cassidy. Note the drool running down his chin -- if you look carefully, I think you can see his brain leaking out his ear as well.

back to life

2011-02-07T11:40:00.000-08:00

So we have all finally (mostly) recovered from the lingering cold that brought us to our knees last week. Cassidy is back to his sunny self (sick toddlers are not much fun) and is pleased to be eating at the table now, rather than in his high chair. We also finally got a chance to belatedly celebrate Grandma Rachel's birthday with some book reading and a trip to Golden Gate Park.

Also, as you may notice, we sheared Cassidy's flaxen locks. Don't worry - they grow back.

cookin'

2011-01-23T20:28:00.000-08:00

Recipe for a happy weekend:

1. One bath, followed by froggy bath towel.
2. One beautiful weekend in January. Note lack of snow.
3. Combine:
- One park
- Two parents
- One li'l bear
mix gently until lunchtime
4. Fold in balloon
5. Nap for two hours, or until rested. Sprinkle with puzzle.

6. Next, invert two friends until they are giggling. Add cows, celery and Tilden Park.
7. Let rest until morning.

checkout time in vegas

2011-01-17T21:48:00.000-08:00

So we spent a weekend in Las Vegas with Cassidy. It's not the most toddler-friendly city, but he had fun cruising around and riding the monorail. He also liked the flamingos and the fountain at the Flamingo Hotel, and I did my best to encourage him to be an engineer at Hoover Dam. But really, anyplace where he can cuddle up and read seems to work for him.

strike a pose

2011-01-02T22:29:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year, everyone!

The holidays are over, the tree is down, and January is here. Nothing to do but brace ourselves for the long months of cold and ice and snow. Oh, wait- we live in California, not Wisconsin. Make that a few weeks of rain, followed by a return to sun and warmth. Hee hee!

As for Cassidy, he's starting to figure out how to work the cute thing, as can be seen here - he's continually practicing this pose where he puts his chin in his hand and gives you a sweet smile. I predict that he's going to be quite the heartbreaker in a few years.

He's also really excited by "scaring" people (seen below), which mostly just means running up to them and saying "boo!" or "ahh!" When we had lots of people around over Christmas, that meant lots of victims for him, but now that it's quieter, he's had to resort to scaring his stuffed animals or the Christmas tree after a few hundred times of scaring me and Holly.

i should have known better

2010-12-26T21:51:00.000-08:00

Two is a weird age. Cassidy's definitely not a baby anymore; he wants to be actively doing things, and he can interact with us, and he has very clear wants. But he's not a child yet either, even though he looks like one. Christmas was a good reminder of that.

On Christmas Eve day, we continued our annual museum tradition by going to the Exploratorium. Barb and Sara are in town, and went with us. We thought he'd like it, even though a lot of the exhibits are clearly too old for him, but he didn't really get interested in it. He was more excited by seeing the ducks outside. He did like running around, though, and the fish were cool. In a couple of years we'll take him back and nurture that inner science geek a little more.

Christmas Day was similar; he's still too young to get excited about opening presents. Not only is it not interesting, he's actively opposed to sitting still long enough for it. (I suspect that next year will be a very different story.) The plus is that there wasn't anyone (except me) whining to start opening the presents already. He did like the books that he got, and the toy recycling truck from Grandma Sonnie and Grandpa Chris. Not surprisingly, he had as much fun with the $1.49 box his crayons came in as anything else.

The rest of us made out pretty well also, and had a nice holiday together.

simple

2010-12-21T21:40:00.000-08:00

Life seems so simple when you're two. No job, no bills, no chores. On a rainy day, you can practice your piggy face, admire the Christmas tree, race around the dining room table, pretend to feed your stuffed animals, or just have a little cuddle time with Alex the monkey. How cool is that?

how lovely are your branches

2010-12-12T22:38:00.000-08:00

So we got our Christmas tree up today. As you can tell from the photos, we're very traditional about how the tree is decorated: sock monkey ornaments are lower, Hello Kitty is up high, dinosaurs are spread out, and the Egyptian cat is at the top, just like it is in those Currier & Ives prints. Now we get to look forward to three weeks of keeping Cassidy from grabbing all these things that look just like toys and are right next to his play area, and also keeping the cats from trying to scale it. I'm thinking about setting up a pool to wager on how long it is before the tree is pulled over and who the culprit is.

We also have some pictures of Cassidy with the stuffed pig his Aunt Barb and Cousin Sara sent him, as well as the very loud car Grandma and Grandpa Brooks sent. Last but not least, we have the pouty face that Cassidy whips out when he feels he's being oppressed - in this case, he wanted Holly to chase him around the kitchen another 800 times.

time in a bottle

2010-12-06T12:09:00.000-08:00

Today is officially Cassidy's second birthday - as of 6:47 am, he's officially two years old! Here's a little greatest-hits montage I put together; turn up the volume to hear his song!

it's my party and i'll play if i want to

2010-12-05T21:45:00.000-08:00

Cassidy had his second birthday party today. It was fairly low-key; his friends DD and Mike and Freya and Carrie came to visit, along with Mommy and Daddy and Grandma Rachel. He got lots of great presents and hugs, and got to chase everyone around and show off his toys and books. What more could a soon-to-be two year old want?

He's also figured out how to give himself a piggy face by pressing his face up against the glass door of our stereo cabinet. It's one of those behaviors that we really shouldn't encourage (the doors are covered with toddler slime now), but is so hilarious that it's tough not so laugh when he does it.

them belly full

2010-11-27T21:25:00.000-08:00

We had Thanksgiving dinner in El Sobrante with DD, Mike, Freya, Kim, Sean, Damon and Meriel. It was a little crazy given the amount of child-coordinating taking place, but also a lot of fun. It was a very traditional meal - all vegetarian Indian food. I made potato and tofu curry, saag paneer and dal, and Mike made chana masala, lemon rice, and roasted cauliflower. Kim and Sean brought cranberry chutney. It was all very delicious, and we all left stuffed.

Today we headed down to San Mateo to see Rudd and Nancy's new house. Cassidy had a lot of fun chasing Rudd around and playing with Nancy and their huge penguin.

He's learning a lot as he closes in on his second birthday. He knows about half the letters in the alphabet (depending on the day) and has recently started saying "hair" and "nose." He loves saying "bye" now, and says it every chance he gets - when we finish a book or leave a room, when he goes to bed, when we leave the park, or even when he's done interacting with you. It's pretty adorable.

22 going on 23

2010-11-08T20:31:00.000-08:00

Cassidy turned 23 months old on Saturday and his transmogrification from a baby into a little boy continues. He's definitely developing the mood swings and temperament of a two-year old: one minute he's sweetness and light, and the next minute upset, then back to joyful. Some things never change, though; he still loves bubbles and playing with his ball, and his incoming molars have kept the drool stream coming right along.

book of angels

2010-10-31T21:38:00.000-07:00

Our little Cassidy is quite obsessed with reading. He takes after his mom in that way, I think. We haven't caught him with a flashlight reading after bedtime just yet, but I suspect it's not far off.
We took him out for a quick trick-or-treating stroll down Cortland Ave, including a stop in Red Hill Books for a quick story. He had fun cruising around and scaring people, but he's still too little to really get all the excitement of Halloween. Plus, he's still not aware of candy - we've managed to successfully hide that from him so far.

oh, my hair is getting good in the back

2010-10-24T23:27:00.000-07:00

Cassidy got a haircut. It was getting a bit out of hand, and he's still too little to successfully pull off the scrunchie like dear old Dad. But you can't defeat the curls - they're still there!

if you want blood

2010-10-22T22:30:00.000-07:00

Post-vampire feeding stupor, or beets for dinner? You be the judge.

Also, we have Cassidy modeling his new hat (sent by Grandma Sonnie) and composing Beat poetry with his new alphabet refrigerator magnets.

he is the lizard king, he can do anything

2010-10-17T21:15:00.000-07:00

Attention faithful and devoted fans of Cassidy!
As a reward for your patience and commitment through this drought of cute pictures, we have a very special treat for you: the world premiere of his Halloween costume for this year. As far as we can tell, it's either a dinosaur or a dragon. Or maybe an iguana. Or possibly some sort of Japanese movie monster. Whatever it is, he looks appropriately cute and fierce, which is really about all you can ask for in a toddler costume. He's still a year away from being excited about Halloween, but he's very excited about racing around the house, which is what is provoking the big smiles here.

this year's model

2010-09-15T22:12:00.000-07:00

Never let it be said that Cassidy is lacking in sartorial flair. He's able to pull off combinations of colors and patterns far too bold and daring for most youngsters, usually tastefully accented with a dressy bib for mopping up drool. He's been known to add a hat to his wardrobe for a jaunty, European look, or to accessorize with a panda to show his more sensitive side.

run run run

2010-09-06T22:01:00.000-07:00

On Sunday we took the intrepid explorer over the Golden Gate Bridge to spend the morning with Freya, DD and Mike at the Bay Area Discovery Museum. Since it's in Marin County, Cassidy thought he would dress the part.

Freya and Cassidy had a great time playing with the plastic fish in the stream, dressing up like insects, bouncing in the play area, racing through the willow maze, and doing a little art. Cassidy was particularly excited to race around from place to place; to be honest, he probably would've been excited in an empty lot as long as there was room to run around. By the time we were ready to head home, he was pretty wiped out, and fell asleep mid-snack.

In other news, he's 21 months old today. He's rapidly moving into toddlerhood; getting a little taller and saying a few more things that might be words. I'm pretty sure I've heard 'please', 'up' and 'help' in the last few days. 'Hi' and 'byebye' are staples, as are many variations on 'no.'

the chase is better than the catch

2010-08-31T21:35:00.000-07:00

Cassidy has two new favorite things to do these days:
1. Carry his basketball around
2. Chase someone around the circle formed by our living room, dining room and kitchen. If we start this game, he'll want to play for as long as you'll let him. If you sit down because you're feeling light-headed and need to put your head between your knees since you've been running in a tight circle for 15 minutes, he demonstrates his toddlerness by pushing you until you start running again. He'll be an excellent cross country coach some day.

(3 is throw his toys over the baby gate and down the stairs. Not pictured.)

He's even happier if he can find a way to combine the two, which leads to some incredibly cute pictures, as you can see here.

think for yourself

2010-08-22T21:35:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it's hard to read to Cassidy without editorializing. Holly makes fun of me when we read The Very Hungry Caterpillar and I point out that, in fact, butterflies hatch from chrysalises and moths hatch from cocoons, and in Bicycle For Sale Oswald the Octopus repairs his bike tires by painting them and puts olive oil on the chain, which always leads into a digression about proper bike maintenance.

The Cat in the Hat has been hard to read since DD pointed out that the message is basically "let strangers in when you're home alone, and never tell your parents if they do anything."

Lately, we've been reading Where The Wild Things Are quite a bit, but the message here seems to be that if you're mean to people who are nice to you, you'll get rewarded.

Maybe I'm making too much of all this, and those courses in literary criticism are getting in the way. Dinosaur ABC's has been fine, and I haven't had to point out any glaring inaccuracies, like the fact that Dimetrodon is not actually a dinosaur. (this has been known to derail How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night?) I also haven't had any problem with Richard Scarry, except for the fact that half the objects in the pictures are completely archaic (old telephones, radios and record players, for example) and I approve of Punk Farm's message that it's OK to stay up late playing rock music.

animal boy

2010-08-15T14:14:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we took Cassidy on his first trip to the San Francisco Zoo. Carrie went along with us. Cassidy had a great time seeing all the animals and racing around. We tried to help him relate the real animals to the ones in his books, but he wondered whether the gorilla would let all the other animals out.

He also particularly liked getting to pet and brush the goats. If we could, we'd get some for our back yard, but I think it's a little small. Maybe if we ever move out of the city.

He showed Carrie how good he was at scaring her, and got her to play hide-and-seek with him for a while too! All in all, a successful outing for our intrepid explorer.

return of the son of shut up and post some baby pictures

2010-08-09T20:57:00.000-07:00

So it's been a while since we've uploaded any pictures of Cassidy. Hopefully you've all managed to carry on.

He turned 20 months old last Friday. He's starting to enter that two-year-old stage; while he doesn't have a lot of words yet, "no" is most definitely a part of his vocabulary, even when he might mean yes. He's also starting to test his limits, which is a normal part of getting older, but definitely frustrating for us when he tosses his food on the floor or throws a fit when we won't read a book for the fourteenth straight time.

Despite that, he's a little sweetie, as you can see here. He got to go over to Freya's to swim in her pool, although he preferred to stand outside and splash. He's also rocking his pink Chuck Taylors in the last picture; always the fashion plate!

down to there hair

2010-07-19T10:18:00.000-07:00

So we finally gave Cassidy a haircut yesterday; it was getting a little out of control. It's still not exactly a crew cut (his curls are still there!) but it's out of his eyes now, and he doesn't have as much of the feral child look. We'll see if people continue to assume he's a girl (even when he's all in blue with a dinosaur shirt!) because he's so beautiful.

We spent some time yesterday blowing bubbles, as you can see. He really enjoyed it. He's also got a new Dr. Seuss-themed bib, which he's more ambivalent about.

chicken farm

2010-07-06T14:12:00.000-07:00

So it turns out that the tradition in our neighborhood is to celebrate Fourth of July by creating your own personal all-night fireworks celebration. Last year, we were not very amused to be woken up at 3 AM by M-80s going off outside, so we decided to go up to Point Reyes this year for some peace and quiet.

It was wonderful! We stayed at a cottage in Olema. Cassidy had a great time feeding the chickens and checking out the kitties. Holly also managed to enjoy herself at the local shops. We didn't get in any hiking or kayaking (next time!), but we did drive out to the lighthouse, and got pastries and ice cream, which were delicious.

cassidy is a punk rocker

2010-06-30T09:31:00.000-07:00

Cassidy is really into this book Punk Farm that Jenny gave him. He demands to read it at least 10 times a day now. It's a fun book, and the website even has songs to download and sing along to. (Cassidy's singing is still a bit on the experimental side).

He also had a lot of fun hanging out with his new friend Keelee this weekend; she was in town with her mom Jody and sister Raina. Keelee came over and watched Cassidy for a while and did yet more reading of Punk Farm with him. He was happy to have another addition to his fan club.

water boy

2010-06-20T22:27:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day, everyone!

Cassidy and Holly and Rachel and I went out for breakfast, which was a lot of fun. This was followed with what is for Cassidy a fairly standard day; lunch, nap, playing, and reading books. It's a tough life.

Here's some pictures from Cassidy's recent bath. The strategically-placed ducks are a happy accident, and no, he's not drinking his bathwater, just water from the faucet. He is getting a little big for his tub, though.

forkboy

2010-06-18T15:52:00.000-07:00

Cassidy had a nice visit from his aunt Barb and cousin Sara last weekend. He took them to the park to show them around, demonstrated his fork-using skills, let them read him some books, and had some fun with bubbles. A good time was had by all.

fairies wear boots

2010-06-06T19:49:00.000-07:00

(alternate title: 18 and life)

Today Cassidy is 18 months old. I'm not sure if that seems like a long time or a short time. I do know that he's rapidly changing from a baby into a little boy; he can walk, follow directions (sometimes), and say a few words. He also looks more like a little boy. (although it's not uncommon for strangers to think that he's a girl, even when he's wearing blue, since he's such a cutie.)

On Saturday we went to Fairyland with DD and Mike and Freya. Fairyland is one of a growing number of places that I never knew existed before Cassidy was born but now go to. I'd been to Lake Merritt many times and had no idea there was a 1950's children's park on the eastern shore.

Cassidy had a great time - he got to race around, see animals, ride the carousel and the train, and explore all the cool displays. He's still too little to sit through the puppet show or climb in the rigging of the pirate ship, but that just means that there's reasons to go back as he gets older.

scarry monsters

2010-05-23T20:46:00.000-07:00

One of the things that's fun about watching Cassidy grow up is getting to share with him the things that we love and enjoy. While he's still a little young to appreciate Frank Zappa or The Wire, we all agree that Richard Scarry books are awesome. He loves looking through the pictures, finding Lowly Worm in the cereal bowl, and watching Mr. Frumble chase his hat. And who doesn't, really?

baby, I love your way

2010-05-16T22:01:00.000-07:00

Cassidy had a very full weekend, including:
- Lots of reading, which is not a surprise. Like his mom, he loves books.
- A trip to Walter Haas Playground, where the gale-force winds gave his hair a "Frampton Comes Alive" look.
- A couple of rounds of bubble-blowing. He found this quite hilarious. Yet another of those things that are incredibly cool, but we forget about as adults.
- His first shower (previously, he's been all about the bath). It was a joint affair with me. He was OK with it until we got his head wet.

Not pictured: a trip to the art supply store and to Lovely Bump to see the turtle, the requisite naps and eating and playing, and his ability to say the word 'hat'.

motherly love

2010-05-09T21:40:00.000-07:00

Holly, Rachel, Cassidy and I went out to Liberty Cafe on Saturday for a Mother's Day brunch, followed by a quick excursion to Holly Park. Cassidy has recently mastered the skill of pointing out his body parts (he can be seen here demonstrating "hair").

He's also in this recent tongue-oriented phase; he thinks it's hilarious to stick out his tongue and lick things, including my shoulder, the kitchen floor (eww) and his highchair. We're hoping this passes before junior prom; we'd hate for him to slobber all over his date's corsage.

Some things never change, though - once we got home and had lunch, he snuggled up with Mommy for a bottle and a nap.

hi how are you

2010-05-04T00:18:00.000-07:00

Cassidy's getting really good at walking, and has started to add some things that are clearly words to his vocabulary. He's been very vocal for a long time, but much of it seemed to make sense only to him, unless "bise" and "bosh" have some secret meaning we don't know about. But now he's added "hi" to the repertoire; it's incredibly cute - he says hi and waves at pretty much anything, if he's in the mood.

who the cap fit

2010-04-25T20:59:00.000-07:00

Our fair-haired boy is definitely vulnerable to the sun's harmful rays, so an excursion to the park means a healthy application of sunscreen and the selection of a rakish and flattering hat. It doesn't seem like it's possible that he could be cuter with his curls covered up, but apparently it's so.

He also got a new HazMat-esque bib that helps to minimize the collateral damage at mealtime. He's been diligently practicing his sippy-cup skills, with an assist from Grandma.

life and how to live it

2010-04-18T22:56:00.000-07:00

As we all know, life is an education. Here's some of the things Cassidy has been learning:
- It never hurts to ask for what you want.
- Grandmas are very helpful at figuring out shapes.
- Pigeons are put on this earth to be chased.
- The slide can be scary, so make sure someone's holding your hand.
- Always wear your sun hat. Girls dig it.
- You have to keep up with your email, or it gets overwhelming.
- Babies should have a calendar to help plan their busy days.
- At the end of a busy weekend, there's nothing better than crashing out on Mom's lap.

happy feet

2010-04-12T19:35:00.000-07:00

Here's some pictures from the last couple of weeks, including Cassidy demonstrating his new foot-oriented eating style, wearing his sun hat, practicing his come-hither look in the mirror, and singing for his supper. We've also got a photo from his recent excursion to Fairyland with Freya.

I'm just a boy with a new haircut

2010-03-29T19:24:00.000-07:00

It was a busy weekend for young Cassidy. In addition to the usual agenda of playing, eating, and sleeping, he got a visit from Freya (along with DD and Mike) on Sunday. He had fun showing Freya his new garage.

More significantly, Cassidy got his first haircut. We just trimmed the bangs and sides a little so it would stay out of his eyes - everyone agrees that it's cute, and that he looks more worldly and sophisticated.

don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing

2010-03-21T21:17:00.000-07:00

We took Rachel out for brunch this morning to celebrate her one year anniversary of moving to San Francisco to live with us. Afterward, we stopped by Holly Park for some playtime. As you can see, Cassidy thoroughly enjoyed himself.

He's doing well - still flirting with walking. He'll do it if you hold his hand, or if he's not thinking about it. Otherwise he feels that crawling is a much more efficient way to get from point A to point B. He makes a lot of incredibly cute baby noises that may or may not be words; it's hard to know how much meaning is behind them. His molars have come through and now the canines are on their way in. After this, hopefully the poor guy will get a break from teething for a while, at least until his second-year molars show up.

jellyfish heaven

2010-03-17T23:54:00.000-07:00

On Sunday we drove down to Monterey with Cassidy. We got there in the late afternoon and headed out to Asilomar State Park for a walk along the beach. It was Cassidy's first up-close exposure to the ocean, and his mind was appropriately blown.

We spent the next day at the always-great Monterey Bay Aquarium. Incredibly cool seahorses, an awesome reef tank, unearthly jellyfish, sea otters, penguins, and much more. Cassidy liked the touch pool (he got to touch a starfish) and the kids' play area as well. Some of the sense of wonderment was lost on him; he's still a baby, so everything is amazing. More than once Holly and I would be staring at some incredible anemone or sea dragon and notice him with the same amazed gaze checking out an exit sign or someone's earring.

Tuesday morning we took a walk along the shore and checked out the waves, which he found quite cool. Then we headed home; by this point he was pretty wiped out, and so he crashed in that way that only babies can.

heart of gold

2010-03-07T12:56:00.000-08:00

So I swear that we didn't arrange Cassidy's food in a heart shape - he did that all on his own.
His new baby skill is learning how to build towers - previously he favored knocking them over. He also joined us yesterday at Kim and Sean's baby shower. Cassidy was quite excited by the balloons, but by lunchtime he was worn out and ready for some shuteye.

born to be wild

2010-02-28T20:14:00.000-08:00

and we're back!

Here we can see Cassidy enjoying the new monkey that Holly got him, and doing a little reading and diaper-changing. He's also quite fond of the Sons of Anarchy onesie that Freya and Co. got him. We've decided to wait until he's three to get him a motorcycle, though.

He's doing really well; his molars are coming through (hence the drool) and he's slowly figuring out how to walk. It's tough for him - he's so fast at crawling and so eager to get around that walking seems like a waste of time for him.

colors

2010-02-09T14:31:00.000-08:00

Cassidy had a bout of stomach flu last week, which he kindly passed on to the rest of us. (He's better now, as are we.) One side effect of that was a nasty case of diaper rash, which meant that he got to spend some time in his crib "going commando." He had fun repeatedly throwing his stuffed animals over the railing and posing for a set of pictures that will cause him horrible embarrassment in about 15 years.

He also got his first set of crayons. So far he seems influenced by Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning. He also thinks they're quite tasty.

liberty bell(e)

2010-01-17T15:35:00.000-08:00

Last week was Rachel's birthday (I think she turned 29), so, to celebrate, we all went out to Liberty Cafe for brunch. Rachel and Holly and I had delicious fattening breakfasts, and Cassidy had some banana and blueberries.

His first molars are starting to come through; he's been pretty chipper about it, but has a lot of drooling and slime in his mouth. Poor little guy - it's tough having little bones push through your gums.

leaving on a jet plane

2010-01-07T21:52:00.000-08:00

Part the Third, in which our Hero faces new obstacles and returns home triumphant.

We got to see lots of other friends as well. Jenny and Pete and their boys stopped by for a brief visit, Scott and Hope had a get-together at their place with tons of friends, and Fern had us over for dinner. Everyone wanted to meet Cassidy, and he did his best to give them a taste of his charms.

One unexpected side-effect of the cold, dry weather was that his hair got more poofy and less curly, giving him even more of a crazy-hair look. He managed to make it work for him, though.

After a week of rushing around, seeing everyone, cursing the cold and snow and collecting lots of praise and adoration for our Young Charge, we got on a plane and headed home for San Francisco. We're all tired, but well, and had lots of fun. It's definitely a lot of work traveling with a baby, though - no more packing 10 minutes before we need to leave for the airport!

ice ice baby

2010-01-07T21:26:00.000-08:00

Being the second part in our young squire's adventures in the Frozen North:

- Cassidy had a lot of fun climbing the stairs at Grandma Sonnie's and Grandpa Chris'. He also liked chasing Grandma Sonnie while she crawled around.

- He had a great time seeing his Aunt Barb and cousin Sara - they let us stay at their house, and Barb even gave up her bed for us. (Thanks, Barb!)

- Cassidy got tons of presents and toys. His favorite was a half-empty Aquafina water bottle. (He can be seen here "sharing" it with Tigger.) He played with it for days, and it kept him occupied for at least half of the plane flight home. We plan to sell all of his toys and just collect recycling for him from now on.

- We had a fun time visiting Jody and Todd and Raina and Keelee - Keelee was especially excited to meet Cassidy, and gave him a walking tour of their house. We also took Cassidy on his first toboggan ride down the tiny hill to the side of their yard; he was not entirely impressed.

i come from the land of the ice and snow

2010-01-07T21:12:00.000-08:00

So we spent a week back in Wisconsin over New Year's seeing friends and family. Faithful Wisconsin readers who we didn't get to see - sorry! It was a fast trip, and there's only so many hours in the day. We still love you all.

Cassidy did really well - he handled the plane flights, the strange environments, the new faces, and the disruptions to his schedule with very little crying or whining (less than Holly and me). He did agree with us that the weather in Wisconsin in January is highly suboptimal, and now has a better appreciation for San Francisco's 50-degree Decembers.

We have lots of photos, so I'll break them into a few installments. In this batch, our young hero can be seen meeting his new friend Tigger, enjoying toys and presents with Grandma Sonnie and Grandpa Chris, and showing his general disdain for winter clothing.

shake your groove thing

2009-12-26T21:20:00.000-08:00

Hope you all had lovely Christmas, or Festivus, or Friday, depending on your persuasion.

Holly got Cassidy (and me) a couple of really cool musical presents - a ukelele and a set of maracas. We're both very excited about them and are planning for a jam session.

a very merry christmas and a happy new year let's hope it's a good one without any fear

2009-12-24T20:05:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas, everyone!
Holly and I have had a long-standing Christmas Eve Day tradition of going to a museum and getting Indian food. Last year we missed the museum, since Cassidy was only three weeks old, and I honestly have no idea what we ate.

This year we went out to Golden Gate Park with Grandma Rachel for some time on the swings. (Oh how we love not being buried in snow!) We stopped in at the Botanical Gardens for a snack -- according to the sign, the Gardens are "a museum of nature", so I guess the tradition stands. We got food from Little Delhi on the way home just to make sure.

Cassidy had a great time, and was happy to pose for the camera. He just keeps getting cuter.

blah blah blah

2009-12-22T23:00:00.000-08:00

Life continues on for the Young Prince. He's getting bigger, and even cuter, if that's possible. He's able to occasionally stand on his own for a few seconds, and has made some sounds that may or may not be words, depending on who you ask. (His grandmothers are sure that he's speaking complete sentences in perfect Queen's English.)

Jenny and Pete stopped by for a quick visit last weekend; it was great to see them again, and Cassidy got a chance to show them his cool new shoes. He's also been modeling his new bibs pretty frequently; his molars are starting to come in, which causes an incredible torrent of drooling, so it's either bibs or many wardrobe changes every day.

wild horses

2009-12-13T23:40:00.000-08:00

Cassidy inherited Freya's rocking horse from her (thanks, Freya!) although he's more interested in using it to balance his toys than in riding on it. He's also been experimenting with wearing shoes - he likes his new slippers that he got from Kim and Sean, but in general he prefers to go au naturel.

He can also be seen here in one of his favorite activities - opening the TV cabinet over and over. Perhaps he'll be an engineer, or a safecracker, or maybe a doorman.

once more with feeling

2009-12-09T14:42:00.000-08:00

Here's some more pictures from Cassidy's birthday, thanks to Nancy! Careful observers will note: Holly got to be in a picture with the cake (she's usually on the other side of the camera), Freya was quite willing to help with the unwrapping, Georgia and Cassidy shared a little moment, and Cassidy was impressed with the whole cake concept.

one love

2009-12-06T21:15:00.000-08:00

Today was Cassidy's first birthday. We had a little get-together for him. Holly made him a delicious cake, he got some cool presents (including a little kitty and a Giant Microbe bookworm from Freya) and had a good time playing and celebrating with everyone. It's hard to believe that it's been a year since we drove up to Sacramento to meet him. We can only hope that the next year is as filled with joy and wonder and adventure.

arf, he said

2009-11-30T11:51:00.000-08:00

Hi all -

We had a nice thanksgiving weekend. On Thursday, DD & Mike & Freya and Kim & Sean came over to eat some food. Holly and Cassidy modeled their new matching owl shirts - no, his finger is beside his nose, and not up in it.

On Friday we went up to Sonoma to see the Dalton clan. Cassidy was particularly pleased to meet Fergus, who was very patient with Cassidy's vigorous petting.

Next weekend is his birthday - he'll be one year old!

walking on sunshine

2009-11-21T21:09:00.000-08:00

Hi all - sorry (again) for the lack of updates. We've been busy, and haven't had any good pictures.

Cassidy's doing really well - he got some new shoes and was happy to model them with Mommy. He's figuring out how to walk, and loves to cruise around the house with a little help balancing.

Pretty soon he'll be a year old - time flies!

We've also got a great picture of Cassidy and Freya from a couple of weeks back; maybe this will be in their engagement announcement.

bee thousand

2009-11-01T23:14:00.000-08:00

It was a pretty mellow Halloween for Cassidy. We'd originally planned to take him to the Oakland Zoo with Freya, but with the Bay Bridge still closed, we didn't feel up to the long drive, so we stayed home and played peek-a-boo with Sheila the Sheep. He's still little enough that it's not a very exciting holiday for him - he's asleep by the time trick-or-treating really gets going. We did put his costume on for a while, though. He's not a fan of the hat.

world of fun

2009-10-25T20:44:00.000-07:00

I took Cassidy to the Harvest Fest Street Fair in Noe Valley last weekend and got to experience one of those things that happens with kids now and again: seeing them encounter something awesome for the first time. We get all jaded and busy and forget that there's a lot of simple things in life that are incredibly cool. In particular, Cassidy got his first balloon. It totally blew his little baby mind. It doesn't obey all those natural laws of physics he's been working so hard to figure out. Everything else, such as his food, seems to fall when dropped, but the balloon just floated up to the ceiling.

If that wasn't enough amazement for him, he also had a visitor - Jenny flew out from Wisconsin for a quick visit and and audience with the Young Prince. He also got some book-reading in, and was thoughtful enough to take the time to knock over the tower of blocks I'd so painstakingly constructed.

flight of the bumblebee

2009-10-18T22:29:00.000-07:00

In today's photo gallery, we have some photos of Cassidy playing at home, some from a recent trip to Holly Park where we modeled our matching t-shirts (thanks, Holly!), Cassidy enjoying a book with Grandma Rachel, and a sneak preview of his Halloween costume, which he borrowed from Freya.

He's doing well; he cruises around all day without much fear or worry. Not much seems to bother him, and he's not afraid to try new things or meet new people. He's been trying to shake a cold for the past few days - it also managed to hit Holly and Rachel pretty hard.

My Sweet Blue-Eyed Darlin'

2009-10-05T22:49:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of updates - we've been busy.

Cassidy is doing well, although he had a bit of a cold for a few days. Just long enough to pass it on to the rest of us. He had his latest checkup last week: he's now 29 inches tall and weighs a little over 21 pounds.

On Sunday, we took him out to Hardly Strictly Bluegrass for a while, but the crowds were a bit much, so we didn't stay too long. He was a trooper, though, and enjoyed dancing to the music.

Tomorrow is his 10 month birthday - he's doing all the things babies his age do, like crawling everywhere and cramming things in his mouth and giggling like crazy when you tickle him. it's pretty cute.

be my baby

2009-09-22T11:40:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we made the trek over to El Sobrante for a BBQ at DD and Mike's. Cassidy was very excited about the chance to see Freya again, and to meet Audrey (not pictured). He was quite thrilled about the vast array of toys that Freya has - they're all quite delicious. The two of them shared a couple of baby-summit moments and discussed plans for their future together.

In the baby progress department, Cassidy is now quite adept at crawling and standing with support. He's figuring out "cruising" (walking while holding on to furniture), but standing on his own is still a little ways off. He's working on feeding himself; he can pick up a baby carrot and chew on it. He still prefers the old-fashioned method of smearing food all over himself, though. He goes to the pediatrician for a checkup next week, so we'll have height and weight then.

we are family

2009-09-14T20:59:00.000-07:00

It was quite a day today for our intrepid hero. We all got up early, got dressed up, and went to court to finalize the adoption. He did great and charmed everyone, and now he's officially all ours, and we're his. Yay!

We've also got some photos here from Sunday's park excursion, which featured some dino bouncing as well as the more familiar baby swings. He conked out in the stroller, but managed to recover once we got home and enjoyed a little mid-afternoon snack.

Revolution #9

2009-09-08T13:58:00.000-07:00

Cassidy turned nine months old on Sunday. It's pretty amazing that in that short period of time he's gone from this:

to this:

His cousin Kali came down to visit for the weekend to help him celebrate. He had lots of fun - we went to Golden Gate Park to ride on the carousel (which he found a little overwhelming) and get in a round of baby swings.

He still loves books, both reading them and reorganizing them. Based on this, he'll either be a librarian or a demolitions expert.

He's got quite a few teeth coming in, as you can see. He's also getting pretty good at standing up with a little support, and is desperate to figure out walking. Just a few weeks ago, he was trying to get crawling down, and he's already moving on to bigger and better things. He hasn't given up all his old habits, though; he still loves to chew on things.

stand and deliver

2009-09-05T09:42:00.000-07:00

Cassidy has discovered how to pull himself up to a standing position if he has some support. He can do it in his pack-and-play and on the baby gate. It helps if there's something he really wants to check out, such as Flannery.

He's also been conducting a taste test on the flavors of his plastic rings; it would seem that orange is the most delicious. Finally, he took some time out of his busy day to model Grandma Rachel's glasses.

Tomorrow is his nine month birthday! We're trying to come up with some fun things for him to do, so check back for more photos.

ride my see-saw

2009-09-01T23:14:00.000-07:00

Here's some pictures from Sunday's latest expedition to Holly Park. He's added the see-saw to his repertoire. The baby swing still holds a special place in his heart, though.

happiness is a warm bottle

2009-08-30T09:35:00.000-07:00

Another happy week for the Cutest Baby Ever^TM. He's gotten quite good at crawling, and now wants to spend most of his waking hours exploring. He can also almost pull himself up to a standing position. If you help him, he can stand up and look out the window, which he really enjoys. He's still a big fan of the classics, too: a puppet show with Sheila the Sheep never fails to amuse, and a little afternoon dreamfeeding is always a good thing.

friday i'm in love

2009-08-22T08:52:00.000-07:00

Cassidy spent all day Friday with Mommy and Grandma, and had a fabulous time. He got to read books, play with his new "snail pail" (plastic blocks) and his frog-with-wheels, go to the park to swing, and hang out at a cafe while Mommy and Grandma had a snack. As usual, he was his good-natured self, and impressed everyone who saw him with his cuteness and calm demeanor.

In terms of development, he's gotten quite good at crawling - it's amazing how fast he's picked it up. He can stand with a little help, and is actively trying to figure out how to pull himself up, mostly so he can launch himself over the railing of his crib. He loves examining things and trying to figure out how they work (or taste :-). He's also fascinated with the fringe on the edge of blankets, and the edge of the living room rug.

carpet crawler

2009-08-17T22:31:00.000-07:00

So we made the trek over to El Sobrante last weekend to see Freya (and DD and Mike). Freya and Cassidy had a good time on the swings at the park nearby, and Freya introduced Cassidy to a whole new world of toys, including the deliciousness of plastic blocks.

Cassidy has also gotten quite good at crawling forward in the past couple of days. Here's some video evidence of his skills.

swinging party

2009-08-11T11:55:00.000-07:00

So Cassidy is figuring out how to crawl forward. It turns out that there just needs to be something in front of him that he desperately wants to grab on to. In this case, that thing is Flannery, who he's quite infatuated with. She's quite patient with him, letting him grab and poke her. I think she realizes that he's number one, and that the way to work herself back up the cuddle pyramid is to be nice to him.

We also went out to Holly Park last weekend with Carrie for a ride on the baby swings. Cassidy really liked them, although it's hard to tell from these photos. He also enjoyed seeing Carrie again and making sure that she was still a member of his fan club.