The Kumquat Cometh

Happy Halloween!

2011-11-02T19:57:00.000-07:00

Learning the skills of Irish farm life

2011-11-02T19:53:00.000-07:00

Not many gates like this in Montclair... there should be though!

Hanging by a thread

2011-11-02T19:50:00.000-07:00

2011 School Photo

2011-11-02T19:44:00.001-07:00

Yes, I am plotting something... he he he.

(I used to look so innocent...)

Tom

2011-11-02T19:35:00.000-07:00

Looking for inspiration...

Have you got some?

Another long (summer) day in Ireland

2011-11-02T18:58:00.000-07:00

Facing Mr. Bull.

Dee and Mary looking swell.

Everyone pitching in to turn the hay.

Has Sean got pom-poms?

Where did Patrick disappear to?

Small boy, far away and rapidly retreating.

Hay is fun to blanket yourself under.

Apparently that is the case for frogs too.

Aw he's cute. And now, won't be tossed or furrowed or baled!

After a long morning's work in the sun, a cool bit of wading...

...dam-building...

...and stone washing.

What, there's more? Why yes, we went to pick raspberries!

Bottoms up!

A wild part of the walk. A determined walker.

Look how many raspberries Aine and Aoife picked!

Leo HQ

2011-10-25T14:54:00.000-07:00

Granny Ann and Granddad William have been looking for pictures of our house for a while now. Sorry for the delay, and here they are!

Leo's room is on the far side of this chimney.

You can't see Leo's room at all from here:

Nor from here (but you can see the boy himself, to give the scale):

Leo's room is the top right window (and there's the boy himself again, and Noemi in the distance).

A close-up on Leo's room - it's the top-right window and the window just around the corner that you can't quite see...

And that concludes the house-pictures-post thinly disguised as a post-about-Leo.

Birthday Jumper & Thumper

2011-10-24T05:53:00.001-07:00

Our little Thor with his mallet, sporting a new lovely sweater from Mamie. Thank you!

One long day in Ireland

2011-07-29T09:02:00.000-07:00

At the playground, swinging along, ...

... and spinning around.

At the farm.

Herding sheep.

Hanging out.

Brian looking cute.

Anthony with ol' Minnie.

Granny Ann found the lost lamb.

Looking fly with a hip hop lid.

A goodnight story with Grandad.

Wiped out after a long day, falling asleep reading a book (upside down).

Chalk art

2011-07-29T08:32:00.000-07:00

Flowers blooming on our driveway.

Big ones -- see how they tower over the house! (and the beehive next to the house)

Leo has a very long name with lots of letters in it.

First Trip to NYC: Dinosaur Edition!

2011-07-29T08:03:00.000-07:00

We went on our first family trip to New York City. Funny taking the train in the opposite direction to the school!

Zoom!

And then we took the subway from 34th street.

To the Natural History Museum! To see dinosaurs!

Big ones!

Good thing the park is right across the street. Nice place for a picnic lunch.

Lovely view over the lake.

and even a glimpse of ... possibly... Micawber.

Portrait of the Young Man as Artist

2011-07-29T07:44:00.000-07:00

One day Leo came in to ask us if his eyes were red. (He had a red crayon in his hand.) We said no, your eyes are blue. He agreed, and went back out. Later, we saw his creation -- his first self-portrait! (From June 1.) Signed even!

Bead Art

2011-07-29T07:15:00.000-07:00

We have a triceratops in our house.

And a pterodactyl.

And a little man.

"C'est un bon. homme. C'est un bonhomme. Oui. La. Oui. La. Des longs bras, et des mains la, ca c'est un long bras la, et une main, une petite main la. Et ca c'est la tete. Je ne sais pas."

"It's a man. A little man. Yes. There. Yes. There. Long arms, and hands there, that's a long arm there, and a hand, a little hand. And that's the head. I don't know."

Baking Chocolate Cake

2011-07-29T07:05:00.000-07:00

You know what this cake needs?

Tasting!

Hands-on involvement!

Keeping your eyes on the prize!

Max and the Maximonsters (Where the Wild Things Are)

2011-07-05T12:06:00.000-07:00

So Leo dressed up as a shark...

and read with Papi all about another little boy dressed as a wolf, who did loads of naughty things and got sent to his room.

Thank you for the photos Mamie!

Made by Lait Eau

2011-04-02T14:24:00.000-07:00

The other day, Leo reminded us how he learned his name with this creation:

Milk-water, lait-eau, Leo!

Here's a train locomotive he put together from some multi-colored pasta his Papi gave him:

A train bridge:

A stylized car:

A laptop. The screen, he says, is flickr, and the keyboard is youtube:

A ticket inspection. This is the only piece of work in this post that isn't all Leo's work. The controllers on the local train are unfailingly kind to him and make funny faces on our tickets:

An ultrasaur! Don't worry if it is hard to see...

... because Leo's here to explain it all:

translation: [dad] so what is it? [leo] an ultrasaur - a dinosaur that has a long neck and is bigger than a titanosaur. [dad] wow-wow-wow. [leo] with... he has... this one is multicolored, with very very long legs [dad] yes, where are the legs? [leo] the legs are there, and there's another part there, and a part there like that, and another part there. [dad] and the head? [leo] the head is at the end there, that's the head. [dad] and the tail? [leo] the tail is there, there. [dad] it is very nice. [leo] yes.

School Photo Fall of 2010

2011-01-30T07:33:00.000-08:00

At Léo's daycare, they took some school photos back in October or so. Note the beautiful sweater knit by Mamie!

Word up

2011-01-30T07:04:00.001-08:00

We feel pretty good about the name we chose for Léo. For one thing, he has figured out to spell it (note the accent on the E!):

Léo was quite proud of himself.

We were proud of him, too, but we were even more amazed when this happened... Léo made himself an elevated train (un train élevé):

Then he asked for the letters L and V. And spelled "élevé"! (phonetically)

He is not always so serious. He can be pretty silly about what letters he strings together.

But he is pretty sure there is a "P" in "pluie". After that, he's got ideas on what isn't in it...

Léo's enthusiasm for writing means that sometimes when he sees me pick up a pen, he wants it for himself to draw and write. Which leads me to have to make my lists in the next writing implement available (in this case a red crayon). Paul thought this was a pretty funny list.

Thanks to Natasha for the great wooden letters!

The Flying Bag (Le Sac Volant)

2011-01-29T08:02:00.001-08:00

Mostly, Léo's stories have to do with trains.

Maybe trucks and diggers.

Or planes.

But occasionally, it'll be something else: frogs having a party, or animals hatching out of eggs. On this day, he made himself a flying bag (akin to a flying carpet, but more snug).

Happy Halloween! (a mere quarter late)

2011-01-29T07:34:00.000-08:00

A week or so before Halloween, Leo donned his Bob the Builder plaid jacket, and built himself...

...a Monster Truck!

On the bright day in question, Cousin Simon stepped out in style, clad in pumpkin.

He was joined by Tonton Vlado, a crypto-samurai, and Cousin (Danny) Buzz Lightyear, ready to explore the farthest reaches of their neighborhood in a quest for candy.

Leo wore a builder's cap.

Noemi was decked out in orange and black.

As the evening wound on, Leo got more interested in shaking up leaves than shaking down neighbors for candy.

Danny got in on the act too!

Happy Snowy New Year (a mere month late)

2011-01-29T06:55:00.000-08:00

We had a visit from Auntie Rebecca for Christmas. We made a French Yule log:

yum!

The day after Christmas, it snowed A LOT:

So Leo got into his bear suit, extra scarf, and jacket to go shovel the snow:

Later, it snowed some more. Paul and Leo did their best to build a snowman with the very powdery snow, but it was really more of a snow cone. With eyes.

Then it snowed again. This time the snow was perfect for building a real snow man!

Paul gave him some eyes made of sippy cup tops.

A good thing, too, otherwise you wouldn't be able to see the snow man at all, especially after it snowed again:

Where did our backyard go?

The snow is higher than Leo now. If we make it outside maybe we will take some more photos!

le vent du nord / the north wind

2010-10-11T05:11:00.000-07:00

Leo very much enjoyed his birthday (which has been continuing for several days now). Here's "le vent du nord" on his second round of blowing out the birthday candles (once was not enough, so he did an encore):

Thanks to everyone for their kind thoughts for Leo on his birthday!

Men at work

2010-10-08T19:04:00.000-07:00

Leo has learned that, with a little work, anything can become anything else. He's been industriously applying this principle to our house, where little now remains that is not part of some kind of train. Everything in the sitting room is a train. Everything in the dining room may also be a train, but it is hard to get in there to check (because of all the trains). The kitchen? Full of trains, apart from a fire station whose engines seem to spend most of their time putting out train fires. The interior of the fridge has, through constant vigilance, remained train free, but its magnet-encrusted exterior has not escaped so lightly.

Today, for a change of pace, Leo went to chez Mamie et Papi, and worked on converting his tricycle to a tow truck. Here's Leo and Papi in serious discussions of how best to fabricate the hook:

(thanks Mamie for the photo!)

Helping Granddad

2010-09-06T13:03:00.000-07:00

Heh-heh-heh, I will sneak up on Granddad, and "help" him!

I see you, you little scallywag!

The Leo and Granddad team!

Close Encounters of a Sheepish Kind

2010-09-06T12:31:00.000-07:00

That thing is a lot bigger than me. But if I stay close to Daddy's legs maybe it will think I am as big as it.

All in all though I feel safer up here, looking at what is going on down there.

And what a lot is going on! Grabbing sheep, splashing in footbaths, climbing fences...

Flipping sheep!

And... selling them? What are those two up to?

Aunt Deirdre looks like she knows...

Seaweed: the Trailer

2010-09-06T12:09:00.000-07:00

A windy day in Tramore.
Small boy [running gaily]: Eeeeeehhhhhhh! I have a long trailer!

The trailer, like a superhero cape, gives the boy superpowers. He can leap small puddles in several bounds!

He also has the power to give people craaaaazy hair. Full of hearts.

Seaweed: the Movie, coming soon to a theater near you.

Totally Transported

2010-08-25T18:21:00.000-07:00

Giddy up, Granny Ann!

Cruising in a chair-car with Aoife.

Little tractor...

BIG tractor!

Fire engine/knight's steed.

My turn to be the transport. Pulling a seaweed trailer in Tramore.

Moissonneuses Batteuses! Combine Harvesters!

2010-08-25T18:00:00.000-07:00

Uncle Declan gave me a ride in his combine harvester!

Can you see me? I'm sitting on my cousin Aine, wearing blue boots and red pants, a few meters from hundreds of sharp spinning blades. My dad was a bit nervous about this, but that apparently didn't stop him taking pictures.

When I got back to Granny Ann's, I re-enacted the whole thing (with fewer blades). I like Ireland!

Person at the Window

2010-08-25T17:40:00.000-07:00

Dali style...

...and Leo style.

Leo Meets the San Lorenzo Lions

2010-08-08T15:21:00.000-07:00

Miarowr. Sad. So sad. Ever so sad. And what's this? Ahrgh. To make things worse, here is this boy, this obnoxiously happy boy. I'll ignore him. Perhaps he'll go away.

He's not going away. I'll ignore him harder.

*^%$%#@!%^!

La Dolce Vita

2010-08-08T15:06:00.000-07:00

Keeping cool in Piazza de Ferrari, Genova, Italy.

L++0L{cat}-!EE1{cat}{cat}{cat}

2010-06-06T14:51:00.000-07:00

Leo's first attempt to spell his name! He knows there are L's involved, and O's. And sometimes E's, and maybe some other stuff. Possibly cats? This is definitely how "Leo" SHOULD be spelled.

And, on the front of the fridge, we believe this must be his surname. It is very long and there are Z's and P's. This is a better spelling than many we've received in the mail! We especially like the panther tail.

Yes, he's our son

2010-06-06T14:08:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Mamie for these great photos of Leo studiously studying a dictionary. For the curious, he was mostly concerned with absorbing every detail of some pictures of diggers.

(Sorry it took over a month to post!)

My Nyummy Valentine

2010-02-14T18:38:00.001-08:00

Mother and I made a cake for Valentine's day:

I had an idea: how about we eat it?

Mmm, do I detect a subtle hint of je ne sais quoi, oh, I know, HUGE AMOUNTS OF CHOCOLATE? Must be from the secret ingredient I added, a HUGE BAR OF CHOCOLATE.

It has been pretty snowy around us recently.

I've had my work cut out for me, clearing all this snow.

There's really a lot of it in our park (and you can see which way the wind was blowing).

It is a lot of work to clear, and there's nowhere to sit and rest.

I decided to be less ambitious and just clear our own yard, with Mum's help.

But it was still fairly daunting.

Mother didn't last very long.

I didn't get to playschool much this week, but when I did I got to go on a double-decker train rather than the regular one-floor train!

I'm a big train fan. Luckily my dog is an excellent engineer and helps with the care and maintenance of my train fleet at home.

But it isn't all fun and trains at home...

Réparer!

2010-01-31T08:16:00.000-08:00

Leo is moving too fast these days, this blog can't keep up. Here's a snapshot caught by his Mamie of Leo and Papi fixing a train carriage:

Leo is very fond of fixing things. Just as I'm trying to make this post, he has wandered over and is now fixing my leg. I'm afraid I'll have to keep this short, as anyone who has ever tried to write while a small child is fixing them will hopefully understand...

Cousins and Cookies

2010-01-01T10:10:00.000-08:00

I'm back in Ireland for another Space Cousin mini-conference. There is nothing mini about the cookies though!

One day, all the cousins visiting (myself, and Clara, Lowijs, and Gerrit from Planet Netherlands) lined up in a row, in order of Space-Years.

Then we performed the annual inspection of the galactic gift center. Security was tight, you understand, so every bag was opened in turn and carefully investigated.
There were lots of interesting packages to be explained!

I met all my Irish cousins too, but my documentary team slipped up a little on recording our transactions. Hope to fix this soon!

Over the threshold

2009-12-06T08:56:00.000-08:00

We have a house! Four years after our wedding, Paul carries Noemi over the threshold. It doesn't do to rush these things.

Leo comes over the threshold too. He is a little grumpy after a surprise swine-flu vaccination, but by the time of writing he is bouncing around the house as if he owns it.

And the groceries come over the threshold too. Moving in is hungry work.

And putting together furniture is thirsty work.

World of Words

2009-10-23T20:16:00.001-07:00

'allo, 'allo!

pot! pot! An-na! [the lion that Anna gave him in Italy--thank you, he loves it! This was the first name he learned... he prefers to learn the names of people who give him presents]

tchuh-tchuh! [Leo STILL _really_ likes trains.]

ahm, ahm! [Leo placed each and every one of those plums in the cake for Papi's birthday.]

Le-o! [Leo learned to say his name -- it's easy now that he knows milk ("lait") and water ("eau"). And he loves to see it written -- especially with the accent]

co-co-LA! [Leo is helping break the biscuits for Paul's birthday chocolate biscuit cake. Co-co-la is Leo's favorite word, after "non".]

Treading on Snakes

2009-10-23T20:02:00.000-07:00

Leo enjoyed the snake in the grass at Grounds for Sculpture, a park in southern New Jersey.

So did I!

Plugged In

2009-10-23T19:30:00.000-07:00

You see, father, the ethernet cable plugs into this router, here.

And also into my overalls.

And my toes. This is an advanced technique.

For ribbon, you need a doorjamb.

While for thick rope, now...

... you need a big block with a hole in the top to hold it.

Allow me to demonstrate. Honestly, father, I don't know how they let you out of college without knowing this stuff.

Abominable Enfant de Sable

2009-10-23T18:53:00.001-07:00

Locals in Sestri Levante, Italy, reported a strange sighting one afternoon. While Paul was hard at work teaching the next generation how to create killer robots (in the last building on the left, below), a sand-covered creature was spotted on a nearby beach.

Emerging from Baia delle Favole below Punta Manara, with bucket and spade in hand...

... wait a minute, that's Leo!

And he found a rock!

Time to catch a wave!

Transport in Italy

2009-08-23T19:09:00.001-07:00

Leo got to enjoy a lot of different forms of transport in Italy.

This is as close as he got to being on a Vespa. That little girl in the photo being led away by a protective father had been sitting behind him and gave him a kiss as she left. A real Italian experience!

We dropped in to visit Reena and Shreyan, and Leo tried out Shrey's wheeled potty/throne/punch buggy.

A trip to Acquasola park (which, incredibly, the city of Genoa is trying to turn into a parking lot of all things) yielded a particularly photogenic old carousel. Leo was enchanted.

Cars, horses, flashing lights -- how much better could it get?

This much better: a FIRE TRUCK.

Leo thought this overturned canoe was a boogie board.

And this... this is nearly beyond description. A set of four hungry caterpillars -- bruco "gnam" -- going 'round and 'round. As this ride was across from our hotel where we ate dinner every night, it exerted a strong fascination for Leo. He was attracted and yet a little terrified at the same time. Well, how would you feel about giant fluorescent hungry caterpillars?

In the end, the best ride is always in daddy's arms. Especially if you are in a train.

The things we like

2009-08-22T23:30:00.000-07:00

It was fun to see a lot of family and for Leo to play with his cousins. But we also loved just being on vacation and getting to enjoy being together.

Mint chocolate chip ice cream and a Daddy-drawn train. Mmmm.

Back to Space

2009-08-22T23:28:00.000-07:00

Last month, we touched down again on the planet of the Space Cousins from Space. Here we are, mingling with the natives.

The local nutritive substances were intriguing, as were the implements used to ingest them. I learned a lot of fun things to do with food from my Space Cousins.

No trip to Space would be complete without a session of the Intergalactic Council. Here I am, working with Mr. Dog to fight a popular but ill-advised motion. In the end Mr. Dog recused himself, but the motion failed in any case due to cookies. Intergalactic diplomacy is complicated.

Space Cousins appear to have the same number of fingers as people on our planet. But why is she hiding her feet?

Cousin Tom showed me how to use a novel form of virtual reality generator. One's motions and gestures become reified in a temporary platform of concrete abstraction. And there is a pen on a string.

Cousin Aoife liked riding around on a Space Horse. I tried to figure out how I could do the same with my favorite vehicle, the Space Digger. But the diggers seemed to have originated on a smaller planet.

Wow there's a lot of Space Cousins! I hope Space is big!

Boys, balloons, and books

2009-08-16T18:56:00.000-07:00

Sure, playing with balloons is fun. For a while.

But then you just want to curl up with a good book.

Mud between my toes

2009-08-16T18:32:00.000-07:00

If you are wearing welly boots you can go play in the mud by the side of a lake. You can poke at the mud with sticks and throw rocks in the water to see them splash.

You can really get up close and personal with the mud.

Look, mud! Did I mention I like mud? And how great welly boots are?

The only thing better than welly boots in mud is not wearing welly boots in mud.

Snookered!

2009-08-15T05:36:00.001-07:00

Grandad showed Leo how to use an abacus.

Later in the evening Leo saw a whole new use for little colored balls!

Colored balls, poking things with sticks, what's not to like?

Maybe someday Leo will be a real pool shark like his cousin Sean.

Wild Strawberry Interlude

2009-08-15T05:24:00.000-07:00

Diggin' the Digger

2009-08-06T20:24:00.000-07:00

So much gravel. So many diggers. So little time.

Diggers make babysitting easy.

Everyone likes diggers.

But sometimes you just need a break from diggers, you know?

Then back to work, team.

Teammates come and go.

But Leo has found his calling. Dig. DIG. DIG!

The Engineers

2009-08-06T20:20:00.001-07:00

Leo likes to build with his legos while standing on the shoulders (or whatever is available) of giants (i.e. parents).

Order, Order

2009-08-06T20:05:00.001-07:00

Notwithstanding having two messy parents, Leo has a certain passion for order:

I like the locomotive tucked into the postal truck, along with the slipper.

Early Adopter

2009-08-06T19:59:00.000-07:00

A child of the 21st century, Leo especially appreciates optical mice with glowing red lights.

But he also loves Da Vinci's 15th century model of a flying machine!

Good times at the Grandparents'

2009-06-21T07:53:00.000-07:00

Leo has a good time when he goes to see Mamie and Papi. And he is very helpful. He helped roll the challah strands and paint the loaves with egg to make them shiny.

And he helped them to start harvesting (and eating) the first ripe currants from the garden.

There is always something fun to do (and good to eat!) when he goes to visit. Thanks to mamie for the photos!

Tio Eduardito

2009-06-03T08:44:00.000-07:00

Tio Eduardo came to visit! All the way out to the wilds of Montclair.

It's been a while since the last time Leo saw him.

Eduardo quickly intuited that a good way to renew his friendship with Leo would be to offer him some food.

Box Cars

2009-06-02T08:35:00.000-07:00

Did we mention that Leo likes trains?

Chew Chew Train

2009-06-01T08:29:00.000-07:00

Leo really likes trains. And he really likes raisins. What could be finer than a train made of raisins? A traisin, if you will?

The best thing about his creations is that he gets to eat them.

But that sometimes interferes with the preservation of his work for posterity. (The noodle train was longer before the photo was taken, but Leo also really likes noodles.)

Leo makes pizza

2009-05-31T09:28:00.000-07:00

It is hot work, making pizza!

Leo takes adding the ingredients very seriously. He tracks down every last stray bit of onion and dispatches them to their fate.

We won't list the ingredients here so as not to shock our Italian friends. Suffice to say, pineapple may have been involved.

Early Expressionism

2009-05-31T08:13:00.000-07:00

Leo's sorry not to have posted to the blog in a while. He's found yet another mode of artistic expression.

He claims this "writing" will replace blogs one day. He's a visionary.

Preparing Passover -- with Perks

2009-04-12T19:06:00.000-07:00

It's time for Passover! Which, like all Jewish holidays (except Yom Kippur), means time to eat. And time to get busy in the Giszpenc kitchen. Leo's very favorite thing is helping, as loyal blog readers know. His second favorite thing is eating. He got to do a lot of both yesterday.

Here he is helping Papi chop the carrots.

And to go with the carrots, they had to peel some potatoes (don't be alarmed: it's a butter knife).

Mum and Dad were working on some cream for a Passover cake. Leo helped us whip it. (Thanks to Vlado for the cool chef's toque.)

Ever the perfectionist, Leo carefully did some quality control. It took a lot of trials and sampling, but he did declare the cream kosher for Passover in the end.

He tells us he is looking forward to Passover next year in the Giszpenc kitchen.

Happy Birthday-and-a-half!

2009-04-09T11:59:00.000-07:00

Leo moves fast these days.

It's getting harder to catch him on camera. He is so busy driving his train ("tchoo tchoo!") and his cars ("vvvvvvvvvvvvv") and finding new ways to get into mischief.

Everything is new to him. The other day he discovered watches. His daddy let him play with his watch, and since it didn't fit on his wrist, we suggested he put it on his ankle, to which he warmly agreed. Now he can keep track of the time as he rushes about.

Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

Leo also is exploring a creative side through the plastic arts (specifically, bold assemblages of actual plastic).

In the above case, plastic rings with tennis ball. Below, plastic cars with sandals, Russian doll bottom, and tiny teddy bear.

Boy, he's come a long way in the past half year, not to mention year. But he's still loads of fun and keeps us plenty busy -- that sure hasn't changed.

Happy Saint Patrick's day!

2009-03-17T12:48:00.000-07:00

To celebrate the day that's in it, Leo made a flag:

Here he is, assembling the final block:

Confession: this construction sequence is played in reverse :-). For the nostalgic: Saint Patrick's day 2008.

Léo in Boots

2009-02-23T09:15:00.000-08:00

Léo got a bunch of lovely books when Leslie came to visit. One of them is Puss in Boots (Le Chat Botté). It has only encouraged him in his pursuit of wearing and walking around in our big, big winter boots.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-14T13:47:00.001-08:00

Leo has been learning to blow kisses and kiss cheeks, just in time for Valentine's day!

He enjoys kissing his dog more than anyone else. But, to be fair, his dog is the softest of them all.

First Word: Papa

2009-01-28T19:48:00.000-08:00

Serves me right for leaving to go to a conference for a few days...

He knows who he means, all right. Doesn't have a word for camera yet, though.

Feed the World

2009-01-28T19:27:00.000-08:00

Leo has mastered the art of feeding himself, whether he is using chopsticks for the first time (the trick is to use your spoon):

or refining his pasta-eating technique to encompass more spaghetti (use the fork only to fend off alarmed adults):

So now he is moving on to feeding the rest of the world. We already knew he liked to feed us. But he's discovered he's surrounded by hungry mouths. It began with feeding a bit of bread to a teddy bear, then a hungry fridge magnet (a gazelle head, visible in the photo behind my shoulder on the stove). Then the frogs on the soles of Leo's shoes were feeling left out. They were quite difficult to reach, so Leo developed two methods of delivering the goods: plopping down and lifting his feet to the food, or putting the food on the floor and waving his foot over it.

Don't worry, the rabbit got fed too. As did a caterpillar, a whale, his dog, the Bear in the Big Blue House book, his sippy cup (it has a nose, so it must have a mouth), and so on. All accompanied by "niam, niam, niam, niam" sound effects. We'll try to get it on video.

Space Cousins from Beyond the Moon

2009-01-11T02:57:00.001-08:00

During my trip in outer space I took the opportunity to establish or reaffirm diplomatic relations with my many Space Cousins.

Ellen and Louise welcomed me to Planet Paris. Highlights of our tete-a-tete are available as "Meeting cousin Leo" on the official record of their realm, the MissFitz blog.

Cousin Sean is an advanced, powerful being, whose complex activities and concerns are for the most part beyond my understanding. Luckily, one of his many powers is an ability to grasp my more primitive Weltanschauung, and adapt accordingly. Here he is using his highly-developed manipulation skills to create towering edifices for me to destroy with a simple poking movement.

With such powers at his disposal, Cousin Sean could face a terrible temptation to declare himself supreme ruler of the universe. Luckily, he is not without rival to act as counterbalance. Cousin Aine the Awesome takes no nonsense from him, creating a tenuous balance of power that prevents any one force from predominating.

With his Sword of Freedom and Bandana of Justice, Cousin Lowijs is ready to defend tranquility and peace as loudly and enthusiastically as is needed.

Cousin Gerrit showed me how to move Moons. Truly the powers of the Aged Ones are incredible.

I conferenced with Cousin Patrick and Cousin Anthony in their watery world. Our conclusion: water is fun!

I met Honorary Cousin Bob (a builder by trade) by telepresence.

Cousin Tom was occasionally exasperated at my lack of understanding of property rights in Space (it turns out to be very simple: everything belongs to him). But he bore no grudges and as I mentioned in a previous post he was very helpful in showing me how to establish a rapport with the Sheep People.

Cousins Clara and Grace let me sit in on a session of the intergalactic council.

And cousin Aoife showed me how to drive a Space Chair. It doesn't go very far or very fast but it sure is fun!

Space Cows

2009-01-10T04:02:00.000-08:00

We are back from a long trip to ... actually I'm a bit vague on where we went to, but I think it was Outer Space.

In Outer Space, there are cows. I thought they were just a myth, but I was wrong. Sorry for doubting you Daddy, but you must admit they are somewhat implausible creatures.

There are also chickens and cats. We have plenty of cats back on Planet New Jersey, so that wasn't a surprise. But chickens, chickens just raise far more questions than they answer.

Space Animals are a lot like us. They need feeding, for example. They seem to like a kind of thin, heavily-seasoned spaghetti.

Turns out sheep are real too! My cousin Tom showed me how to feed them. They like something that is called "nuts" but is not. In Space words sometimes have different meanings.

Speaking of cousins, it turns out that I have a lot more of them than I thought. Who would have thought that Space is teeming with cousins!

Have Dog, Will Travel

2009-01-09T03:53:00.000-08:00

I've been on holidays!

I brought my dog.

Sleepy boy is sleepy

2008-12-15T10:49:00.001-08:00

A la mode de chez nous

2008-12-15T10:39:00.000-08:00

Leo was impressed by his cousin Sean's mad piano-playing skills. So he decided to give it a try himself.

Is this how you do it?

How about this?

Stumpy the Crow

2008-12-11T18:28:00.001-08:00

I like to put cups over my hands and scare my Daddy. He should be used to it by now, but every time I do it he has a moment of panic, wondering WHAT DID I DO TO MY HANDS??

Run Daddy, run!!

Leo loads the dishwasher

2008-12-11T18:20:00.000-08:00

I loaded the machine for you, Daddy. No need to thank me!

By the way, can teddy bears go on the bottom layer or should I put them up top?

Cousin Corner

2008-12-08T18:19:00.000-08:00

Cousin Simon is getting bigger.

And cousin Danny is getting older!

Happy birthday, Danny!

I helped make you a cake:

And we all had a good time at your birthday party.

We went a little wild!

Thanks to Paul for taking all the photos, and to Natasha for preparing the lovely lunch... You never get to see the people working behind the scenes!

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhh...

2008-12-08T18:15:00.000-08:00

Don't tell anybody...

Potato Man is secretly Secret Agent Man!

(Merci Michèle :)

Potato-Man to the Rescue!

2008-11-19T19:16:00.000-08:00

I have a sack of potatoes! How cool is that!?

My Dad says they make me big and strong.

Hey good-looking, what you got cooking

2008-11-17T19:16:00.000-08:00

Hmm I'm getting hungry. My Papi is always trying to eat me, so I must be tasty. Why don't I cook myself?

Hmm, I'm hitting a problem here...

Perhaps if I hunker down a bit I can get the lid on.

Everything's Bigger in America

2008-11-04T19:24:00.000-08:00

I asked my parents to supersize me. Or at least my accessories. I can stomp the world now in my big boots.

And I am a super-hero with my big blue glove.

Just try and stop me!

My Second Halloween

2008-11-01T18:52:00.000-07:00

Seems like only yesterday that I was helplessly at the mercy of my parents. Now I can defend myself, especially when I'm wearing my bear outfit (thanks Stephanie!). Here I am thinking about whether to eat M'amie Annie.

She is very nice to me, so maybe I'll save her for later. I found this strange creature lurking in our kitchen:

I gave him a good talking to and I don't think we'll be having any more trouble from him.

Then I found a giant sweet potato lurking in our pantry.

Apparently I wasn't supposed to eat it yet. But this bear is hungry...

More Birthday Photos

2008-10-20T07:26:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more photos, taken by M'Amie and Papi, of Leo's birthday cake and celebration with Legos.

Happy Birthday!

2008-10-09T20:24:00.001-07:00

Leo, it's your birthday... happy birthday Leo...

This is a birthday cake. Your papi made it for you. It has a lion on it! It says your age, 1.000 (to be precise). At least that's what it said until you swiped some digits.

There is a candle on your cake! You blow out the candle.

Take a deep breath, and bloooooow. Like this.

You've come a long way, baby.
:)

Start of a Political Career

2008-10-08T06:15:00.000-07:00

I promise a sock in every shoe!

Thanks to M'amie Annie for the photo, and to Aline for the shirt :)

Spaghetti Night

2008-10-02T14:42:00.001-07:00

Our Leo was born in Italy, and I think you can see that it certainly had an effect:

Mamma mia!

He does love to eat his spaghetti. Slurp, slurp.

Actual Toddling

2008-10-02T13:13:00.001-07:00

He's doing it. He looks like Charlie Chaplin pretending to be a penguin, but his happy feet are now his preferred mode of transport. Go Leo!

New Year, new teeth

2008-10-01T07:48:00.000-07:00

It's Jewish New Year 5769, and along with celebrating the creation of the earth and praying for its continued existence, our household is welcoming teeth #s 5 and 6, bottom and top on the right in Leo's mischievous grin. Photos to come when we can catch sight of the chompers.

Balancing Act

2008-09-26T21:20:00.000-07:00

You like my car?

I can drive it with my bum!

Ooh, here is a new set of wheels.

But I can zip around on my own two feet now, thank you.

It helps to have a balancing stick.

Laugh loudly and carry a shiny stick, that's what I say.

Thanks to M'Amie Annie and Grand-Pe' for the photos!

Reading Hat

2008-09-26T13:01:00.001-07:00

The Alphabet hat helps me read.

ChameLEOn

2008-09-26T12:57:00.001-07:00

Where did Leo go? I see his green ball...

Dog is my co-Pilot

2008-09-26T12:55:00.000-07:00

And daddy is my engine.

Thanks to Steph for this dog, by the way. Leo is enamored of him completely, and can more reliably recognize and find the dog when asked than he can his father or mother.

I'm Helping!

2008-09-26T12:24:00.001-07:00

Leo loves to help us, all the time.

He helps us sweep up.

He points out where we have missed a spot sweeping.

He helps with laundry.

He helps us find things in our cabinets.

He will help us find the right pot or pan even if it means going through all of them.

He will pre-chew our eggplant for us...

...and bang on our drums (thanks Joanne!)...

...and gladly feed you some plum (yes he is in the midst of devouring a fruit and not a raw liver, however bloody he may look).

Then he helps us brush our teeth.

He helped Steph put away the recycling.

And he helped me trim the beans.

This is not an exhaustive list. For reasons of modesty we leave out how he helps us gets dressed. Although it is awfully cute when he hands Paul his socks and slippers in the morning to get him out of bed. I look forward to when he starts to back-seat drive :)

First Haircut

2008-09-26T12:18:00.000-07:00

Reports have come in that our son has been starting to look a little scruffy. 'Tis so. He never got his hair cut -- up until Sept. 18. Can't say it's salon-level, but at least he no longer looks quite so unkempt. And he doesn't seem to have been traumatized by the shearing. Hooray!

I found a Water!

2008-09-24T16:04:00.000-07:00

Daddy Mammy I found a Water! Daddy? Mammy? Why are you all looking the wrong way? Aoife, you see it, right?

Seriously you guys there's a Water just there! Why do you keep looking the wrong way?

Where'd the Water go?

Oh there it is. You guys do see it, right?

Oh I give up.

(thanks Deirdre for the photos)

Step right up

2008-09-21T18:41:00.000-07:00

I can climb the stairs!

Come, mother, I will show you how it is done.

My Grand-uncle Johns

2008-09-21T18:35:00.000-07:00

Or should it be Grand-uncles John?

bathtime in Ireland

2008-09-20T11:25:00.000-07:00

A bath, a boat, a rubber duck - life is good!

Beside the seaside

2008-09-20T10:59:00.000-07:00

We are in Tramore. My Daddy says that in Irish that means "big beach". A beach seems to be a place with lots of nice dry dirt and rocks and shells to play with. So far, I'm liking it.

What's that thing Mommy? The shiny whooshy thing coming towards us? Really fast? Mommy?

Aii-aa! It wet me! My toes!

Actually this is kind of fun. Mr Shiny McFeetWetter is my new best friend.

At my Gran-aunt Eilis's house, I found a small chubby man (my Daddy says he looks like me). He let me share his rocks. At least he didn't complain when I took them, and that's good enough for me.

My Mommy and Daddy tried to fix a kite. I helped them. If fixing means to break (and I'm pretty sure it does), I helped a lot.

I met one of my Dad's cousins, Eoin. He has a ring in his lip. I think it would be handy for carrying things on. You could save some spaghetti for later, for example.

My great-grandmother Nancy fed us very well. I like Tramore!

The Broughal Branch

2008-09-20T10:52:00.000-07:00

My Irish cousins are kind of crazy. I like them.

Cousins and cows

2008-09-20T10:41:00.000-07:00

I'm going to the farm with my cousins! They are going to keep me safe from the cows!

But who will keep me safe from them? Help, Daddy!

Ah, now I am safe with my Daddy, and... oh no, cows! We're surrounded!

Come back cousins all is forgiven!

Play ball

2008-09-20T10:22:00.000-07:00

Noemi, Deirdre, Yannick, Sean, and William had a nice friendly game of soccer in Ireland.

Well, it started friendly - but then the boots came off.

It wasn't easy to get past the keeper.

Everyone had a try.

Sean was the most determined.

In the face of rough tactics, he persisted.

Until at last...

Go Sean!

The Artful Dodger

2008-09-20T09:53:00.000-07:00

Hello Granddad William, would you like to play with me?

And by "play", I mean, let me pick your pocket.

Where did I hide it? In my mouth? In my hair? You'll never know...

Standing for Real Now

2008-08-27T18:36:00.000-07:00

What, didn't you know I could stand? What's the fuss about? I can stand around like this all day (well, at least for half a minute). I just don't feel like it very often...