5 Very Hungry Caterpillars

On June 27th, a surprise package arrived for me. It was a very tiny box. When we opened it, I found 5 very tiny painted lady butterfly caterpillars. They have grown an amazing amount each day. Some time in the next week, they should make their chrysallises. Then we'll wait about another 10 days for them to come out as butterflies! This will be very exciting! I love butterflies!

(P.s. Thank you to cousin Molly for the this kit and butterfly habitat that she gave me! We saved it and just sent away for the caterpillars this month.)

Train Day

On Sunday, Mommy took me to Train Day at the old Danville Depot. There was a trackless train that took kids on rides around the parking lot. I loved it! There were also some electric train layouts and some old classic cars. A man let me get into his Ford Coupe and blow the horn. I did this many times.. AAOOGAH! AAOOGAH! There were also fire engines, a regular one and an old one with a big bell that I rang LOUDLY! The firemen gave me a firefighter's hat, a badge sticker and some neat fire engine shaped pencil erasers. I had ice cream too. What a great morning! (Photos were taken with Mommy's old fashioned FILM camera so they are not posted.)

Classic Cars

Last night on our walk around the neighborhood, we met a gentleman named Jerry. He was washing his BMW and had two other cars in his garage both under car covers. I asked Daddy what cars were under the covers, and he suggested that we go ask the gentleman directly. We did and he showed us a 1970s era Mercedes convertible, which was nice, and a Ford Model A from the 1920s, which was amazing. I got to crawl in and pretend to drive the car. I especially liked sitting in the back seat. Jerry offered to give us a ride in the Model A if we were around on the weekend. I can't wait.

Mountain Climbing

Lately, Daddy and I have taken a different outing our walks then the usual one. Instead of going to a park, Daddy and I have been climbing up a very high mountain near where we live. This climb involves a trip up the endless staircase---a set of stairs that rises about four storeys---followed by a hike up a giant mountain. From the top, we have a great view of all the places where we live. I especially like Mount Diablo (pictured here). It reminds me of a dormant volcano in Maui. I asked Daddy if the Mount Diablo volcano was asleep, but he told me that Mount Diablo was not volcanic. I also like to look at the San Ramon valley and the Berkeley Hills in the sunset.

Aidan the Dancer

One of the things I might like to be when I grow up is a dancer. Here is a link demonstrating my many dancing skills while on the Sugar Cane Train in Maui. They were playing some Hawaiian music over the PA system, so I decided to dance. The other people in the train car were clearly amused and impressed.

Here's a shot of the sugar cane train going around on the turntable.

(Be aware, Geocities has some restrictive data transfer policies, so you might have to wait to preview the links.)

Big Wings

One of the highlights of my trip to Hawaii was sitting looking out on the wing of the plane and disconvering that the wing becomes bigger and smaller. On takeoff, Daddy pointed out that the pilot extended the wing surface to create more lift. Once we're in the air, the wing gets smaller again. Finally, on landing, the wings are extended to their maximum length. I enjoyed watching all of it. Airplanes are neat!

Blue Hawaii

We're just back from Maui. I had a great time. I got to build sand castles. I also built some sand bridges and sand tunnels for the sand railroad to drive on. I made some sand cakes and sand pancakes too. I got to see a whole bunch of fishies in a submarine and in an aquarium. I liked the sharks and especially the crabs. Crabs were a source of endless fascination (and some trepidation) during the trip since the holes they dig are all over the beach. I also got to swim in a waterfall on the Mommy boat and the Daddy boat. (The Aidan boat is not very seaworthy so far so I rely on others.)

Here are some pictures of my adventures in Blue Hawaii. Here's a better link with more description.

Actually...

I've been sprinkling lots of new and interesting phrases into my conversations. One of my favorites is "Actually..." Actually is a great start to any sentence, but is especially good in trying to move the conversation toward an outcome that I view as better for me. For example:

Mommy: Would you like milk or water with dinner.

Aidan: Actually, I'd like juice.

Mommy: But you've already had enough juice today.

Aidan: Actually, I haven't had that much juice, and I'm thirsty for juice and not milk or water.

You get the idea. Actually, I didn't get any juice as a result of these negotiations but it was worth a shot.

Another good lead-in is "in the meantime" or "in the meanwhile". For example:

Daddy: Do you want French toast for breakfast?

Aidan: Yes! In the meantime, I'd actually like to have a little cereal while the French toast is cooking.

Sky Ride

Mommy and I went to the zoo today. This is always fun, but I added a new adventure by going on the Sky Ride for the first time today. I loved it! We had good views of some animals that can be difficult to see from the ground, and I got to fly like my friends from Dragon Tales! Can't wait 'til I get to do this again!

Aidan the soldier

For two days in a row, I told my mommy that after I was a boy, I was going to be a soldier. This really got mommy wondering since she does not promote soldiering for her son. I was very matter-of-fact about this each time, and today we talked more about it. Mommy asked me where I heard the word "soldier" and asked me to tell her what a soldier is. I replied something to the effect, "After I'm a boy, I will be a soldier and then I will be a man." Now, while this may sound exactly like something a recruiter would say, Mommy quickly deduced the word I actually meant from our past (non-military related)conversations about growing up. I meant "teenager"! I must have heard something about soldiers on TV an gotten mixed up! We have often spoken about how I used to be a baby but now I am a boy and someday I will be a very big boy called a teenager before I am a grown-up man. Mommy told me that soldiers do very dangerous work and fight to protect our country. They can get hurt very badly and some of them die. I think that I'll go back to my original career choice-- dancer!