Nice Weekend

The Chng family had a very nice weekend and we hope that you did too. It did not feel like Fall at all, with temps in the summertime range. We took advantage of the nice weather and headed out to the beach in Alameda for a nice walk on Saturday evening. Alex had a fun time watching someone fly a huge kite on the beach. He tracked every move of the kite! Afterwards, we had some sushi at Katsu Sushi, also in Alameda. Alex kept himself entertained with the straps on the high chair--who needs toys, right?

On Sunday, we decided to visit Mount Diablo, which is over by Danville. We took a little hike around and got to take in the great views from the summit, which is about 3800 feet. We decided to get lunch in Danville afterwards and found that the Danville d'Elegance was taking place. It was a show of a variety of sportscars, both old and new. I think that Daddy was quite happy to have lucked into running into the show. He found quite a few toys that he and Alex could enjoy. My favorite was the Nash-Healey, while David's was the orange Porsche. Lots of cool cars to enjoy, for sure.

We had lunch at the Rising Loafer and Alex helped himself to the fresh rolls which they serve--yum! He is still working on getting those bottom front teeth in, and as you can see, he was using the table as a teether...probably not the most hygenic of teethers, but the poor little guy is really trying to get those teeth to come in.

All in all, a great weekend, spent enjoying the final days of summer.

Little Guy on the Go

It's been a busy couple of days here, with Alex exploring anything and everything in the house, especially those things which are not toys. This picture is from this morning, with him standing next to his stroller, with his aptly named "Little Guy on the Go" sleeper on. I turned around and he had pulled himself up and was exploring his jogging stroller. Babyproofing is definitely on our agenda for this weekend!

Look!

Click on the picture to enlarge it, and then look very closely at the gum, over to the right of the picture. Ok, I realize it isn't a complete tooth, but there is definitely a tooth peeking through! Alex is being a trooper and doesn't seem to be particularly bothered by the eruption.

Sweetheart

Ride 'Em Cowboy!

Xena continues to entertain her little brother. He still finds her to be so funny. He loves to pet her, sometimes gently and then other times, not so much---he's learning, slowly but surely. All in all, they seem to like one another and soon, when the food is flying from the high chair to the floor, Xena will be much more enamored with the little one.

Foodie in Training

*Mom is in the kitchen.....I have captured the baguette.

*Hmmm.....nice carmelized golden brown color, sounds hollow when tapped....La Farine sure knows how to make a good baguette!

*Mom...may I please have this baguette...and maybe some camboloza to go with it?

Swimming with Daddy

We hope that everyone is having a great weekend. Ours has been good thus far. Yesterday, David was able to get out of the office a little bit early, and joined Alex and I for the swim time at the Berkeley High pool. I decided to take pictures for the day, while Alex and David swam. As you can see, they had quite a nice time, splashing around and singing songs. Alex saw some of his buddies, as usual, and really enjoyed that.

This morning we went to the Oakland Zoo, with Grandma and Grandpa Chng, and then went out for a dim sum lunch afterwards. Daddy's USC football team beat Ohio State by quite a large number (sorry Uncle Wayne and Cousin Joe), so that made for a good end to the evening. The evenings are indicating that perhaps Fall is arriving, which makes me very excited. So many things to enjoy in the Fall....a trip to the pumpkin patch, picking out a Halloween costume for Alex, the changing of the leaves, the crisp air, the favorite sweaters come out, and the list goes on. Enjoy!

Swingin' at the Park

Mom and I met my friend Eva and her mom Anna at the park in Montclair this week, and I went in a big boy swing for the first time. When my mom and I used to go to the park, I just went on the big swing with my mom, but this time, I went in the swing by myself! It was pretty fun and my mom just kept pushing me and gradually I started getting really sleepy....like really sleepy! It was weird, because when I was a baby I didn't really like swings, but I sure felt like taking a nap after a bit of time on this swing. My mom took me out once I fell asleep, because really that wasn't a very comfortable place to sleep for long. All in all, it was a fun day at the park. Some swinging, a nap...what else could a guy ask for, right?

Thanks Uncle Ming and Auntie Fiona!

I just wanted to write a quick note to say thanks to Uncle Ming and Auntie Fiona for the nice stroller which they sent to me this week. As you can see, my mom and I have already taken it out for a spin at the park earlier this week. It is sporty Uncle Ming, just like your Skyline! I can't wait to meet both of you in December. Your wedding will be a fun time, for sure. Thanks again for the new ride.

Love,
Alex

A New Ball!

Hi everyone! The new interest of the week is a soccer ball, which Daddy purchased for Alex. It is a size 1, just perfect for him! He really enjoys when you roll the ball to him, and likes to pick it up and then of course, try to suck on it. He has been practicing his crawling skills and can now get to things if he really wants to. He can go from a crawling position on his tummy, back to a sitting position as well, which has been nice for him (and us). He also seems to be trying to attempt to stand. I think that he knows how he would go about doing it, but just has to become a bit more balanced and stronger in order to get there. I'm sure it won't be long. Alot of babyproofing is on our horizon! He's just getting bigger and cuter every day....

My Cool New Space!

Hi everyone!! I just wanted to post a picture of my cool new space. What do you think? I really, really like it. My parents have given me half of the dining room as my very own space. Just wait....in a few more months, the whole place will be mine...well, really it already is, just don't tell Mom and Dad! My sister is a little bit upset because my new play space happens to be right in front of her favorite window to look out. She told me that she will let me have the window for now though. She's pretty cool!

They tell me that once they put the fence up, it will be completed. Yeah right, and then I will need to find a way to get the fence down, because what fun is a fence?

I can totally sit up on my own now and I am trying to figure out if I really want to crawl or not. I can get on my hands and knees and rock and then sometimes I just decide to go on my haunches instead, like those sprinters did in the Olympics....maybe I can just learn how to run.

Do you see that little buggy in the picture? My Grandma and Grandpa Chng brought that for me when they came to visit. I like it, and will have even more fun with it once I can sit on it by myself. It has a gear-shifter, a bell, a little trunk to put some of my little toys in, and a whirly thing on it---pretty cool!

Mid-Autumn Moon Festival

Hi all- Hope you are having a great weekend. Today we went into San Francisco's Chinatown to attend the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival. It was quite a warm day, but we went early and walked around Chinatown, looked around in some shops, had lunch at The Honolulu Cafe and then headed back to Oakland. Grandma and Grandpa Chng arrived on Thursday for a visit, so Alex is having fun with them.

It has been really hot here this week, so Alex and I went swimming a couple of times to try to keep cool. He loves going to the pool and on the days that we don't, I just get his big bathtub out and put water in that and he splashes around and cools down quite nicely.

Last weekend we went for a hike in Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve. Who knew that there is an old volcano in our backyard, basically? Anyway, the shot of David and Alex is from that hike.

By the way, we did feel the earthquake last night, probably because we were still awake and it was centered less than 10 miles from our house. No damage--all fine, just a small one.

Happy Birthday Cousin Landen!!

Hi Cousin Landen! Baby Alex wanted to wish you a very Happy Birthday today, so I am helping him get this message out to you. It looks like you had a lot of fun at your birthday party at the beach last weekend! You even got a Thomas the Train cake...how cool is that? Baby Alex wishes that he could have been there to help you celebrate. He sure had a lot of fun with you at your house last month. Hopefully we will see you again sometime soon.

Happy Birthday!!

Love from, Baby Alex, Baby Alex's Mom, Uncle David and Cousin Xena