Toy Cars

Victor's Toy Cars

A tow truck that can tow two cars at a time. Taken on Friday night in Little Hong Kong.

Hiking Cow!

Why is this Cow in a hiking trail? Victor and I went on the same trail this morning. It was cooler than last Saturday. The ground was a bit wet because of the rain from the last few days. The trail was quite. We saw a large animal stood near the bench that we sat a week ago. At first I didn't know what it was. After closer inspection, we discovered that it was a huge cow. It was sitting and eating, and blocked the path to the bench with a view. We dared not get closer.

We continued for a while until Victor was tired. When we came back, the cow was still there, now facing toward us. We left in a hurry but took a couple of pictures.

We found an interesting wild grass on the ground. It repelled water just like a lotus leaf.

Victor’s First Hike

For about three years, Yang and I used to hike every weekend. We hiked all the major trails in the Bay Area. We used a community web site http://www.bahiker.com/ to find good trails and plan the hikes. Hiking was our favorite activity until we had Victor and Oliver. Since Victor was born, we have been to the hills only a few times and haven't had a real hike.

We cannot wait to get back there. This morning Victor and I decided to give it try. I found an easy hiking trail not very far away from us http://www.bahiker.com/eastbayhikes/carquinez.html. I jotted down some simple directions and packed water and food and drove away. Yang stayed home to continue her work on Chapter 12.

Twenty minutes later I had to call Yang. Although I wrote down the directions, I missed an important detail. There were two Rankin Park Trails, and I didn't know which one to take. After a phone call and some technical assistance, Victor and I took the left one. Now we were all set as I wrote down all the other details.

The climb was steep, and Victor struggled. I stayed right behind him. He was in high spirit but became tired immediately. I took a few pictures.

Ten minutes later we had to take a break. We actually had a bay view. I encouraged Victor to continue. It became hot for both of us.

Another ten minutes and another climb later, we were at a relatively flat area, there was a bench to sit and enjoy the bay view.

Victor and I decided to head back because he was really tired. On the way back, he picked some yellow flowers for Mom. I led the way and Victor followed me this time, the steep decent was a bit dangerous for Victor. We moved slowly and went down safely.

We hiked about 1.2 miles, a third of the recommended route. Victor agreed to do it again and hike the whole route next time.

Aquarium of the Bay

We've been to the Oakland Zoo many time, but never been to an aquarium together. This morning Victor told me he wanted to go the aquarium in San Francisco. So after breakfast and some playing time in our garden, Victor and I headed for San Francisco.

It was a beautiful day in the Bay Area. There was a traffic jam in the city and many people are out. There are a large crowd near the ferry building. We drove to Pier 39 and parked our car on the top level of the public garage. Pier 39 was very crowded. There were many tourists.

We bought a family pass to the aquarium for $72. It was a good deal if all four of us went there twice in a year. The Aquarium is small, with the usual creatures. We saw some ugly fish and some pretty ones.

And some starfish.

We saw a big school of fish.

We saw sharks, not the scary big one but small pretty sharks.

Rays were flying on top of us, with funny faces.

There was even a small petting place. I petted a ray and shark. The water was cold. Victor didn't want to touch any fish; I wondered why.

Victor was mesmerized.

We had fun and will come back again with Yang and Oliver.

How Many Toy Cars Victor Must Have?

As many as he is allowed to buy. Victor loves toy cars, trucks and trains. He plays with them, takes them to places, puts them under his pillow and sleeps with them. Sometimes he gets into trouble, playing with the toys during supper, and almost knocks over the dishes. He cries when we take his toys away, but he'll be fine when Yang gives him a big hug.

We often go to the One Dollar Store to buy the toy cars. They cost a dollar; some come with a package of three. Once we got him a fire truck, tow truck and a police car, all for one dollar. Once a while we go to a drug store and buy him five dollar cars; they are slightly bigger.

He has race cars, small trucks, passage cars, vans, garbage trucks and others. He has cars in red, yellow, green, purple, and many other colors. He has tiny cars, small cars, and larger size cars. We have his cars everywhere.

Victor is learning to share his toys with Oliver. He chooses a few for Oliver to play when Oliver comes to the house. Still, he carefully guards his toy cars, causing some conflicts when they both want to play with the same cars.

How many tasks can you do before 10 AM on Saturday?

Three:

1. Take Yang's car to the dealership for service at 8 AM.
   
2. Teeth cleaning with my dentist.
   
3. A week of grocery shopping at Oakland Chinatown.
   

Then I will be home just before everybody became ready to have breakfast.

Growing up with Cappuccino

We brought a cheap espresso machine a few months ago. It's not really a machine, the kind that you have to put on the stove to make espresso. Victor and Oliver love it. It's becoming a family ritual now that we have cappuccino every morning during the weekend. We grid fresh coffee beans before making a pot. I also use a manual milk frother to make creamy milk. Victor and Oliver may grow up to be addictｅｄ to coffee. This may be the least of our worries.