What Happens in Vegas....well, we bring it home with us.

I guess for many people what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, but not for me.  I am coming home with a nice 2nd or 3rd degree burn.  I'm also coming home with a great new animal blanket specially made for me by my Auntie Resa,  a Tinker Bell nightlight sure to save me from the scary man in Mulan (who I talk about incessantly). 

We went to Las Vegas to celebrate my cousin Sarah's wedding to Evan.  It was my first wedding to attend and what an event it was, complete with a little white chapel and lots of people doting on me. 

The other really fun thing that we got to do in Vegas was a trip to Circus Circus where I ate ice cream WHILE on a merry-go-round, saw a woman flying through the air with the greatest of ease and road the rails!

I also got to see the strip but my big event for the weekend was a visit to the EMT at the hotel and then another visit to a medical clinic, specially guest starring the Nevada Police who came to interview my Mommy and Bada to see if I had been abused.  The story is all a bit fuzzy.  I just am not totally sure how I did it (or I'm not talking), but on Sunday morning, after everyone got ready at the hotel and after a quick Starbucks stop for some yummy sustenance, we were getting into our stroller at the Venetian Hotel and Casino when I told Mommy, "What is this on my arm Mommy?"  Mommy looked and in a VERY alarmed voice said, "Mom....come here quick, Aki's hurt".  Hmmm....I didn't get why she seemed so concerned, but sure enough, there was a big bubble forming right on my arm.  Mommy and Bada are deducing that I may have burned my arm on the curling iron in the bathroom, though it is not clear, but it looks likely that I put my arm down on something VERY hot.  The thing is, I REALLY burned it.  It's not a quick touch of a hot pan which burns your finger a bit....it's a SERIOUS burn.  Mommy and Bada rushed me to get a cold water compress and then to find hotel security who called the EMT ASAP.  He was such a nice man and treated my burn and bandaged it but referred us directly to a clinic.  We went, and they confirmed that it was a VERY bad burn.  As we were there, the Vegas Police showed up to find us as the EMT is required to report and they are required to follow up.  The nice police man kept asking me what happened, but I just wasn't sure.  When Mommy asked me what hapened and why I hdn't told her right after I burned my arm, I told her that I was a big boy.  She explained that big boys tell their Mommies immediately if they are hurt and they should never worry about getting into trouble because it is VERY important to tell someone that you are hurt and get help.  Bada told Mommy that with my squirrly nature she could expect many broken bones  and emergency visits in our future and we should hope that we don't do it in Nevada again as no one wants to get arrested. 

Mommy sure hopes what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas and that there are no major medical disasters in my future....but I brought a nice big wound home with me, and I expect I will have a lasting scar to boot.

Jumping and swimming

We have been going swimming every evening lately and I am getting to be quite a brave boy in the water.  I can jump into the pool (from a sitting down position and holding on to mommy or bada) and I can kick and swim just holding on to someone's fingers for safety.  I like to skirt around the side of the pool holding on to the edge and I do it all by myself!   And.....I love every second of it

Riding a Zebra

I am a true safari man.  How many people do you know that get to ride a zebra???

Oh, how I love being a kid!

We....belong at the zoo

Member's night at the Oakland zoo.  How much fun we had!  The animals were out and about tonight.  It was crazy....the giraffes were running, zebras were singing, tigers prowling, and I was dancing! 

Wildlife...

Today we visited the Lindsey Wildlife Museum.  My Uncle Gogo volunteers there on Fridays so we went to visit the museum and learn all about the local animals today.

We saw a bobcat, two eagles, ravens, owls, snakes, turtles.  Wow....the list goes on.  We played and we learned about the animals and we had so much fun!  I'm so glad to know that my uncle is doing good things for animals.  Thanks Gogo....I love you.

Tennis Pro

I'm going to be the next big tennis pro.....just getting a few pointers from my Uncle Gogo! 

You are my Sunshine...

I am my Mommy's sunflower.  That's her nickname for me.  She tells me that I make her life sunny and bright and happy like a sunflower.  I LOVE sunflowers.  And, she sings me the song, "You are my Sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy, when skies are grey, you'll never know dear, how much I love you, please don't take my sunshine away".  I LOVE this song.  It all makes me very happy. 

This week at the farmer's market, Mommy let me help her to pick out some sunflowers to brighten up the house.  And, I got to give the flower lady the money for them and everything.  How fun! 

Shei Shei has a nickname too.  Mommy calls her, her little chipmunk.  This is because Shei Shei stores all her food in her cheeks and sometimes doesn't swallow for hours.  She is so silly! 

I hope you all have a bit of sunshine in your life today....we sure have it at our house! 

At the park with Uncle Gogo

We had a fun picnic at the park today with Uncle Gogo before he leaves tomorrow to go see his Dad in Missouri.  He'll only be gone for 6 days, but Clara Shei and I will sure miss him. 

After the picnic Mommy and Bada drove Shei Shei home and Uncle Gogo and I walked through the hills all the way home.  It was fun, but when I got home I was hot, tired and thirsty! 

Come back quick Gogo, it's not nearly as much fun without you.

An art lover

My interests are wide and varied and now include fine art.  I've always loved music, and dancing.  However, after today....I am a fine art lover as well. 

We went to the De Young museum in Golden Gate Park today.  It is filled with amazing art from every continent.  I saw elaborate head dresses from Africa, and strangely carved bowls from the Incas.  I even saw a statue with a man sticking out his tongue.  I thought that was pretty funny! 

I wandered the rooms with Mommy, and sometimes just sat on the bench in the center of the room with her, while we looked at lots of paintings on the walls and talked about them.  I liked talking about colors, or different images that I saw in the paintings or what I thought might be happening in the paintings.  It's fun to see what other people have created and to get new ideas myself about them.  There was some installation art, pieces of burnt, chared wood suspended from the ceiling by fish wire. I walked right into that room and exclaimed, "it's raining....it's beautiful".  I talked with Mommy about a painting with two people in a living room, and I thought that they were in their pajamas, getting ready to go to sleep and turning off the lights in the house.  And, I pondered why the chairs were considered 'art' and Mommy told me that I couldn't sit in them, when they looked so nice and I was tired! 

We also went up to the top tower of the museum where you can look out and see amazing views of the city!  What a fun day.  So far, every museum I have visited is really cool.  I can't wait for the next one!