Four Picture Friday: Behind the Scenes/Outtakes

Too windy!

Too cold!

Too blurry!

Too stationary!

Wednesday Moment of Zen

Four Picture Friday: Lil' Contractor

Plumber Chimpy: It's a good thing you called me in. Whoever started this project didn't know the first thing about drains.

Plumber Chimpy: Let me just tighten a few of these nuts and you'll be set for the inspector.

Inspector Kitty Cat: The sink mount looks good, but I'm going to have to get my colleague before signing off on that bathtub.

Inspector Kitty Cat: What do you think?
Inspector Sis: Needs more rubber duckies.

Monday Matinee: Monkey Washing Cat

I mixed Chimpy's favorite video to loop so I would have to press 'replay' only 100 times a day instead of 1000. Here it is for everyone to enjoy.

*For you primate purists, we know the difference between apes and monkeys and, yes, we know not to call a chimpanzee a monkey.

Four Picture Friday: Baby Doesn't Love Disco

We checked out Baby Loves Disco last week. It's advertised as a baby dance party and we thought it'd be fun to check out.

At best I figured it'd be a babypalooza with playpens, ball pits, etc. At worst, I thought it'd be a bunch of clubbers and hipsters trying to prove they could be both parents and cool.

It turned out to be an uncomfortable mix of the two. The real problem, though, was it was way too loud for little ones (it welcomes kids 6mos to 7 years, but should really be for 4 year olds and up) and a little hyperstimulating, too. It didn't take long for the scene to wear thin, so the papas suggested we move the party to Foley's Irish Pub around the corner. Twenty minutes and two pints later our nerves were much restored.

Chimpy: Is that mom wearing a gold halter top with leopard-print platform shoes?

Sis: Get your mom's BART tickets and we'll blow this joint.

Final verdict... Baby Loves Disco: thumbs down, Hanging out with Sis: thumbs up!

Wednesday Moment of Zen

Monday Matinee: Chimpy at the Toy Store

Four Picture Friday: Work and Play and Rice and Bananas

Working with Mama.

Playing with Daddy.

On our way to Chimpy's friend Sis' house, we picked up some rice for Chimpy's dinner. Chimpy got into it en route.



Here, Chimpy and Sis share a banana and race to see who can eat it fastest.

Four Picture Friday: Random Pics

Wednesday Moment of Zen

Balinese Baby

Monday Matinee: Chimpy Signs

K and I have been doing signs for Chimpy since the get-go. When asking if she's hungry we make the sign, when changing her diaper we make the sign, when chasing rats out of our kitchen we make the sign. The signs must have sunk in because she is returning them. Not just in mimicry, but legitimately. And I have to tell you, it's a little creepy. Suddenly there is this little person talking to us. K and I have never had any problem 'reading' Chimpy, but this is a whole other experience. Specifically, "more" has been the strangest. It could refer to anything: more food (usually), more music (when I stop singing), more hug (aw...), or in this case...



And because people have asked, here's Chimpy's vocabulary (in order of learning):

hungry
diaper
flower
cat
more
bath
milk
music
book
light
toothbrush
dog
dog-book (her first compound word)
compost (means "let's go check out the garden," I started saying "compost" because we take the compost out most mornings)

Four Picture Friday: I <3 Toronto

Ah, vacations. All rules and routines get put on hold for a brief week.

Chimpy gets her first taxi ride and her second greatest compliment. Our Somali driver said, "Your daughter is very beautiful. In my country we have arranged marriages, I would be very happy if your daughter was to marry my youngest son." We exchanged cards.

Chimpy and daddy crash a wedding.

We stayed two nights on Algonquin Island just a short ferry ride on Lake Ontario from downtown Toronto. There was an Ironman going on and Chimpy thought she could make the swim back to downtown.

We opted to take the ferry instead.

Chimpy's fondest dream realized: meeting a dog on the streetcar.

Chimpy's Travel Tips: Kids, be sure to eat the smallest morsel for breakfast so you are good and hungry and cranky for your flight. That'll teach your parents to not buy you your own seat.

Goodbye, Toronto. We love you!

Petite Sommelier

We're in Toronto drinking wine. See you in a few days.

Wednesday Moment of Zen

Four Picture Friday: Get Up, Stand Up

Wednesday Moment of Zen

Four Picture Friday: Lil' Gourmet

As you might recall from this post, Chimpy enjoys her food. The line between gourmet and gourmand is only as thick as a few letters, so we're doing our best to cultivate some sort of culinary appreciation. In this first picture, Chimpy is trying to figure out the mystery herb in her spinach omelette (it's tarragon):



When shopping, we check ingredients carefully:

No high fructose corn syrup, we're okay!.

There's lots to learn when shopping. Here, Unca Joe shows Chimpy how to test coconuts for ripeness:



Table manners are also important to food appreciation. Even birthday cakes should be approached with the appropriate utensils:



Chimpy is a great help to her Dada in the kitchen. Here she's making a final check on our trout.

"Where's the chervil?!"

And why do we eat so well? It gives body to our hair:

Wednesday Moment of... aw, Chimpy, Come On!

Four Picture Friday: Parenting Don'ts

Today is Chimpy's birthday! She made it to one year, if only by the skin of her eight teeth. The Mayo Clinic guide is full of dos and don'ts, but here are a few the editors might consider adding to the next edition. For now, we are going to throw our copy out. Happy birthday, Chimpy. Happy birthday, Everybody!

Don't give your baby caffeine.

Don't put your baby on the fridge.

Don't use horse clippers on your baby.

Don't let your baby swim without earplugs, she might get swimmer's ear.


**BONUS MOVIE!**
For her birthday, Chimpy went to Wee Play to see the kids. This was the first time she got to push one of those baby walkers around and she loved it.

Wednesday Moment of Zen