A Walk in the Park

Walking in the park up in Brooklyn provides lots of things to see. I got to look at a statue. Oh, was I ever excited:

Then, I got to look at some flowers.

Again, I was just soooooo excited:


I then got to view the Manhattan skyline from a distance. Believe it or not, I actually *did* open my eyes and look, albeit it briefly...

You'd think I was a TOURIST...

...you know, one of those things from "out of town" that venture to New York and take their pictures with ordinary, every day things in the background. For example, the stoopid fountain at City Hall:

Or, the Brooklyn Bridge:


Or another random bridge:



I think I need to work on my "I'm bored" expression a bit more. That should get whoever is wielding the camera to back off!

AT+T is what goes in my diaper...

I tried to talk to grandma and grandpa when they were at the airport today. The phone would ring, and then, there would be silence. I tried to cry into the phone a couple of times, but they didn't hear me, and I couldn't hear them. We were connected, but it was just "dead air".

Daddy called AT+T when the problem with their cell network cleared. They gave us this nice little speech, saying "the network is working just fine so we can't diagnose anything. There *were* problems earlier, but we can't do anything *now*." He suggested getting another phone to call when they have problems.

I would agree. Get a Verizon phone and dump this AT+T crap! The stuff I deposit in my diaper is far better then AT+T...

More Dancing...

Yes, more of my dance practice! Slowly, I'm getting the timing down and right!

Mommy bought me a cute new outfit the other day, and I got to wear it! It had little animals on it that match my jungle play mat and my current favorite, the Elephant chair!

Evil Grin Practice

Some babies practice smiling at this age.
Some babies practice throwing up at this age.
Some babies are still too busy drooling to know what they're doing.

Me? I'm practicing the art of the furtive evil grin. It's getting the smile just right, just slightly hidden. It's getting the eyes just gleaming with the right amount of Evil.

Sun Time!

Getting ready for summer is always tough work. To get my body fit and looking its best, I recommend a bit of time in the sun -- well protected behind glass from those nasty harmful UV rays, of course.

Dance Practice

Dance practice for me is quite entertaining. A combination of catchy music and some simple moves provide for hours of fun. Today, I practiced my version of the Irish dance -- perhaps I can be the next Lord of the Dance! Unfortunately, *someone* snuck a video camera into the room and taped it, though daddy will remain nameless!



Up until he shot the video, daddy was busy listening to CNBC in the background, which is kinda worrying -- I'm far more interesting then those stupid markets! Mommy claimed this was just gas, however, she clearly doesn't know great art in the making!

My British Heritage

Mommy is British, which means from time to time we remember said fact with Fish and Chips and Football. Not that American game, which I haven't had the chance to actually see yet, but the Beautiful Game, played with skill, finesse and most importantly -- your FEET!

So, we hit up Chip Shoppe in Brooklyn to celebrate thy British heritage. Chip Shoppe is a good little place with a nice selection of beer and some decent grub. Mommy had the Mac and Cheese, British Style and some lovely cider. Daddy and I split the Fish and Chips and a pint.



I'm looking forward to the Champion's League final here on Wednesday. I'll have to root for the English team, even though it is Manchester United.

Practice Pout!

Mommy regularly talks about how the "widdle quivering wlip" makes for a cute pout. Hence, a need to practice, practice, practice! If I want mommy and daddy wrapped around my "widdle" finger (well, they already are...so I might as well keep them there!), I had best learn how to pout effectively!

Cute Picture!

Mommy loved this picture!
Auntie Kirsten from Buffalo (when do I get to shuffle off to get some of those famous Buffalo wings, anyways?) gave me this!

Evil Monkey

I now have an Evil Monkey.

You can tell 'cos it's wearing stripes just like the CEO's of most of the major banks should be. He also has a goofy "trust me" smile. When you shake him, his head rattles -- again, just like the CEO's of the major banks. I'm trying to figure out what to call him. The current names in the running are "Ken Lewis", "Vikram" or just simply "Fuld". That said, I have the distinct feeling that he'll end up being named "Marcel", after the tandem who drug down UBS. In any case, I'm definitely not going to let him out of my sight, least I end up suddenly owning $2 Trillion of worthless pieces of paper!

On the bright side, I can now with all honesty tell mommy that I have an Evil Monkey in my Closet.

Go Red Cars!

I watched the Grand Prix this morning. Brightly colored cars zipping around a twisty, curvy track was much more interesting then I remembered it. Perhaps, it is 'cos I could actually see it better -- my vision is improving daily! So, I have a favorite team to cheer for -- the RED one, whoever they are. I just need a little red flag to wave when the red cars go zipping across the screen to make me feel like I'm almost there!

Another Friend...

Today I got to play with Alfie, the electronic teddy bear. Daddy put him in front of me and made him play funny music. I particularly liked "On Top of Spaghetti" and this Ragtime song -- The Entertainer -- he played. It sure beats the newer, more pedestrian toys I have as they only play one or two different songs. Alfie plays 26 different ones. The only downside is I have to punch him to get the songs to play, but as I do like to punch things, that isn't a bad thing...

Katz' Deli

Today's food review centers on Katz Deli on the Lower East Side. We ventured there around 2:30pm, in theory, to avoid the lunch crowd but being New York, clearly, nobody ever told New Yorkers that lunch should be done by then! So, we wandered into a fairly crowded joint and ordered what they're known for: corned beef and pastrami. A couple of sides and a couple of beers and there was lunch.


Strangely, there were all these pictures of so-called famous people on the walls. I'd never head of any of them. I should have probably taken a picture of some of them so I could find out who this "Bill Clinton" fellow was -- maybe I should look him up on Wikipedia.

I wasn't a big fan of Katz personally. While their food was quite nice, the constant crashing of plates and banging kept waking me up! I thought about crying several times, but in the end, didn't. But I still give it 3 bottles out of a possible 4 for food...

Subway Ride

The only way to get around New York is on the Subway, so we headed across the street and hoped the train today. Mommy managed the stroller when this big shiny monster roared into the station. Of course, being from New York, I took it in stride and barely interrupted my nap when it passed. Mommy was far more concerned for some reason, like, she'd never seen one before...


We got on the train and settled down. Everybody was soooo nice and nobody bothered me and my nap.

My First Book...

One of mommy's friends sent her a book! It was quite considerate of her, but upon looking at it, I felt it was well above her level -- she just wouldn't understand the finer subtleties. So, I picked it up, found a relaxing chair, and started to read it.
Of course, daddy had to interrupt me just as I was getting to the climax, and I as forced to take a "cute break" to keep him happy. Daddies just seem to be there to interrupt everything!


Reading on, I finally got to the climax: A Spiral! This was so deep that Agatha Christie would never come up with such a twist!


I really enjoyed my first book. I hope people send me more!

11 Pounds, 5 Ounces...

I think I'm developing a taste for all the good food mommy likes to eat. I'm now up to 11 pounds, 5 ounces -- which now puts me in the 64th percentile. It means I can beat up some of the kids nearly twice my age! The next time I see that interloper on my blanket, I know I can take him!

Perfectly Plastic People Parade

Eating out in New York often has another interest...the perfectly plastic people parade! While at dinner tonight, two tables away was a perfect example of it. The four people walked in. One guy had a suit with more stripes on it then a zebra, a suit with more stripes then his suit, and a tie with more stripes then his suit and shirt combined. His swagger indicated he was probably an investment banker, hence, he probably should be wearing a different type of stripes!

The guy following him was in a typical over-engineered English suit. Stiff to a fault. The two women behind them stumbled in in massively high heels and too much makeup, with excessively loud handbags, each looking like they could feed a small army of kids.

Of course, on the way home, we passed a crappy little Honda Civic with the dumbest vanity plate: GT2BFLYN. Great to be Flynn? If it was great to be Flynn, you'd have a friggin' Ferrari and not a c crappy little purple Honda.

Evil Twin?

Mommy has decided to call me something ... well ... strange. I'm now known as "Widdle Face Two", as I now seem to have developed an evil twin named "Widdle Face". Mom seems to get us confused as we both have the same little inverted smile. I wouldn't mind having an Evil Twin (after all, I'm the *good* one!) but this one belongs with my blue elephants!

Tummy Time...

Well, Daddy went away for a couple days for work. He came back and now I have to sleep. He also has restarted the "tummy time" thing. And today? He plopped me in the middle of the carpet, and started cheering my attempts to lift my head. He then had the nerve to put on a CD by a band from Manchester -- The Inspiral Carpets.

He then pointed the camera at me. It was threatening. So I spit up all over the carpet! And he didn't take the picture. He put me in my crib and I rolled over and then went to sleep, avoiding the torture of another embarrassing photograph...

More Reflections

The evil interloper on my play blanket came back today. But I was ready for him. I came prepared with a stuffed bear, whom I know can easily munch off his left hand. Upon seeing him again, I reached out and gave him a good shove. He tried to block (at which point I realized the flaw in my plan -- he was RIGHT handed!) but I pushed him away. He spent the next few seconds swinging back and forth. Several shoves later, and he had disappeared, and I was king of the blanket again!

More Photos...

Out and About...

Nap Time...


No, this is *NOT* a picture of me pooing!



Sleeping in Grandpa's lap...


Getting fussed over...
...well, getting tortured with evil medicine, but I can't say that!

Restaurant Reviews #2

Today, I'm reviewing "Nelson Blue", named after the infamous Admiral Lord Nelson. It's a New Zealand themed pub down in the South Street Sea Port area. Overall, I was quite impressed with the place.

To begin with, it provides a nice, bright and lively atmosphere. Cool, kinda hip people seem to hang out there, witnessed by the guys in the colo(u)rful pink t-shirts. The lovely feel of the place and the constant hum of activity is simply wonderful!
As for food, Mommy ordered the Crab Cakes followed by the venison. Grandma also had the crab cakes followed by the muscles. Mommy loved the crab cakes, but said the venison was only "okay"; a stronger, fruitier sauce would have been preferable. Grandma didn't like the crab cakes as much, but loved the muscles in the coconut curry broth. Grandpa started with the squid and followed that up with the Lamb Curry Pot Pie. The squid totally appealed to his taste buds and the curry lamb pie was fantastic. Daddy had the fried muscles followed by the lamb shank. The muscles were rated as good while the lamb shank was excellent. The cheezy cauliflower and the wine were the ideal accompaniments for the shank.

Which brings us to the main attraction of this place -- the wine. They have an excellent selection of New Zealand wine along with a handful of wines from other southern hemisphere countries. We had the Ata Rangi Pinot Noir, which was smooth and fruity and liked by all.


Overall, I give this place 4 bottles out of a possible 4. It's ideal for a lazy Saturday lunch with family, and I look forward to sampling the wine a bit more this evening while'st feeding!

The Brooklyn Bridge

Walking across the Brooklyn Bridge is a treat for any little guy like me. You see, the wooden plank provides a comfortable, relaxing ride with just the right frequency of jiggling. The traffic below gives a nice, peaceful white noise when combined with the noise of passing pedestrians, just lulls me to sleep. The only real issue with the Brooklyn Bridge is the idiotic, psychotic bicyclists who seem to think "Yield to Pedestrians in Crosswalk" means "I can blow by them at 30 mph showing my righteous disdain". Grandpa pushes at a nice pace as well, encouraging a nice, sleepy ride -- ideal for me these days...

Coffee!

My favorite coffee shoppe in New York is Jack's Stir Brew. If you're in New York, you simply *must* try it!

DID YOU KNOW...

A baby can project his poo up to 6 FEET out of their bum, and spit up to 1 foot out the other end. This gives us an entire 8 feet of range that you have to insure when changing...

They found that out the hard way... I'm surprised he didn't take a picture of that!

Evil Medicine!

Four times a day these people torture me with this stuff they call medicine. They stick this vile stuff in my mouth. It tastes like something I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy, which seeing as I only know 5 people at this point in time, is probably daddy as he is the one who gives it to me!

Restaurant Reviews

Most restaurant reviews focus on such things as food, but for me, I'm more interested in a nice comfy chair to sleep in with some pleasant background music to lull me to sleep. Bar Americain didn't disappoint on those accounts, as my seat was deposited in a very plush chair in front of a nice white tablecloth. Occasional plesant scents wafted by -- not that I could eat any of it, but the smells were quite nice.

Unfortnately, the waiters didn't fuss over me like the cute waitress did back at the last place I ate out at. It's a big mistake -- not even a "oh, how cute!" A note to waiters everywhere : fuss over anyone in a baby seat. It will definitely help your tips!

The decor was lovely with lots of stimulating colors. Multiple shades of reds and yellow provided excellent visual stimulation. The auditory stimulation was a nice mix of distant conversation -- enough to make me feel comfortable, yet, not too overly loud to interrupt my sleep.

Overall, I'd highly recommend Bar Americain. I'd give it 3 and 1/2 bottles out of a possible four. And when I'm big enough to try the food, I'm looking forward to it!

Photo Time...

Me, sleeping comfortably in Grandma's arms...


And a portrait of me, staring down my friend the purple bird!

Australian Elephants are Blue

Andre in Australia sent me an Australian Elephant! I've previously heard of African elephants and Indian elephants, and then there is the elephant and friends chair I have with green elephants on it, and the jungle play mat with an orange elephant ... but Aussie elephants are blue.
I think I'm going to start an elephant conservatory. Send all your unwanted elephants to me, and I'll play with them!

Daddy's New Toy...

Just what I needed. Daddy to get a new toy.

He finally went out and got that really cool camera he wanted. Yea, it's a Canon EOS 5d Mark II ... or something like that. It's not like I wasn't subjected to his photos with his old monster, but now, it's even worse. I smile, and *CLICK*! I frown, and *CLICK*. If you ask me, it's a form of child abuse! But I figured I might as well render my verdict on daddy's new toy:


I'd try to throw up on it, but that wouldn't accomplish much and I'm sure daddy would publish that photo as well!

Happy Parents...

...make a happier me, or so I find. I've been much better -- according to THEM -- the last couple nights. They fed me at 11, and I slept just over 3 hours and ate again at 2:30. Then at 5:30 and 8:30am. I didn't fuss, nor did I refuse to go back to sleep.

It makes for better playtime during the day. Parents are much happier to see me. They seem well rested, not the walking zombies I turned them into a couple days ago. While "Dawn of the Spencer" was amusing to watch, it quickly became old. But I'm sure I'll do this again, just for amusement, and to make them appreciate me on the good nights all that much more!

Rattle Time

So far, I've been limited to crying, screaming and burbling when it comes to making noise. But I'm expanding my horizons, learning how to rattle! Yes, Cousin Evan (I'm sure it was him as I'm guessing he is one cool dude who knows how to make serious noise!) sent me a little rattle which is almost the right size for me. Sure, it looks a bit like a club (which might come in useful should that stranger ever return!) but it is entirely practical. I can make all sorts of noise with this thing.

That said, it is pretty tiring; so until I can bang the pots and pans together in the kitchen, it will do!