The Other Four Videos

Weekend Visit

We've had another nice weekend with the grandson. It's been three weeks since we last saw him and as always, he has added new abilities and characteristics. I'd say what he made patently obvious this time is his undying love for his silly grandpa. Make sure to watch the videos of him being fed while he glories in his grandpa's attention.

Cyrus is here!

Eating lunch is a ho-hum affair until...

... Grandpa gets involved.

Cyrus plays during 95% of his waking hours.

His shirt may say "Cool Dude" but his music says "Virtuoso".

Cool Dude helped his mom pick out some music...

... and then turned pages for her.

Although Cyrus has his piano skills down pat he's got to work on his height.
(sorry Gabriel - I cut off your head)

I have four more videos uploading. Check back!

BMI

At work we're transitioning over to electronic medical records. One of the new features is going to be an automatic BMI calculator (BMI=body mass index.) It made me remember the days we had to calculate it the hard way, sans computer. If you're interested, here's an easy gizmo to calculate your BMI and a chart to visualize where you fall. With the increasingly warm spring-like weather it may be easier to inch that number down a bit!

In case it's difficult to read, purple is good, teal is bad!

Ribbon Neck Boy

This is how Calvin looks today... but he didn't always wear his collar so proudly. For some reason when he was young the collar terrorized him. The psychologist in the family suggested putting something much smaller around his neck and then eventually working up to the collar. For nearly a year he walked around our house with a ribbon (the kind you put on presents) around his neck before he would allow the collar. It looked pretty silly.

How handsome.

Reaching for the camera...

...what in the...?

Of course... the strap was dangling.

Shirin can't call him Ribbon Neck Boy any more.

A Dog's Ten Commandments

I don't remember where I first saw this version of the ten commandments but it touched my heart enough to save it. It's very sweet and many of the commandments could also apply to pets other than dogs. I wish all pet owners could read this and take it to heart.

1. My life is likely to last 10 to 15 years. Any separation from you will be very painful.

2. Give me time to understand what you want of me.

3. Place your trust in me―it’s crucial to my well-being.

4. Don’t be angry with me for long, and don’t lock me up as punishment. You have your work, your friends, your entertainment. I have only you.

5. Talk to me. Even if I don’t understand your words, I understand your voice.

6. Be aware that however you treat me, I will never forget it.

7. Before you hit me, remember that I have teeth that could easily crush the bones in your hand, but I choose not to bite you.

8. Before you scold me for being lazy or uncooperative, ask yourself if something might be bothering me. Perhaps I’ve been out in the sun too long or my heart may be getting old.

9. Take care of me when I get old. You, too, will grow old.

10. Go with me on difficult journeys. Never say, “I can’t bear to watch it” or “Let it happen in my absence.” Everything is easier for me if you are there. Remember, I love you.

―Author unknown

The Kitchen Monster

Cyrus loves to cruise around the kitchen, pull everything down off the baker's rack, and just generally hang out with the family. The kitchen never looks very tidy when he's done with it but that's OK. It's nice to have him underfoot, as if I were home with the kitties.

The Kitchen Monster

Carefully rearranging the cat food.

About to get into the bottles.
(don't be tricked by that innocent face)

Cyrus loves to visit his mommy,
who's studying at the kitchen table.

"Drat! Grandma said I had to do the dishes."

Cyrus carefully puts the bowl in the bottom rack.

And then after appearing to impale himself
with a chopstick...

...he lets Grandma take the weapon away and
put it in the dishwasher.

One way to overcome your deficiency in height is to ...

...just crawl all the way in.

Shirin and I both noticed the way he was standing
and thought it was so funny.

Cyrus seemed to want his Grandpa's cap.

I think it's just a tad too big.

Notice the Persian lion on the cap - this symbol is on the old Persian flag, the flag before the revolution.

Whew!

I think the kitchen monster prefers to hold his grandpa's cap than to wear it.

Cyrus lets us know it's time to buy some cabinet latches:


Sniffy Joe comes to visit his grandma:

Where Does The Weekend Go?

Sorry, I'm still too busy to go through the photos from last weekend :-( We're trying to clean out Tita's room, sort through into give away and keep piles, rearrange the stuff in Shirin's bedroom to make room for Cyrus' new crib, and I'm moving clothes from this closet to that closet... you know.

So here it is after 9 pm and I still have to scoop litter and get ready for a 5:00 am alarm clock assault. Where does the weekend go?

Busy

Sorry I haven't blogged in a while. After a weekend away (visiting the little bubbsie) and a Monday work day that started at 7:15 AM I am still catching up with real life responsibilities. I have a few pictures from last weekend that I hope to put up this weekend and my blog to do list is also very full. Too bad I have to work... but I must keep my kitties in the lifestyle to which they have become accustomed.

Sustainable Dave

I bumped into a site featuring a funny environmentalist by the name of Dave. He blogs about what we can do to limit our production of trash and recycle as much as possible. Here are a couple of his short videos and a link to his blog:


Solutions from Sustainable Dave on Vimeo.


The Daily Grind from Sustainable Dave on Vimeo.


Whats in Dave's Bag from Sustainable Dave on Vimeo.

What Does Banu Really Think Of Lupe?

Lupe can be pretty silly sometimes... downright goofy really. Banu (her archenemy) on the other hand, is always so poised and seems to be aware of her appearance at all times... kind of a "proper Southern Belle" v.s. a "Girls Just Want To Have Fun." Sometimes I wonder if Banu looks at Lupe with a degree of condescension.

Here is Banu at the top of the stairs looking down on Lupe, both literally and perhaps figuratively, as Lupe rolls around on the stairs like a dog in the grass

And here she appears to be observing with possible disdain, as Lupe leans against the wall in that awkward way she does to clean herself.

I guess it doesn't really matter though, because Lupe could care less!