half a smile is better than none

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MISS YOU CORNER



Azazel and Sara Diaz. Even though it looks like I am upset in this picture, I would give anything for them to be holding me right now. I'm serious. My dad and Aza talk on the phone about 14 times a day. Do you see the happy smile of Aza? Today he is not smiling, or blinking. Half his face and one eye are frozen. We are sending all our warm thoughts to him to melt the terrible freeze on his face. Please all of you out there do the same.

when a boy loves a boy

This is my new best friend Emmett. It's completely official. We've hung out before and our moms try and try to make dates for us but we live on the island and they live on the city and one of us always has a cold, but finally we met up again and this time we fell in platonic love for reals. What a really super great day we had. We chased each other around and played hide and seek and played puppy dogs with barking and licking, we hugged and tackled and wrestled, we had a picnic, we teeter-tottered, we climbed a rock, our friend Luca showed up who can walk with the big boys now, so everything was the way it should be, plus it was warm out.







And to make the day the most perfect it could be, Mama and I got the prime spot on the ferry at the very front so it felt like our car was driving through the water. GOOD TIMES!

when a boy loves a man

MISS YOU CORNER





Uncle Mike. A permanent guest in Miss You Corner. He actually fell victim to Mama's positive visualizations and has planned a visit here for the 4th of July. This is a visit that can't come soon enough. He needs my love now, and I, as always, need his.

the return of MISS YOU CORNER

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It's back. Because I miss you all. Like crazy. I miss your guts. Maybe my mom and dad miss you even more because I was a wee one the last I saw many of you. Just know you are missed. And thought about. And your pictures are looked at often so I remember your names and your faces...

MISS YOU CORNER





Uncle The Chief and Ingo. Friends from way back. Friends for life. Family. Fourth of July is coming and so are they. This is what Mama calls "positive visualization".

all white dancing

This is my dance floor:


and this is my dance hat:


and these are my dance moves:



When I put this hat on, the boogie just immediately comes out of me. You'd be more excited with my dancing if you could hear the music and see the video. I have many original arm moves and odd kicks and fantastic jumps and all over body wiggles. I am FEELING it. My parents say my outfit is the perfect 80's Bronx dj jam look. There is a thing here called Baby Loves Disco where it is a dance party all for kids like me. I want to go and rock my outfit and my moves. My mama is into it but my dad only says "have fun", meaning he won't go because he does not see it as a fun baby loves disco party, he sees it as a scary daddy has panic party.

X Zip It Ay!

I know most of the stuff I brag about in here is no big woop to you guys cuz you've been using a fork and lacing your shoes for years now, but all these are firsts for me and I struggle with this crap for a long time before I get it down. The key is that I do not give up. I really wanted to zip up my own sweatshirts and jackets. My parents prefer to do it for me because its faster and easier but I put my foot down on this one, I was determined to do it myself. It took me all day, but I kept at it, even while I walked the yard, and by God, I did it. Stick-to-it-iveness people! Keep your eye on the prize. Decide what you want and go after it. Its faster and easier if other people do it, but then you'll end up out in the cold unable to zip up your own jacket.

Auntie Salami

Solana stopped by for a visit and I learned to know her again. She lives in Barcelona, Spain and also lives on the ole road a lot these days. When she is here my parents like to hear about Europe and talk about the possibilities and threaten to move me to crazy sounding places like Portugal. She's going to be in Seattle for a few weeks so Mama is hoping to have some night action in the city because as she will tell you over and over and over again, there is no night action on this here island.

i can see clearly now...

Yay! Warm weather! Sunshine! Picnics! Hide and Seek! Nature walks! Popsicles!

I loved the rain puddles and the snow and the wind storms and fires in the fireplace but I am really ready for this springtime action. Its a whole different scene. When I go to bed, Mama or Daddy ask me what I want to do tomorrow and I have a hard time deciding what fun warm outdoor activity to choose: tennis? football? park? lazing around in the grass?

....the rain is gone!

Jackal

This, Grandpoop says, is the reason no one besides him can use the chainsaw. But isn't this more an argument for Grandpoop not to use the chainsaw???

Uncle is a rolling stone

Uncle Nick left today for tour. His last tour. He quit his band to spend more time with me, I'm pretty sure that's why he quit. He and Megan babysat me last weekend in Seattle while my parents walked around town and walked out of a boring movie. Since this family over here knows how to build houses I think it would be a good idea to build a five story house so that all my uncles and aunts and cousins and friends could move in together. I don't understand why everyone wants to live apart.

The Buzz

Remember those Mason Bees that we gave Mamam for her birthday? Well, they've been living inside their little tubes this whole time waiting for the warmth of the sun to coax them out. The sun came out here and then so did those bees! Boy were they busy! They came flying out and zoomed around smelling all the flowers and experiencing life on the planet for the first time and then they'd zoom on back into their little holes and I don't know what they do in there. Rest up for the next buzz I guess. This is an inspiration to all of you out there who need some coaxing out of your holes!

where everybody knows your name

This is Nicole and Daphne, the ladies who run Little Sprouts, and all the kids that I play with during the week while Mama runs on the treadmill or sits in the steam room or sometimes just does the crossword puzzle. Daddy wanted to see what these ladies look like cuz Mama and I talk about them at home. They tell my mom that I am the best boy there because while all the other boys run around jumping and screaming, I quietly play with my trains or cook on my stove in the corner. Don't get me wrong, I jump and scream at home, but for some reason when I'm there I like to be the zen master peaceful guy. Everyone seems to appreciate it. Little Sprouts is like my second home. Everyone says Gus! when I come in the door and Mama says I'm just like Norm! but I don't know what she's talking about.