Map of San Francisco Bay (detail)

With Saucelito, Tresure Island and the ocean included. Cartographers believe "Actor" is "Alcatraz." Buster may have gotten help with spelling from a distracted teacher.

Daisy nods her head in time to some music

Daisy, are you a headbanger?
Daisy: I'm a headbanger.
Buster: I'm a woodpecker.

Match this, Alan Lomax

A great find, musicologists! A rare home-made recording of Buster, the songwriter, interpreting his composition "I Am Buzz Lightyear." Or whatever it's called. This was recorded in the spring of '07.

It might be better to download the recording, but it'll stream if you click on it, assuming you have Windows Media Player.

Dance party

It's like this every night around here.

Arr

Macy's windows

Union Square

The Bat-artist

All set up.

Cayuga Playground

So not into it.

Three amigos

The best thing

is feeling so safe.

Best slippers

ever

It's just what I've always wanted!

Shouted after each of the first three or four presents opened on Christmas morning.

Arr!

Dad asks Buster a silly question

Dad, you know how I say goodbye to a baby?
No.
Like this. [Makes silly face] Bye-bye!
That's pretty funny. When do you ever say goodbye to a baby?
Whenever I see a baby and I'm leaving.

Flying

Daisy: My band-aid flew off.
Buster: It didn't fly off, Daisy. Band-aids can't fly. Nothing can fly.
Birds can fly. Rubber bands can fly.
Rubber bands cannot fly.
Sure they can, watch. [Gets rubber band, shoots it down the hall.]
Where'd it go?
It flew down the hallway, hit the doorknob and landed right there.
It didn't fly.
Sure it did. How you think it got down there? It didn't walk.
That's not flying. It's falling with style.

You either get the reference or you don't.

Squint

Daisy dwarfed by the Union Square Christmas tree.

Smile

Study hall

Christmas outfits

Present

The pirate

Aw, somebody's gone and ticked off the pirate. Wonder who it could have been?

Ship

Dad finds his calling.

A chorus line

with a random jogger. Near a church.

Chick flix

We have two cups and two plates with Tweetie Bird and daisies on them. One pair is blue and one is pink. I know Buster doesn't like any of them, but, not thinking, I grabbed the blue cup to put his milk in.

Not that cup. I don't like those plates or cups.
Why not?
Because they're girly. They have flowers on them. Things that have flowers on them are girly.
I like flowers. You think I'm girly?
Well, some people like things that are girly. I'm one of those people who doesn't.
Well, OK. That's fine.
The only thing I like that's girly is the movies.
You like girly movies?
Yeah.
What girly movies do you like?
Pretty much all of them.
But I mean what are some girly movies?
Well, mostly princess movies.
I didn't know that you liked those.
Yeah, I like all the girl movies.

My hostile breakfast with Daisy

I'm gonna put mud in that coffee.
Why are you going to do that?
Cause I'm gonna put dirt on your breakfast bar, Daddy.
That's not very nice.
Why are you writing, Daddy?
Because I want to remember what you say.
I'm gonna put dirt on that towel, Daddy.
I don't like that.
Where's my candy?
I don't know. I don't want to give you any candy if you're doing all these mean things to my breakfast.
Yucky. I'm gonna put dirt in your hair. I'm gonna put mud on your hair. I'm gonna put mud on your face. I'm gonna put mud on your glasses. I'm gonna put mud on your shoes.
Where are you going to get all this mud?
Cause it's yucky from the mud. Cuase I'm gonna put it on your hair too.
Are you mad at me?
I'm gonna put it in your mouth
Well I'm gonna put kisses on your face.
I'm gonna put milk on your face.
I'm gonna put kisses on your belly.
I'm gonna put dirt on your belly.
I'm gonna put kisses on your neck. Because I'm not mad at you.
I'm gonna put dirt on your shirt.
That rhymes.
No it doesn't mime. It's yucky.

Thanksgiving

A major pastime at Thanksgiving dinner was to try to get a decent picture of an uncooperative Daisy. Here's cousin Tyler's game attempt. The winning entry comes from Uncle Jeff:

Tar pits

Superman's too sharp to step in that $#!%.

Baby keeps her shoes clean by going neigh-neigh.

Dynamic Duo

Dad, sometime can you get a Robin costume?
For you?
No, for you. And then you can be Robin when I play Batman.
Well, I don't really want to do that.
Why?
Because when I was a kid, I had a big brother. Uncle Jeff. And when we played Batman, I always had to be Robin, and he was Batman.
C'mon, Dad. It'll be fun. Just like in the old days.

Batman

nabs the villain, who appears to be doing a mocking Batusi.

Backstage

Jack-o-lantern

Boxing

Good knight

Rare sight

Buster smiling for the camera.

Card shark

Go fish.

Tattooed dancing girl

Every neighborhood

has that eccentric couple.

Reading

'Scuse me

The tattoo girl requests the floor.

Rooster

Drew it himself -- lefty.

Daisy's thinking

"I don't care if I stand to inherit his collection of Esquerita 45s. I'm ditching this clown."

Uncle Jeff

and the horse his giraffe rode in on.

Where was this chick

When the Smokejumpers needed her?*

Just kidding. Cover model Sofia was great.

Kids who self-sticker

On the next Geraldo.

Hip-hop Pinocchio

A play at Children's Fairyland.

The mask

It's actually part of a Buzz Lightyear spaceship toy.

The decision

Dad, I finally decided what I'm going to be when I grow up.
At long last! What are you going to be?
I'm going to be an artist.
Oh, well, you already told me you're going to be an artist and a baseball player. Now it's just artist?
Yeah.
OK. How'd you decide that?
Well, it was a list of about 30 things that I could vote for and that's what I picked.
Where was the list, at school?
No, it was about two weeks and a couple weekends.
Yeah, but did they have that list at school?
No. It was over about two weeks and a couple weekends.
Oh, the list was in your head?
Yeah.
What else was on it that you could have voted for?
Firefighter, astronaut, baseball player. Football player, basketball player, soccer player. Policeman, security guard, knight. Bus driver, taxi driver.
Oh, look, there's a taxi driver right there.
Yeah
[Daisy] There's a taxi right there, Busta.
I know, Daisy. Lobby person.
What?
Lobby person.
What's a lobby person?
The person who sits in the lobby.

Well, you ask a silly question ...

Sticking stickers

on Jorge. With Oliver.

The well-read zebra

Coit Tower?

Been there.

Model trains

at the Randall Museum. Buster's an old trainhead from way back.

And Dad

He's an old tire-swing tickler.

Go fish

Daisy classes up the card parlor.

Behind closed doors

Now you know.

Nothing

Why do you ask?

Bubbles