Trip to St. Louis

4 a.m., waiting in the dark (camera flash notwithstanding), in pajamas, for the SuperShuttle.




STL, we are here.

Daisy takes direction

Smile:


Don't smile:



Look serious:


Smile:

Happy birthday, Grandma

Front

Back

New suit

Checking the look in the mirror.

Dance moves too.

Piñata

Gabe's birthday party

Goldfingah!

Well, not gold.

Everybody

Clobber Daddy.

Fisherman's Wharf

It feels like St. Louis!

-- Buster, upon going outside to check this crazy-hot San Francisco weather.

"Smells like St. Louis too."

Cheese!

Actually, some kind of muffin.

Eight!

Run!

Our laundry

can walk

Lasagna

and art

Drama club

See-saw

Off to the races

The computer

Dad, do I have any clean white socks?
If you don't have any in your drawer, then no. But we're going to do laundry this morning, so you'll have some in a couple hours.
Well, I can't go with you. Maybe Daisy can go with you but I've got a lot of work to do. I'm too busy.
What kind of work do you have to do?
On the computer mostly.
What are you doing on the computer.
Just ... [shakes head]
You can't tell me what kind of work it is?
It's an e-mail. A really long one.

Here's the computer:

More than this and that

Daisy, I love you more than ... more than ... sodapop!
Sodapop?!
Yeah, sodapop. I love you more than ... cookies.
What else?
I love you more than ... green, green grass.
What else?
I love you more than ... my favorite song.
What else?
I love you more than ... sunshine.
What else?
I love you more than ... burritos.
What else?
I love you more than ... cute puppydogs

[Pause]

What about waffles?

I love you more than goo-goo ga-ga
You do?
Say, 'What else?'
What else?
I love you more than poopyhead.

Cute

Daisy talking.

The Wallace dog is cute
Who's cute?
The doggie
What dolly?
He's cute
Who's cute?
Wallace's doggy.
Oh, yeah, he's cute. His name is Gromet
What?
Wallace's dog. His name is Gromet.
He's cute.
Yeah. You're cute.
Yep. I'm cute.

Monster

Daisy, you want some broccoli?
No. No thank you.
You want me to open this for you?
[Nods.] Please.
Good manners.
Buster: Wow, Daisy. You're a manners monster.

Beware the Ides of March photo dump

Some of these are almost 2 months old. So? You get what you pay for and you'll like it.

Oliver, Buster and Gabe at Buster's birthday party.

Daisy too.

Where's Daisy?

Hmph.

Aye-aye, sir. Buster's Naval training is why he's so good at following orders.

On the S.S. Jeremiah O'Brien.

Know how you can tell this is an old picture? Let's let Daisy tell us. "I don't use sippy cups anymore. I use big girl cups, because I'm a big girl. I used to be a baby but I'm not a baby anymore."

Daisy sorts 'em out

Are you a friend?
Am I a friend? Yeah, I'm a friend.
No, you're not a friend.
You're right. I'm not a friend. I'm a daddy, right?
No.
Yes. I am a daddy. I'm an immediate family member.
No, this is my family house.
Right, and I'm in your family.
Well, get out of my family.

Unintentional commentary on parental domesticity

"What's that?"

-- Daisy, on seeing the vacuum cleaner

Cowboy

G-g-g-glasses

Haircuts

First
Latest

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.