A Stand Up Kinda Guy

This just in...Chum is now vertical! He decided to spend Sunday morning learning to stand on his own two tiny feet down at Salt Pond Beach Park. Later that afternoon, his Poppa was snacking on some chippies up at Hanalei Bay (his shoulder is still injured so he had to make due with watching the big surf) and Chum was intrigued. He stood and hooted, chumspeak for "Man, those look pretty good, pass 'em here Pops." Nick jiggled the bag and suddenly Chum took off lurching one!two!three!four!five!six!!!! steps.

Then he didn't get a chip. To make matters worse, we were cheering. I think Chum felt quite offended so out popped the notorious bottom lip and there were more than six tears.

Oh Chum. We are so proud of you. Sorry we won't feed you potato chips yet (or Mountain Dew ever!), but we really do love you...

Poi Boi

Jarah's all-time, guaranteed to please, meal of choice is poi, hands down. And not just any poi, but Hanalei Poi:



This pasty Hawaiian staple made from the kalo(taro) plant is a superfood. A fat-free, high-fiber, low-sodium, gluten-free source of vitamin B, calcium and phosphorus filled treat. It sustained the Polynesians who took taro to the islands centuries ago, and now our little chum.

Heading off this afternoon to the Kauai Pow wow. A pow wow on Kauai? Never been and intrigued...

On a developmental milestone front, Chum stood today for eight, count 'em 8!!, seconds. We are so stoked (and a little nervous) for him to begin his vertical adventures.

New Tooth or Demonic Possession?

Chum is currently acting as if he's been possessed by one of Satan's imps. In between his guttural groaning (a la Regan from "The Exorcist"), red faced howling and the current transformation of our once quiet home into an inferno of despair...I'm curious. Either he's about to get another tooth (has a recently sprouted new lumpy, bump on his lower gum) or take us all on a jolly good tour into the 3rd Circle of Hell.

Stay tuned folks!

Chum Eastwood

The little guy has developed some real personality in the last three weeks. He and Easter now have something in common, both full of ham!

His favorite trick at the moment is to squint his eyes, to which he bursts out chuckling at the hilariousness of himself. Kind of a Clint Eastwood on laughing gas or a couple of coronas.

Still has not managed to sleep a night...or even half a night. If I don't blog as much as I should, suffice it to say I also don't do laundry, exercise, bake or even cut my toenails as much as I should. It's a miracle I get out of my pajamas at all.

1 more month until I am a "Master of the Universe." Move over He-Man. Then some day I'll smoke a scholarly pipe, wear a tweed jacket and regale Chum about the smashing afternoons we had where he napped 3-4 minutes during which I managed to type out a whole chapter on collective identity while cooking dinner with my left toe.