At the Zoo...Again!

This weekend, I have posted two blog entries, this one and the one below entitled "Funny Faces," so please scroll down if you'd like to read both. In total, 16 photos have been uploaded, the most number of photos that I have uploaded so far at one time.

The photos below were taken yesterday when Theo and I went to Ueno Zoo (Mommy D took some free time off and went shopping by herself). Now that he's grown older, it has become so fun to take Theo to parks and other child-friendly places because his curiosity is so boundless.

Recently, I have been teaching him for a few evenings the names of various wild animals, and after he has learned many of the animals' names ("raccoon" is his favorite), I decided that we should go to the zoo so that he can identify the live animals by himself. Not surprisingly, he identified almost all of the animals that I had taught him (although he would still pronounce hippopotamus as "hitototamus" and rhinoceros as "rhinososus").

He enjoyed the few hours that we spent at the zoo, esp. the opportunity to fondle the domestic animals, particularly the white goats, as you can see in the photos below.


Theo didn't want to leave when he saw these gorillas.


He was also enamored by these polar bears. The crows that you see in this photo were after the bears' leftover food.


This crocodile hardly moved when we saw it, despite Theo calling it "crocodile! crocodile!"

In the following photos, you see Theo up close and personal with a few white goats. It was such as thrill for him when he touched these animals. He just couldn't seem to get enough because it was his first time.











Until he develops a higher level of consciousness, he won't be able to vividly remember these moments. But thanks to the convenience of digital photography, we can relive these moments with him someday.

Funny Faces

In September 4, 2005, Theo's first "Funny Faces" blog entry was posted. That was when he was only 36 weeks of age. This month (about 2 years later), we present a new set of photos that capture his facial antics.


At Saizeriya Restaurant in Ayase. This is what he sometimes does when you tell him that you'd like to take his picture.


At a karaoke bar in Nippori. Admittedly, in this photo, he doesn't look funny but cute.


This photo as well as the two photos below were taken somewhere in Minowa.






This photo and the one below were taken in a park somewhere in Ayase.




I took this shot yesterday when we went to Ueno Zoo.

Some good news: As of Friday, we can say that Theo has been completely toilet trained! Now, he tells us when he wants to take a leak, and this is a big relief because it means that he'll only be using one diaper a day. Not only is it financially helpful, it also means that he's on his way to becoming more independent.

Theo's Grandaunt Nalik advised us to use positive reinforcement, and it indeed has bear fruit when we focused on it more. Another good news is that he can now sing the alphabet song and follow a few nursery rhymes, and this was just only a week or so after we introduced them to him.

We would like to believe that he's blessed with a fair, if not, high level of innate intelligence. If it's an indication, Theo surely knows how to make people laugh by his sometimes surprisingly clever remarks and funny movements and antics.

Photos Galore - 4

Theo has been to lots of places lately and here are some photos that have captured those moments.


Observing his surroundings somewhere in Kinsicho


Looking afar (also in Kinsicho)


At the children's playground in Ueno Park. Theo's favorite ride is Thomas the Train, as always.


"Bye..bye..." On a small merry-go-round.


Theo runs to Daddy B as we entered a shrine in Ueno.


Daddy B asked Theo to pose, and he gamely obliged.


These decades-old structures caught his curiosity and he wanted to walk in.


Theo is dwarfed by these old lanterns that are probably particular only to Japan.

Dancing in the Neighborhood

Theo loves to dance. Whenever he hears music that he likes, he would actually move with the beat and start dancing, whether at home or in the streets. In the photo above taken last Friday, you see him dancing somewhere not too far away from our home.


Mommy D and I love Indian food and this is probably one of the best Indian restaurants in the area. However, it's very expensive here. Can you make out the prices on the board?


Theo is tired after walking around for some time. In the plastic bag is his favorite drink: lemon tea.


Yanaka is where you can find lots of temples and shrines because the famous Yanaka Cemetery is here. This is the entrance to one of those shrines.