Returning to St. Paddy's

My public,

Some time ago we met here - really, quite a while ago now - and I showed you some photos from my first and second St. Patrick's Days. Well. Let me delight you today with a great deal more than that. Below, you can find not only the first and second, but my third and fourth St. Patrick's Days as well.

!!!!!

It is, truly, so very good to be back here with you. I have much to share. I've advanced incredibly, and have so much more wisdom to impart...it's hard to know where to begin. So, I thought, a little green, a few grins, a bit of Guiness (not mine), and we'd be off to a good start:

2010

2011

2012 !!!

2013 !!!

My momma is enjoying this. She likes to look at the top picture and then scroll down really fast to the bottom picture and chuckle in disbelief that something so small and bewildering just keeps growing and growing. [And lets just get this joke out of the way: no, she's not talking about Dadda.]

In closing, my point is simply this: clearly, I am a LOT of fun. 

Back here soon,

Buckaroo

Feliz Cumpleanos!!

Happy Birthday To You!!!




So, these days, we find ourselves in glorious May. The past weeks, I've heard a lot of "April Showers Bring May Flowers" from Momma. Now I understand what she was repeating ad nauseum because there are amazing things called flowers exploding everywhere. It's astonishing!

But I'm not here today to talk about May. I want to take us back a few months to my big birthday party. So, I turned the big "1" in February. My parents manifested a crazy situation called a Birthday Party. Wow!! It was fabulous. I'll spare you a lengthy, pedantic explanation because I've learned that most everybody knows what these birthday parties are. So, I offer you some images.



Momma wants me to be sure to point out some details. Here we have the dining table covered in delectables and deliciousnesses. At the far end, do note the pitcher of horchata (homemade!), the chilled Jarritos, and the pitcher of sparkling orange juice. Then, the plethora of cupcakes. Oh the lovely cupcakes. People: now I know. Now. I. Know. So delicious. Look:



Here, Dadda and I are enjoying my Intro to Sugar. I'm pretty sure it hasn't graced my lips since. Lame. But, admittedly, I proceeded with some trepidation because the scene was so bizarre with all these people staring at me. But I'm brave. And it was yummy! A mouthful of zing.



Aaaand here is a merry scene from a few minutes later. Center is my maternal grandma holding my sweet cousin Juliana. They are chatting with my dear paternal grandma. To the far left you see an object that my mother made by hand. We found out soon after that it would be the center of a strange tradition. To the far right is my tall, contemplative, hilarious and well-dressed maternal grandfather. He is probably having a conversation with himself regarding the puzzling yet pleasing nature of human celebrations. In the center background is another detail my Momma has nagged me to mention - the handmade banner. That thing is still hanging in the dining room. Ever couple of weeks, Dadda mentions removing the banner, but then Momma gets all breathless and declares that it will stay up because it represents a HUGE ACHIEVEMENT!!!

Anyway,



Here is a pic of Grandma telling me a ridiculous story about my Momma. I was shocked! But I promised I would not share what I was told, so you'll just have to wonder. Suffice to say, it involved bed-wetting and an advanced age.

Here, let me introduce my ladies:



I do regret that I was too busy to have good chats with all of them that day. They didn't seem to mind. They were very busy monitoring each other and their cupcake consumption. They also proved to be crackerjack batters at the...

PINATA!!!



Go Genevieve!



Kill it, Maggie!!



And here is my pal Teo in his enviable frog getup. He was all brawn.

In all, the pinata situation was a crowd pleaser. The only downer was that brief moment when Momma accidentally bonked me in the head with the bat, but it sounds worse than it was. We had a blast.

And I must mention the amazing presents I received. So many fun books! A slew of interesting toys. Charming clothes. I was thrilled! It was a heart-warming, baffling, thrilling hour and a half. I can report that my parents know how to show a kid a good time. And I find that they parade me in front of the best of folks.

And, in closing, here are a few shots of this and that.



So many precious friends and family. Hugs.
-Buckaroo

St Paddy's Day, Belated

People. Slowly, my producer is getting her material in order. Today, I am thrilled to bring a montage from the recent past and the way-back past.

You see, St Patrick's Day passed during my newborn period, and so it was used as a platform for me to participate with special garb and many photos. And then again this year, my parents recorded the occasion with the spirit of repetition and a sort of then-and-now thing. Here you go.

Me at two and a half weeks old, and my father:




You can see the resemblance.





And then, miraculously, a year passed. And, perhaps, more dignity was gained. You decide:



Here we are. I am no feeble specimen. I'm here to rumble.



In the above left image, note my father's concern over my firm grasp on his chest hair.



Above, we see how neither of us are afraid to dive into antics that scare my mother.



And, this final image is the last one my mother is willing to snap before she walks away, unable to conspire in such buffoonery. (I recall something like: Dammit, Wes, STOP IT. THAT'S ENOUGH. But, then Dadda says: What?! We're having fun!)

At any rate, I offer you our expression of the reverence we hold for our rich Irish heritage. I think we have some Irish heritage. I know we look good in green. Lets revisit next year.

Much luck to you,
Buckaroo

Hugs and Kisses

I'm told it is Valentine's Day today. So, I thought I'd share some images of me and my loves:



Here's a Thanksgiving shot of my Dadda and my Grandma. She is so good at hugging and squeezing and kissing. She knows who's the boss (me).



And, of course, my dear, my darling, my valentine Genevieve. She is acting aloof in the presence of my brawn here, but don't let it fool you. She's crazy about me. Why just today she was over and showed her affection with a good squeeze of my neck.



My cousin, Natalia. She keeps a guy on his toes. I adore her. Life is good when she's around. Here we are cavorting in a pumpkin patch. I was still not much for sitting or standing yet when these were taken, but I tried my best to impress her.




Aaaannnd, finally, Momma, of course. This is quite an old shot - I'm probably 4 or 5 months old there. Those were comfy pajamas. These days, they stuff me in these two-piece numbers that I find far too fussy. Plus, I'm compelled to pull my socks off. Its just too tempting.

Anyway, I don't have good shots of all my babes. My producer grumbles about not having the time to get all her photos organized for me. Whatever. I'm going to have to have a sit-down with her. Regardless, let me give a shout-out to my other Grandma (why is there not a single shot of you?) and my aunties, and Juliana and Marguerite and all the other ladies in the 'hood.

Hugs and Kisses to you all, my loves and admirerers. 'Twould be a dull playground without you. Mwahh.

-buckaroo

Holidays!

Happy Groundhog's Day, peoples! In honor of this occasion, I am going to post some photos from this most recent Christmas phenomenon. Oh my, what a ruckus!



First, look at this crazy situation here. A wee, humble tree IN THE HOUSE. I could see Dadda was struggling to tame it, so I had to get right in there and help. And thank goodness I did, because he had no idea how to eat it. In the end, it was I who was frustrated because they put the tree on the table behind us there, out of my reach (for the most part).

Following this, we put all sorts of beautiful, sparkly, appetizing bits of stuff on the tree, including jillions of bite-size lamps. As mentioned, it was difficult to get to this stuff. I tried. Incessantly. There was a cord which I determined could bring the entire unit of junk towards me if I pulled hard enough. But, oh mercy, did that cause quick and frantic movement from Momma. After that, it was very difficult to grab the cord too. Sheesh. And, no pictures of this situation. My apologies.

In an effort at holiday diplomacy, sanctions were lifted for a limited number of ornaments: the X-wing fighter ornament, the Millennium Falcon ornament, the Death Star ornament, and the At-At ornament. Evidently, these were less hazardous in construction. Also, it was discussed that they were important components in my exposure to The Force. Not the first I've heard of this topic. Still not sure what they're talking about. No pictures of these ornaments either. Sorry.

I am also including images from the mayhem and delight that was Christmas Day. This day was spent at Grandma and Boppa's house. We arrived the day before and found ourselves sharing the merriment with all sorts of VIPs.



Here you can see my general enthusiasm for the day. And, if you look closely enough, you can see the strange, sharp protrusions on my lower gums. What a misery these have given me! But the worst is over. And let me tell you, people FREAK OUT over these teeth things. I don't hear the end of it, especially these days now that they are bigger and accompanied by teeth on the top gums. On and on, the people discuss them. Anyway...




Here I am doing my best to get some print work. This nifty wooden xylophone is the gift I got from "Santa" but I also received many other fine gifts. I'm really getting the hang of this percussion thing. It turns out that everywhere you go, many objects and surfaces are just waiting to be drummed upon. A whole world of sound!!



And here I am on Dadda's lap. Everyone kept pointing cameras at me. And it has become clearer and clearer to me that you are supposed to force your face into an expression of excitement, so that is what I'm doing here. At the time, it felt correct on my face. But what a ballyhoo it caused. People were rolling on the ground. At any rate, I am pleased with these shots because, once again, we are reminded how much I resemble Dadda. He's a good-lookin' guy.

Finally, a shout-out to my cousins. Unfortunately, Nikolas could not be there, but Natalia and Juliana were there. They're a hoot. They also received mountains of presents. I took it upon myself to inventory all their goods with a hearty examination, and sample all their wrapping paper. Universally, I have found neither wrapping paper, nor tape, nor ribbons taste all that great.



Here are me and Natalia freaking out about something or other. She wore a special ensemble that morning as well. All the disembodied legs in these photos belong to my aunts and uncles. They're generally tall and speak only in terms of movie quotes or childhood reminiscences. I can't really remember all their names yet. I am quite fond of them, though.



And here is Natalia looking like a winter princess. Evidently, the coat is some prized garb from my mother's childhood. And let me introduce Juliana. As you can see, she's a mellow creature. Once in a while she'll scream with glee and wave an arm around. I get only good vibes.



Oh, wait, here's Juliana making some effort at standing up on Momma's lap. I question her legwear, but Momma loved it. Momma was not crazy about me putting this photo in because she claims that every photo taken of her on Christmas morning after her 6th birthday is heinous.

Nevertheless, here is a pic of Momma and myself that she approved of using. She liked the familial scene. And she said she feels like a mom when she looks at it.



That is all for today. Next, we'll reach farther back and review Thanksgiving! But then after that, we'll embrace the present and the future. It is a new year, and I'm approaching a momentous anniversary! Stay tuned!

ciao,
Buckaroo