Declan Hercules & Keevah Nyx House: Declan Hercules: Done with pre-K! Let the summer times roll!

I'm officially a "grown up". You see, I've finished pre-school and am starting "kinnergarden" in the Fall. I still love my Montessori school, and have convinced Mama and Dada to let me do my "kinnergarden" year there with my same teacher, Miss Gloria. Many of my friends are staying too, so I'm really excited about that. I've learned so much this year - my whole alphabet (though I don't like lower case letters), counting to ever-higher numbers, and even some algebra. My main interests continue to be fans - or really anything that spins - making things (cooking, crafting, carpentry), working in my gardens at school and home, and making Keevah Nyx laugh. I have decided to be a structural engineer when I get bigger, though am still planning on also being Mama's sous chef.

I have grand plans for the summer. I will be in a series of camps (art, swim, gymnastics, and our local farm!), as well as spending time with all my grandparents. I even get to go to Disneyland for my fifth birthday next month! I've been dreaming about it daily and making my parents show me videos of the cool rides they have there.

I'm still loving big brother-hood. Sissy is the coolest thing since fans. She saves her biggest smiles for me, and even is starting to giggle for me too. She can roll over in both directions now, and can even stand up while holding onto a piece of furniture without help. She still shrieks all the time (mostly when she's happy, but sometimes when she's sad), and we still call her Raptor. Mama thinks she sounds like a pterodactyl, but I've reminded her that she doesn't know what those sound like since they went extinct with the big meteor. I also remind Mama that the fire breathing dragons went extinct a long time ago, so now we only have pretend dragons.

I've also said some awesome statements recently to my parents:

"Is that medium spicy salsa or one-minute-spicy salsa?"

"You don't know as much as I do right? Cause I know a lot of clever things..." (they agree that this is true!)

"One time I thought the Earth died, but I guess not..besince a lot of people are here...maybe it just died a little bit" (I came up with my own word "besince"...a combo of "because" and "since"_

"Clouds are made out of fur"

and finally...

me: "I like white golf balls the most and not the colored ones." (on a completely random occasion not dealing with golf at all)

Mama: "why?"

me: "That is the best question ever, Mama! Thank you so much for asking!" (end stop...no actual explanation ever given).

Me at 4 & 11/12ths, and Sissy at ~5 months

Having a deep intellectual conversation with Raptor Nyx

More talking with Nyx

Nyx LOVES using her voice

I love my sister!

Cool deer sighting on our way to the park; I'm rocking my Christmas jammies on my scooter!

Mama snuggling Keevah Nyx at bedtime

Raptor learns to stand by herself, though only 12 pounds at 5 months!

...she also learns to eat her feet...

The reason Mama makes me eat cherries naked...

We went wine tasting with Mr. Mike & Ms. Beth - friends from New York

My first tandem bike ride!

Matching my Dada

We also recently went up to our Tahoe cabin for an awesome weekend with friends:

Building cool castles with Levi & Indy

Me with Levi & Indy

Mama and her two kids on a hike along Taylor Creek - it overflowed a bit from the snow melt!

At Kiva Beach - pronounced the same as my baby sister!

Keevah at Kiva Beach!

Miss Amber making Sissy laugh

Stand up paddleboarding with Ellie

Carty & me in awe of Dada's cocktail making skills! We shredded 10 lemons into teeny tiny bits all over the floor when asked to help peel them!

Dada the bucking bronco aka "funky uncle"

Giving baby sissy a piggy back ride

I got to shoot a firehose! The firemen happened to be at my park when I went to play with some friends, and they invited us over to shoot the water!

Gee & Grandpa returned from a 6 week trip to Europe. Boy, were we glad to see them! I had so much to show them: my new back yard, my treasure chest where I keep all sorts of goodies and my sister's new skills of rolling over and standing up!