Hello friends! Though I'm pretty convinced I'm four years old, everyone tells me that I'm only 19 months old. I keep up with my big brother pretty well, and he's still the best big brother in the world to me, even when I destroy his stuff. He calls me the "Master of Disaster" and I do my best to live up to that terrific title! I have about 20 words consistently now (Mama, Dada, Deca (for Declan), rock, bubble, goggle, Gee, Bapa (grandpa), wawa (water), bobble (bottle), muh (milk), bow, ball, hello, bye bye, cacka (cracker), up, and down), a big improvement since I got my ear tubes. I also have one full sentence, "No no no no no no no!". I can say more, but I choose to let Mama, Dada, and Declan figure out what I'm trying to say - it's more fun that way.
I'm running around like crazy, and still think I'm a monkey trying to climb everything. I'm taking my one nap (most of the time), and sleeping from 7pm to 8am to make everyone happy.
Climbing the wrong side of the stairs until I got caught
A visit to Oakland martial arts studio for Felix's birthday
Felix and I wrapped up the night with a little light-saber battle
Dada and the other dads couldn't resist a little game themselves
Peek-a-boo!
Trying to bust down the door to get to big brother
Dada, me and Declan out to dinner in Napa
Dancing in the backyard with Grandpa
Organizing the garage with Grandpa's help - all the tools have a new peg board - it made Mama soooo happy!
I cheered on the work crew from my special vantage point
I get to enjoy gymzone now too!
After our last family road trip, we have been fairly settled in Napa and the Bay Area.
We spent one weekend with several friends in San Francisco. We enjoyed a beautiful hike at Land's End and I loved eating the sand. I passed out in Mama's backpack at one point since it was so relaxing! We also spent a day at the California Academy of Science, which I loved. The aquarium part was pretty cool, but I loved the dinosaurs even more. I kept roaring throughout the whole exhibit on pterodactyls just to help with the ambiance. Declan Hercules also loves dinosaurs and he even got a dinosaur dig toy to excavate dinosaur fossils. He has now added those to his shark tooth collection.
Top of a (very windy) Twin Peaks in SF
Declan and Clare climbing by the beach
Waiting to make a break for the water
Nap time! I couldn't fight it any longer...
Hercules steering his pterodactyl
Excavating the fossils
Doing my best to interfere with brother's project
Declan brought his new stegosaurus into the shower with his protective goggles to wash off all the dust
After that weekend, Gran came to visit from Pennsylvania. She was here a whole week and Declan didn't have school or camp that week, so we all got to play together in Napa. I succeeded in giving her my cold, so we have less photos than normal. She did get to watch me while Mama took Declan to the county fair (Dada was away at a work retreat thing). We all got to go out to a fancy sushi dinner so I could eat a whole bowl of edamame and throw my rice all over the ground.
Gran took Declan to a local art studio so the two of them could have fun painting together!
At the fair
Hercules reading me an awesome book
We love our Gran!
Then I spent 5 days in Elk Grove with Gee & Grandpa and the rest of my family since we had a big huge party for Grandpa's 80th birthday. There were 206 people there, and Mama introduced me to most of them. Each time we met someone new, I just pouted and said bye bye! This way, I got to leave the party early and go back to play at Gee & Grandpa's house! Declan Hercules had fun playing with our second cousins on Mama's side who all came down from Oregon for the party. I had the most fun the next day at the pool party at Gee & Grandpa's house. I even got to stay and watch the total solar eclipse from my Great-Grandma Hilma's park.
Declan with second cousins Marissa & Kate
Mama, Dada, Declan, Uncle Ben, Rinnah, and Grandpa with me
Hercules and Nyx all dressed up with Gee
Dancing at Grandpa's party
Gee & me
Cousins! Uncle Ben w Rinnah, Mama's cousin Casey w Marissa, Mama's cousin Drew w/ Kate, Hercules, Dada, Mama and me
Mama and me with Mama's cousin Sharon & husband Tim
I got to watch the solar eclipse with Gee & Grandpa at my Great-Grandma's park in Elk Grove
Just hanging with Grandpa
Another very exciting and important event happened this week. Declan Hercules started Kindergarten at Mount George Elementary in Napa! His teacher is Mrs. Mitchell and he really seems to like school so far. Mama and Dada were a bit tearful and nervous on the first day, but Hercules was just excited and walked on into the classroom without a problem. He will tell you all about it when it's his turn to write the blog post.
Declan with Dada finding out which classroom he is going to be in. Mrs. Mitchell!
Lining up for the first time and meeting Mrs. Mitchell
Introductions in class
Declan's badge that says "I survived my first day of Kindergarten"
