I've had another great month! I'm still enjoying my "Butterfly Classroom" at Nature's Way Montessori in Napa. I love my teacher, Miss Gloria, and my really good friends. I'm learning to read, and although I much prefer engineering and science, I'm starting to get the hang of reading with a lot of effort. Mama and Dada tell me that reading is the key that unlocks all the mysteries of the universe, so I'm really trying hard! I otherwise focus my attention on swimming, skiing, gymnastics, and lots and lots and lots of science and engineering projects. I'm really into making crystals right now, and also loving my aerodynamic experiments with paper airplanes. Mama's craft bins come in handy as well - I use all sorts of her things for experiments and crafting projects. Recently, I've also continued to hone my skills in the kitchen. I get a monthly "cooking box" subscription where I learn various recipes and skills each month.
Aluminum sulfate and borate crystals
Mama says our dining room looks like a "math lab"...not sure what that means!
Cooking with Gee
Aerodynamics experiments!
My home-made abacus
We spent a really fun day at Lake Berryessa. The Glory Hole is the overflow drain for the lake, and it hasn't drained for about 10 years. With all the drain we've had this year, it's totally overflowing and it is pretty cool to watch. We also spend the day hiking around the area and having a picnic lunch.
Mr. Bill & Clare also come over for an afternoon, and we enjoyed a Mexican lunch and then an afternoon at the park in Yountville. A few weekends later, we joined them in SF and spent an afternoon at my favorite museum, the Exploratorium!
Me and Keevah Nyx
Wheeee! Playing with Clare
Keevah has discovered how to navigate the playground!
Nyx with Mama on the teeter-totter
On the chair swing with Clare...shortly before we flew off. Whoops!
Sissy playing with trash while every other person enjoys an awesome playground
Nyx having fun with the light experiments at the Exploratorium. Did you know that white light is made of many colors??
The curved mirror is always so crazy
Tahoe was super fun in March as well. We had a great group of friends up, and I hung out with Anna Sophia, Liam, Finley, Bea, and Teddy. I'm almost as good as Dada with my skiing, and did a black diamond mogul run!!! Watch for me in the Winter Olympics someday!
A lot of snow had melted (it was up to the railing)...but still enough to play king of the mountain!
A fun day skiing with Dada
A girl and her stick
Rocking big brother's old ski outfit
Mama and her girl!
Kids gone wild: Keevah, Declan, Finley, Liam, Bea and Anna Sophia
The Men: Dada, Mr. Tom, Mr. Josh, and Mr. Chris
Dada, Tom, Mama, Courtney, Josh, Bea & Keevah Nyx
Miss Nyx playing in the shoe cubbies
T-ball has started too! Everyone on my team is from my school, so it's like a giant play-date twice a week for practice and games. I'm not sure that Mama and Dada are loving the extra commitments, but I'm having a really fun time.
My first glove and real bat
Taking a knee at practice; all the kids on my team are from my same school
He swings, he hits!
Cutest bat girl - collecting all the bats to the boys can't hit
We also spend some time just enjoying Napa, rain and shine! Lots of walks and lots of goofing around at home.
Crazy haired Nyx after a bath in the kitchen sink
Me and Levi at his 6th b-day party at the bowling alley
A walk in the rain to Oxbow Market & Copia
Keevah walking along the Napa Riverfront
Goofing off on the "big chair" at the Riverfront
Happy Birthday to Gee! I made her a pretty butterfly painting with my handprints as the outline for the wings
Nyx being silly at the park
I love getting my teeth cleaned!
At Mama's office getting our ears checked after our ear infection
Zooming Nyx around in my tonka truck
A girl and her truck; can you tell you shouldn't mess with her when she has her truck?
Squeaky clean
A tiger and a monkey?
Keevah loves her blanket made by Great-Aunt Dana
A Tuesday visit from our Boston Friends; Sara Seo, Jonathan, Tracy, and baby Nora.
Giddy-up Rody
Grandpa indulging Keevah's insatiable craving to bounce and tumble
Now we just mess with her: anytime anyone sings "giddy-up", she starts bouncing.
I'm 13.5 months adjusted now, and officially a big girl! I am frequently referred to as a crazy fearless independent raptor by all who know me. I basically feel like grownups aren't really necessary...I can do everything myself! I finally caved and showed Mama and Dada that I can actually walk - I walked for a few days a long time ago but decided it wasn't worth the effort, so I quit. Now I'm walking everywhere, practically running at time to chase my toys or big brother. Mostly I walk with my arms sticking straight out while making grunting noises, so I look and sound like Frankenstein.
I specialize in getting into things and climbing like a monkey, see below:
biohazard containers at the doctor's office...
...drawers...
...food (I love the wrong end of the fork)...
...brother's stool...
...Dada's toothbrush...
...buckets...you name it! I will destroy it!
My high chair makes a great ladder!
peek-a-boo!
I am also taking after my big brother in some ways - I love to be involved in everything Grandpa does!
Grandpa also helps Hercules with some cool projects!
We spent an awesome weekend in SF with Mr Bill & Clare. Hercules took an unexpected bath in the water BEFORE our nice lunch, but other than that it was great. We also went to the Science Museum and saw an albino crocodile!
brother Hercules after his bath in the ocean...
Cheese!
Dada & Declan with Mr. Bill & Clare
Big kids with a bigger dinosaur!
Both of us LOVE aquariums!
Albino crocodile
I'm annoyed that I'm not allowed to stay up late like big brother...he got to have a special Movie night with Mama and Dada and extra popcorn with extra butter! Star Wars sounds soooooooo cool!
Brother is learning the ways of the Force...
And he is teaching the ways of the Force to me: He made me my very own light saber with a cardboard tube and colored paper - he even hot-glued on pom-poms for my buttons!
We got to go up to our Tahoe cabin again last weekend. I've decided that snow is pretty cool after all. A few months ago it was just cold and wet, but now I like to roll around in it! I got to go sledding with Mama and Declan Hercules and loved playing with all the other kids. The 12 hours it took to get home was less cool, but I still can't wait to go up again next month!
How I roll: push mattress out of the way and sleep on bare metal supports in a tiny crevasse...
Family of snow angels
Making good use of Declan's old snow gear!
Love my Mama!
My favorite person in the whole universe! Declan Hercules!
When Dada had to work, Mr. Daniel filled in to help us go sledding
Wheeeee!
Mr. Dave makes an awesome babysitter! Ellie, Maddy, Declan, Kaia and me
Mamas & kiddos! Amber & Kaia, Margaret & Maddy, Mama with me, and Jen with Mazzie
