Wow! How has it been 6 weeks since we last wrote? Mama had her most recent surgery (exchange of tissue expanders, placement of permanent implants) on May 10th, so we've gotten a bit behind! She's doing really well, and was back to work a few weeks later. Meanwhile, life didn't stop (or even slow down) at all!
Done with surgery #3!
The biggest thing that happened is that I finished Kindergarten! I loved my class, and my teacher Mrs. Mitchell, so much...I'm happy to graduate, but sad to move on.
Our end of the year performance
With Mrs. Mitchell
I celebrated the end of the school year in so many ways!
I've launched some rockets (built by me & Dada!)...
With friend Felix & family...
from the rocket's point-of-view
...learned to ride my bike (I know...a bit late...but I wasn't really interested until now!)...
started piano lessons...
so, we don't have pictures of me during a lesson...but I love falling asleep to Mozart, and can frequently be spotted on the monitor playing air-piano in bed...
...went to Tahoe with Gee and Grandpa, and my really good friend Haines and his family...
Hiking in South Lake Tahoe
Sissy with her Tahoe stuffies all lined up
singing happy birthday to her stuffies...
Boat ride on Angora Lake with Haines & his dad
Nyx enjoying Angora too
Matching jammies with Gee & Grandpa
...had my first sleepover (also with Haines!)...
slip and slide with Haines, Dada, and Keevah...none of us quite figured it out...
marshmellow roasting
watching Star Wars, episode 6 (while wearing a sombrero of course!)
...Lost my front tooth ($5.00 for my college fund)...
spent a weekend in San Francisco...
Ocean beach with friends
Aquarium of the Bay for the first time.
In the octopus bubble
octopus on the move
hello turtle!
feeding the rays...
hello funny otters!
SF bay
...and I spent my first whole WEEK away from home without Mama and Dada! Gee & Grandpa took me to St. Louis for a really awesome science/engineering grandparent camp. We explored the many museums there, checked out the river, visited the Arch, built robots, visited the Butterfly House, launched rockets, built forts, and had a popcorn & movie pajama party!
robotics course
Go robot, Go!
Butterfly house
On the river with Gee...looking for bald eagles
The Arch
Meanwhile, back at home, Sissy was enjoying life as an only child. (she apparently adapted quite well!). She's still completely independent and crazy, but also a super bright and funny and (sometimes) loving little monster.
She's nearly potty-trained...and so are all her animals.
She likes to dress herself: boots, froggy gloves & hat, and Blue dog stuffie wearing her coat
So, she had heard this book only twice, and now she knows all the words (of every page)
speaking of potty-training...Keevah LOVES her car potty
being silly - yogurt in her eye!
loving Dada
...and she knows the words to most songs. She's quite the showboat; check out the head shaking and eyes closing...she's really feeling that "zippety do dah!"
We also found a bit of time for rock climbing. We're trying to get Nyx involved in climbing in a constructive (rather than destructive) way.
We also threw in a Father's Day celebration!
Whew! So many cool things! I'm spending the summer in a variety of camps. I've already done a week of art camp, and am just finishing my week at Harry Potter camp. Stay tuned for our next adventures: Gran comes for a visit, Fourth of July celebrations, I turn SEVEN, and then we head to Alisal with Granddad & Boppy.
With my art at the end of Art Lab camp; the theme this year was Mexico!
Mama just had another surgery to swap out her evil tissue expanders for her new implants, and is recovering at home for two weeks. I'm weirdly fascinated with her "owies" and kind of love her being home more right now. I still get to go to school every day which I am loving! I'm talking up a storm, speaking in paragraphs...so whatever concern the grown ups had about my language was completely unfounded. I was just biding my time to surprise them with full sentences. I am still fiercely independent, love gymnastics and love my brother.
We had an amazing surprise last week. After work on Tuesday, Mama picked us up at home and started driving. She wouldn't tell us where we were going, but we finally ended up at the airport. Dada met us there, and we boarded our flight! When we landed, we were at Disneyland!!! Mama and Dada surprised us with a trip to Disneyland since we have been so good with all of Mama's surgeries! We spent two whole days enjoying both parks. Declan Hercules wanted to go straight to the Haunted House, which he remembered from our visit 2 years ago. We ended up on that ride four times, and it turned out to be my favorite too! I keep asking to watch videos of it now that we're home. Declan went on all the big boy rides, but there was still plenty for me to enjoy as well. In fact, I made my very first ever spontaneous proclamation of joy, saying out loud to Mama and Dada, "Self like this, this is fun!!!". (I pretty much always refer to myself as "self"...and remember I'm pretty stoic, generally refusing to smile for photos, so this shocked them!) We squeezed in some time to enjoy the hotel pool, and Granddad came up for a quick swim and dinner as well. Somehow we made it from sun-up to fireworks each night, without naps, and having fun the whole time!
The Happiest Place on Earth!
All dressed for our fun day!
The Haunted House - everyone's favorite!
Mama and Declan (and random people) on Splash Mountain
Small World
Finding Nemo submarine voyage
Buzz Lightyear AstroBlasters
Jungle Cruise
I'm driving the front car with Dada, while Declan is driving Mama
Whinnie the Pooh
I wouldn't let go of Minnie Mouse!
Chip...or Dale...
Tigger!
...and Rabbit
Whee!
Giddy-up!
Dada having fun too!
Mama and Declan front row on the Cars ride
Declan on Space Tours
Declan on a climbing course at California Adventure Park
Fireworks!
Granddad came for dinner
...and some swimming...
This is how I felt the whole trip! Soooooo happy!!!!
We landed in SF and drove straight to Gee & Grandpa's house in Elk Grove for a few days for the Western Festival. The parade wasn't super exciting for the grownups, but I still had fun. Mostly I just loved my red cowgirl boots! We met up with Auntie Kelly, Cousins Allysha, Addison, and Sereana, and my "first cousin once removed" Connor - who is exactly my age! We had a great time hanging out in the pool at Gee & Grandpa's house, and enjoying the games and festivities at the park.
All set for the parade
Declan, me, and cousin Connro
Me and big brother with Gee & Grandpa
The whole gang watching the parade
I am a crazy water baby
Pony rides!
Carrosel with Gee
Fireman Declan!
Brother got a tour of the helicopter too!
Declan and Connor at the Rhodes School house that Great Grammie and Great Papa restored
Dada and brother trying to take each other down!
After that crazy week, it was time to come home and head back for a normal week of school, just in time for Mama's surgery! Here she is right before she was wheeled back, but she's already home with us.
