We've had another crazy month in the House household! We've had family around for the entire month, which has been wonderful...and allowed for hundreds of photo-ops! (don't worry, I've tried to only include the highlights here!).
First, Gran came to visit for a whole week. "Quacken" (Declan) and I didn't have school or camp that week, so we got 100% Gran time! I can say "Declan", but I insist on calling him "Quacken" for reasons I have yet to divulge to the rest of the family. We celebrated Big Brother's 7th birthday with Gran, Mr. John, Gee & Grandpa, and he got his new Coco Guitar and a new Harry Potter book. I'm a little jealous, but he gave me his old guitar immediately, so now we can play together.
My big brother on his 7th birthday! New Coco Guitar!
I loved helping brother open his gifts
Harry Potter Book 3
Grandpa, Dada, Gran, Mr. John, me with Gee & Quacken tending his fire
Mama spent 10 HOURS making big brother his birthday dessert - Dia de los Muertos sugar skull cookies
Up close to the cookies - Mama swears she will never make them again, but I'm sure we can convince her...
We enjoyed fireworks in downtown Napa after a dinner at Morimoto. I exclaimed "that my favorite one" after EVERY SINGLE firework! I got to stay up late, which was the best part.
Napa Riverfront, July 4th with Gran
Love my family!
One of my MANY "favorite" fireworks
We went to San Francisco for a weekend with Gran & Mr. John - enjoyed a day at the beach at Crissy Field, a lovely Italian dinner for my favorite "noonles", and then a day at the California Academy of Sciences. My favorites were the huge greenhouse with all the butterflies and birdies, and the aquarium with the Nemo fishes!
Crissy field with Mama - we are so lucky to live here!
Love my Gran always...but Gran on a beach is even better!
Big brother is starting to POSE for pics
CHEESE!
Beach with a view of the Golden Gate Bridge - not a bad day!
goofing off in the hotel room
I love matching with my Mama!
Greenhouse at Cal Academy
With Rexy!
Searching for Nemo fish
The day that Gran left, we drove to Solvang to Alisal Dude Ranch for our annual reunion with Granddad, Boppy, and all my cousins! I'm finally old enough to remember some of the amazing things at Alisal, like riding horses, the barnyard, water balloons, the pool, and dancing with all my cousins. I got to stay up late every night, and was doted on by many of my older cousins. I also got to sit at the kids table instead of with Mama and Dada! Hooray! Mama and Dada aren't ready for me to grow up yet, but I'm 2.5 going on 13, so they better get on board quick!
Outdoor movie night with my cousins
Me with Emeri - we are the two youngest cousins...but the others better watch out. We are fierce!
Hercules got to go on the breakfast ride since he turned SEVEN!
I still loved my rides, but a grown up still has to lead my horsie
The beautiful hills...Hercules rode with Mama, while Dada rode the hay wagon with me
Dada and Hercules got to do the horsies on the way back
I finally got a seat at the kids table, instead of being stuck next to Mama
I'm a cowgirl!
I loved the barnyard, until the chicken tried to attack me (or as Mama says, get some food from the cup I was withholding)
Yeah for the piggy-pigs (aka guiney pigs)
Quacken loved the piggy-pigs too!
Brushing Goatie
The critter cart was gone, but replaced by an exotic animal experience!
Burmese python
The WHOLE GANG!
Granddad & Boppy with all 10 grandkids. Harper is holding me, and Quacken wore his cowboy hat all weekend!
Love my family!
Check out Brother's pose!
Love my handsome brother!
Climbing a tree in my pretty dress
Cheese!
6/10 cousins: Sophie, Harper, Declan; Logan, Lexi, and ME
Annual water balloon fight!
I didn't quite grasp the concept of the water balloon toss
Hay Wagon!
Boppy with Emeri & ME!
Yeah for the swimming pool!
Sophie, Harper, Logan, Lexi, ME, Declan, Davis, and Owen...and a mystery guest
It was DADA!
Dada & Quacken
Mama and her babies
The Hoedown. I LOVE LOVE LOVE to dance, and danced until the band had to go to bed.
Quacken dancing with our second-cousin Michael
Harper danced with me for so long!
clockwise from Declan (in his hat): Sophie, Owen, Keevah, Harper - A circle of cousins!
Three generations: Granddad, Dada, and Declan
Me with cousin Laura!
Here are videos of our crazy family dancing!
The band sang a birthday song to big brother!
Me dancing with "Quacken", Dada dancing with Harper
Mama & Granddad trying to dance, with Declan cutting in
Declan & Logan dancing, Me rocking out on my own; and cameos from Harper & Sophie
I finally couldn't stay awake any longer!
I can't wait to go back next year!
After several days at Alisal, Declan and I got to spend a week in Elk Grove with Gee & Grandpa...whom I actually call "GeeGee & Papa"...much to Grandpa's dismay! We swam every day in their pool, and we get to go panning for gold in Coloma too! Stay tuned for those pictures next time!
Oh, and here are a few random videos of me being crazy & cute.
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!
