Impromtu camping/sleep over

Grandma and grandpa invited me and Mason over to their house for an impromptu sleep over so mommy and daddy could go on an impromptu date. Grandma and grandpa made it pretty clear that they would have to get to their house sometime that night.

To prepare for our sleep over, daddy packed up loads of camping gear - a tent, sleeping bags, kid-sized camping chairs, a camping lantern, a fire pit and marshmallows (of course) - into the mini-van. Our impromptu sleep over was turning into an impromptu backyard camping experiment...I mean, experience.

After grandma, grandpa, Mason and I ate dinner, mommy and daddy loaded us into the van and said goodbye. Mason did not like the idea of leaving mommy and daddy, even though they re-assured him that they would be at grandma and grandpa's house later. I was a good big brother and kept telling him that it was going to be okay and that mommy and daddy would come over later.

Ethan joined our impromptu camping experience too. Yay! The more the merrier. Uncle Jeff helped grandpa pitch the tent and set up the fire pit in the backyard. We roasted marshmallows (yum!) and read stories in the tent. Mason kept asking for mommy and daddy. I held his hand and told him everything was okay. But he wasn't happy. So, I suggested we move our sleeping bags into the living room and have slumber party.

By the time mommy and daddy arrived, Ethan and I were camped out in the living room watching cartoons, and Mason was asleep on the couch. Eventually Ethan and I fell asleep too. Mason woke up really early in the morning, crying and saying that he wanted daddy. Good thing daddy and mommy stayed over too!

Wipeout Cancer

Today was the Wipeout Cancer event. Last year, I did the obstacle course with Matthew and Kyden. This year, mommy signed me up for two events - the fun bike ride and the obstacle course. Matthew couldn't join us because he was out of town.

The fun ride was in the morning. We checked in and got our t-shirts and goodie bags. Mommy, me, auntie Christi and Kyden rode our bikes around the neighborhood near the park. There was a skills area where we could ride our bikes through orange cones and do the slowest bike race (it's supposed to help with our balance). I rode my bike through the orange cones, but didn't do the slowest bike race. When we finished, I said we rode 100 miles. Really, we rode 5 miles. Not bad for two 4 year olds and their outta shape moms.

After getting our lunches, Kyden and I waited around for our wave start. We were the last age group to go. It was a long wait, and I kept asking mommy how much longer or if it was time yet. Everytime I asked, she'd reply not quite or this is a good time to practice our patience. Grandma and grandpa showed up to watch me race. I was so excited to see them. And they arrived just in time for my wave start!

This year, there were some new obstacles like climbing the giant tower of hay. And there were some of the same obstacles, like the spider maze and inflatable slide. After we finished, we all got our finisher medals. When mommy asked if I wanted to do it again, I said, "No way. It's too hot!" Check out the video of the obstacle course:

Party, party, party!

We attended three parties this weekend. Two were birthday parties. One was a pool party.

Our first birthday party was a grown-up party for one of mommy and daddy's friends. They have a really cool backyard and house. And they had toys because they babysit their nieces. Grown up parties are pretty okay, especially when they give goody bags to the kids. We couldn't stay very long because we had another birthday party to attend in the afternoon for Chloe, my friend from school.

Chloe turned 5 and had her party at Pump It Up. That seems to be a very popular place. It's the fourth birthday party there this year. What's there not to like? Inflatable slides and jumpy houses are always a hit. Mason and I had loads of fun. There were so many kids running around. One of my friend's older brother ran into me at the bottom of the big slide and I got a really bloody nose. There was blood everywhere!! After I calmed down and mommy cleaned me up, I went back to play. I even went back up the big slide.

On Sunday, we went to a pool party at auntie Lanny's house. She plays volleyball with daddy. This was their team BBQ. The last time we went to her house, it was too cold to play in the pool. This time it was perfect weather. After lunch (there was a ton of food), we went swimming, shot water cannons at daddy and mommy, and ate yummy lemon cupcakes. I wish we could party like this every weekend.

A mermaid birthday party

This afternoon we celebrated Sienna's 3rd birthday with a mermaid-themed birthday party at the park. She was dressed up like a mermaid, and we were entertained by a mermaid. The mermaid put on a puppet show. When she was done, she painted our faces or arms. I got a shark. Mason got a hammerhead shark. Caylie got a crab.

While we waited to get our faces/arms painted, Kyden set up a game for us kids. We had two teams. Each team had a bucket they had to fill with water using a sponge. The team that filled their bucket first won. Here's a picture of daddy coaching Mason. (Thanks for capturing the moment, auntie Mimi!) Mason's team won. The winning team got to pick a beanie baby. Mason chose a crab.

Of course, there was also cake. Yum! We burned off the sugar by playing in the super cool playground until it was time to go home.

Happy Birthday Sienna! Thanks for inviting us to your mermaid party.

Look, no training wheels!

I've gotten really good at riding my bike with training wheels. Sometimes I even lift my feet and put them up on the top tube. Daddy calls that part of the bike the ball buster. So, mommy and daddy thought it was probably time to try riding without training wheels. I tried it once before, but I didn't like it because it was too wobbly. After that I insisted on only riding with my training wheels.

Yesterday, Daddy got me and my bike ready. I still wasn't sure about this whole thing. But that didn't stop daddy. I ran inside to get mommy and said, "Mommy, you have to come watch me." But what I really meant was, "Mommy, I'm mad at daddy for taking off my training wheels. And I want you to teach me, not daddy."

So, mommy ran along with me, hunched over holding onto my seat. She kept telling me to peddle. At one point, she let go of my bike and just ran along side my bike. By the end of our session, I was riding on my own.

Today, daddy and mommy took me and Mason to the high school parking lot to practice. Lots of open space and no cars. Check out this video:



Mason recently got a run bike. He's also really getting the hang of riding it.

Happy early birthday grandma!

Since grandma and grandpa were spending the weekend with us, we celebrated grandma's birthday early. Daddy made a super yummy surf and turf dinner for all of us. After dinner, we helped put the candles in an ice cream cake, sing happy birthday to grandma and blow out her candles. (Sorry, we blew them all out and didn't save any for you.)



Happy Birthday Grandma! We love you!

A fishy 4th of July

Grandma and grandpa came to visit for the long weekend. Mason and I were so excited that they were going to stay over that we kept asking when they were going to be here.

After grabbing lunch at Islands, we headed down to Monterey for the afternoon. Everyone, except daddy, fell asleep on the drive down. I couldn't wait to show grandma and grandpa my favorites - jellyfish, hammerhead shark and the waterfall. Grandma and grandpa wanted to see the new Tentacles exhibit. It replaced the Seahorse exhibit.

Every now and then, mommy and daddy would tell me and Mason to slow down so grandma and grandpa could spend enough time at each exhibit. Okaaaayyyy....I guess Mason and I don't have very long attention spans.

After the aquarium closed, we went to dinner at a local restaurant. We got a window seat where we could look out over Monterey Bay. Dinner didn't go too well. Mainly because I had an allergic reaction to a pecan that Daddy gave me. My mouth got itchy. I started to have a hard time breathing. Daddy whisked me away to find some Benedryl. After I took it, my stomach didn't feel so good. I threw up a little. Then I threw up a lot...in the bathroom.

We got ready for bed before making the drive back home. Mommy and daddy saw some fireworks as they drove home. Grandma and grandpa watched some on TV. Mason and I missed all of it.

July 4th Parade

To celebrate America's birthday, we had a parade at school today. Mason and I were busy crafting things for our parade. I made a flag, hat and a shaker. Mason made a flag, cape and a shaker too.

We only marched around the play yard once because it was too hot. After the parade, we all headed to Mason's classroom for a potluck.

It was a great way to kick-off the 4th of July weekend!

Hangin' out at Happy Hollow

Mason and I chaperoned a play date between Caylie and her friend, Lucas, today. Lucas is visiting from New York City. He crashed my birthday party. So it only seemed fitting that we'd crash their playdate at Happy Hollow.

We got there late because Mason has swimming today. But that gave mommy me time to pack a picnic lunch for us. We got to Happy Hollow just in time to have lunch together.

While the grown-ups ate, us kids went to check out the goats and ponies in the petting zoo. At one point Caylie started following Mason and saying, "Lucas, where you go?" I think she got confused because Mason and Lucas were both wearing orange shirts. I don't think Caylie liked the goats too much. She kept turning away and leaning in to mommy.

After lunch, Mason and I rode a couple of rides. Then we met up with Lucas and Caylie at the giant playground. We didn't stay very long because 1) Lucas, Caylie and Mason needed to take their naps, 2) it was really hot, and 3) Caylie and Nathan were going to pick Po-Po up at the airport in the late afternoon.

Happy Birthday to me...wait...

I had a Hot Wheels themed birthday party today. If you're confused, you're not alone. When I told mommy that I'm five now, she said that I was still four. Huh? When I have a birthday party, don't I become a year older? Mommy explained that my birthday already happened, but we're celebrating it later because I wanted an outside party at the park and the weather is too unpredictable in March. Um...okay.

Uncle Edric and Auntie Char made an awesome hot wheels race track and race tournament for all the kids. Everyone got to a hot wheel in their goodie bag that they could race. Most of my friends (and the adults) really enjoyed the race track. The winner was Nate; not my cousin Nathan, but mommy's friend's son. He's a baby too, but older than baby Nathan. Second place went to Rheanne; she's from my school. In my book everyone was a winner!

Mommy was smart. Instead of having daddy slave over the grill, she hired a taco caterer. Everyone raved about how yummy the tacos were. Even though everyone ate loads of tacos (someone said they ate 15 tacos!), we still had lots of leftovers. I have a feeling we'll be eating tacos for the next several days. I wasn't too into the tacos, but the cake was delish!

Thanks to everyone who came out to help me celebrate my 4th birthday!

Fathers day weekend

Daddy's are special people. They do everything, but no one ever says thank you or recognizes them for all their hard work. At least that's what daddy always says.
But it's true. Daddy is AMAZING. He gets me and Mason ready every morning while mommy is out walking Tachi. He drives us to school and picks us up. He takes us to classes. He even makes dinner some nights. Most important, he puts up with all of our whining, complaining and selective hearing.

To celebrate daddy, my teachers helped me make a card for daddy. I had to answer questions about daddy. Ms. Diane gave me strict instructions to hide the card until Sunday. Daddy really appreciated my answers, especially about his age, weight and height.

Mason made an art project that involved puzzle pieces.

Today, we spent the day at Gilroy Gardens with grandma, grandpa, Ethan, uncle Jeff and auntie Jeanette. We had a great time riding all my favorite rides. We also got to watch a special Octonaut show. The new water park wasn't opened yet, but it looked like they were making progress. I can't wait until it opens!

Happy Father's Day to daddy and grandpa!

Triathlons are fun!

Today was my very first triathlon. Mommy had been talking to me about what we were going to do - swim, bike and run. I like to do all those things, so I was looking forward to it! Plus my pals Kyden and Matthew were doing the race too.

Since I'm a little kid, I get to have one parent race with me. When mommy asked me who I wanted to do the race with, I immediately pointed my finger at daddy. I'm no dummy. I've heard that daddy's an excellent coach and racer.

On race day, I checked in, got body marked (some one wrote on my hand, arm and leg with a marker!) and then headed to the transition area to set up my bike, helmet and shoes. Then I waited for my wave group to start. I was in the very last wave. Even though I can pop-up to breath, daddy got in the water with me. When I got tired, he put his hand under my chest so I could rest.

After I got out of the water, Daddy and I ran back to the transition area. We put on our socks and shoes and walked out bikes out of transition. We were so speedy in transition that mommy and Mason missed us coming out of transition. The bike was a 1 mile out and back. I was so fast on the bike that Daddy had to jog to keep up with me.

One more transition and it was time to run. The run was a little more than a 1/4 mile. I was running and some girl passed me. She looked at me when she passed me, and I looked right back at her. Then I sped up! But she was fast and I didn't catch her. It's okay...everyone wins.

When I crossed the finish line, I got a medal! My official chip time was 23:53. I finished 179 out of 213 in my age group (6 and under). But most important is that I had fun! I talked about the race the rest of the day. When mommy asked me which part I liked best, I replied, "All of it!"

Daddy put together a video of my race. Check it out:
 

Promotion

Mirriam-Webster defines promotion as:
noun \prə-ˈmō-shən\

1. the act of moving someone to a higher or more important position or rank in an organization
2. the act of furthering the growth or development of something
3. what i celebrated today at Pre-K

We had a special promotion celebration to mark the end of the school year. To prepare for the celebration, we made caps out of paper bowls and card stock cut into squares and decorated our "gowns."


We also learned three songs that we would perform as a class in front of all the mommies and daddies: I'm H-A-P-P-Y; I've Got the Whole Alphabet in my Mouth (sung to I've got the whole world in my hand) and a special song we made up about our time in classroom 17 (sung to Mary had a Little Lamb). ------------------------------------------>
Daddy got it on video, but I can't post it because it's the entire class. If you want to see it, you should email daddy and he can send you a private link.

Many of the friends in my class who are 5 or turning 5 by the end of summer be leaving Cisco Family Connection (CFC) to go to Kindergarten. Mommy says its the end of an era because the crew that I started daycare with is breaking up. Chloe and Beatrix will be going to Kindergarten in the Fall. Since Rheanne, Henry and I will not be 5 yet, we'll be going to Transitional Kindergarten at CFC in Fall.

Sick

Everyone in our family has been sick. Who's the outbreak monkey? Mason!

He was sent home from daycare on Friday with a 103 degree fever. His fever broke on Saturday.  On Sunday, mommy started to not feel good. She ended up with a 103 degree fever on Sunday night.  Then I got sick on Monday afternoon. I stayed home with mommy on Tuesday.

The only one who's managed to escape is Daddy. He says it's like the zombie apocalypse. We're the zombies and he's the human we're trying to infect. I don't think we'll be successful in infecting him since everyone is on the mend.

Happy Birthday Mama!

This morning daddy reminded us that it was mommy's birthday today. He made her breakfast, an egg white omlet, and put a candle in it. Then we waited for her to come home from walking Tachi.

Mommy was really surprised to see her birthday breakfast! We sang her happy birthday and helped her blow out her candle. We also gave her a gift. Mason helped her open it. What was it? A fancy, yoga sweater that didn't quite fit. Mommy's arms are too short.

After swim lessons (for me) and Little Gym (for Mason), we ate leftovers for dinner. Daddy and I stopped at Whole Foods to pick up a cake so we could celebrate mommy's birthday again. We put 7 candles in the cake, turned out the lights and sang Happy Birthday. After helping mommy blow out her candles, we each got a small slice of cake. 

Happy Birthday mommy! We love you!

Sleeping over

Grandma and grandpa have moved to a new house. It's only 2 houses away from Ethan! This weekend we went to visit their new house. Mason and I were so excited about spending the night there. On Saturday, we kept asking when we were leaving. Mommy and daddy kept reminding us that we weren't going until Sunday afternoon.

As usual, we had a blast at grandma and grandpa's place. We got to hang out with Kimora, Kyle and Bubba. We also got a special visit from Auntie Jill, Uncle Keith and Kelcy who were visiting from San Diego. I'm not saying that all our other aunties aren't special; it's just that we rarely see them because they live so far away.

I can't wait to go to grandma and grandpa's house again! I recently asked mommy if we could sleep over at their house. After saying yes, mommy asked me if I meant sleep over with mommy and daddy or without us. I said without and smiled.

A beachy weekend

Mommy had a half marathon in Santa Cruz today. Yesterday we spent the afternoon at the beach since she had to pick up her race packet. We played in the ocean a little (the water was cold), in the sand a lot and looked for crabs along the rock.

This morning, she left before any of us were awake. I don't think she knew that we had planned to surprise her at the finish line. Daddy made a sign that said, "Go Mama Go! We love you!" We waited for her just before the finish line. She was really surprised to see us in our stroller, eating apple chips. When I saw her, I stood up to cheer...but my mouth was full of apple chips. So, I waved the sign.

After mommy got her medal, stretched and cooled her legs in the ocean, we hung out at the Boardwalk. I've been there before with Matthew and Kyden, but it was Mason's first time there.

The last time I was there, I only rode the carousel. This time I rode lots of ride. I even rode Splash Mountain (aka log ride)! While daddy and I waited in line for the log ride, mommy took Mason to ride a few rides. He wanted to "drive" a car and then a Pepsi truck. We rode a few more rides together. Then I wanted to ride the ferris wheel that spins you upside down. Since Mason was too little for that ride, mommy took him drive a boat.

After we used up all our ride tickets, we found lunch nearby. I wanted to go back and ride more rides, but it was time to go home.

Mason and I had so much fun! I can't wait to go back to the Boardwalk again. Who wants to come with?

Mommy's are special

Happy Mother's Day!

Mason and I gave mommy our presents early. We each made Mother's Day crafts for mommy at school. Mason gave mommy a poem with his handprints. Mommy thought it looked familiar because I made the same thing when I was in Mason's class. She said it was perfect because now she has one from me and one from Mason. I made mommy a flower pen with my picture at the top. Mommy said she would bring it to work and use it in all her meetings.

Daddy, Mason and I had one more present for mommy - a spa gift certificate. Mason and I don't know what a spa is. Daddy says its someplace mommies go to get away and relax. Why does she need to get away to relax? Can't she just do that at home?

To celebrate mother's day, we had lunch with Po-Po, Caylie, Nathan, Uncle Eddie and Auntie Lia at a Japanese restaurant in Fremont. On the way there, mommy realized that she forgot the flowers we bought for Po-Po. Oh well, guess we can just enjoy them at home.

We had to postpone celebrating with grandma and grandpa because they were moving into their new house. It's 2 houses away from Ethan! We're going to see them on Memorial Day weekend.

Happy Mother's Day to mommy, Po-Po and grandma! We love you to infinity!

Frozen birthday party

Kaylen and Kadence (they're sisters) had a Frozen-themed birthday party at a frozen yogurt (froyo) store in San Jose today. Since we love both of those things, we were super excited about the party.

When we got there the froyo shop had Frozen decorations including a stuffed Olaf! I thought he was really cute.

After stuffing ourselves with froyo we had our faces painted. This was no ordinary face painter. She painted really fancy pictures on all the kids faces and would finish it off with glitter and other sparkly things. Mason got a fish and I got a submarine.

There was also a balloon guy who could make pretty much anything you wanted. Not just animals. I mean anything. He made Mickey Mouse, Lightening McQueen, princess crowns, butterflies, turtles, swords and bows and arrows. At first us kids, really didn't know what to do with the swords or the bows and arrows. But we got the hang of it after a while. Check it out.

We sang Happy Birthday to Kaylen and Kadence. The cake was really pretty and Frozen themed, of course. It was really tasty! I ate everything except for the fondant. Mommy says fondant is a fancy type of frosting. I didn't really care for it.

Happy Birthday Kaylen and Kadence! Thanks for inviting us to your Frozen froyo party!

T-ball...maybe

My friend Matthew plays on a T-ball team. It's a real team with uniforms, helmets and aluminum bats. I like to play T-ball in the backyard with my plastic bat and balls. So, mommy thought it would be neat if I got to watch a real T-ball game.

After cooking class, we stopped at home to pack up sunscreen, water, snacks and a blanket. Kyden and Sienna came too, but they got there late and missed the entire game. They were running late because the sign they made took longer to dry than they expected. The game was supposed to be an hour, but they called the the game early due to players' loss of interest. Mason also missed most of the game because he was at swim class.

I had fun watching Matthew hit the ball, run around the bases and fielding. After the game, we got snacks and ran the bases a few times. Then we went to lunch. 

Thanks for inviting me to cheer you on Matthew! Go Matthew Go! Maybe someday, I'll play T-ball too.

Shiny, Clean Teeth

Today, was a Teacher In Service day at school. What does that mean? No school! Yay! We got to spend the entire day with mommy and daddy. What did we do? We went to the dentist. Yup, you read that right. We went to the dentist.

I was really good during my cleaning. I sat in the big chair all by myself.  I giggled when Cat cleaned my teeth with the special toothbrush. I now know why it's called Mr. Tickle. It's also the first time I had x-rays of my teeth.

Dr. Amy said that my teeth looked good. She said I didn't have any cavities, and I'm doing a good job brushing my teeth. Even though I'm doing a good job, I have to let mommy or daddy help me finish flossing and brushing my teeth.

After I was done, it was Mason's turn. Unlike his first visit, Cat showed him all the tools: Mr. Thirsty, Mr. Tickle and Mr. Squirty. Mason even got into the big chair with daddy so she could brush his teeth. He picked strawberry flavored toothpaste. He did okay for a while and then started to squirm because he didn't want lay down anymore. So, mommy broke out her iPhone and found a Thomas the Train video on YouTube to entertain him. I also got to watch the video. Mason didn't have any cavities either.

Dr. Amy said we both have cross-bites. So we'll have to keep an eye on it as we grow. Hopefully, it will correct itself. If not, we may need to get braces.

After the dentist appointment, we went to a park to play for a bit before lunch. Guess who we ran into? Auntie Margaret! She was taking Wrigley for a walk. Since she doesn't work on Fridays anymore, we don't get to see her when we go to the dentist. So, it was a pleasant surprise to run into her.

Fairies in Oakland?

Today, we went to visit Children's Fairyland on Oakland. Mommy and daddy have never been there before. So, it was everyone's first time. We met Caylie, Nathan, Kyden and Sienna there.

Since no one in our family had been there before, we didn't quite know what to expect. Turns out Fairyland is where fairy tales come to life. There are a storybook sets portray different fairy tales. Some of them have play structures, some have real animals (daddy said the animals made him sad), and there are also some rides (not like the kind at Disneyland or Six Flags).

Each storybook set has a storybook box that you can turn on with a magic key. We did not purchase a key at the entrance, but Kyden did. So we got to listen along with him. Most of the time, Mason and I weren't very interested in the story. Good think mommy and daddy didn't buy a magic key.

One of our favorite parts of Fairyland include:

• Sliding down the Jack and Jill hill. Who knew that a cardboard box and faux grassy hill could be so fun? I eventually kicked it up a notch and did forward rolls down the hill. 
• Riding the tiny ferris wheel with Caylie. Grown-ups are not allowed on this ride. Mommy wasn't too sure how Caylie would do. But she did great!
• Po-Po taking Caylie and me for a ride on the world's shortest train. Mason didn't have the patience to wait in line, plus he rode the train with daddy earlier in the day.

We had so much fun that we didn't want to go home. Even though it's a long drive for us, I'd like to go back sometime.

Egg Hunting Galore

I love Easter! We got to do three egg hunts this year.

The first egg hunt was yesterday at grandma and grandpa's house. We got to hang out with Kimora, Kyle and Ethan. Before the egg hunt, we dyed eggs. While the rest of us dyed eggs, Mason decided to dye his hands. His hands looked like the Incredible Hulk!

After coloring eggs, we lined up to get ready for the egg hunt. Mommy gave us some rules like no pushing or fighting. We lined up in order of our age so the little kids could get a head start. Everyone except Kimora listened to the rules. Even though she's the oldest, she pushed her way past a couple of the younger kids. I guess she's competitive.

It's okay, there were plenty of eggs for everyone. Most of them weren't very hidden. They were just laying on the grass for us to find. After the egg hunt, we played and ate and ate and ate some more. We also got lots of stuff in our Easter buckets - puzzles, legos, playdoh and hot wheels.

Egg hunt number two was at Grey's neighborhood. It's their annual neighborhood egg hunt. There were loads of kids. Us smaller kids (four and under) got a head start. Like last year, there were special things to find. Instead of a golden egg, we had to look for a translucent carrot. There were two of them. Mason and I didn't find it, but Grey did! He got a gigantic chocolate bunny. I kept touching it and picking it up.

Our very last egg hunt was with Caylie in our backyard. Daddy and uncle Eddie "hid" the eggs in the back yard. They didn't do a very good job because most of the eggs were laying in plain sight. Nathan didn't get to join in the fun because he's only 4 months old and still a blob. By this time, Mason and I were pros at egg hunting. Every now and then mommy would make us walk away from an egg because Caylie was walking over to it. She's big on being fair...humpff. Afterwards, we opened up our eggs, played outside, ate dinner and took a bath.

Happy Easter everyone!

A Shark-Infested Weekend

We had a shark-filled weekend. On Friday, mommy and I went to the last home game for the Sharks. We got Logan Couture bobble heads. The Sharks had a great game! At one point in the game, people started throwing hats on the ice. Mommy explained that they were throwing their hats because someone scored 3 goals.

After the game, mommy and I went to get froyo at Yogurtland - even though it was really late. But she promised she'd take me. Since I didn't fall asleep on the way home, we made a side trip.

Today, we got to see more sharks. Not the kind that play hockey, but the kind that swim around at the aquarium. We met up with Grey and his neighbor Kelcy at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. We had a great time running around the aquarium and looking at all the cephalopods in their new exhibit, Tentacles. And yes, I know what a cephalopod is. Do you?

4 Year Well Child Visit

My doctor has a new office. It's close to the hospital where Mason and I were born. Mason's been there, but today was my first time. I got weighed and measured.

• height: 41.5 in (76 %ile)
• weight: 39 lbs (75 %ile)

When we got the exam room, the nurse asked me to change into an exam gown. That was the first. Mommy's sad that she didn't take a picture. Maybe she'll have another chance next year.

My doctor came in to examine me. I played a game where I touched her finger then my nose. I was so good that she asked me to close my eyes and do it. So, I did. She was pretty impressed. I have no idea what she was testing, but it was fun. Unlike Mason, I was calm and laid back the entire time. My doctor told mommy that I was "perfect."

After my exam, it was time to have my vision and hearing tested. We tried a chart with the alphabet letters, but then the nurse decided to do a chart with a bunch of Es pointing in different directions. I'm happy to say that my vision is 20/20. However, I had to repeat my hearing test.

The nurse told me to raise my hand when I heard sounds through the headphones. When she started the test, I never raised my hand. So, she asked me if I understood the instructions. To make sure that I understood, mommy and the nurse demonstrated what I was supposed to do. After that, I got it and passed my hearing test. If I had failed, mommy would know why I sometimes don't listen.

I ended my visit with two immunization shots. I didn't cry at all. Go me!

After my appointment, mommy and I grabbed a snack at Starbucks before she dropped me off at school. I was really disappointed when we got to school because I was hoping I'd get to spend the entire day with mommy.

Homework

Now that I'm in Pre-K, I have homework. I've had it for about two months now. Mommy was surprised that I'd have homework so early in my education. Welcome to the 2010s!

It turns out that my homework isn't graded. The purpose of giving us homework is get the kids (and parents) used to the idea of homework -- having something I have to practice at home and turning it in.

So, what does my homework consist of? Well, on Friday a new assignment is added to my homework folder. It's due back on Wednesday. It's usually two sheets of paper. At the top of the first page there's a line where I write my name. It also has a place where my teacher writes the letter of the week. The rest of this page is blank so I can glue 3 pictures that start with the letter of the week.

The second page has lines where I can practice writing the following: letter of the week, number of the week (e.g. 5), and writing out the number of the week (e.g. five). I'm pretty good about doing my homework so that it's done by Monday night. Mommy or daddy encourage me to do my best, and they help me when I get stuck.

I am 4 years old!

Happy 4th Birthday to me!

To celebrate my birthday, mommy made cupcakes to share with my friends at pre-school. They were strawberry cupcakes with chocolate frosting. We ate them for afternoon snack.

For dinner, we went to at my favorite place: Panera. When we got home, I showed mommy the sign my teacher's made for me. It said "Happy 4th Birthday Logan!" and there were pictures of balloons on it. Mommy and daddy had a surprise for me - an ice cream cake!


They put four candles in it, turned out the lights, and sang me happy birthday. I blew out all the candles! I was a little disappointed with the cake. I wanted chocolate, but it was strawberry ice cream with white cake. That didn't stop me from eating it. Mason didn't eat ice cream because it was too cold. Silly kid.

Here's a run-down of the things I like, things I'm good at and things I'm working on:

Things I like:

• The aquarium. my favorites are the jellyfish and hammerhead shark
• Eating out. whenever mommy or daddy ask me what I want to do for dinner, I immediately say I want to eat out. I think the food tastes better at restaurants than the food mommy or daddy cook at home.
• Playing with the LeapPad. I'm only allowed to play for 30 minutes/day on the weekends
• Singing to Mason. When we're in the car, I'll ask Mason if he wants me to sing to him. He usually says yes and then tell me what to sing. His requests change, but generally include: small world, you are my sunshine, somewhere over the rainbow or jingle bells.
• Reading. I can't read by myself, but I can recite a lot of books from memory. When mommy asks me to read short 3 or 4 letter words, I think it's fun for the first couple of words. Then I tell her I don't want to do it anymore.

Things I'm good at:

• Going potty. I don't have potty accidents anymore, not even at night. Whenever I have feel the urge to pee or poo, I just stop what I'm doing and go to the bathroom. I can even wipe myself after I go poo. 
• Asking Mason to play with me. By the way, asking him to play with me is not the same as sharing. We play Disney vacation where we pretend to go to Disneyland. Sometimes mommy and daddy will find us sitting in the laundry basket or against the wall pretending we're on a ride at Disneyland.
• Riding my plasma car.

Things I'm working on:

• Not talking back. Mommy and daddy say it's very disrespectful. They get very angry when I do it. I know that I'm doing it, but I still do it. Mommy really hopes it's just a phase.
• Going to bed when it's bed time. Since I nap at school, I have lots of energy for the rest of the evening. I usually come out of my room 4-5 times before I'm finally down for the night. When I come out of my room, I tell mommy and daddy, "I'm not at all sleepy."
• Writing: I've started writing letters and words at school. And I also have homework. I can write my name, but sometimes my G's look like 6's or I write a P instead of a G. I also don't understand that I should write the letters from left to write to make a word. In my book, if all the letters are on the page, it's good.
• Getting ready in the morning. I usually don't want to change out of my pajamas or brush my teeth. I prefer to hang out in my PJs. So every morning is a struggle for daddy (he usually gets us ready for school).

My favorite songs:

• All the songs from the Frozen sound track. I especially like the ones that Elsa and Anna sing together. I learned it's called a duet.
• Firework by Katy Perry

My favorite books:

• Disney story books. Between Mason and me, we have 4 of them. I usually ask to read a story from one of these books for bedtime.

Mason's 2nd Birthday Party

Nope, that's not a typo. We celebrated Mason's 2nd birthday the day before my birthday (and almost 3 months after his birthday). Mommy didn't plan it that way. We were supposed to have the party at the end of February, but everyone got sick. When we rescheduled the party, the gym even asked if we were sure the party was for Mason.

Mason had a Little Gym party for his 2nd birthday. Mommy only invited a couple of my friends to the party. They only got invited because they have younger siblings close in age to Mason.

Everyone had a great time playing with the parachute, jumping on the air track, chasing and popping bubbles, and exploring the gym equipment. After the gym time, we had pizza, sang happy birthday to Mason and ate cupcakes. Yum!

Thanks for coming to celebrate Mason's birthday everyone! Hope you had as much fun as we did.

Jumpin' Birthday Party

My BFF (that's birthday friend forever) Edison had his 4th birthday party at Pump It Up this afternoon. As soon as we walked into the room, I took off for the inflatable obstacle course. Mommy had to grab me to say hi to auntie Ann, uncle Newton and Edison. She said it's polite to greet our hosts before we go play. I had a blast running, sliding and jumping on all the inflatables.

The inflatables were a little bit big for Mason, but that didn't stop him. He wanted to go on the obstacle course with mommy. So she took him, but he got stuck and would cry. Mommy did her best to encourage him to go. Eventually daddy came along and carried Mason up the stairs so he could slide down.

We all had a great time. Happy Birthday Edison! Thanks for inviting us to the party!

Happy Birthday Caylie!

We celebrated Caylie's 2nd birthday today. First, we went to Build-a-Bear to make stuffed animals. We've never been here before so we had to learn how it works. In case you're interested in going here's how you make your animal:

1. Choose an animal. They have a wide assortment of animals from bears and dogs to My Little Pony and Hello Kitty.  The price ranges depending on what you pick. I chose Harajuku Hugs Panda; Mason chose Frosty the Snowman; Caylie also chose Harajuku Hugs Panda.
2. You pick a heart and give your animal personality traits like sporty, strong, cute, and playful. 
3. Add sound to your animal (optional). You can choose a pre-recorded sounds like phrases your animal would say or song snipets. Or you could record your own voice. I chose Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen. It was a tough choice between that and Roar by Katy Perry. I like Katy Perry and know a lot of her songs. Caylie chose a selection of phrases. Auntie Lia was trying to get her to pick Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, but she wasn't into it. Mason used the record his voice option to record someone singing Do You Want to Build a Snowman on YouTube.
4. Add a scent to you animal. We didn't do this
5. After you've made all your selections, they put the heart into the animal, stick the sound making device into the hand and then stuff it!
6. The very last step is naming your animal (oh and paying).  You can also pick out clothes and accessories for your animal. They had a Sharks uniform, skates and a stick. But mommy said no because it cost $31

After getting our animals, we went to lunch at the Cheesecake Factory. We had a great time hanging out with Caylie, Nathan, Uncle Eddie, Auntie Lia, and PoPo.

Happy 2nd birthday, Caylie!

Sharing a room

Not only did grandma and grandpa spent the entire day with us yesterday, but they also stayed over night! I offered to let them sleep in my room/bed. Since they were going to stay in my room that meant I didn't have any place to sleep.

Mommy and daddy said that I could sleep in Mason's room. Mommy said it would be a good experiment to see what it would be like if Mason and I were to share a room permanently. They brought out an aero bed for me and put it in Mason's room.

Needless to say, Mason and I did not got to bed when it was bed time. Mason got out of his toddler bed and came over to my bed. We started talking to each other, then we got out of bed, turned on the light and took all the books of the bookshelf. I even decided to jump from the lower railing of Mason's bed to my bed.

Grandpa said it was like a slumber party. Mommy and daddy had to come in and split us up. Mason ended up in mommy and daddy's room until he fell asleep. Then daddy moved him back to his bed.  Daddy says the Brady Bunch is false advertising. Bobby, Peter and Greg all shared one room, and they went to bed when it was time to go to bed.

Now that I know how fun it is to share a room, I want to sleep in Mason's room all the time!

Zula Patrol and the Planetarium

Matthew and Jeffrey invited us and the Tanaka's to watch a show, the Zula Patrol, at the planetarium this evening. It's a show that he watches when he visits his grandpa. We've never heard of it before. When mommy looked it up on the internet, she found out that our cable provider doesn't offer the channel that airs the show. But since I've learned about planets and had expressed interest in them, she thought I might like it.

The planetarium had a dome top and was dark. Perfect for grandpa to take a nap. Mason also fell asleep during the show, which is good because he didn't nap earlier. I stayed awake the entire time. It was like being at the movies. After the show was over, the astronomer (that's a fancy word for someone who knows a lot about stars, planets and space), turned on the star ball which projects the night sky on the dome. I learned about Polaris (or the North Star), the big and little dipper Jupiter, Orion's belt, and the Seven Sisters (also known as Pleiades or Subaru in Japanese). Now every time I see a Subaru, I point out the logo and say it's the Six Sisters. (Mommy usually corrects me, but I insist that it's six and not seven).

After the show, we ran around outside and then went to dinner at the Galleria, a Korean food court. We haven't gone to dinner together in a really long time. I enjoyed hanging out with my friends and running around. Grandpa bought us a giant shaved ice for dessert. It was yummy!

Thanks for inviting us the show, Matthew and Jeffrey! I really enjoyed it.

Grandma, Grandpa and Racing

No, grandma and grandpa didn't do a race. But wouldn't it be neat if they did? They came over this morning to hang out with me and Mason while mommy, daddy and auntie Judy did the Hit and Run 5K race. Last night when mommy was putting me to bed, she told me that grandma and grandpa were going to come over. I sat up and got really excited.

Me: I might be a little bit crazy when they first get here.
Mommy: Really?
Me: Yes. (nodding my head up and down)
Mommy: Is that because you'll be very excited to see grandma and grandpa?
Me: Yes. I love it when they come over.
Mommy: I'm sure grandma and grandpa will be very excited to see you and Mason too. It's good to be a crazy and excited, but it's also good if you calm down after they get here.

Sure enough when they rang our doorbell, Mason and I went crazy. We can't help it. We just get so happy and excited when I see grandma and grandpa. We did our usual Saturday routine with grandma and grandpa - cooking class for me, swimming for Mason and Panera for lunch. M

When mommy, daddy and auntie Judy got home, Mason and I were awake. No one took a nap. So, daddy showed us the video from their race. They said it was only okay because there was a lot of waiting at each obstacle. I thought the obstacles looked fun, like jumpy houses. Check out the video that daddy made:

Science is fun

We had a science fair yesterday and the day before. The day before was the science fair for the Two's. Yesterday was the science fair for Pre-K. There were different stations for the kids and parents to visit.

For the Two's Science Fair there was a volcano table, a moon dough table, a magnet table, a water/magnet table where you could fish and a pine cone table. Mason's favorite was the volcano and water/magnet table. He liked making the baking soda bubble and erupt when he squirted colored vinegar on it. For obvious reasons, he also liked the water/magnet table. He liked splashing his hands in the water more than fishing for fish with a magnetic fishing rod.

For my science fair there was a bubble station, spinning airplane station, paint station, ice & oil station and a rain station. I did all of them expect the paint station. At the ice and oil station, I dropped an ice cube into the oil. Daddy says that station is about density. Uh...okay. I just thought it was cool to drop ice into oil, watch it melt and separate. My favorite one was the airplane station where I made a looper airplane. When you throw it the airplane spins.

Hot wheels and s'mores

Mommy mentioned that Grey (really, it's uncle Edric) has been really into Hot Wheels lately.  So this evening we went to check out their collection and tracks. Mommy wasn't kidding! There was a super crazy, long track in their family room. The beginning of the track was taped to their humongous TV. There were sideways loops, an upside down loop and a jump too. It was a-mazing!

Mason and I LOVED it. As soon as we walked in, we made a beeline for the Hot Wheels track and cars. We loved it so much that we didn't want to eat dinner. But mommy said that we had to eat dinner. Otherwise, there would be no dessert. And dessert was going to be something really yummy and fun.

Turns our dessert was making s'mores at Auntie Luann's house (she's auntie Char's neighbor). They were having a s'more party in their front yard to welcome the Japanese Exchange student they were hosting for a couple of weeks. I had fun roasting the marshmallow and even more fun eating the s'more. So did Mason. If you look really carefully in the picture, you'll see that got marshmallow all over his face.

After eating our s'more, I told daddy that I wanted to go back to Grey's house so we could play more Hot Wheels.

Boys Day Out

Since Mommy was sick this weekend, Daddy took us out for a boys day. He wouldn't tell us where we were going. He said it was a surprise. The last time we went somewhere that was a surprise, we ended up at Disneyland! Hmm...maybe we were going there again. A kid can hope, right?

Well, daddy didn't take us to Disneyland. Instead he took us to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. We practically had the entire place to ourselves! There was no one there. I guess Sunday afternoon is a good time to visit. We got to go around the aquarium twice and see all the fish and sea life. And mommy got to rest!

Conspiracy?

We were supposed to have Mason's 2nd bday party today, but mommy and daddy canceled the party. Was it because we weren't behaving? Nope. Was it because mommy changed her mind? Nope. It was because Mason and I are both sick.

Mason got sick first and then me. I told mommy that he got me sick. Mommy and daddy took turns taking care of us. Mommy stayed home on Wednesday. On Thursday, she had to go to Utah for a work. So, daddy got lucky and had to take care of both of us because I woke up with a fever.

Daddy thinks it's a conspiracy. Whenever mommy leaves for work, we manage to get sick. He thinks she purposely gets us sick just before she leaves. But it's not true. We don't get sick EVERY time she leaves.  Just 80% of the time. :)

Anyway, we're both on the mend. Mommy and daddy are working out when to reschedule the party.

President's Day/Chinese New Year Gathering

Uncle Eugene and auntie Jean hosted a President's Day/Chinese New Year gathering at their house. Since Mason and I have never been to their house before, I asked mommy if they had any toys for us to play with. She said probably not. So, we packed up our Thomas the train toys and headed out to their house.

Once we got to their house, we got red envelopes from Auntie Jean and Uncle Eugene. Auntie Jean also brought out a box of Thomas trains that belong to their nephews. Woo hoo!

While mommy gobbled up dried squid (yuck) and pineapple cake, Mason and I played trains and snacked on fruit. We also tried playing a new game called mah jong. It's a game that po-po used to play when mommy was a kid. Mommy "washed" the tiles, which means she nosily spread the tiles around the table and then stacked them up. Mommy said the sound of the washing tiles reminded her of when she was little. Po-po would play mah jong late into the night while mommy and uncle Eddie would fall asleep to the sounds of washing tiles.

Auntie Jean taught me to match the tiles, recognize the Chinese characters and count in Chinese. I was more interested in matching the tiles than the characters and counting in Chinese. After a while, I lost interest in matching tiles too. Eventually, Daddy Mason and I made up our own game. We stacked the mah jong tiles to make a pyramid and an airplane.

Thanks for hosting a fun gathering uncle Eugene and auntie Jean!