To Big For This Bike - Jun 27

Summer has arrived and we are certainly on the hunt for things to do. School has been out for just a few weeks and I know Chloe is missing her regularly scheduled program. This week we were quite busy but it honestly feels like we haven't accomplished much. Weird. Chloe has been more interested lately in riding her tricycle(s) and this little radio flyer scooter thing my mom brought over but it has become painfully obvious that her "bike" (as she calls it) is simply to small for her gigantic size. One trike we got her for Christmas when she was TWO and while she can ride it, that sucker tips over at the slightest turn of the wheel. This other, bigger, trike was actually a freebie that was falling apart from being put together wrong. I rebuilt it and I thought it would be good for her. That one is much more stable but she has a hard time pedaling and steering it because she is simply to tall.

I've seen videos of 3 and barely 4 year old kids now that are able to ride two wheel bikes by themselves. Balance bikes, small pedal bikes, there are all these things that were never available when we were kids. I swear I remember learning to ride a bike when I was like 8 years old. Shortly thereafter I ran off a sweet jump and ended up with a peal to the head and 3 stitches but I digress.

Chloe's birthday isn't for about 6 more months but it's looking like it might be time to start shopping for a new bike. I can already see this pink atrocity that she is going to want. LOL. We'll see! Have a great weekend, folks.

-B

I Have A Skull, Too! - Jun 20

Last Friday, as you may recall, was Heather's birthday. =) Heather has been dropping not so subtle hints that the California Academy of Sciences was advertising their skulls exhibit on the radio again and she kind of wanted to go. This is code for we are going but we aren't sure when. I can't remember how many years ago this exhibit was there but she wanted to go then and for some reason we could never make it work and the exhibit changed. Well, it all sort of worked out in the end, as they say.

Heather took her birthday off work so the decision was made to load up and haul out to San Francisco to go to this museum. I know I have been there before(probably in elementary school) but the reason why it actually worked out so well was because now Chloe being the age she is she actually totally enjoyed everything this place had to offer. Heather got to see her skulls exhibit thing she wanted so badly to see and Chloe is actually really into body parts and function, etc after Heather recently started showing her this human anatomy/body parts book. It's amazing what kids soak up and Chloe is like one step away from being a doctor now, or something. =)

The place was pretty cool, not that busy being a Friday after all and like I said before Chloe really enjoyed it. The skulls exhibit was really quite interesting.

Also, in case we forgot, last Sunday was also Father's day so for the most part we spent the weekend celebrating that with our families. They happened on separate days but both Heather & I got a photo with Chloe (none with both of us, of course). LOL.

Have a great weekend, folks.

B

The Last Day Of School - Jun 13

Well, that was fast!

BAM! Just like that, Chloe has completed her first year of preschool. It went by in a flash and I'm sure we will be starting back up again before you can blink. It's pretty cool that we have been able to be such a big part of the day to day goings on with Chloe's school being a co-op. We were able to be there on the first day and we were able to be on the last. Me being the dork that I am of course had the bright idea to have Chloe wear the same outfit she did on the first day of school and take a picture of her in it. I fully expected it not to fit but apparently it was a big enough size that all she did was grow into it a bit. =) The only difference in the outfit was that on the first day Chloe wore some kind of pink socks and on the last day she wore her (Target dollar bin) "Elsa socks". There was no talking her out of it. Oh well.

All year long we have been aware that Chloe has been growing taller. Heck, between trips to Disneyland she grew enough to get on a bunch more rides but it's pretty funny to see side by side photos that really show you how much she has changed. I think next year will be an even more dramatic change. So now school is out and summer is upon us so we will have to see what we can do to keep ourselves busy. Chloe made some friends this year that will be going ahead on to Kindergarten and some that we will see back at her school again next year so we will try to keep in touch over the summer so Chloe can have some friends to play with. =)

Also, a special shout out to my amazing wife Heather who turns another year older TODAY and we celebrate another birthday together! It was 17 years ago TODAY that we graduated HIGH SCHOOL (which was also a "Friday the 13th") so when I say today I mean, TO THE DAY. LOL. I can remember graduation clearly but even more clearly I can remember how I felt about Heather back then and I am so beyond lucky to say that now 17 years later we are still together and we have this awesome little Chloe(monster) to keep us on our toes. I fall more in love with (both of) them every day.

Happy Birthday Heather!!
Have a great weekend.
-B

I Painted My Own Face! - Jun 6

I worked in Chloe's classroom on Tuesday so I knew this was coming since then. I'll explain.

See, her class meets for a little white as a whole then they split in half (by age) and complete separate little projects or tasks with the teachers. Tuesday they do one thing the other half does another, and on Thursday they switch. Tuesday, the kids in Chloe's group (which I was in) did cut and paste self portraits using a mirror, scissors, and construction paper. When the classes re-joined for "free choice" time, the other half of the kids had war paint drawn all over their faces. Not literal war paint, but just face paint going every which way and basically everywhere. Chloe didn't get to do it but she knew on Thursday her turn would come, and boy did it ever. =)

I picked her up from school and when I saw here I had to literally "lol". If she grows up to be a makeup artist, these pics will be funny to look back on. She didn't stop at just her face either, oh now. Arms were also decorated with paint and glitter. She had fun and I guess that's all you can ask for. Only two more days of school then its "summer vacation" so that will be interesting. It took all year to get used to her going to school now we have to figure out a new plan. Summer will be over before you know it, though.
Have a great weekend, folks. =)
Brian

I Want To Live Here Forever! - May 30

Last weekend was Memorial Day weekend if you didn't know and generally around here to a 4 year old that means two things: a three day weekend and the San Ramon Art and Wind Festival. Before Chloe Heather and I might have gone to the wind festival to just wander around and look at crap. The last few years that we have gone with Chloe is has been a total changeover and now all we do is head straight for the kiddie rides. LOL. Last year you may or may not recall we went to a free face painting booth which Chloe was initially excited about and later cried about until I wiped it off. This year, she was 100% on board and excited to get her face painted. She would have liked her entire face painted if they would let her sit there for a half hour while they did it. =) Heather actually went with Chloe on Sunday just the two of them and we also went back on Monday with the three of us for some more action. Chloe had her face painted both days(oddly enough by the same girl) and wanted to do the rides as many times as we would let her(pay for). LOL I don't know but these rides are looking a bit on the faded side, especially when I look back at the photos from the last few years. Chloe doesn't care. Kids don't care.

On the way out, Chloe says to us(I swear) "I love the wind festival I want to live here forever". Sounds good, kiddo. =)

Have a great weekend!

-B