Let's Go Giants

Another trip to the ballpark!  

On the ferry.

Ready for fun.

Serious cheering.

View from the bleachers.

It's Star Wars Day.

Dex takes notes after the game.

Todd Escapes to L.A.

Todd got some time off from work, so he took off to Los Angeles on a solo trip to visit some friends.

 Griffith Obvservatory on a beautiful Los Angeles day.

Todd and Adam.

Morning Runyon Canyon hike.

Visiting the Hollywood Walk of Fame. There's fellow ILM'er Dennis Muren.

Todd and Chewie.

It was a hot day.

Todd and Katilyn.

Allen!

Lexi and Todd.

Matching

When you can't agree on who will get the glow-in-the-dark Halloween Star Wars PJs...

Costume Bouncy Birthday

Dexter wanted a costume party with a bouncy house and that's what he got!

 Dexter is ready to party.

 So is Maya.

 The bouncy house at Memorial Park. We invited the entire Kindergarten class, so it was quite an affair.

 Strawberries for spiderman.

 In Dexter's kindergarten, you get to take Pete the Cat on adventures when it's your birthday. Here they are in the car...

 ...at the grocery store.

 Pete really wanted Dex's birthday cupcake.

Dexter at 6 Years

Wow!  Dexter is six!

Here are some approximate stats:

Weight: 52.4 lbs (around 82nd percentile)

Height: 47.5 inches (around 85th percentile)

It’s been another big year! Dexter is truly in a new stage of childhood. He’s much more independent and secure when away from his family. He’s thinking more about the world and wants to know how things work. He is happy socializing, but it’s also fun to see him getting completely engaged in solo activities like drawing or building. He likes to be silly and has been getting very interested in how to make jokes. Let’s just say his comedy routine needs a little work, but he’s making progress. While he stays happy most of the time, he has a sensitive and sometimes anxious side that he shifts into quite suddenly and then shifts out of just as quickly. He’s learned lots of tools to manage his emotions and it’s nice to see him stop and take a few deep breaths or say, “Let’s find a little peace.” He loves hugs and writing notes to people he cares about.

Dexter enjoyed a year of Montessori kindergarten and has now started kindergarten at Mark Day School. His Montessori experience was very loving and self directed.  He has learned some very basic reading and math skills and is very prepared for “real” kindergarten. He loved his old school and spent most of the year as the big guy on campus in a school of 3-6 year-olds. In September he started at the same school as Maya and loves that she is there. He’s adjusted well to the new school and is loving being back with his friend Owen (who he’s known since birth) and making new friends. He gravitates primarily to boys and plays a lot of chasing and climbing games. He also continues to love building things with blocks, legos, whatever.  

He can read basic Dr. Seuss books slowly and many simple one syllable words. He understands addition and subtraction and even a bit of multiplication.  He is an avid drawer and writer. We thought that he was left-handed and now it seems he is probably right-handed. He still trades hands, but he is definitely favoring the right. He’s hitting his milestones and seems to be appropriately challenged at school. He loves books. We are starting to introduce more complicated stories and he is enjoying listening to them.

He has a weakness for TV shows and video games.  We let him watch “Tom and Jerry,” “Phineas and Ferb,” and “The Three Stooges.” Those are his comfort shows that he likes to watch for a little while after school. We’ve begun watching “Star Trek: The Next Generation” as a family and Dexter is famous for the dance he does over the opening credits. He loves "Lego Batman." The only time he’s allowed to play games on a phone is when we travel on planes or on road trips, and he gets way too excited about it. He loves any game, but has a particular love for “Plants Vs. Zombies.” His favorite animal right now is a platypus and and his favorite color is orange.

He still loves us more than anything.  While Maya runs off to class and doesn’t want us to hug her at school, Dexter always loves a good cuddle. We love our birthday boy!

Sailing in the Bay

After reuniting with her second Cousin Eddie and his new wife Westy in New York, he kindly invited us to go on an evening sailboat ride on the Bay.  It was awesome.

  The kids check out the boat we get use.

  Excited to set sail.

 Happy guys.

Eddie prepping for our trip.

Maya gets to use the air horn as we head out.

Eddie, Westy, and more of his friends head into the bay.

A perfect evening out on the bay.  The wind was strong enough we didn't even need the mainsail. We just used the headsail.

 Dexter is loving looking for dolphins.

The whole fam.

Dexter on the bow.

Maya has her Titanic moment as we motor back.

Dexter learning navigation.  What a wonderful evening!

At Home With Vegetables and Meat

Dad took a little time off work and Mom and Dad decided to do a 30 clean eating challenge (basically Paleo eating).  We had fun hanging around the house and attempting like cave people.

 At the very windy Sausalito Art Festival.

Kids eating the new clean breakfast.

 Here we go.

First completely solo poop (Wipe, lid down, flush, wash hands).  It took a while to get him to wipe on his own, don't judge.

Welcome to the world of kale.

Chicken Nicoise Salad.  Impressive.

  

Venison Stew being prepped by Daddy.

Dexter's thoughts on meeting a dinosaur.

"Dexter and the Pool" video

Dexter knows that you learn from repetition...