Summer Endings, Fall Beginnings

Happy Family on a beautiful day in San Francisco (9.14.14)

While potty-training is an interesting adventure and I'm getting better at wearing big-boy underwear, we've been busy with other activities and "somefing fun" (as I like to call fun times).


August:

• Swim lessons - I got to take 2-more weeks of swim lessons and I did really great!  I even improved from the beginning of summer, by going completely underwater and diving after toys/rings/etc.  I love swimming and thanks to Uncle Ken, I got extra pool time this summer to practice my skills and silly time.  

• Gymnastics - fun times with lots of interesting skills to learn.  Some of it was hard work!

• Rocklin 5K - Mama, Sadie and I participated in the first ever "Woofstock: Grateful Dog Rescue Run", to support animal shelters.  Mommy and Cooper cheered us on and took pictures, then we all went through the big vendor fair and got free goodies for humans and doggies alike.  I was supposed to run in my first 1/4-mile kids run, but we got there a little late.  So Mama let me out of the stroller at the 0.2 left of the 5k to the finish line, and I ran in from there.  All these people were cheering me on, it was so much fun!

• "Uncle Gerry" Concert - My first music concert - rock on! :)  Uncle Gerry is one of the vocalists on all of my music class CDs.  Teacher Karen who teaches my music classes convinced Uncle Gerry to come to Davis and give a concert to whatever families from music could make it.  Since "cousin" Joey and "Auntie" Valerie do Music Together in the Bay Area, we invited them to join us at the concert.  We all had a wonderful afternoon singing, dancing and having dinner at Dos Coyotes afterwards.

September:

• River Cats Baseball Game - because Mommy was so huge with "baby Scout" for most of baseball season, we hadn't been to any games this year.  With only two games left for the River Cats, I convinced my moms to take me and Cooper to a game over Labor Day Weekend.  We were going to sit on the grassy hill to watch the game...until Mama and I were standing in line for tickets and some guy gave Mama 3-tickets in the shade, 8-rows from the 3rd base line. It was awesome!  My favorite parts of the game were: 1) watching the big head guys run a race between innings, 2) the grounds crew who did dance routines between innings, 3) my free animal balloon and 4) the geese that flew over in a V-formation to the William Tell Overture between innings.  Of course, my giant hotdog and sundae in a mini-baseball helmet were memorable too. We had a great time and Cooper even stayed awake for the entire thing.  **note from Mommy: please notice the "between innings" theme - thank goodness we didn't pay for our seats since the game was rarely paid attention too! :)** 

• Railroad Museum Story Time - Mommy and I got some special time together when we went to the Railroad Museum story time on Labor Day.  The story for the month was I Saw An Ant On the Railroad Track. After the story I got a paper engineer hat and Mommy and I hung out in the museum.  It was a special treat.

 

• Music class - this session is the Bongos Collection.  Cooper is going with us and I love showing him how to sing and dance!

Drum Circle during class

with friends Nika & Niko, riding Teacher Karen

BIRTHDAYS! - we went to Nana's & Papa's for Cooper's first visit to celebrate Papa and Mama's birthdays, as well as Zia's bday in spirit.  We went to San Francisco the following weekend to celebrate "cousin" Aidan's birthday in the Presidio, and Graunty came from Austin to celebrate Mama's birthday last weekend. 

 

Graunty's visit - While Graunty was here we took her to the JellyBelly Factory in Fairfield on Friday.  On Saturday, Mama's birthday, we all had a lovely tea in Dixon. It's always wonderful for Graunty to come and visit - December is too long to wait to have to see her again!  Since there were too many fun pictures from Graunty's visit, click here to see our adventures.

Cooper Update: Cooper is now 11 weeks old and a pretty cool little bro.  Every day when I get home from Willy's, or I have been away from him, he just smiles and coos when I come and tell him hello.  He had his 2-month check up on September 18th and he is now...(drum roll please): 14(+) pounds and 24.5 inches!!!  He's huge and wearing 6-mos. outfits already, some of which I didn't wear until I was actually 6-months old.  He's getting stronger and his head doesn't bobble as much, so that's good.  I think he's the best little brother I could have asked for - I was just kidding about wanting a sister! :)

Showing Cooper how to hold up his head with 'tummy time'

I'll be writing again soon to tell you all about my birthday, but until then - good-bye, Summer.

-Porter "I'm almost 3" James