tizimatt.info

Finally, the big day arrived. Keegan woke up at his normal hour, and despite his excitement, he still took time to cuddle in bed with us. Then he rushed to the living room. We were able to keep him still long enough for a picture with all the presents.

He immediately saw his new bike, and started his happy dance. He quickly unwrapped it and test it out: perfect size, finally, and it was a nice, bright orange, just like he wanted. Matt chose a Mutant Mongoose bike for him.

He checked the cookies, to make sure “Santa” ate them, even if he kept on saying: “I know you ate them, mom”. Well, this is why I chose cookies I like. I think he actually makes him feel “grown up” be in the know, and again, I don’t really think it spoiled his excitement at all. As for us, while it is a little sad he does not believe anymore, I never really liked the idea of a fat, old man taking all the credits for my hard work. I always try to get the best gifts and wrap them with care, so I should get the thanks.

He tore through the rest pretty quickly. Of course, we made sure to buy him an electric sharpener and special pens, but also new books, a new interactive map, book and game, and a science kit. The stocking also contained his glow rings, and he loved to show them off.

Just like last Christmas, we saved a couple of presents, and called nonni with Skype, so he could open them with them. Their package did not arrive in time, but we had something put away for them. We were lucky that my sister and her family was there, and it was nice to share a little bit of the magic with them. After the big presents rush, I went back to sleep for a little bit. With Keegan home for two full weeks, we actually set up a tight calendar, to make sure he was entertained and we got to do something fun as well. We knew we would be exhausted by the end of it, but at least we hoped he would not drive us completely insane. When I woke up, we went downtown and we took an hour cruise on the North San Diego Bay. It was an absolutely perfect day: in fact, it was almost too warm. Definitively scorching for our little vampire, that can’t stand bright sun or heat. Murphy’s law, right? Both Matt and I moved to San Diego for the sunshine and warm weather, and our son does not like heat or sun. I really hope he will outgrow this.

In fact, probably his favorite thing about the cruise was the fact he got to eat some junk food in the cabin.

My favorite thing? Well, admiring the beautiful views while sipping my cold Mimosa.

check out the sea lions

Merry Christmas San Diego

Keegan run up and down the whole time, and even with sunglasses, it was hard to keep him outside.

We got home in the early afternoon, and had a nice lunch. Keegan pretty much gave up on naps the whole break, so we tried to establish the “quiet time rule”, meaning that he needs to be on his own instead, as we take a break (or a nap). Do you think it worked? Well, practice makes perfect, right? Before the sun went down, we convinced him to try out his new bike. He was a little hesitant at first, but quickly got the hang of it.

He actually enjoyed it quite a bit, and that inspired us to go for a bike ride the following day. We headed to Miramar Lake and reservoir. I really like that place: it is peaceful and beautiful. We have been really lucky with the weather, this Christmas time. Temperatures reached the 80s almost every day, with a beautiful, cloudless sky, and Miramar Lake is the perfect place to take advantage of it. In fact, again, it was almost too warm. We have not been here in a long time, and as always, we forgot how long the actual loop is. It looks deceivingly short, but it is full of twists and turns, and it turned out to be a full 5 miles. We started out enjoying the view, and I have to say Keegan did really good, probably because he realized that he had no choice but to complete the trail. We only stopped once, to rest and look at the view from a pier. It was magical: it does not feels like being in a city at all.

Back at the parking lot we were amazed to see so many birds, mainly ducks but also coots – black birds without webbed feet. The most annoying, though, were two huge geese, who were honking and around, looking for food.

We had fun, and I am hoping it will be the first one of many bike-riding excursions. We got home in the afternoon, and Keegan was so tired that he ended up sleeping almost two hours! Of course, even then, we had to plead with him for getting some rest. The following day, Matt had to go to work for a few hours, so it was just Keegan and I. He was in a good mood, so it was not too bad. In the afternoon, we had a fun playdate at Van’s house. The kids had a great time, and Van insisted on giving Keegan a Christmas gift, an awesome Lego set. His mom insisted Van really really wanted to give his friends something: he is a very generous little boy. Keegan was excited. In fact, as soon as we got home, he started building it, mostly on his own. By the following day, he had it all done. He is definitely getting a lot better at Lego building, but he still enjoys having someone helping him along. On December 28, we had a very busy day. We spent a long day at the beach, after stopping by the library to pick up the final few Magic Tree House Books: I can’t believe, but we only have 6 to go before finishing the whole series (up to now, at least. She is still actively writing.) Once again, another perfect day.

Keegan and Matt got in the water, crazy kids, while I watched them body board from the shore.

We warmed up after body surfing, had a nice pic-nic lunch and did “sand angels”.

I

t turned out to be really low tide, so we walked to Tourmaline Beach to check out the tide pools: they are not as extensive as Cabrillo Point, but we still got the chance to see plenty of small anemones and crabs, playing in the pools.

When we got home, there was a surprise waiting: nonni’s package finally arrived, after a long, tortuous trip. It left Switzerland on November 21! It was Christmas all over again. As always, they really went overboard. There was something for everyone, and even my birthday presents! We were really spoiled.

The day was not over yet: as it got dark, we drove to the San Diego Botanical Garden. They set up their beautiful land with thousand of lights, and they had Cuban music playing, carriage rides, crafts and some snow. Unfortunately, we did not have a large enough sled, so when Keegan tried to slide down, he flipped over. He did not get hurt, but he was so embarrassed, for some reason, and really upset. Fortunately, they had marshmallow roasting, and Matt brought all the fixings for excellent, double-sides ‘smores.

That made him feel better. We posed on the picturesque Christmas gazebo and Keegan had a quick hot dog dinner, while listening to the upbeat sounds.

When we finally made it home, Keegan easily went to bed: what a big day! The next day, we really took it easy: we were probably more tired that he was, but still it was nice to have a change of pace. Fortunately Kelton, our neighbor, was around, so the two kids spent some time running around with their scooters and bikes and burned some energy off. December 30 was the day of the big Football Holiday Bowl, and as always, San Diego organized a big balloon parade downtown to celebrate. Bands, politicians and of course huge hot air balloons are the main attraction.This year they changed route, so we got to enjoy the nice view of the bay, as they all marched down the street.

My favorite part was the Star Wars Contingent, and I was glad to see, this year, a former student of mine, marching as Princess Lea.

We were hoping Lina and Mila could join us, but it was not possible. Keegan was disappointed, and probably that is why he got bored before the end of the parade and insisted on leaving. I do enjoyed it, though. For some reason I always find parades fun and entertaining. We tried to spend the last day of the year outside… not an easy task.

Matt had to work a few hours in the morning, so I went to Target with Keegan, to get him some knee pads, which he proudly wore as soon as we got home. Matt got home at lunch time, and we started the epic battle  to go out of the house and head to Cabrillo Point. I am really not sure why Keegan is making it so difficult to get out of the house. Granted, being 6, he is actively trying to contrast and oppose everything we say, regardless, but seriously, dragging him outside is a draining process, between his arguing, complaining and full meltdowns. The kicker is, once we actually get out, he  usually has a great time, which makes the whole process even more frustrating.

In any case, we finally made it to Point Loma, and just in time for one of the lowest low tides of the year. I never saw the tide pools that exposed. It was very crowded and we only had about one hours, but we had fun climbing on the rocks and checking out water life.

As we were leaving to check out the Lighthouse, the fog started rolling in.

And by rolling in, I mean rushing in: you could see it quickly moving, and within less than 10 minutes, the cliffs were completely engulfed in a thick cover, that made it hard to see ahead of you.

We made it to the top of the hill in time to check out the lighthouse, and to admire the last sunset of the year, even if shrouded by fog. It was an amazing site, with the rolling marine layer, blanketing the ocean.

Keegan was way too tired to wait up for the new year (or maybe it was us who needed a break?), so he went to sleep at the usual time and Matt and I enjoyed the last few hours of this 2013. I would not say it has been a bad year, but definitely not one of the best ones either. We watched the Neverending Story (a good omen for the new year?), and then quietly waited for midnight. It was not easy to stay awake, because we were very tired, but we finally made it to the countdown, champagne and sparkling cider at hand.

In San Diego, they usually replay the New York ball drop and so we watched supreme court justice Sonia Sotomayor start the countdown.

11…10…9…8…7…6…5…4…3…2…1…  HAPPY NEW YEAR 2014!

Even if it does not start under the best auspices, may it be a great one!

Comments are off for this post

Christmas season seemed especially short this year: between a late Thanksgiving, and the expanded birthday celebration, we had fewer days to cram in festive activities. Even if we did a little less this year, we definitively made sure to include plenty of fun.

We started the season with Keegan’s school Winter Wonderland on December 6, one of the two winter events sponsored by MBMA. This was mainly a fundraiser, with different food vendors, some crafts and a bake sale. They even brought in a little snow, but the wait was atrocious: we had to stay in line for more than 25 minutes for a two seconds slide. Keegan enjoyed the festivities with his classmate Kevin, and he was even a winner in the “cake-walk”: he chose 8 chocolate cupcakes as reward.

The following day, we went to the annual Cookies With Santa event at Van’s house. It is a fundraisers for Down Syndrome, and it is always lots of fun. There are crafts, games, and lots of cookies. We got plenty of raffle tickets this time, and made sure that Keegan touched each one of them, since he is the lucky one. And sure enough, he won two Legoland Tickets! Of course we would have preferred restaurant gift certificate, but he is the one with the all the luck!

At the party there was also Santa, posing for pictures, so we made our way to the pool house. Santa checked how much he grew.

Then Keegan, sat on his lap and told him what he wanted for Christmas: an electric pencil sharpener, new pens and lots of treats! Well, this is all new to me.

The best part of the party, however, was the fresh snow in the front yard, and that is where Keegan spent most of the time. Beside Van, Camren from his preschool was also there, so the kids had lots of fun with snowballs fights…and trying not to get too wet.

That was a busy weekend: beside the Christmas party, we also had Keegan’s Birthday party and we bought the tree and decorated the house. Whew!

The following weekend, it was Mom and Dad’s time to celebrate the season, with my annual work Christmas Brunch. It is always nice to enjoy a leisure Sunday brunch at an elegant hotel, with no kids. Taking an adult only photo was a different story, and an impossible feat, as Keegan was jumping in the frame, goofing around. We did have a lovely time, once out of the house.

The following week was already the last week before Christmas break, so we were very busy. On Monday, I finally got Keegan to write his letter to Santa. It was not easy to keep him focused, especially when he saw Gaia and the two started playing together. I had to help out. And once again, the electric pencil sharpener was number 1 in the list.

Just like last year, I wanted to take him to the mall, to mail it. Macy will give $1 per letter to the Make A Wish Foundation. Differently from last year, it was not pouring rain: in fact it was very warm.

Matt met us at the mall, and we headed to our traditional photo with Santa (4th year in a row). This time we could finally see well the new, modern digs.

We had a quick dinner at the ice skating ring, and Keegan even met one of his friends, so he got to play around a bit.

Most of week itself flew by quickly, especially because Keegan was very busy rehearsing for his big show, on Thursday. They are not kidding around at Mission Bay Montessori. They were required to wear specific clothes, and props were provided. They spent the whole month of December practicing, up to one hour a day…insane! They even had a dress rehearsal.You were forbidden from taking photos or video of the show, since they had a professional videographer shoot the whole thing, and of course, you could buy the DVD, for the affordable price of $35. A volunteer purchase, of course. They even went so far as to offer wristband for seating, adding that parents in previous years lined up 3 hours early to get the best seats! You gotta be kidding me. Remember this show is performed in the auditorium, and you can see perfectly fine even from the very back…I felt like I was in an upside down world. Then again, some parents did watch the show twice, showing up at both performances.

The big day finally came. Keegan was excited, because he had two performances. He got all dressed early in the morning. I don’t think I will see him wearing slacks and button-down shirt till at least next Christmas. He does look adorable, though.

It was a bit of a rush because I still took him to Italian class that afternoon, and while I was waiting for him, I finally enjoyed the only free time I had all week. It was glorious: just sitting there and watched a movie for 90 minutes, thanks to the free wi-fi at the Jewish Center where he is taking his class. We rushed back to school, so he could get ready. Still incredible: slacks, buttoned down shirt, dress shoes! His teacher, ms. Sandra, helped him adjust the cummerbund and bow-tie.

There was barely enough time for him to pose with his teachers, and than it was off to the auditorium, for the performance.

The show lasted 1.5 hours!!!! Keegan’s class performed first, and then we had to sit through all the other performances. Yes, they were cute, but seriously…1.5 hours! Of course, to make sure parents would not leave after their children were done, they made sure all classes came back together for a final number!!! It was a cold and rainy night, but the kids made it a lot warmer.

When it was over, we went back to grab our children, and it was time for more photos. Here he is with his classmate Kalista.

what a dashing little gentlemen

Thursday night show signaled the end of school for Keegan: why didn’t they go to school for another more day, Friday December 20, is a mystery for me. Well, I had to go to work, so Keegan spent some time with dad. As luck wanted, I also had a two hours meeting after class, so I did not make it home till almost three. Fortunately Matt was able to take Keegan to work with him, and get some stuff done. That night Keegan had a Parents’ Night Out at his pool, so we finally were able to took a breath and relax a little. And with Keegan home for two weeks, we definitely need all the rest and relaxation we can get.

Christmas vacation had officially began. We started it off with a visit to Seaworld. It has been a while, but it is always fun to go during the holidays. It was another great day, and we were able to get there somewhat early. Still, it was very crowded, as it is expected during a weekend this time a year. We met Julia and her family at one of the shows, and Keegan was happy to share it with her.

We admired all the Holiday decorations and features, especially the Polar Tree and the live reindeer.

The snow is always the big attraction, but this year we had bad timing: you definitely need to come here during the weekdays. We were able to claim a little bit of snow, to build a micro-snowman. It was not an easy feat: between the crowds and this aggressive little boy that was obviously set to destroy whatever Keegan built, while his parents were of course oblivious, we had to defend our territory.

We even made it up the hill for a quick slide down: but once again, Keegan did not want to wait on line for more. He rather watched shows and animals, like the Polar Bears, Penguins, Sharks and Sea Turtles.

Monday December 23 was a work day for most people, including Matt. I was, however, home, so I offered to help out a friend from preschool, and we had a marathon playdate, 8am-4.30pm. Wow, that was exhausting. Fortunately Keegan and Brady get along well, overall, so we did not have too many issues till early afternoon. The kids started the day with breakfast and running the scooters in the neighborhood (a guess a second scooter comes handy someimes). Then they played a little and we headed up to the zoo. We saw bears, funny monkeys, birds, elephants, leopards, and polar bears. The kids had fun playing around the Elephant Odyssey area.

They explored the polar bear den, and the research helicopter.

We took the skyfari, an overhead tramway, and then checked out the reptiles before getting some lunch and heading home. The afternoon was a little more challenging. The neighbor kids stopped by, but Brady did not want to play with them, since he did not know them, and it was a little difficult to find something both wanted to play. By then it had been a long day, and both kids were a little tired. They had a good time, overall, though.

When Brady left at 4.30 I was pretty much done, but Keegan was still ready to play, and met up with the other kids that were still out playing. Where does he find the energy? And most importantly, how doesn’t he need some time to recharge after spending the whole day socializing??? Finally Matt got home around 6 and I could finally take a breather. I am sure glad I don’t have to teach a kindergarten class. In the evening Keegan and Matt baked some interesting gingerbread cookies, Ninjabread cookies to be exact.

Christmas Eve was an interesting one. As we were getting into the Christmas spirit, Keegan cornered us, bright and early, asking us if Santa is real of if it us the ones who bring him presents. Now, what perfect timing! Couldn’t he wait one more day? He was obviously not looking for reassurance, and he seemed pretty sure Santa did not rally exist. We asked what was he thought was the right answer, instead of answering him outright, and he really insisted we told him the truth. He was a little sad, but not excessively. We told him Santa was really the spirit of Christmas, that inspires us to be better and to be generous, and that if he believes in it, he is real. So, he concluded he did believe, but he knew it was us bringing him presents (and consequently eating the cookies he left out). So, here it is, our son. Why does he always have to come up with this stuff? The only silver lining I want to see is that maybe, this is the beginning of his critical thinking and questioning things, instead of blindingly accepting them. He is already questioning us, as the authority anyway, right?

We still made sure we had a great time, getting ready for the big day. And I have to say that knowing the truth did not seem to diminish his excitement about it. We had a picnic at Kate Session Park, a beautiful place with amazing views of the ocean and the bay.

Keegan is getting better and better at taking photos

We took the scooter with us, and Keegan practiced riding on steep hills. He was very brave and really faced his fear.

As the sun set, we took a stroll in the magical lighted street down from our house. As every year, it was beautiful. In fact,m we even saw a newscaster shooting a report in front of one of the houses. Many of the homeowners had set up hot chocolate and cider stations, and it was nice, pleasant evening.

This year, even more than in the past, I really did all of my shopping online. I don’t know how I did it before the internet. The thought of braving crowds at the mall makes me feel sick. It is so much easier just to click and shop. The only drawback, is that you need to buy early and be organized to make sure you get stuff on time. So, for most of December we had almost daily deliveries. One day I got at least 8 separate packages.

I love internet shopping

On Christmas Eve, after Keegan went to sleep, it was time for us to get to work: we had wrapping to do. I already took care of Matt’s gifts, but there was plenty to wrap for Keegan. Matt also planned ahead, and assembled his new bike a few days early. We were done pretty early, and enjoyed some Holiday music and made it to bed at a decent time. Everything was ready for the big day.

Our Lego Family Holiday card

Comments are off for this post

This year, Keegan’s birthday felt like it would never end. Between the anticipation, the celebration, the party and the gifts shopping afterwards, it really felt like an eternity. In fact, Keegan was actually “barred” from talking about his birthday till November.

The actual birthday fell on a Tuesday, and since Thanksgiving was so late this year, we had to plan the party for the following week. Once again we took advantage of some of the early sales and got all his presents ready on Monday night. Keegan really like superheroes, and this year, he is particularly fond of Iron Men. You may remember that it was his Halloween costume too. We placed an Iron Man banner in our room and the presents below. We actually hid the Razor Scooter he has been asking for for last.

Amazingly enough Keegan did not wake up early, so I had to wake him up. He sure was excited when he got in the room and saw all the presents. This year, my parents and Loredana bought him Star Wars legos from Target, so they arrived just in time, as the cool books from Italy. The magic of Internet.

I also got him a monster soft blanket, he can wrap himself in and hide. Matt was a little skeptic, but it turned out to be one his favorite gifts, and he carries it with him everywhere he goes, within the house. Keegan, just like me, loves soft fabrics, clothes and blankets.

Of course, the favorite gift was the Razor Scooter, orange, his favorite color. He was very excited about it, since he really wanted one: all of the neighborhood kids have at least one, and he was really wanting to join them “scootering”. His bike was way too small for him, and without a scooter, he could not really participate.

Unfortunately was a school day, so he could not play with his new toys. After school, we went to swim class. At night, incredibly, Keegan also started building some of his Star Wars Legos, The Droid Escape Pod, right away, starting from R2-d2 and C3po.

He actually built quite a bit of the escape pod all by himself, which is a huge change. I am very glad because hopefully it gives him some confidence to buid the models himself. Now, I am also a little sad, because I love building Legos…maybe I can buy my own. (-:

When Matt got home, we had a small celebration at home. Keegan chose chocolate Chip Muffins on Monday, when we went to Vons to choose the cake for the party: Iron Man cake, of course.

The following day, the celebration continued. I went to his school early in the afternoon, and his classmates and teachers held a celebration for him. At first Keegan was not happy we had to move it to Wednesday, due to scheduling conflicts, but it turned out better that way. December 3 was gray and rainy, and the following day was a beautiful sunny day. We set outside and we all celebrated him. Then the kids ate the treat Keegan chose: orange and vanilla ice cream bar. It was quite a success.

As soon as we got home, he went to try out the new scooter around the neighborhood. He loved it!

That day, my sister’s present arrived, and guess what she bought? A Razor Scooter! I am really not sure why she did not tell me and wanted to keep it a surprise. I felt bad, as I figured she would be disappointed, but if I had known, we would not have bought him ours! Anyway, fortunately, she bought it from Target, so I was able to go to the store and get a gift card instead.

During the week, we also made sure we had all the goodie bags ready for the party. This year we had a comic books/Iron Man party. We included a color-yourself mask, a twirly straw, some tattoos, bubbles and of course, our traditional personalized m&ms. This year we chose red, green and iridescent white.

In the early weekend we were already involved in Christmas activities: his school Winter Wonderland and Van’s Cookies With Santa fundraising event, but Keegan could not stop talking about his party. Unfortunately, the party was at 5pm on Sunday, so it was hard to contain Keegan for the whole weekend.

Finally the party time arrived. After picking up the cake (and slightly damaging it in the cart) we picked up his friend Van and went to the party. We had a great turn-out: 13 of his friends came, and with siblings we had a good 20+ kids. Even his babysitter came to celebrate with him. He had a blast, as always. He also wanted to do some games and all had a great time.

No matter how many times we tried, it was impossible to get 1 picture in which all kids looked good.

The kids ate pizza, veggies and fruit (yeah right) on Iron Man plates.

Then it was time for cake. This time they had a crown available, and Keegan was proud to wear it. He was so excited about the party, he did not even notice the cake was a little ruined.

He loved the throne, and so did all the other kids. He took turns posing with his friends…mainly girls (but not only).

The good thing about a late afternoon party, is that the kids are pretty much ready to go to bed afterwards. Keegan got to open 1 present, and went straight to bed…so the celebration continued.

The next day, after school we had the present opening ceremony…the room felt like a toy store.

Look at all the stuff! This kid is so spoiled, and he still says he is bored and has nothing to do.We got lots of Legos, and Mutant Ninja turtles, and…another scooter, and Iron Man one. It must be the year of the scooter. Of course, since McKenzie got him that, he loved it, and now use s both scooters. We could not return it anyway, since there was no receipt, and he already used the scooter we got him. Oh well.

Now, with that, you would hope the celebration was over…but noooo. His friend Van (and my sister) gave him gift cards, so he still wanted to go pick up something. However, we told him he needed to be on his best behavior at school, or no toys. It took till Friday for him to manage that, and then on Saturday morning we finally made our way to Target. He decided he wanted to get more planes from the movie (he got some from Jada, under my advice) and an air carrier to put them in. With my coupons and my card, he even ended up with money leftover.

The only thing left to do, was writing Thank You cards. He did not enjoy that, at all, and we had to do it on multiple sittings. Sorry little man, but if you want to receive presents, you have to write thank you cards.

After three days, he was finally finished. He was happy, but we were happier still. After more than 15 days, his birthday celebration was finally over…and now we had only  a few days left before Christmas! Argh!

Comments are off for this post

Wow, Keegan is 6. I now need two hands to sign how old he is, and we are officially past the time of the most crucial brain development … at least according to The First Five (http://www.ccfc.ca.gov/)

“Research shows 90 percent of a child’s brain develops in the first five years of life.”

So I guess our job is done: we have done all we could, right? Jokes aside, we can definitely notice some changes, mainly in his reasoning, and in the kind of things he says and does. In fact, I like to say he is 6 going on 16: we have plenty of rolling of the eyes, slamming doors, stomping feet, and screams of how much he does not like us when he is upset with us. He even told Matt he was embarrassed by the clothes he was wearing. He talks about “naked girls”, he explains the “birds and the bees” (in impressive scientific details) to his friends, he cares about how he looks and what his friends think about him,  and questions everything. Of course, all this is complemented by apocalyptic meltdowns if we pour parmigian cheese in the wrong bowl.

He still likes cars a lot, but he now also like Star Wars (even if he is scared of watching the actual movies) and Star Wars legos, which he usually wants help with. He also liked Despicable Me movie, and especially the Minion Characters. So we bought some cool decal to add to his door. Did you ever notice that, even if they speak gibberish, oftentimes they use Italian words?

He is also full of contradictions:he is still very active and loves to wrestle, but would not consider martial arts. He loves to stay home, but still can’t play independently, most of the times. And he still loves reading, or at least listening to books. The big question remains: does he likes reading itself and stories, or does he like being close to us, and have US read him books? I guess we will find out in a year or so, when he could actually read a real book by himself. For now, we are happy to see he likes books, and we enjoy reading to him. He still enjoys picture books, but he is definitively interested in chapter books. We have read almost all the books in the Magic Tree House Series (43/50) and tried many different ones.

My colleague Marita also gave us tons of books her kids outgrew. Keegan was very excited when I gave them to him.

Some things that changed: he learned how to read and write; he learned to ride his bike without training wheels; he learned to ride a scooter; his Italian has improved; he wakes up slightly later, around 6.39am; his ability to argue has reached new heights (hopefully this is the precursor to critical thinking).

Some things that did not change: he still loves stuffed animals, especially very soft ones; he is still very happy and smiling; he is very enthusiastic; he has a huge curiosity (often crossing over to nosiness…we are working on that); he is picky in his food, with no improvement in sight; he usually does not nap anymore (we are working on quiet time instead); he still wears pull ups at night; he still has major meltdowns; he still very sweet and affectionate.

We took him for his yearly check up: believe it or not, Keegan was very excited about seeing his doctor. She is after all, very sweet and funny. She found him well and healthy. His vision is slightly worse, but still within the norm. He is actually slightly taller in proportion, so his body mass decreased slightly. He is now almost 4 feet (3.97) or 116cm and he weights 44lb or 2okg. As always, he was asked to draw his family involved in an activity, so he drew a house, tree and the three of us. Well, he is not Leonardo, but his drawing skills are definitely better than last year. At least we have bodies.

So overall, he is a normal, healthy and active 6 years old. We are very grateful for that. Now, if he only could sleep a little longer…

Comments are off for this post

Fall is San Diego is recognized mainly by the shortening of the days and the return to solar time. There a few deciduous trees, and the occasional rain, but other than that, it could be easily mistaken for spring, on in some extreme cases summer. On November 13, for example, as I turned my car on to drive home after work, the temperature reading was 106F (41C). Granted, the reading is always a little elevated when the car has been parked, but it stayed in the 90s all the way home.

We went for nice hikes to enjoy the warm weather. Once, we saw a red tail hawk land to the tree next to us while at Torrey Pines. It was huge. We had not seen one so close in years. Keegan was fascinated.

We also tried to go to the beach a little more frequently, since it is so close. During summertime is usually packed, but Fall is the perfect time, with the beaches, and the parking spaces, open and available. The water is a little colder, but with a wet suit, the boys can swim all year around. Keegan is practicing his writing on the sand.

I love mom and dad

This was our message:

We also had the chance to see McKenzie’s new house in Ramona. It is a beautiful, cabin-style house, with a large yard and a barn for their two horses. Keegan was mainly happy to see his “fiancee”: too bad she now lives so far away. She took him for a spin in her car, and gave him driving lessons.

They found some dress-up clothes…it took a little imagination, but here are the king and queen. The king is wearing a 1060 cocktail dress, but he is wearing it with style.

Thanksgiving was very late this year, on November 28, so the holiday season felt rushed. I think most stores completely bypassed Thanksgiving, to maximize Christmas shopping. Fortunately, Keegan’s school only closed Thursday and Friday (and half day Wednesday) so we did not have to take days off. The short week was full of activities for the kids. They got to make different native American Inspired crafts, including necklaces, small drums, and various decorations. On Wednesday, they had a Thanksgiving feast. Keegan did not eat much, but it was expected. He did get to wear a traditional Pilgrim costume he created. Here he poses with his classmate Olivia.

Thanksgiving weekend was a little challenging, as Keegan was particularly needy and would not play by himself at all. Matt, also got sick a couple of days, so I can’t really say I had a restful holiday.

On Thursday we had dinner with Daniele and Gaia. Keegan was looking forward to it, also because we had movie night, and watched Monster University on the big screen. Matt cooked a delicious meal, and Daniele brought great appetizers. The kids got along pretty well: Keegan has been particularly fond of Gaia since they are attending the same school; he often looks for her, and they sometimes play a little together at pick up time.

Not the best picture, but it captures the spirit. Happy Thanksgiving!

The rest of the weekend was not out of the ordinary. We went to cut Keegan’s hair, and on Sunday, I took him to Pradyuth’s party…at Pump It Up, a preview of his own party the following week. Matt was sick and rested.

So, all in all, we can’t complain: even if it was not as restful, we consider ourselves lucky and are grateful for all that we have.

 

Comments are off for this post