Just hanging out during Christmas break

Get it??  Hanging out?

Anyway, here’s the monkey and chris doing some indoor rock climbing...

Decorating some Christmas cookies

And finally got a new belt

Seems like we waited extra long for this new belt level, and it finally happened while I was out of town. They even skipped over one of the levels (camouflage belt is in between the white and the grey/white). Chris said she ran up to him afterwards and yelled “I did it!”

Though clearly just wants to show the attitude vs the excitement with this photo.

Finished her first competition

We signed up for 2 but she ended up doing 5. She worked really hard and never got discouraged. And ended up getting five medals out of it!

Beautiful fall day as we were leaving Camelback Lodge

And dressed like a rainbow of course

First day of November break

Happy Halloween!

Some parent-child Jiu Jitsu

It’s done!

It’s happening

no changing our minds about a new bathroom now!!!

Some snuggle time with Louie

And now in the swim lesson

Waiting for swim lessons to start

School starts in two days!

Had to get the obligatory before school starts pic with the giant shirt depicting the year she graduates from high school. She’s already complaining about it. I can’t imagine how she’ll be in middle school (if I still remember to do the picture that is). Anyway, cheeseball as usual

Just got back from a hair cut and doing some crafts

One week and one day until first grade starts!

Taking a selfie of her face paint while Chris and I were talking to the contractor

A day of swimming.

First it was swim lessons where my little monkey is learning the butterfly stroke. Then off to the cousins for a day of splashing and running around. We took Louie - doesn’t he look excited? Or scared...a little of both I guess.

Hanging out at the county fair

The best part for the monkey was a giant obstacle course slide thing that she went on about 10 times. I think the best part for Chris was the lobster roll he got at a food truck and for sure the best part for me was finding the Empenada Guy truck. I’ve been trying to find that food truck for like two years! It was worth the wait

Striking a pose at the car show

Chris took the monkey to swimming, an arcade, ice cream and a car show while I was home throwing up. I think they had a way better day than I did...

Day at the bay

The monkey wanted to take our dog out to the beach and see if he liked it. Sandy Hook allows leashed dogs on the bay side so we thought we’d give it a try.  It wasn’t a particularly nice day and the water was cold and full of seaweed. And, this is about as close as the dog would get to the water. 

He’s a bit of a scaredy-cat:)

A few quotes from the monkey

Monkey: I met someone at camp today who says he knows you, dadda
Chris: who was it?
Monkey: his name was John.
(A little more back and forth like this, mainly Chris trying to get more information about who this person is)
Chris: wait, I’m a little confused, what why was he asking about me again?
Monkey (slightly exasperated): well, I supposed you knew him!

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After flossing and brushing and trying for a few minutes to wiggle free the latest loose tooth, we finally gave up and settled into our reading routine. I read a page of the book, Chris reads a page, he hands the book to the monkey who says: I can’t read tonight. I’ve been through a lot.
Apparently trying to wiggle out her tooth was pretty traumatic :)

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Monkey: (wrapped up in a blanket): look, I’m a butterfly
Chris: you’re a flutterby?
Monkey: a butterfly
Chris: so a flutterby?
Monkey: (tiny eye roll): Dad joke!

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Finally, one day off on an especially hot and muggy day we spent like time making a little puppet show theater out of an old big box from a big lawn item we bought last year. Today I found this written on the side of it: “Ask someone in this family! Thank you!”
I guess she means to ask someone to see the puppet show? Not at all sure though

Does...this...seem...comfortable?

Three seconds in the humidity and these little curls pop right up

“This is a cute picture.”

“You should definitely take a picture because it’s so cute.”

Our monkey is officially done with kindergarten

Enjoying some fun in the sun

Just enjoying a beautiful spring day with the monkey and the dog

The monkey had her hair down for like 10 minutes

So I tried to get a good pic of the cute curls she can get. Just hanging out playing with the dog before swim class...

“It means peace for eternity”

Party time

I was expecting the monkey to ask for a big birthday party this year, at one of those places people rent out, and would want to invite her whole class. Instead, she wanted just family, at the house, and to have everybody dress up as their favorite animal. Everyone was nice enough to indulge our little monkey and some people really got into it with pretty elaborate costumes. I tried my best to do almost everything animal themed. The star of the food was the wolf cake aunt Jane made. 

Thanks for the new blanket, Grandma!

Someone got her second stripe!

she was so excited she could barely sleep the night before...she and her dad work pretty hard at this crazy sport. It’s cool that they have it in common.

Priorities

Monkey: there are two comfy couches and a ottoman I can lay on, but this quarter inch thick yoga mat seems more comfortable

Louie: looks good to me too, let’s wrestle over it!

Louie’s got a new BFF

He just cuddled right up on aunt Sonya’s lap. So cute...

“I was so excited to go to my BFFs house that I put on two different shoes”

“Ok I’ll just lay here, directly next to your chair while you work, and take a nap here while I wait for you to take me out”

“Seriously. Let’s go”

“I am ready for my walk”

“When are you gonna walk me?”

Bringing on the color for spring!

Even though it was raining...

Just building a fort

And laying down the law

Translation: If you don’t knock, I will ignore you | You must knock!!!!!!! | That’s all you have to do

And that’s Luke’s tail wagging right by the first picture

Everything is a ok

Made it through the dental procedure with flying colors. And with a few gifts from the dentist. I guess they give them the little nose cover they use for the nitric oxide? Weird, but thought it was funny. Her lip is a tiny bit swollen but otherwise she’s good!

Writing notes to Dadda

Chris has some late nights with his latest job (sometimes late meetings, sometimes concerts) so the monkey has taken to writing him notes if she doesn’t get to see him. This is how they usually read (translation below):

“How was your concert? Was it good or bad? Was it great or horrible? Circle the feeling. Have a snowy day. I love you dad.”

Just some random quotes from my child

“I saw someone from my school at swim class today. She’s in the kindergarten class across from mine. (Chris asked if they talked to each other.) We just stared at each other awkwardly.”

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“I’m very interested in what is going on with your hair.” (I just recently got it cut and colored for the first time in almost a year.)

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(Playing her school math program thing on the iPad) “1+1. What do they think I am, a preschooler?!?”

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“Mama, I like your iPad because when you close the cover, it goes off-a-matically. And when you open the cover, it goes on-a-matically”

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(After watching tv for a little while) “ I have to get up now because I have to get my pebbles of energy out”

Someone got a stripe on her white belt tonight!

This was right after chris was texting me that she wasn’t focused at all and was doing her “DJ spins” while awaiting instructions. Needless to say, we were all very surprised and excited.

Waiting for Chris for their first (I’m sure of many) daddy daughter dances

It was luau themed

Getting ready for mustache monday

Or maybe she’s too smart for us

The admonishing continues:

Monkey: “Daddy, you know I can hear you and mommy talking to each other when I am trying to sleep at night”
Chris: “You can?”
Monkey: “yeah. We should go over the tips on using your loud voice from the Doc Mcstuffins book about Loud Louie”
Chris: *speechless*
Hours later...

The woes of an only child

As Chris and I are cleaning up dinner, talking about random things, the Monkey, in the other room playing with the dog, stops and then comes up to me and whispers she needs to talk to me in the other room. She leans up to my ear and whispers:

“You and dad have known each other for years and had years to talk before I was even born. So really, if I have something to say to you, you should just let me interrupt because when you make me wait until you’re done talking, I forget what I wanted to tell you. And you have had years to talk to him. Really.”

Me: *speechless*

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A day later, as I’m trying to get her to go to sleep:

Monkey: “mama, I feel like since we got Louie (our dog) you really only pay attention to him and dad now. You barely pay attention to me.”

Me: “when do you think I’m not paying attention to you? Or is this just an attempt to stall because you don’t want to go to sleep?”

Monkey: “Well, I can tell you the next time you do it.  I can get a piece of paper, and when you’re paying attention to me I can draw you a star. And when you’re not, you’ll get a zero”

Me: “ok, go to sleep”

Me relating the story back to Chris: “Did our daughter just put you on a behavior plan?”

Can’t wait to see how many stars I get...

Mama, you want to know why I always want my hair up in a pony tail?

Because THIS is what happens...

I mean, I’m not really sure how that happened while she was strapped into her booster seat, but yet.