Here it is, the summer of 2015. From pre-school graduations, to train museums, to birthday parties, rainy day drawings to outdoor fun, aquarium visits, Spy museums; we’ve done quite a bit this summer.
We were very excited that you would participate in this year’s graduation ceremony, since you were PAINFULLY shy in your Thanksgiving pageant. You did participate a little, but were more engaged when it was time to leave.
After graduation, mom and dad took you to the Columbia Mall where you revealed a newfound interest (though mild); you wanted a Captain America shield. You have told us a few times this summer that he was your favorite super hero, even though you still like wearing all your Batman shirts. Your real superpower? Stealing dad’s spot in bed and maximizing your space on the bed…
There were two major birthday parties; our next door neighbor Garret and your down the street buddy, Rohan. At Garret’s you proved your mastery of the slide. At Rohans, your love of an open sprinkler…
Speaking of open sprinklers, we got a blow up pool which had a couple of good days of use. Though the water gets so cold, you nearly freezed the first time we ever played around in it.
One of the drawings you did on a rainy day is going to remain a classic in this household. Daddy and his boss have a saying at work that you captured quite perfectly in a drawing. Ask me someday and I’ll explain it to you. You also haven’t slowed down with your general hijinks. But you have become a great helper in the grocery store!
On the sports front, the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup with our screaming support all the way. And you might have become an Orioles fan.
Some of the mundane stuff that still provided us with laughter? Your haircuts with Tessie. “When your hair gets messy, go see Tessie” is the new rhyme in our house. You adore your stylist and for that, we’re thankful.
A BIG milestone was your FIRST movie theater experience. You were perfect. You sat quietly, laughed at all the right parts and after it was over, revealed that your favorite character was… the villain. But in MINIONS, even the villains are pretty funny and tame.
Later in the summer Daddy’s old friend from New Orleans came to visit (Scott Smith; though he and his family live in North Carolina now). The Smith family visited our house, had brunch with us in DC and we walked them all over the place.
The day we visited the B&O Train Museum in Baltimore was an extra special day because you got to see the trains from Chuggington! It didn’t stop there though, because we went aboard a big steam engine, did a lot of activities and visited a very large and interesting roundhouse.
Some of the things we DIDN’T get on film were two different summer camp experiences you had. Both with Lifetime Athletic. But on a field trip day, Daddy decided to pull you out and go to the National Aquarium with you (more on that below).
Your obsession for game shows hasn’t really subsided, but you’ve at least provided us with some entertaining versions. You’ve scribed the Russian version of Jeopardy (or is it Wheel of Fortune?) in Cyrillic. And you were so fixated on a Mickey Mouse episode where Donald got “flipperboobootosis” that you actually made a puzzle board with the category “Sores on the Feet”.
The National Aquarium visits were both great. First dad took you on a day off. You and he went from tank to tank, learning about fish and you started a journal. You did pretty good work in it too, writing down names and trying to draw the animals we saw. The second time, was the whole family and it was a nice distraction on a very hot day.
This weekend we went peach picking and went to the park, where you were SO adroit on all the equipment. Daddy nearly had a heart attack when you went zipping up the rock wall, but it’s good that you’re building your muscles and your confidence.
Other things of note:
- We are reading EPIC! (A book app) a few times a week. You’ve completed the 100 books challenge for the summer and aren’t slowing down!
- You also like an app called Disney Appisodes, which let you control the book.
- Based on Appisodes, you now watch Sheriff Callie, Miles from Tomorrowland and Chuggington as regularly as the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.
- Your game show fixation has gotten a little intense sometimes, but Wheel of Fortunes have given way to category boards and puzzle boards.
- You told Daddy that you were going to “Take over Merkle… as the CEO. Of the cafe…”
- When we go to Arundel Mills mall two things we have to do; Dave and Buster’s Arcade, Bass Pro Shop’s massive fish tank.
- We’ve played a lot of Legos, board games (Mostly Hi Ho Cherry Oh) and have to figure out some toys to DONATE because you have so many.
- We all spent the night at Colin and Beth’s again.
It's Campbell Time! 