All Rise. Court is now in session with Judge Jaeger presiding and prosecuting.

Calling the case of the People of the State of Wisconsin vs. Genesee Jaydeigh Goodenough.

Opening Statement:
April 26th marked 21 months of sharing my toys and my spotlight with my little sister, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I mean, I could do without the sharing part, but Genesee made us a party of 4 and I love a good party. Plus, she gets cuter every day and I can hardly stand it.

But cuteness only takes you so far in life. Consequently, I’ve started collecting evidence to determine if she’s worthy of that bedroom I was evicted from.

Fact-Finding:
First, I observed Genesee’s every move and became slightly concerned by her obsession with Dad. Hence, the stalking allegations on her record.

Then, I noticed Genesee started following me, too. And although I found this behavior to be somewhat unwanted and annoying, mom assured me that I’ll think it’s cool someday.

Over time, my observations of Genesee pointed to signs of change, growth, improvement, and increased intelligence, like you’ll see in Exhibit A (below):

Genesee is starting to like mom a little bit!

Let me also present to you, Exhibit B:

Genesee has started brushing her own sweet tooth!

And of course, there’s Exhibit P:

Genesee attempted to pee in the toilet….

…and on April 23, she successfully pooped in the toilet, like a champ (or like a normal human being).

Closing Argument:
In conclusion, I’d like to present this final piece of evidence (video documentation below) that proves Genesee is no longer the innocent baby we once knew. In fact, somewhere between all the changing and growing, we found her guilty of filling our house with laughter:

However, while guilty on one count, we do adore our cutesy-wootsy-but-sometimes-whiney chocolate-milk-drinking, door-closing, bathwater-listening, always-snacking, dad-shadowing, arm-crossing, nature-loving lady and so I hereby release the defendant to continue living her best life so that the world can enjoy her goofy contributions to society.

Genesee: Please do not make me regret this verdict. Instead, go forth and do good in the world by continuing to make us all proud.

Case closed. This court is adjourned.

Easter wasn’t just Easter. It was also the 3rd installment of my birthday celebration series. Because turning 5 requires a Pre-Party, an Official Party, and an After Party Eggstravaganza.

Before kicking off Easter weekend, the Easter Bunny visited us at school! One of us was grateful…

…the other one was traumatized.

Luckily, for Genesee’s sake, there were no run-ins with the Easter Bunny at home, but there was evidence that he visited!

After inspecting Easter baskets and enjoying the contents for breakfast, we moved the celebration to the Nicolai’s house for the After Party Eggstravaganza.

Based on the above smiles, snuggles, happy bellies, and full hearts, it is my recommendation that we continue the three-pronged approach to commemorate all birthdays from this day forward.

Chuck E. Cheese was just the pre-party, of course, because my actual birthday was April 16th. That’s the day I officially became a 5-year-old, so we sealed the deal with cupcakes at school, a dino-mite birthday cake at Grandma’s kitchen, and a much-anticipated gift opening session before bed.

If you’re looking for me anytime soon, I’ll likely be playing my new Nintendo Switch game system (thanks parents and Nicolais), modeling & test-running my sweet new Pumas (thanks, Kari!), scrolling the Amazon site with my loaded gift card (thanks, Papa!), or flying my new kite and enjoying the outdoors on my new tree swing (thanks, Grandma & Grandpa)!

If you’re wondering what 5-years-old looks like on me, I’m the cute little guy with newly-surfaced freckles, a skill for translating my sister’s jibberish, a sudden fear of “bad guys,” and a need to confirm the doors are locked every night. I also have a wiggly tooth, a bike with no training wheels (that I have yet to master), a newfound love for the TV show Wild Kratts, a well-developed talent for snapping, and a constant urge to run throughout the house naked.

To be five is to be alive; watch me live this year up!

Ain’t no party like a Chuck E Cheese party, so I gathered all of my favorite 4k friends and headed to the big city and bright lights to celebrate turning 5, and IT. WAS. INCREDIBLE! …Somewhat because that was my chosen party theme (Incredibles 2), but mostly because nothing says incredible like 800 hard-earned tickets, 270 calories of cotton candy, 120 minutes of non-stop fun, 60 seconds in the Ticket Blaster, 50+ arcade games/rides, 10 birthday gifts, 3 helium balloons, 2 pieces of cheesy pizza, and one candlelit-buttercream-frosted cupcake with a Grandma/Grandpa-provided ice cream scoop!

Thanks for helping me ring in year 5, Ireland, Lila, Quinn, Maddox, Vivian, Sonia, Julian, Violet, and little Noah!

Sometimes, you’re on the wrong side of history. Like Genesee.

Luckily, the future is righting the wrongs of the past. Because inclusion makes us better. Because representation matters. And because belonging is everything.

The future is rewriting history herstory. The future is now.

When winter brings you snowstorms, blizzards, and wind chill advisories, we say, “Game on!” because we know how to beat the winter blues:

Step 1: Visit Mall of America to find the nearest rainforest.

Yikes! We traveled to the Cities early to get ahead of the weather.

Rainforest Cafe anyone? Yes, please!

It was only a little scary…

…Because this guy kept growling at us.

But, we lived to tell about it.

A LEGO store?!

This is incredible.

So many things can be built with LEGOs.

So cool!

We even rode a rollercoaster INSIDE the mall!

I love MoA!!

Step 2: Head to the airport and hop on the first plane flying toward warmer weather.

Bags checked and ready to go through security.

Waiting to board the plane.

Genesee tries to be just like me.

Ready to rise above the clouds!

Will the little monster…

…be quiet on the airplane?

Answer: Yes. (Thank goodness she fell asleep.)

Now it’s time to relax.

Are we there yet? I’m just a little excited.

Step 3: Arrive at the Grand at Moon Palace and inspect the swim-up suite room you requested.

Our private black Suburban ride to the resort

The premises.

Our golf cart ride to our home-away-from-home.

A look at our suite…

…from the outside.

Double sink,

King-size bed,

Deluxe whirlpool and spacious patio,

AND a private pool. Holy Kamoly!

We can get used to this.

Step 4: Enjoy delicious food, refreshing beverages, perfect temperatures, and have more fun than your heart can handle.

Non-alcholic Strawberry Daiquiris! (Except for that one they accidentally put alcohol in.)

Done.

Dessert!

Brand Buffet Breakfast

Fun at the Playroom

Because who doesn’t love a pretend game of grocery shopping?!

G is on a mission.

Love this thing!

The weather is perfect here!

Delivered-to-your-room breakfast. Sure!

So. Many. Desserts.

That looks like a hot drink.

Michael Jackson… what!?

More dessert.

A savory pizza crepe

Italian Night

Vacation is hard work, so yes, I ate two dishes!!

So refeshing!

Mom and her Miami Vice drinks.

Step 5: Swim. Swim. Swim.

Genesee liked the water…

…especially the lazy river with mom!

Have no fear, Batman is here.

Don’t let these arm floaties fool ya…

I’ve become so comfortable in the water.

I can float on my back,

I can go beneath the surface for long periods of time with my trusty goggles,

I can do black flips!

I can even swim at night in the dark!

Genesee is also quite skilled at being tossed into the air.

These heated pools were everything!

And the swim-up suite was just what we ordered.

I became wrinkly….

…and sunburnt.

But it was all worth it!

Genesee wasn’t quite the fish I was…

…But I have a feeling she will be one day. (So long as she can cling on to Dad.)

Step 6: Relax, meet up with Morgan & Garrett, crash, and repeat.

Sleepy heads.

Genesee loved to sit with Garrett

Meeting up with Garrett and Morgan was so much fun! (Before I fell asleep)

Nap time.

Snoozin’ poolside.

G loves her snuggles with Dad.

I love when G falls asleep! Parents all to myself.

T.I.R.E.D.

Sometimes I just can’t hang.

Step 7: Watch the sunrise, walk the beach, and make lots of memories.

It’s a beautiful day

for the sun

to rise!

Breathtaking.

Taking a final spin around the complex. In our pajamas.

Posing in front of mom and dad’s wedding gazebo.

Finding the beach…

…and making picture-perfect-pajama poses.

Feeling the sand between our toes.

Playing lifeguard.

Leaving footprints

Admiring the ocean

G was drawn to the ocean

“What’s up, buttercup?”

Me and momma.

Keeping G safe from the swim-up pool.

Making memories

Mom & Dad (Photo credit: me)

Photo credit: me again

Me and Dad

My duck lips pose

Gazing into my mother’s eyes

I may or may not have been exposed to too much sun on this trip.

But I’m still cute.

And cool.

This is where Aunt Julie wanted to hang out.

Alcohol. Yuck.

The ladies.

The Grand at night

Step 8: Return to Wisconsin with renewed energy to beat the winter blues.

The ride back to the airport

Sad to leave Mexico

But happy to work on puzzles in the plane.

Even more happy to see Genesee pass out right away.

And to have her wake up at the end of the flight in a good mood.

Back in Wisconsin and ready for the cold.

Still smiling.

Still having fun.

What a ride!

Final Score = Goodenough Family: 82, Winter: -24

Even though those numbers also reflect the temperatures of Cancun vs. Wisconsin, we pretty much kicked winter’s butt.

Winning!

On February 16th, the parents made good on my Christmas present and took me to my first Monster Truck show!

After arriving at the La Crosse Center in style, compliments of Mom and Genesee’s fancy curb-side drop-off, Dad and I ventured inside to locate our top-dollar seats for the LOUD, cold, dusty monster truck rumble.

Despite the noise and the temperature, and never mind that I may or may not have fallen asleep for a little bit, the show was really AWESOME! We cheered on our favorite adventure-seeking drivers, we witnessed a monster truck flip over, we got mud splashed on us, and I enjoyed a hot dog lunch with a cotton candy chaser.

The monster mayhem gained a new superfan!

You can mark us safe; we survived the 2019 Snowpocalypse and Polar Vortex. But dozens were not so lucky, as tragic deaths were reported after snow blankets dumped from the sky and record-setting artic conditions gripped much of the Midwest. The historic bitter temperatures suspended the U.S. Postal service, closed businesses, and canceled schools (including mine and mom’s), as a state of emergency was declared and people were urged to stay indoors or risk experiencing frostbite and hypothermia within minutes. I was happy to oblige because I love my stay-home days. And because hot chocolate topped with melty marshmallows is good for the soul. And because fresh air never feels better than right before a polar vortex. And because SLEDDING… finally!

Meet the Jaeger of 2019! I’m a more sophisticated version of the kiddo you all loved before, only now, I’ve learned how to roll my eyes,

I’ve stopped biting my nails,

Woohoo! No more bleeding fingers.

and I’ve got a consistent track record of good drop-offs.

Thanks to my trusty and still effective sticker chart!

Oh, and remember that time I told mom, “I didn’t know girls could be bosses”?! Well, the new and improved Jaeger has left his sexism in the year 2018.

Photo hazing credit: My mom (who happens to be a boss)

Furthermore, the new me likes to share “highs and lows” at the end of each day, I enjoy learning how to read, I now know how to dive into deep water, and I’m highly skilled at coloring inside the lines.

But it’s not just me who gets better with age. The 2019 Genesee likes to point a lot, has perfected the word “MINE,” loves a good dance party, displays increased speed-walking levels despite a stagnant grace factor, and might grow up to be a successful shoe model.

My sister is a beautiful contradiction of a built-tough scaredy-cat with clingy independence, a grumpy heart, and a standoffish yearn for snuggles.

Together, we are poised and ready for 2019. Hopefully the new year is ready for the renewed us!?

December was a month with several ups and downs…

The December downs had us battling illness, missing Dad while he hunted in Iowa over winter break, complaining about the lack of snow for sledding excursions, and shivering in bed that cold morning our furnace stopped working.

Luckily, the upside of December was filled with 400-piece puzzles, daily UPS deliveries, cookie making traditions, shoveling shenanigans, and 4-wheeler adventures.

The upside of December also brought us a much-anticipated visit from Beth and a beautiful celebration of birthdays for Papa Florence and Grandpa Goodenough.

The upside of December even took me on fantastic field trips, reunited me and my Nintendo Wii, and carved out quality time with family and Christmas presents.

We didn’t even keep score because it was no match: clearly, the upside of December wins. And so, as the month’s end becomes the start of a new year,

I made it to midnight! Oh hey, January!

Happy New Year!!

we lovingly toast to the unforgettable ups, while we also fondly remember the December downs as…

 
Wait, what downs?

…forgotten.