May 24th marked the last lesson of my final 8-week swimming session through the CTH/YMCA partnership. Every Friday, I would board a small, yellow school bus at 9:00 a.m. and head poolside with my Lightning McQueen backpack and Batman towel. In an effort to further develop my swim skills, I spent valuable time away from the classroom because even though school is important, swimming is importanter. Haha… see what I did there?

Seriously though, I am going to miss these days and I’m pretty sure that pool and those swim coaches are going to miss my Batman moves and strokes. But “I’ll be back,” perhaps as the Terminator, someday in the future to achieve my next levels of swimming greatness.

Thanks for the swim (and life) lessons, YMCA! And thanks, mom, for being there to document my high dives & silly splashes, helping my shivering body remove those cold & wet swim trunks, and then taking me out to lunch with Dad to celebrate!

Dear future me,

You belong to the class of 2032. That means, by this time next year, we’ll be celebrating your kindergarten graduation, after having spent 180 days as a 1st-grader-in-training. You’ll likely have a bunch of new friends, but hopefully, you’ve stayed in touch with your current best buds: Ireland, Lila, and Colin.

Today, you want to be a police officer, and I’m curious to see if you’ll hang onto that dream throughout kindergarten or if you’ll explore other aspirations. I’m guessing you may also take up soccer or basketball, and with any luck, you’ll have found a way to get enrolled into that karate class you’ve been begging mom about. But, regardless of the path you choose, I promise to always be by your side!

My only advice is to pause from time to time, when you’re in that new school as a bigger fish making bigger splashes, and look downstream to remember who you are, where you came from, and what you’ve accomplished. Because surely those memories will lead you back to your 4K graduation and all that you embodied on that celebratory day… You wore your cap and gown so proudly. And your dance skills were on point. And your eyes sparkled while you skipped around with cupcake fingers. Everything about that moment was magical. But mostly, I loved how you sang at the top of your lungs, freely distributed endless hugs and high-fives, and chased your buddies until you were sweaty and out of breath… almost like you heard Darius Rucker’s refrain, “It won’t be like this for long.”

So, live it up, little man! Be bold, stay curious, and keep smiling. And if you ever experience self-doubt, just lean on your loyal fan club/paparazzi… as you probably noticed at your 4K graduation ceremony, they will forever be rooting for you.

Cheers to the Class of 2032!

Best wishes and much love with a cherry on top,
Jaeger the 4K Graduate

P.S. Be sure to check in on mom; I noticed she got teary-eyed during the 4K graduation slideshow and so she’ll probably be a bigger mess when you graduate from kindergarten. Like, maybe give her extra snuggles?

P.P.S. Is it scary exploring the world without training wheels? And how do you like your new big-boy bedroom!?

Last weekend, we headed down to the North Bend Bottoms to kick off the fishing season!

I woke up wide-eyed and bushy-tailed, unlike my sleepyhead father, who forgot my life jacket. Luckily, we had a different lifesaver along: Grandpa, who remembered the Oreos.

Part of being a 5-year-old fisherboy is boredom. But, just as I got so bored that I started missing my sister, we caught some action in the form of a Red Horse and a Sturgeon – two types of fish I’ve never seen before. Then, I was hooked!

Fishing with Dad and Grandpa is the best… Go for the Oreos and stay to see what else Grandpa packed in his lunch cooler. And, of course, it’s fun to catch fish with my five-year-old muscles, too!

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!