On June 26th, Genesee turned 11 months old! This milestone marks the age that G:
It’s not too often that we get to visit with my Mexican familia, but when we do, it’s a big ol’ fiesta… especially when it’s in celebration of Great Grandma Garcia’s 90th birthday!
It was a perfect day! First, I played under the blue skies and fluffy clouds while Genesee got passed from one set of loving arms to the next (because she’s adorable, and also, no one had ever met her before). Next we pigged out on a taco bar, tamales, hamburgers, hot dogs, Mexican rice, salads, fruits and more. Finally, we sang to the birthday girl, enjoyed a piece of birthday cake with a chaser of slice #2, and then danced off our buttercream frosting buzz.
We’re so lucky we could celebrate with Great Grandma. Mom always says it’s important to know the shoulders we stand on, and Grandma Garcia’s are strong.
We love you, Great Grandma! Here’s to more years of health and happiness!
Pop quiz: What do you do when the temperature outside hits PERFECT degrees Fahrenheit and your dad has an unexpected short day at work?
Answer: Get out the big boat and head for the river!
Follow-up question: What happens when the water is too high, resulting in a submerged boat landing?
Answer: Find a different landing that’s only slightly waterlogged, roll up your pants, shout “hooray,” and jump in the captain’s seat!
In addition to steering between navigation buoys to keep our family safe within the channel, I also love the view from the tall seat at the boat’s front, particularly when we drift under a bridge so I can yell the obligatory “ECHO!”
Of course, it’s all fun and games until someone loses their balance and almost falls overboard.
Luckily, I lived to enjoy the rest of the ride! And it’s a good thing I survived because someone had to win the fish contest, but also, the world would have missed me.
“It was SO fun!” 4 jalapeno-cheddar hamburgers, 3 beaver sightings, 2 grilled-to-perfection hotdogs, and 1 beautiful sunset later, we were buckled back into the Suburban, dreaming of the next chance we’d get to live like River Rats.
Genesee and I would like to give a special shout-out to all our favorite father-figures that we’re lucky to call “Dad,” “Grandpa,” “Papa,” and “Uncle!”
To the one we get to call “Dad:”
“We love you very much because you’re so cute and you fix the light bulbs.”
Happy Father’s Day to Daddy-o, Papa Florence, Grandpa Goodenough and Uncle Cory!! If this holiday was a contest, I’d say we won!!
To commemorate Genesee’s first June on earth, we introduced her to a Dairy Breakfast because it’s just the right thing to do. Since mom was in Massachusetts for a work-related institute, we were able to leave the house on time and beat the crowd! Once there, we stood at the front of the line within minutes, pointing Genesee to a buffet of reasons we hope to never become lactose intolerant: buttery pancakes, chocolate milk, cheesy eggs, yogurt, fresh cheese curds and Culver’s ice cream.
Genesee was indoctrinated with the Culver’s ice cream of course. And it’s a good thing she became a believer because dairy breakfasts aren’t just tradition in our household, they’re a rite of passage.
I had so much fun showing Genesee how to successfully enjoy June Dairy Days! This year will be extra memorable, not only because I got to share my love of pancakes-on-the-farm with my sister, but also because we got a taste of fame after being featured in the news (TV AND newspaper)!
Tomorrow kicks off my summer schedule, which means I’ll make my commute to Onalaska for academic purposes just twice a week. This transition will be bittersweet. “Sweet” because I’ll spend the rest of each week at home with Ashlee and I LOVE those sleep-in summers with my cousin. But “bitter” because school is WAY better than I initially gave it credit for.
Remember this meltdown?
Over the last six months, my new school quickly became a familiar place and my new classmates easily became friendly faces. My transition was eased further by my new-turned-fabulous teachers who plan multiple, monthly field trips across the Coulee Region just so our little minds can see all that the big world has to offer!
Here’s an incomplete list of experiences I’ve enjoyed on behalf of these brave-souled educators:
IT’S. BEEN. AWESOME. So, it shall remain a mystery why tears continued to well up in my eyes upon arrival most mornings between late February and early May, thus requiring a teacher-suggested sticker chart to incentivize good drop-offs:
But can you really fault me for not wanting to part with my super-cool parents? (I blame it on that Cancun vacation… I had made a full recovery by mid-January, only to relapse after growing accustomed to that extended family time in February.) Besides, my tears always turn to smiles within 60 seconds and then I pull myself together and get on with my awesome day.
And while it’s true that I now happily learn, grow, and play in a different classroom, I haven’t forgotten the place I came from. In fact, I made good on my promise to visit those UWL pals before semester’s end just for closure and giggles… I remembered them, they remembered me, and we picked up right where we left off!
…So don’t let anyone tell you that I’m not adaptable and resilient… unless it’s during my 1-minute morning meltdown. You know, the one that was eventually cured by a successfully-completed sticker chart, only to return after the extended Memorial Day weekend in late May? Yeah, that one. Old habits cry hard, they say.
On May 26th, Genesee turned 10 months!! And just like that, we have a crawler!
You know how I’ve described my sister as happy and smiley? Well, don’t let this picture fool you; I’d actually like to retract those earlier statements. Ever since entering the terrible-two-digits, Genesee has exhibited hangry behavior, she gets fussy in her car seat (sometimes crying the whole way home), she’s sort of a buzz-kill during movie nights, and she’s starting to grow weary of unfamiliar faces.
My parents are hoping it’s just a change of mood caused by teething or a growth spurt, but I have my own theory. I believe the timing of her sassiness aligns closely with her reassignment to the basement bedroom, which is why I tend to give her a pass most days. I mean, I remember sleeping all by myself down there… luckily I’ve since graduated to the main floor and someday she will too (although we may need to upgrade to a king-size bed).
39 was so last year. These days, our dad is a new and improved 40-year-old! Because you know what they say: “40 isn’t old if you’re a tree.” Wait… that’s the wrong pep talk for aging gracefully. Let’s try this again…
Dad, listen closely to the trees planted over the hill; they whisper wisdom in the wind:
Happy birthday, Dad! Forty sure looks good on you!
Because 7, 8, 9.
Ha! See what I did there? I told a funny joke to distract you from my lapse in posting Genesee’s monthly milestone photos. My only excuse is that I’ve been busy doing life with her, but for what it’s worth, let’s all take a moment to look back through the blur…
In February, Genesee turned 7 months old. I have no recollection of her 7-month accomplishments, but I can tell you she was alive and well and…
…not at all cooperative for that month’s photo shoot.
At Genesee’s 8-month mark, she was more of a pleasure to work with. But only for the photo shoot.
Because by March, Genesee learned how to arch her back and then regularly practiced this new move during diaper changes and car seat buckling sessions. Equally unamusing were the poopy blow-outs she started having that month… it’s just not a cute look. She also became even more resentful of having her nose/mouth/any-part-of-the-face wiped, and she absolutely despised those 2 seconds when a onesie was pulled over her face.
But there were a few impressive events that happened as an 8-month-old; Genesee:
And then she turned 9 months old!
By the end of April, Genesee learned how to sit up on her own, got really close to crawling, weighed just over 17 lbs (32nd percentile) and measured 27.56 inches tall (45th percentile). Doc said she’s doing great, even though that pesky cough has persisted; we may need to keep an eye on her for asthma or allergies.
Throughout all of these months, Genesee has consistently rejected vegetables, identified Uncle Cory as one of her favorite people, maintained a smiley disposition, and laughed at all my jokes. I’m not sure I could have asked for a better little sidekick.
I’m the proud brother of an honor roll infant!
At Genesee’s parent-teacher conference, her teachers informed us that Genesee always greets people with a smile and can sit up on her own. Additionally, her progress report confirmed that my sister shows great purpose in life.
I beamed with joy at the influence I must be having on Genesee. Based on the teachers’ observations, it is clear that my sister is a miniature humanitarian-in-training and Olympic-bound athlete. I’ve taught her well.
Why should I take all the credit, you ask? Well, sissy doesn’t just look up to me because I’m taller. I’m also a model citizen, which was the main takeaway from my parent-teacher conference that same evening.
I mean, let’s be honest… no one was surprised to learn that I exceeded all of my 4K readiness goals, like counting way past 20, safely using scissors to cut out shapes, listening to directions (only outside of the home and when given by someone other than my parents), and spelling/writing my first name.
“Miss Sara, can I write the rest of my name with lower-case letters like Grandma taught me?”
But, my evaluation further proved that I’ve still got stellar sports skills and that I play well with others. See exhibit A:
“A great coach takes his players friends where they can’t take themselves.”
However, the feedback that put the biggest smile on the faces of my parents was when Ms. Nichole and Ms. Sara said that I’m very kind. “He always lets us know when another kid is hurt or sad, and he can always tell us why they’re feeling that way,” they elaborated.
In summary, I’m not just your average toddler. Above and beyond all the skills I should possess as an aspiring 4K star, I also exhibit promising athleticism, an empathetic heart, a helpful spirit, and the friendliest soul.
Or in other words, I’m basically an Olympic-caliber athlete and local humanitarian. So, yes, let’s give credit where credit is due: all of Genesee’s success is indeed my success.
He moves like Jaeger 