Tomorrow, I’ll make my return to the classroom to get schooled. I’m excited to meet my new teacher and make new friends, but before looking ahead too far, let’s take a moment to look back…

…because this was the summer of water slides and pillow fights! It was the summer I discovered my love for puddles and how to speak in complete sentences. This was the summer I experienced separation anxiety and then overcame it through my quest towards independence. I spent my days solving puzzles and inventing new dance moves, and in the evenings, I learned how to tight-rope-walk along the edge of my crib. I could often be found trimming my own nails (with my teeth) or zooming around the house on my scooter. I rediscovered my love for “root berry” soda and I was introduced to my new favorite songs: “Can’t Stop the Feeling” by Justin Timberlake and “Oh Donna” by Ritchie Valens (thanks to a visit from Aunt Donna). And in between all the camping, fishing, hikes and bike rides, somewhere along the way, my feet grew and my pajamas shrunk.

This was the summer of 2016.

But, beyond the boundaries of Deerwood Drive, many other events also shaped the summer of 2016:

• The world lost a legend: Muhammed Ali, a professional boxer and activist.
• A little boy, about my age, fell into a gorilla exhibit at the zoo. As a result, Harambe, the gorilla, was killed to save the boy’s life.
• One of the largest U.S. massacres occurred in Orlando, at Pulse Nightclub. This was a hate crime and an act of terror against the Latinx queer community, the deadliest incident of violence against LGBT people in United States history. 49 people died and another 53 were wounded.
• Also in Florida, a two-year-old toddler got attacked and drowned by an alligator.
• Racial unrest, police brutality and disproportionate killings of unarmed black men continued to plague the country. Most recently, protests were happening as close as Milwaukee, WI.
• Residents of Louisiana were flooded by what’s been called the worst US disaster since Hurricane Sandy.
• Hillary Clinton became the first woman nominated by a major party for the United States presidency.
• Summer Olympics took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. We cheered on the athletes from our couch. Luckily, we scored front row seats to most of the events!

This was the summer of 2016…

…sometimes wonderfully historic while also tragically scary. But within the good and the bad, there’s always much to be learned from what’s going on around me. So tomorrow I will make my return to the classroom to get schooled. Wish me luck as I figure out how to navigate the 2-year-old room!

1. Eat an abundance of wild blackberries during your pre-bedtime hike.
2. Wake up at 3:00 a.m. and vomit said blackberries.
3. After getting cleaned up, with new pajamas and bedsheets, puke all over your bed once again 30 minutes later.
4. Display lots of tears and snuggles until mom and dad are convinced that the only cure is a family slumber party.
5. Enjoy your visit while it lasts because soon you’ll learn this belly ache wasn’t just a case of overindulgence. In fact, you’ll spend the next seven days perfecting the art of throwing up – complete with diarrhea from the other end of your body – all in the comfort of your own bed…. quarantined.

Top 10 reasons why this July was a month to remember:

1. I reconnected with familia… Aunt Nae Nae and Aunt Cha Cha came all the way up from Arizona and Florida to love on me! I also visited my Great Grandma Garcia. She fell last month and got an ouchie, but she’s doing well!

2. I traveled from the Elegant Farmer to the East Troy Depot via train! (Thanks, Cha Cha!)

3. I discovered new parks!

4. I visited some of mom’s old stomping grounds: Mukwonago High School and the Brookfield Square Mall. (At the mall, we played in Barnes & Noble until closing time!)

5. Aunt Cha Cha and her fur-babies moved into our house for a week!

6. I used my Build-a-Bear gift card (thanks, Papa Florence!) to bring Huddybear to life. He has a heartbeat, says “I love you,” and smells like cotton candy!

7. We made it to the La Crosse County Fair to see Ashlee and Cortney! Speaking of Ashlee, I’ve been getting to see a lot of her this month since she’s my babysitter best friend.

8. We spent quality time on the river with our Docan-Morgan friends before they left for a year abroad in South Korea. (Miss you already!!)

9. I toured the Wisconsin Dells by experiencing a Duck ride, perusing through Timbavati Wildlife Park, enjoying the Tommy Bartlett Water Show, and relaxing at our campground.

10. I’ve successfully earned LOTS of stickers! Sure, I still wear diapers, but so do lots of 85-year-olds. The point is, I’m getting better and better at using the potty. Want me to pee outside? No problem. Want me to go standing up? You got it. Want me to pretend I have to go potty after my parents put me to sleep just so I can get a free ticket out of the crib and delay bedtime? Every night.

Yesterday marked 9 years of missing Nana Florence. In honor of this anniversary, we took a trip to Mukwonago High School to visit Nana’s memorial brick. (Thanks for helping us locate it, Donna!) Mom says Nana was the family’s rock… the impact she had is everlasting and the love she instilled is permanent and fixed… that’s why her name is written in stone.

After returning home, we exchanged stories of Nana over our very full plates of homemade Mexican rice, beans, tortillas, tamales, salsa & guac, and pistachios. Mom says Nana would have been proud of us… and insisted we eat a second and third helping.

Our hearts and bellies are full! Hope you’re smiling down, Nana. We continue to search for signs…

Last weekend I got myself into a little situation….

But if you think I look bad, you should see the other guy. He got smushed with a flyswatter… darn mosquitos! I seem to have a bad reaction to bug bites, but I have a very good reaction to all the rest that camping has to offer!

On this trip to Hayward, we went boating, fishing, shopping and even visited a pizza farm! The best part, however, was the Pinterest-inspired sandbox that Grandma made for me, complete with John Deere accessories. That grandma… she knows what a little guy likes!

What’s not to like about Mondays?! I love starting off my week with YMCA Mondays! Not only do I have fun, but these classes have also been instrumental in the development of my socialization skills… with my mom. because I won’t let her leave. my side. ever. not even for a minute.

This week we played with shaving cream, painted firework-themed posters, threw bean bags in the gym, and ate strawberries with 4th of July rice krispie treats!

But the best part about YMCA Mondays is when we head down to Riverside Park for lunch once Tot Time concludes. Today, after devouring my Taco Bell Cheesy Roll-up, I took myself on an 85-minute tour of the entire park. Mom could hardly keep up!

I thought I was pretty cool until we got in the car and it was me who couldn’t keep up. I fell asleep in mid-chew of my Mickey Mouse veggie chip snack, before we even left downtown La Crosse. Not a big deal, you might think. Until you learn that your mom didn’t stop at Rudy’s Drive-In during their 99¢ Root Beer Float sale because someone was a big sleepy head. Talk about a missed opportunity! I can now sympathize with those who dislike Mondays. After all, root beer stands are for driving in, not driving by.

This morning I was goofing around and almost ran right into the couch! That’s when mom intervened with life-saving advice: “look up when you’re running around!”

Uh… okay?! I’m not really sure how this helps, but I guess moms know best!

Last weekend we camped at Jellystone, where we met up with Great Aunt Mary, Great Uncle Peter, Jill, Jeff, and my buddies Sydney, Mackenzie and Zach! As usual, Jellystone didn’t disappoint. My days were filled with outdoor movies, dance parties, glow parades, root beer floats, and butterfly stories.

My favorite part was hanging out with Zach because he brought a bunch of toys for us to play with! Everything from baseballs, to bug collector kits, to bouncy balls and books… he was well prepared!!

This year, I also became a fan of the “big” water slide. It was so much fun, I convinced almost everyone to ride down with me, even mom!  And when I wasn’t in the pool area, I was out exploring the park on my bike. But although I’m pretty fast on 2-ish wheels, it took a while to make my way around because Jellystone has lots of traffic; every time we would meet a car or golf cart or bike, I felt compelled to yell “Wait a minute!” and pull over to the side of the road until they passed. Safety first!

Life is good at Jellystone! I had such a blast and was a happy little camper all weekend long. I even have a “triangle” shirt to prove it. (Thanks, Mary and Peter!)

You know how much I like trains, right? Well, have you heard about the potty train? The other week, Grandma, Ashlee and Cortney came up with a brilliant idea to help me use the potty (because apparently it’s not cool to live in diapers forever). They designed a poster with train tracks, and if I use the potty, they said I would earn Thomas the Train stickers.

Do you think such a strategy worked? Scroll down to find out….

Of course it did! I’m not one to turn down any trains! Now, let’s just hope I can “stay on track.”

While school’s out for the summer, I’ll be attending the YMCA Tot Time to help maintain my social life. Last Monday was my first time attending, and I had a blast (so long as my mom was within a 5 foot radius). We sang songs, participated in arts and crafts, threw balls, and floated through the gym on scooters before eating a snack and ending the day with a dance party. Of course I had to hit my head on the ground before it was all said and done, but I only cried for a little bit and I can’t remember if I experienced any memory loss.