Another Christmas in the Books

This morning, we had a 7:00 o'clock call-time at the Christmas tree.

We didn't have time to change out of our jams or brush our hair.  We had work to do!

We both unwrapped Squishables, which we had discovered during our travels last month.

 I love my pineapple, and G. loves her gingerbread man.

I also received this Lego City police station set that I had been coveting for quite some time.  I was able to lift it so easily because I've been working out recently.

 I immediately set myself to putting it together.

Later, at Bamma and Bampa's house, I played with my new Lightning McQueen remote control car.

 And Grace practiced her handstands and cartwheels.
We hope everyone had a great day!

Eighty Degrees in the Snow

 It was a good thing that it snowed in L.A. today, because it was way too hot for December.

 We were able to cool off by working on a snowman.

 Or by just standing next to one.

 Later, we took to the sledding hill.

 I was so hot, I took my shirt off.

 And I almost flew off the platter.

Luckily, my dad's legs kept me belted in ... barely.

 Then it was back to throwing snowballs.

I wonder if the snow will still be there tomorrow.

Gettin' to the Getty

 Today, Grace and I had our driver take us to the Getty Center for the afternoon.

 It was a beautiful day to be outside, so we barely spent any time in the galleries.

We rolled down the hill together over and over again.

 Grace practiced her cartwheels and handstands.

 And her yoga poses.

She strolled through the gardens.

And I collected leaves.  It's all art in its way, right?

Thanksgiving in Florida

 I jetted to Florida for the holiday break.  I started in Miami, where I spent most of my waking hours in the pool ... 

... and the hot tub.

 Our next stop was up the coast a bit to visit with my Great Aunt Lil, Cousin Pam, and her dog, Tobey.  As usual, I refused to cooperate with the photographer.  I didn't come here to have my picture taken.

 Then we drove across the state to the west coast for a visit with Farmor and Dave.  It rained a bit, so I took advantage of some iPad time on Farmor's couch.

 I also snuck behind her chair to give her a scare, but she figured out where I was before I got the chance to pop out.

Our Thanksgiving meal was shared with Farmor, Dave, and my sister, Grace, for whom I am very grateful, of course.

Halloween Wrap-Up

In the weeks leading up to the big day, I insisted on being an apple for Halloween.  I would take no other suggestions.  I was going to be an apple or nothing.  When the day finally arrived, I changed my mind.  So, for the school parade, I was ... an apple.  Don't I look super stoked about it?  (Thanks for making my costume, Mom!)

 Grace dressed as the suffragette Mrs. Banks, from Mary Poppins.

Later, for trick-or-treating, she met up with Mary Poppins, played by her good friend Zoe, and the two of them took the neighborhood by storm, collecting as much candy as they could, which, if one were to count, would be 72 and 75 pieces, respectively.

 As for me, I changed into my trusty old fireman's outfit for the evening.  That's me, heading out the door, while everyone else was just standing around.  There was candy to be had out there!

Soccer Is the Best

I thought you might be interested to see what kind of soccer skills I've picked up in my first season.

This is my pre-game stretching routine.

Here I'm playing my usual game-time position.  Coach says this is where I'm really needed.

 This is me being subbed out after a couple of minutes of vigorous game action.

 Today, during one of my many times on the sidelines, I found one of my teammate's fidget spinners, so I was able to practice my fidget spinning while the game went on behind me.

 I'm pretty good at getting rest in between quarters, which is a time when my teammates are also not on the field.  It's really my favorite thing about soccer.

Let's Go, Dodgers!

Grace really got into Dodger Spirit Day at school today.

She was sure her fierce support would carry the team to victory tonight in Game 3 of the World Series, but it was not to be.  At least there's another game tomorrow.

Soccer Saturday

So I'm just going to say it: I don't like playing soccer.

 Do I look like a fierce ball handler to you?  In this photo it may seem like I have some skills.

 But this one is more representative of my style of play.  As you might imagine, it's not very effective.

 If the coach has to pull me out to put somebody else in, so be it.  No hard feelings on my part.  I'm a team player.

My Lego Phase

 In case you didn't know, I celebrated a birthday recently.  I received a number of Lego sets as gifts, which I am currently very much enjoying.

 In particular, I like to take my Lego boats into the tub to see if they float.  Some do; some don't. 

 I can be very serious about my Lego work.

The Scientist

 On day four of Transitional Kindergarten, in the after-school program, I became a scientist.

 My whole life, I've dreamed of working in a lab and making new discoveries.

 After years and years of preparation, I have finally achieved my goal.  And the possibilities are endless!