September 2016

September is here!  I think its my favorite month.  Fall is arriving, school routines are settled in, and Jimmy and I celebrate our anniversary.  I find myself always looking forward to it. 

Landon has had two occasions now to meet up with their reading buddies at school - a boy whose name I still don't know because Landon hasn't asked him.  Landon just began reading around the end of August, and is very eager and unintimidated by new words, and is progressing very quickly, so this practice time will be even more fun for him now. 

Labor Day brought another Field and Fair Day at Hutchins Street Square.  Jazzercise was invited to perform again, which is always lots of fun, and the boys have a great time with the face paint and different activities there.

Video of the cheerleaders dancing along with Jazzercise to Meaghan Trainor's Me Too.  Click here or below:

A new business is open in town called Gingerbugs, and it is owned by the mom of one of Caleb's friend's, Cooper.  It is an indoor play space for younger ones, as well as a place to hold birthday parties, and Cooper's was the first one!  He turned seven and they had a Hip Hop Dance Party, complete with DJ, party lights (like at a dance), and gold chains and cool glasses for the kids to wear.  This group of 5-7 year old played SO hard and our boys were drenched in sweat.  They looked like they had just gotten out of the pool.  Good indicator of a fun party! 

Uncle Ben and Auntie April came home for a quick visit and the kids had so much fun together.

Eli enjoyed his first popsicle, a pineapple one - well, actually he enjoyed Wren's popsicle...

...and liked it so much he went in for more, taking her last bite.  She didn't even get upset!

It's coming up on a year that we've known that Caleb has color blindness.  We did a few online tests and one of them specifies his type as a Deutan (see below).  Its an interesting thing to watch as he tried to distinguish certain shades of reds, greens, browns, and other colors.  So far Landon seems mostly in the clear for the color blindness, although there have been a few occasions where he mixes up blue and purple.  We'll keep an eye to see if that works itself out or not.

A quick hello in passing as Jimmy was arriving back to Sacramento and Auntie April and Eli were catching a flight to head home to San Diego.  

The first field trip of First Grade was a fun one to In-N-Out Burger in Lodi.  We were given a tour around the kitchen and storage areas of the restaurant, including seeing how the potato peeling machine works.  The tumble around in a stainless steel drum with blades on the insides, and it gets off most of the skins.  Two employees then finish peeling them and getting out bruised spots by hand.  The kids got to each take a turn 'making' french fries as they put a potato into the manual cutting machine, pulled down the handle, and watched the potato cut into the shape of fries - everyone's favorite part.  They then got to order their own food at the counter, and enjoyed an early lunch at 10am!  

If you're not familiar with one of Lodi's newest restaurants called Fenix, you should definitely check it out. This is the gorgeous and delicious meal I had from there on our Anniversary dinner date. Yum!

Uncle Joey, Aunt Lindsey, Jackson, and Kenton came home for a weekend visit in September.  Caleb was so excited for them to pick him up from school.

Suuuuuper delicious Gunther's ice cream at Double Dip Gallery.

Family came to see Caleb play his soccer game. 

The big plans of the weekend were a pool party at mom and dads house.  Papa Jack and Nana Dee had a ball loving on baby Kenton, watching everyone have fun and seeing all the kids running around. 

The pool party made for a great way for J&L to see lots of friends at once time - I think we counted 19 kids, all of them 6 and under except for one child who was 9.  Ava Cataldo played school and basically watched all the kids for us, keeping them walking around in straight lines, sitting and listening to her, saying "Yes Ms. Ava" in response to her, and doing everything she told them!  

Playing school with Ms. Ava

Caleb still LOVES babies.  He has so much fun getting down on their level, touching, and being silly with them.   <3

At Landon's school they take turns drawing what they call 'Mat Man.'  I haven't gathered too many details from Landon, but it is on a poster size paper and this is the one he drew.

My little pirate mateys

First time checking out the new Sky Zone Trampoline Park in Stockton with our neighbor, Haydon.  Awesome. 

Lefty Landon learning to do word puzzles like daddy.  Starting him out with the word searches.

Landon's best TK friend Silas's 5th Birthday - a Nerf party!

These two LOVE to get dirty!

...and a little random fun to finish off the month.  You can imagine how fun this was for them, wheeling each other up and down the cul-de-sac and belly laughing all the way.