"Paper Plater"

That's some serious concentrating by our "Paper Plater," number 122, in his very first BMX track race.

On Sunday, October 14th, we met up with our friends, Mike, Natalie and their four kids, at the BMX track in Manteca. Their two oldest sons have been racing for some time now and, ever since he watched videos of them, Preston has been itching to try it too.  Preston borrowed a bike from them (a huge bike in comparison to his own!), wore his regular bike helmet, John registered him and they placed a paper plate with the number "122" on his handle bars. The first-timers are fondly referred to as "Paper Platers" because they don't have a number plaque on their bikes.

Our paper plater was so brave.  A new bike, a new experience, a crowd of people, a dirt BMX track - - he's never ridden on that terrain before. Everything was new and potentially overwhelming and he... well, he just did it!  It made us so proud of him to see him so sure of himself and excited even while feeling nervous.

Preston, John, Mike and Camden heading up to the starting gate for some practice runs.

Cam patiently rode with Preston as he got the feel for the track.
I love the way Preston is watching Cam catch air.  I am sure he's thinking he can't wait to do that, too!

A father and son moment... getting some pointers and water from Daddy after a couple of practice rides.

Hanging out, visiting, cheering on the boys! 
Nana and Papa came down to watch Preston, too, which he loved!
Sweet Cora, who like Gracie spent her night awake, slept through the day.

The boys after the qualifying races! Cole, Sam, Cam and Preston.
I'm sure Gavin will be in the mix soon enough!

Miss Gracie enjoying hanging with Natalie and balancing on Sam's bike!

At the gate with Mike who was giving him some advice and support as John clicked away.
He bites his cheek (just like me) when he is thinking or nervous.

And there they go! 
After a few practice runs and the first two qualifying races, Preston had more confidence on the new-to-him big bike to stand up some of the time!

Love this shot and his sweet, concentrating face!

The final leg of the final race!

I love the way he proudly posed as he crossed the finish line!
2nd place overall in his age group!
Camden did a great job, too, and placed 3rd in his age group and Cole rode his heart out in his qualifying races.
We are so proud of how brave Preston was and how he went up to each of the boys in his group and congratulated them on their great race.

Receiving his 2nd Place Plaque and getting it signed by a professional BMXr!
(These shots complete with track dust on my lens!)

Adorable, snack-covered Sam cheering on the kids who were receiving awards!

Preston's race is the second one in... the "Dinky Dudes" as the announcer called them (5 and under)!  Preston was the only one of the three who hadn't raced multiple times before. Check them out... they are adorable!

He is hooked, at least for now.  Looks like searching Craigslist for an affordable, used racing bike is in our immediate future and our Sunday afternoons are officially booked!

The Graduate

June 23rd was all about this guy...
(and all of his sweet preschool friends, of course!)

(For the record... I couldn't scan our copy of this pic because it's already packed for the move as is the scanner!
I will post a proper, non-watermarked copy later!)

My three men hanging before the festivities began

It was a BIG night... quite a production! There were performances by each class, a bible study performance and a performance both signed and sung (to "Colors of the Rainbow" from Signing Time... very familiar in this house!). The kids were all adorable!  Preston, who definitely does not have stage fright, had so much fun during each performance!

Waiting for all his friends to get on stage and the music to get queued up.

Getting ready to sign and sing "Colors of the Rainbow"

The only bummer was that I wasn't properly prepared (a total "blonde" moment!) to video during the first song and missed getting that footage which would have included him singing, playing a drum and, like the little leader he often is, kindly reminding his friend to pick up his drum!  Here is the performance I managed to capture...

Then there was dinner, a full graduation ceremony and dancing! (See... I said it was a BIG night!) During the ceremony, Preston's teacher said something about each student as they walked up to the stage. Her words (paraphrased) about Preston, "You sure know how to have a good time, but also know when it's time to get serious... that's rare in a little boy." In the copy of Curious You - On Your Way that each graduate received, she wrote, "Preston, You are such a fun loving, free spirit.  I love that about you!  I'm really going to miss you.  I know you will do great in kinder!"  All such nice things from his teacher of the last 12 months.

Our happy and proud boy!

Preston with his buddy, Butch

Preston... surrounded by girls... uh-oh!  (l-r: Clara, Preston, Lola and Natalie)
(Snagged from fb... it was hard to get the kids together for pics after the ceremony because they were all so excited to start dancing and playing with the balloons!)

With his best buddy, Jonah

We were lucky to capture this quick family shot because all Preston wanted to do was go be with his friends!
(Gracie did not attend and was much happier playing at the park and at home with Pearl!)

Having a good time "dancing" i.e. running around and playing with balloons!

We are so grateful to the directors, teachers and support staff for the guidance, love, education and nurturing they provided our boy every week for the two and a half years.  He has blossomed on every level... I will miss our preschool family, his friends and the friends I've made through him.  Preston is (granted, I am biased) a well-adjusted, confident, intelligent, charismatic and sweet boy who is definitely ready for kindergarten.   Me... well, I am not so ready!

Gavin (Month 4)

Oh sweet BIG boy!
You looked right at me and leaned forward as if to say, "Hey, Mama... I don't think I want to sit still for pictures!"

Thanks for indulging me, sweet little man.  That's more like it! 

You look so HUGE to me now.  Sigh.

Dear Sweet Gav-man,
You are four months old.  What?!

You are a happy little guy (though you're still not lovin' the car much). 

You continue to be easy going (though daddy might beg to differ, but that's only when you're hungry and he can't provide you what you want). 

You have become a bottle snob.  You won't even take breast milk from a bottle now.  We must work on this as it is unacceptable!  (That being said, I love that you and I have accomplished this great thing by being successful at breastfeeding.  I wouldn't trade it for anything.)

Your faux-hawk has gotten really long, yet the sides of your hair have fallen out and the new hair is very blonde.   If you were a middle-aged man, you'd be considered a guy with a comb-over, but on you, well, it's just too cute!

Little bits of your 4-month-ness that I want to remember forever

You love to play and you giggle a lot.  One of your favorite things with me is to fly... you fly through the house and you love to lay on my knees while I make airplane noises and you "soar" around.  (This was also a favorite of Preston's well past the age of two.  Just wait, Gavin, the rides get crazier the bigger you get.  I am sure you'll love it!

You love bouncing, you kick your legs like crazy when you watch your dog run and play outside.

You easily grab at toys and put them in your mouth.
Everything goes in your mouth and lots of drool comes out.  Lots.

You love being "worn" in the Baby Bjorn or the Moby Wrap... facing out, of course, so you don't miss anything.  You thoroughly enjoy dancing when you're in there. I repeatedly say "dance with me" and we groove.  You crack up.  And, if you dance with Preston you really love it!  The other night the whole family danced with you and you couldn't stop giggling.

You continue to be a great night sleeper and take one solid nap during the day.  The only way to get a good second nap out of you is if you get in the car and scream yourself to sleep!  Otherwise, I might get 45 minutes from you in the afternoon (and that's adding up cat naps).  It's okay, though, I am super grateful for your solid nights!

This was taken last night just after you fell asleep. 
I adore that you are cuddling the giraffe.  It was Preston's first Valentine gift from Nana and he is happy to share it with you - - and quick to remind you that it was his first!
I take it away once you are asleep for safety.  Tonight, you drifted off while clutching him again.  So sweet.

You are a total flirt and will smile at anyone who smiles at you or engages you in conversation.

You have started squealing with delight and you get super mad (and vocal) when you can't reach a toy or if you drop it.  You already seem to understand the concept of "object permanence" for when you're in the Bumbo and you drop a toy, you lean over and look for it.

Prime examples of the faces that you make when you are less than thrilled.
Even though I don't like it when you're sad, I love these faces!

You turn toward our voices when we say your name.  You look around when Daddy holds you and asks, "Where's mama?"  And you absolutely, positively, adore your sister and brother.

Gracie wanted in on the action when we were taking your pictures.  She scooted over, eyed your toy, stole it, then decided she was far more interested in playing with your toes. 
I love the mildly bewildered expression on your face when she grabbed your toy.  The whole interaction reminded me so much of what she used to do with Preston.  She loves your feet just as much as she loved his!  And, she chuckles at you the same way she did with him.  You have no idea how happy this makes me.

You love when we read together.  You listen intently and look at the pictures with such focus. 

This was taken a couple of weeks ago (coincidentally wearing the same shirt as in your 4 month pics!) while Preston read one of your crinkly books to you.  I adore everything about how you look... your little hands clasped and your sweet face concentrating so hard.

You even loved story time when I was pregnant.  I'd read to Preston and Gracie and you'd get really active.  I assume you liked the cadence of me reading.  (Especially when compared to me sternly and repeatedly telling Preston to brush his teeth!  Ha!)

The other night you sat still for an entire reading of "Horton Hatches the Egg."  That's a long book.  Pretty cool, Gav, I hope this continues forever.

You were popular on facebook with your lesson on "How to smile with your whole entire face!"
I just love this of you... you were looking at Preston doing something goofy. 

You grew a birthmark.
See it?  It's really light in this picture, but this is the first one I took after I noticed it was not, in fact, something that needed to be washed off!  It's in the middle of your forehead, a bit darker now... and so cute.  :)

You got much better at tummy time...

And are now so close to pushing up onto your elbows.

You don't yet roll over completely on your own on a regular basis, but are so close. 

The "fluke" rollovers from 2 3/4 months were just that... flukes.

You still manage to scoot when rolling side to side (and when you kick your legs real hard) as, the other day, I put you in the middle of your activity mat and within 15 minutes, you were complete off of it!

This footage was taken on May 30th, just a few days after you started blowing raspberries.  This was the first "reciprocal raspberry conversation" you ever had.  Daddy and I were floored that you were trying to copy him.  (The sound is low, so you have to listen carefully!)  Now, just two weeks later, you're even better at it!

You are deliciously sweet and snuggly. I love watching you grow and change (though not how fast it's happening) and adore seeing you light up when you see your sister, brother and daddy. And, every time you look at me and grin just because, I truly melt. I could stare into your soulful blue eyes all day, sweet baby boy.

I love you so much,
Mommy

** At your 4 month check-up, you weighed in at 14 pounds, 14 ounces and measured 25 1/4 inches. **

Hey Batter Batter!!!

Preston has started organized sports.  Our world (and by that I mean ours as parents... and his, too, of course!) will NEVER be the same! 

We thought this boy was obsessed before... we were wrong.  He LOVES baseball and can't wait to sign up for soccer in the fall. He wants to play fall baseball, too, so I am not sure how we'll work out that and soccer.   Once this season ends, he can't wait to take skating lessons in preparation for hockey.  Our philosophy is to let him try everything so he can see what he truly loves as well as where he excels.  Baseball falls into both categories - - he loves it, he is learning a lot and he is playing remarkably well for his very first season.
(And that is an unbiased opinion, believe it or not! LOL!)

Practices started in early February and their first game was March 3rd.

John worked a half-day so he could be there to warm him up, help on the field and cheer Preston on along with Nana, Gracie, Gavin and me. 
It was such a fun afternoon.

His very first at-bat. 
In this age group (4 and 5 yrs), they go through the whole line-up so everyone bats and everyone runs the bases one at a time.  They first try to hit a coach's pitch and if they don't get a hit after five pitches, they can hit off the T.  When they are on the field, they switch positions halfway through the inning.  The idea is to teach them the fundamentals and build skills. 

My Little White Sox Man

The Pile-Up
This was one of the funniest moments of the game - - aside from Preston rounding home and heading back to first following his first time batting!  The boys all ran after the ball and piled-up in an effort to get to it first!  Then, after it was thrown to first base, they just stood there.  HILARIOUS!
They are all much better at staying in their own positions now :)

A huddle-cheer at the end of the game.
They then high-five the opposing team and run, like crazed animals, to the tables just off the field for a snack. 
So cute!

Batting at his second game

 

Doing an awesome job of fielding at last Monday's game

It's really hard to believe that the little guy in this post (who was 2 years, 2 months at the time) is wearing a uniform, hitting pitches and working fielding balls like a big kid. Sigh.

Tetherball

Perhaps you've been living your life thinking that it requires two people
to play a game of Tetherball...

If so... watch and learn!  You were wrong!  :-)

All of this was taken Sunday through the back door because Toby came running to me when he saw the camera! I had to be sneaky (like I often do with my two-legged children) to get the footage!

The picture above was from their playtime in the late afternoon during the Super Bowl, whereas the video was taken in the morning and is dark due to the sun's position. Regardless of color quality and shadows, I had to post it... they are too funny together and Toby proved himself to be a worthy adversary!

Please enjoy Preston's adorable, double-fist-raising-cheers for himself.
Please ignore my (very) annoying laugh and voice!

Our new son... 4-legged son, that is!!!

Meet our newest family member, Tobias ~ "Toby"
Christmas came a bit early in our household!
This handsome 10 month-old German Shepherd is our big family gift!

We adopted him on Monday, November 28th and, because everyone in our home has a lot of nicknames, he is already being lovingly called Tobster, TobyBoy and BigBoy. (BigBoy is fitting... he is going to be huge when he fills out!) He has also already earned a very special place in the hearts of our entire family.

He was a surprise to the kids - - neither of them had any idea that John and I had met him the week before. They had no idea we were even considering getting another dog... and we hadn't been until late October when, on duty, John rescued a female shepherd on the freeway. That event sparked a lot of dialogue between us about whether we were emotionally ready to get another dog (we lost Sophie nine months ago) and whether we wanted that responsibility with a baby joining our family in less than three months. We all miss Sophie terribly - - she is often the first thing Preston talks about in the mornings. And, while we will always miss her, we also have never lived without a family dog and that void was starting to feel ready to fill.

Some might think we are crazy getting a dog right before we are about to have a baby. Maybe we are. But, for us, it makes a lot more sense to get into a good routine with a dog now and bring our baby boy home to a pet than to try and get one later on.   I'd rather do the work now than with a newborn or toddler running around.   Granted, we didn't necessarily plan on a puppy, but we didn't plan on Tobias either.

At the point we started seriously talking about getting a dog for our family, I searched the Internet for the right type of rescue shelter that would be able to find us a good match (Sophie was a rescue dog, too).  When I found Westside German Shepherd Rescue, I couldn't have anticipated how great of a job they'd do.   I completed the application and let them know about a few females we were interested in, as that's all we were considering. (John and I have only had female dogs and had no interest in getting a male.)   When one of their foster families called about a young female we were interested in, she told me about a few of their dogs, asked me some questions and answered mine. Then she mentioned a male nine month-old pup that they had who, in her opinion, sounded like a great match for our family. I explained we were interested in getting a female.

Two weeks later (after one failed attempt to their home due to horrendous traffic) John and I met the foster family (nicest people... a wonderful family) and several of the dogs they were fostering. Midway through introducing us to the females they had, the foster "mom" asked if we'd like to meet Tobias, the male she mentioned to me on the phone. (I had told John about our conversation and we had looked him up on the shelter's site, but still were not into the idea of a male.) We met him... and instantly clicked, despite our hesitation.   They brought out the rest of the females and, before we left, we saw Tobias one more time. He was sweet, smart, easy on the leash, gently took the ball from John's hand multiple times, sat for us, laid down, played and all signs, including the instant bond we felt, pointed to him being a great fit... but we still weren't sure about having a boy. 

The drive home was quiet, we were both deep in thought and felt silly for not being certain just because of his gender.   (Those of you who we texted, called and emailed about this subject matter... thank you for your input!)  By that evening, we knew we wanted to bring him home, but we needed to wait until John had a few days off in a row in order to help him acclimate to our family as a unit. So, on Monday, unbeknownst to either of the kids, we went to pick up our four-legged son.

This is Preston, in the car, not yet knowing what we are doing other than "running errands."

The sound isn't great on here, but his reaction is clear and priceless!
And, as I anticipated, he was super happy that the boys will now be taking a 4-2 lead!

When we got Toby in the car, he was nervous... and so were we.  There are no guarantees in this process.  But we were also excited and so happy.  About halfway home, he scratched at his crate door and let us know he needed us to stop so he could go potty.  Such a good boy!

The boys... playing ball and bonding.

Gracie's first encounter with Toby. 
She was so happy to see him and was laughing and signing "dog."
We had hoped to surprise both kids together, but it just didn't work out with school schedules.  
Preston was sweet during the car ride, at one point saying that he was sad Gracie couldn't be with us to pick him up. (Considering it was close to three hours  total in the car, it worked out better for her!) 

A welcome gift from our sweet next door neighbors... well, from their one year-old lab!

John bonding with Tobias on his first full day with us!

There are no words to describe how happy this made us.
This was Toby's second night home and Gracie laid with him for about 45 minutes.  She was so happy to cuddle up to him (and invade his space multiple times!).  He was such a good sport and just took it!  Toby clearly senses how special Gracie is and that only made us realize how special he is, too.
Such a good boy.

We are, at this point, just shy of four days with Toby and are still very much in the "getting to know each other" stage. He definitely has some puppy behaviours - - he loves getting paper towels out of the trash can and he likes to sneak shoes that aren't in the baskets or certain toys from either of the kids' rooms (so far only in the mornings!). The good news is, he is easily redirected when we correct him and give him one of his own toys. He likes to explore, so he definitely cannot be trusted off leash in the front yard. He is smart, gentle natured yet protective, great with the kids, house trained, crate trained, a great sleeper at night and getting more and more cuddly and affectionate with us each day. John and I are so happy we made this decision for our growing family.