This was my third time riding my new bike, and I think I finally got the hang of it! Pedal forward to go. Pedal backwards to skin daddy’s shins! Got it! Anyway, I’m havin’ fun on my new ride, and I thought I’d share this photo daddy took of me this evening.
Hi everyone! Well, after what seemed like an eternity of asking my folks if it was my birthday yet, it finally was! I am now 4 years old, and so far it’s been great! I can do a lot of stuff now that I am bigger, older, wiser - and it’s been fun. I got to have two parties, one on my actual birthday and then one a few days after. Birthdays are so awesome - people bring you presents, and you get to open them all by yourself! I told my mom and dad I wanted a Muppet party, so they put up green and purple balloons (for Kermit and Gonzo), and my dad made these neato signs with pictures of Animal on them, and my mom made me a Kermit the Frog cake! I got lots of nifty stuff, like cool books, and new cars from the movie ‘Cars’, and some new sports equipment, and….my very own Big Kid Two Wheel BIKE! Yeah! It’s red, and it has training wheels on it right now while I learn to ride it, and my dad has already taken me out a couple of times and it’s been really fun! I got a helmet to go with it, because that’s the rule (Elmo said so, so it must be true). Birthdays rule! Thank you to everyone for making it so special!
Hi everyone! Guess who’s taking swim lessons right now? ME! That’s right - I, Decker J, have been going to ’swim school’ over at Pleasant Hill Park, and it’s been really fun! My teacher is a very nice person named Corrinne, and we have a great time together! I’ve been learning to kick, and move my arms, and blow bubbles and even put my head underwater! Today I got to put on a life vest and float all by myself while I practiced moving my arms and kicking - it was so cool! Mommy and Sutter don’t get to go in the pool with me, but they sit on the side and wave to me when I look over at them. I get to go all next week, too - and my mom and dad say that they are very proud of me. I’m proud of me, too!
Hi everyone! Guess where I got to go last weekend? Yosemite! Yup, just came back from 3 days in the great outdoors and I had a great time! I went with my mom and dad and Sutter, and Cappy, Katil and Tully came along as well. It was so fun! On the first day we left really early drove and drove and finally stopped at this really cool place called Tenaya Lake. Mommy, Katil and Tully all used to live in a dorm building named after this lake, so they made sure everyone knew how to pronounce it properly! I’d been to the ocean, and I’d played near ponds, but I’d never really been to a lake before. This one was super shallow for a long ways out, and the water was super calm and not too chilly - as a result, my mommy came back from unloading the car to find me, Cappy, my dad and Sutter (in Daddy’s arms) having waded out hecka far into the lake! And it still only came up to my waist! I had a blast playing in the water, especially after Tully brought out her inflatable innertubes, and I got to float around and around with her and Katil. Mommy was a wimp and wouldn’t go in past her knees or so (she says I’m part polar bear like my dad!). I only got out finally when I started turning blue and my teeth started chattering (the wind had picked up). Can’t wait to go there again!
That afternoon we got to stop at some places with amazing views and really big rocks to climb, including a place called Olmsted Point. Sutter napped, and I clambered around and got some energy out. Then we went into the valley and had a yummy dinner and shopped around at this awesome gift store that has this enormous stuff bear that I remember from last year. I like to hide under his legs and talk to him - I named him Winnie the Pooh.
The next day we started off at Bridalveil Falls, and there were more rocks for me to climb! (Aunt Katil was very patient). Then, as we were walking back down the trail, a nice lady told us that there was a bear down in the ravine below us! Sure enough, a little ways away there was this black bear with a yellow earring (so silly!) wandering along! The bears in my Berenstain books walk on two legs and wear clothes, but this bear walked on all four legs and just wore fur. Mommy and Daddy seemed interested but also a little reserved about the bear - Mommy kinda held me tight and Daddy told her later that he was figuring out if he could run fast with a baby strapped to his back! Cappy spent the whole time filming and saying silly things at the bear. Mommy said we should always leave bears alone, because they can be as grumpy as she is in the morning when she first wakes up! Yikes!
We walked on more trails that led to waterfalls, but because it was later in the summer there wasn’t much water to see! Then we went to the new visitors’ center and explored around there, and Daddy bought me a cool patch with a bear on it to put on my school backpack for the new year! THEN we went and played in the water some more - but this time it was iun the river! Another first for me! This was the Merced River, and again, the water was really calm and shallow, so I got to wade out pretty far with a grownup. I played for a while with my dad and a boy that I met and made friends with called Caiden. We threw rocks and pretended to fish! Then I hung out with my mom and aunties while Daddy and Sutter caught a nap, and I pretended to be Mary Poppins flying on a kite. I sang and sang and sang, and then we all got cold and got out and lay on the beach and ate plums from Cappy’s tree back home. Mmmmmm! After that we drove and drove and drove, and finally got to a place called Glacier Point. This was neat because you can see a REALLY far way away, and also because we had ice cream! There were more rocks to climb,which I did while Mommy nursed Sutter. (Mommy says she has now nursed me and my brother is some of the most interesting locations, including Glacier Point, Central Park (NY) and Museum of Natural History (NY)! She says she likes to have something cool to look at). At Glacier Point I told my folks that I had to potty (I went a lot that weekend - it was very hot and I drank lots of juice boxes!). Anyway, it was my mom’s turn, and I think the experience traumatized her - it was one of those potties with no plumbing, persay - you get the picture. Anyway, I don’t think I’ve ever seen her so green! Poor Mommy!
The last day, Mommy went on a hike up to Vernal Falls with Cappy, Tully and Katil, and I stayed in the valley with Daddy and Sutter. We walked all around, including to this really big hotel called the Ahwahnee, and I also saw a helicopter land in the middle of a meadow! Then we finally met up, had some lunch, and drove a long ways home. I slept really well that night!