Daddy's Graduation 12/2

This last month, Dad graduated from the Police Academy. He had done the modular program and has been attending classes every Tuesday & Thursday night, all day Saturday and many Sundays, for the past year. Mom and I are thrilled that he is done and we get to see him a little more. However, we appreciate all of the hard work that dad put into his schooling. It paid off, too. He received awards for Best Recruit of the Class, and Best Academic Recruit! Good job, Daddy!!!
The ceremony itself was a little long and we couldn't hear the speakers that well, so I found some ways to entertain myself...
Reading with Papa:

Practicing knuckles and "blowing it up" with mom:

Waving to dad:

Playing with my racecar:

During the ceremony, dad had to pay a lot more attention than I was:

He had to say an oath:

But, he did get a few smiles and laughs in too:

A Friday Thanksgiving

Most years, our family gets to celebrate Thanksgiving twice. On Fridays, we often head to Grandma Dee's house and grub on some delicious food. This year was no exception. We got to spend time with Grandma and Grandpa Neff, Grandma Dee & Larry, Julia & April.

Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving dinner at Great-Uncle Elmer and Great-Aunt Lee's house in Petaluma.

Lounging after a big meal...
Attempts at a family portrait:

Yummy food and a great time. Great seeing everybody!

Cooler Weather

Mom took me out a while ago, when the weather was getting a bit cooler. She wanted to get a pic of me in my Giant's gear for our Christmas card. We had a picture of me at Opening Day in April, but I had grown so much since then. Unfortunately, the light was a little dark, the weather a little cold (I had to put on a sweater that covered my Giants jersey), and I just didn't want to give her a pose. Here is the best of what we got that early evening...

Nov. 21, 2010

Bumblebee Song

My new favorite song: "I'm Bringing Home My Baby Bumblebee"

Food Bowl Hat 11/20

Tapping into my feminine side...

On 11/18, mom heard some clomping around in the other room. This is what she found...


Hey! Check our what I found!
Wait, are you taking pictures?

Uhh, I don't know about this...

These are hard to walk in!

All right, I'm outta here!

Papa's Birthday

For Papa's birthday, we hiked up Mount St. Helena in Robert Lewis Stevens Park. Mom had just gotten a backpack from someone at work and we were eager to try it out. During the hike, I insisted on telling everyone about garbage cans. I worked the following words into our conversations as much as possible: garbage can, throw, all gone, and shut. Mom taught me new words and the spanish translation. By the end of the hike, I could point to an "arbol" and "hojas." I also practiced "arriba" and "abajo." Great Aunt Mari joined Papa, TeTe, Mama, and I. It wasn't long before I gave her the nickname of "Mamo."

Resting stop: After a quick snack while watching some rock climbers, we started up the final ascent. However, the wind got really strong and it was a bit scary. I liked it when the wind was light and mellow, however, this was too much. Everyone had to turn around and head back.

Getting some quality hike time with Papa:

Playing in the leaves with Mamo:

Walking on the log with TeTe. After the hike, I fell asleep in the car on the way to Calistoga. We all went to the Hydro Grill for drinks and appetizers, but I slept through the whole thing. They gave me my own booth bench to lay out.

Big Boy Shoes (11/12/10)

I have discovered that dad has Big Boy shoes and they are awesome! I have been caught several times, trying them on or walking in them. At first, I fell quite a few times, but within an hour, I was able to walk pretty well. I am just preparing myself now for the inevitable...large feet. Mom and dad don't exactly have small feet, so I just as well start getting used to it now.