Julia turns 9!

 Julia,

You are thoughtful, and silly, and impish, and earnest, and capable. You are loving and crazy, you are strong and smart. You are adventurous and friendly and always, always, you have a plan...and a way to execute it.

This year you really got into Roblox, and making your own videos about Roblox. Before that, you made and edited your own videos about your dolls and other toys in your room and made your own Youtube channel: Julia's Sweet Things.

And we made lots of silly movies together- you, me and Aidan-under your clever direction:

You've been working very hard on learning piano, and this year you had your first recital!

Also, you fell in love with Drama this year, thanks to 2 acting camps over the summer! You were a princess, an old lady, a lemur, a monkey, and you had SO much fun!

You excel at school, and give your schoolwork- and your friends- your all. Your teacher told us you were an inspiration. Your're grateful and you get along with everyone. You're not a complainer, but you will advocate for yourself. You are precocious and a rule-follower. 

One time this year, you got in a little bit of trouble at school. You decorated your body with a Sharpie beauty mark. Your friends followed suit and weren't as restrained as just putting a beauty mark. The Sharpies were taken away, and your teacher let you know that she wanted to talk to you the next day. You were so upset at yourself; you confided in us that you felt you had let your teacher down and your friends down. You were worried that the Sharpies would be taken away permanently, and that really upset you. Because you love to use them in your art. You made a plan. The next day at school you would talk to your teacher and apologize and promise to never do it again. You were so worried she'd be mad at you. Well, you executed your plan, and the teacher was not mad at you at all; in fact, she appreciated you coming to her and being honest.

And that is just a snap-shot of who you are at 9. We can't wait to see what comes next, and will be by your side as you continue to learn and grow!

You are Creative, silly, serious, strong, amazing, wonderful, loving. And I'm so proud to be your Dad! And I love you forever! Wave riders forever! Survivor Forever! Tootsie Rolls forever! Beavers Bend forever! Ka-kaw Ka-kaw!

Missing Footage

Recently some lost footage of you was found, Aidan. And by lost I mean we never talked about it. But it's too good not to share.

Over the summer, you really started living a rock and roll lifestyle:

The trend of rocking out continued in public over Thanksgiving. We went to the new deck park with Aunt Rebekka, and you got a private concert from a Piano Man. You danced, you spun, you clapped...and you did it all seriously. Here's a snippet of a seated and eated rockin' and rollin':

You also know how to rock and roll in private WITH clothes on.

You also can rock out with your own original covers. You should make a record.

And just like a record, baby, you also got to spin right round, round round.  At a trip to the zoo with Pops, you experienced your first Carousel ride!

It's not often you get to see pure wonder on someone's face. But this was it. You really, really loved the carousel.

Speaking of spinning, on the same trip to the zoo, you also got to experience centrifugal gravity. Or whatever it's called at those museums where you drain your parents of all their loose change in that black hole vortex thing. Whatever you call it, you got a kick out of it, and Pops was your enabler.

But life isn't all fun and games. Sometimes it's donuts!

And sometimes it's being a daredevil:

And sometimes it's chasing your dreams (or a bug):

You have to march to the beat of your own drummer, though, especially if you're a rock star. Maybe not if you're the drummer...but otherwise, you can be independent as a drummer. Or something. I don't really know what I'm saying, but look: here's a video of you playing it safe in Mimi and Pops' backyard.

See? The videos were great! And sometimes great footage just falls through the cracks. But that's why I'm here: to shoehorn it all into one random post that basically just tells you what you already know: Your mother and I think you're amazing and hilarious and a star. We love you.

Art Baby: A Day at the Museum

Over the weekend, we spent a whole day at the Dallas Museum of Art. They were having a "BooksmART" event, where authors and illustrators came to talk about their craft, sign some books and lead workshops. One of your Mommy's favorite illustrators/authors (her illustratin' idol, in fact), David Wiesner, was one of the stars of the day. So we stalked him at the museum.

First we heard a lecture from him. He had a Powerpoint showing drawings from some of his great books. And you got really excited and vocal when the giant frogs (from "Tuesday") and lizards (from "Art & Max") were shown on the screen. You made it through about half the lecture before I decided to duck out with you. You weren't getting fussy, but you were maybe getting too excited and screeching and pointing, so you and I had some Daddy & Aidan fun time around the museum while Mommy finished listening to the lecture.

You had a blast looking at all the cool art and a few of the children's attractions they had there.

It was also a very flattering day for me because of the transitive property of compliments.

A lot of people stopped me to tell me how adorable you are. One woman even stopped me to say that you were a beautiful boy with gorgeous eyes.

Then a few minutes later, a Museum person observing you riding on my shoulders stopped us and said that you looked just like me.

Therefore, ipso facto, I, too, must be adorable!

But, enough about me!

After we met up with your Mommy after the lecture, we went and grabbed our picnic lunch while Mommy waited in line to get Mr. Wiesner's autograph in all 5 of his books that we own. It was hot as blue blazes, so I fed you a banana in the shade for the most part while your Mom waited.

But then we got to the front of the line and blammo! You, me and your Mom met David Wiesner!

Then we fed you your delicious lunch in the shade of the museum trees and the Dallas skyline!


But, being the s-m-r-t parents that we are, we knew that you needed to nap (it was already nearing 1:30 and you hadn't had your 11 o'clock nap yet!). So we decided to take a stroll around the museum in the hopes that you'd fall asleep.

In one empty gallery, we thought we had lulled you to sleep. But then you discovered how to make an echo and then filled the gallery with some underwater echolocation noises.



So we had to take you somewhere less entertaining. And we found it: a one-room exhibit of architecture line drawings did the trick! Good night, Aidan!

But, then we hit a problem. The area for the next event, a workshop, was a no-stroller zone! But you needed to nap...so we decided that you'd spend your nap in my arms. But, problem two: my arms would fall off if I had to hold you for over an hour. So, solution: home-made sling! Your mom tied my shirt (which had previously served as a picnic blanket) ((good thing I wore two shirts)) around you and me and made a civil-war style sling. I worked perfectly! I could hold you but spread some of the weight to my shoulders. And, not-so-secretly, I relished every moment of cradling you in my arms and having you sleep on my shoulder. You don't do that too often any more!



So, we parked the stroller and stood in line for Wiesner's workshop. You slept for an entire hour in my arms, but when you woke up, you woke up excitedly. You found yourself in an art room and started excitedly vocalizing at all the drawings and cool crafts around. Once you were done cuddling and pointing, you were ready to join in the fun. So we got you a pencil and a piece of paper, and you went to work doing your own full-body, super-excited illustration!

While your picture will certainly be hung up on the side of our fridge, it's really the whole adventure that I'd like to put in a frame and hang up on our wall-- that way, we'll never forget it. But, I guess this blog entry will do.

And, at any rate, the Museum's just around the corner. I suspect that we'll be spending many a fun day in the museum, and maybe one day, we'll be there to see yours and your Mommy's artwork hanging up on the wall!

Catching Up!

Well...so what's been going on with you since your birthday? Don't feel like reading about it? That's fine! How about some videos to fill in the gaps? You really were interested in the gifts people got you for your birthday. Some of them had to be played with before they were officially opened!






And then at the hotel with your Cousins Ruthy and Steve, you got to see your first swans up close and personal. You were so impressed with these birds that later that day we took you to White Rock Lake to show you the ducks, pelicans and cranes! You really are turning out to be quite enthralled by animals!

Laughing all the Way...

You LOVE to laugh (Ha ha ha ha!)

Loud and Long and Clear!


You love to laugh (Ha ha ha ha!)


You're getting better at it this year!


I'm pretty sure that song's from Mary Poppins. Or Bed Knobs and Broomsticks. Something from Dick Van Dyke's vast repertoire.

And if the name "Dick van Dyke" doesn't make you laugh, then we know a few things that have a pretty good track record:


First, of course, hearing animal sounds, especially a seal, will make you laugh!



Secondly, obviously, some of the more serious works of Lennon/McCartney make you giggle!



And, everyone's favorite, the Piano-playing Moose is sure to let those laughs fly loose (ly)



We love your laugh, and we love to make you laugh. It's hard to imagine that just under a year ago, when you were first born, you couldn't laugh or even really smile. And now? Now you're such a big boy, laughing, and smiling, and spreading the love.

Dick van Dyke.

Videos and Valentine's

Ever since your Mommy and I got our new phones, it's easier than ever to just take cute little videos of you doing cute little things and share them with the world instantly. But, since I don't know how much youtube you're allowed to see with those Draconian parent-locks all over the internet, I wanted to share these videos with you directly.

Most of them take place in the high chair because, well, you are so fast that it's hard to get a decent video of you when you're not immobilized in some way.

First of all: BLUEBERRIES!



You love this little fruit so much, and you've really gotten quite good at feeding yourself thanks to blueberries.

Just a few short weeks ago, you had to use your whole hand to mush finger food into your mouth hole. This lead to some hilarity when blueberry skins would get precariously perched on your cute face.



But now you've advanced into 'pincer' stage, which means you're grasping food between your thumb and pointer finger. A lot of food still winds up not in your mouth (and subsequently winds up in your hair, on the floor, stuck in the crevices of the high chair and between your eyes), but, you're getting so much better!

And, that pointer finger is getting such a work out. Not too long ago you switched from reaching with all fingers extended toward things you liked, things you were looking at, things you wanted to go-to-there. But you've evolved yet again. Now you're really on point!

Check out this video of you pointing to an old toy Aunt Sham gave you that we recently unearthed and...much to our amazement...you love it! Every time you see it you ask us to play it, or if you're close enough, you play it yourself!



The bright light city really lights up your life! (And is exceptionally helpful when you are pissed at us for changing your diapers!) I know how you feel though (not about the diaper thing, about the being lit up thing), because you really light up our lives!

You make us so happy...even the little things like how you kick your feet when your happily eating...



To your infectious laugh when something tickles you just right...



Or growing up before our very eyes and perferring Mommy's bread to your own (albeit still eating with whole-hand)...



This Valentine's Day I really understand why the mascot is a naked baby. It has nothign to do with Cupid at all. It's because your Mommy and I are so truly, madly, deeply in love with you! Of course, we are super-de-duper in love with eachother too...even when we get yelled at for leaving our socks out. So, on this holiday dedicated to the power of the heart and the crazy little thing called love, your Mom and I are doubly blessed, not only to have found eachother, but to have you in our lives as well.

We love you, and although you will not be eating chocolate or heart-shaped candies, this is a Valentine's day for three (plus two doglets): we love you, and can't get enough of your love (which explains the abundance of videos).

Oh, PS, remember that really embarrassing photo of you from your 6-month photo shoot? Yeah, even though you're almost twice as old and twice as cute, I couldn't resist turning it in to a Valentine. A modest list of your friends and family received this gem in their inboxes today.

All you need is Love (and the occasional white fuzzy blanket)!



We love you, son! Thank you for lighting up our lives everyday!