Big Week

This was a big week for the country and for our family. On Thursday I got all dressed up with my Obama ribbons to watch his historic acceptance speech (it was late so I got to bring my Binkie and bunny Pedro). Then my mom and dad went to take pictures of my new sibling. Turns out I am going to have a little sister! Here she is waving to me. This weekend, we had lots of family in town for my second cousin Sam's Bar Mitzvah. I was particularly excited to welcome regular blog reader cousin "Wabby" to our house. But the most exciting of all was my Great-Grandma Sue!

Ding Dong, it's Dingle

Mom's buddy Caroline was in town this week from England and we went to the park. She's almost finished with her PhD in ornithology so I guess you could say she's officially cuckoo at this point.

Bike Against the Odds

This morning Dad rode 55 miles with our neighbors Dipak and Esperanza in the Bike Against the Odds, a fundraiser for a local nonprofit fighting the environmental causes of breast cancer.He wore a picture of Omma on the back of his jersey along with the names of those breast cancer victims and patients honored by his supporters and enjoyed a warm welcome from the staff and volunteers for being the #4 fundraiser out of 376 riders.

Bethany Fun

We are back from the beach and enjoying the memories of all of our beach traditions like:

walking on the boardwalk, playing cards, boogie boarding, getting buried in the sand, hanging out with the girls, celebrating family milestones (Duncan and Vanessa got engaged - I am toasting them with my bunny!), destroying sheds with crowbars,

and of course eating ice cream on our last night at the beach.

Back from the Beach

All this fun and excitement with 18 Brown family relatives really worked up an appetite.

Ball Roll 2008

Mama took me to an early ultrasound many weeks ago and I got my first look at my soon-to-be little brother or sister.  It didn't look much like a baby so I asked Mama, "crocodile?"

  thereby inspiring this years' ball roll creation.

 It's tough work carrying all that sand and water.

Fortunately, we could jump into the ocean for a cool dip.

...at the Beach...

talking on my "shell" phone,

 looking cool in my new shades,

 and hanging out with my cousins on the beach.

Dada's in CO, While I'm...

Dada stopped in Denver on his way to the beach and he and Aunt Julie took Pop go-kart racing for his 64th birthday and they all hung out at the pool

and drank chocolate malts while I...

Alphabet Train Set

Dada got me a new wooden train set and my E-L-I-Z-A set from Omma and Pop fits on the tracks which is great 'cuz I can drive the E and the L and say,"Watch out A. Watch out I."

Summer Fun

It has been a fun summer so far! I have kept pretty busy - playing in the sandbox, chatting in the park, going to pool parties, eating avocado and at the end of the day, getting all clean again!

Itsy Bitsy Spider

Grandma Debbie captured some of my singing skills yesterday:

Exercisin' w/ Dada

Sometimes, I help Dada work some exercise into his busy schedule.

I can hold down his legs for crunches, match him one for one in push-ups, show him how to do a proper ball squat
(note wide stance, focus, and baby hugged tightly in front), and provide some extra weight for his squats and "bench" presses.

So Cool

Some days, you can just tell I am the coolest kid around...

My Extended VdW Family

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Canton, NY & Breckenridge, CO

Da-da just returned from the Van de Water family reunion in Canton, NY where, had Courtie, Lily and I been able to make the long journey, we would have been 3 of Grandma Van de Water's 21 great grandchildren. I was glad I was able to visit many of the Van de Waters in Canton in April. This weekend, my mom and I reunited with da-da and got to see Omma, Pop, Aunt Julie, Uncle Chris, Courtie and Lily in Breckenridge for the 4th of July weekend where we watched the parade, jumped in the bouncy houses, and ate ice cream!