After staring at the bay for four years, we
finally did something about it. Here's Tony and Dash after our test
drive (we launched right across the highway and headed to the ocean and
then had dinner watching the Acrobat show at Sea World).
7/14/08 and 7/16/08
Here's a sequence of four videos (two from his Monday swim lesson and two
from his Wednesday swim lesson). These were Dash's third and fourth 30
minute (split amongst three students) lesson with Josh.
Monday: Dash getting dunked by Josh, his swim instructor...
7/4/08: Had a 4th of July party, with a bunch of Dash's friends
and some of ours. Got the backyard done (rubber mulch was the last
thing).
6/29/08:
Peanut Butter is for wearing!
Hair is for growing, not for combing, I guess.
Dash and Alex at the County Fair. Those boys
never have any fun together.
We saw Piggy Races and two Demolition Derbies and went on lots of
rides.
Dash vs. the Bumper Car
(I like the first two times he crashes into the wall. His
look says "Should I be upset by this? My instincts
say yes."
Dash has wanted a guitar for some time.
He sprang from his stroller upon passing a bunch of
them.
Here he's jamming on our way home. I shot this while driving.
Perhaps our neighbor, Mehdi, will give him lessons.
6/24/08. All the recent photos below link to bigger pictures
(just click on them). I'll try to post more and get some verbiage up
soon...
Carolina Vacation!
We all had a wonderful time visiting Dash's Aunt Theresa, Uncle Chris,
and his cousins Taylor and Emily. Taylor and Emily's Grandmas also
joined us (do the math: that means Dash's Grandma!).
The first weekend we went to visit our old
friends who moved from San Diego.
We went boating on massive Lake Norman (part of the TVA dammed river
system). As there was a heat wave on, this was really good
timing. We boated all around, hopping into the water at our frequent
stops.
Ahh, warm water. In the water to the right are Jackie and Tony
Rashaz; Jake, Todd, and Janis Stevens; Leigh and Dash.
It was a wonderful day.
Our next big event was heading to Myrtle Beach
for four days. Ahh, the warm water. All day every day at the
beach and pool.
Here Chris is playing with Emily, Taylor and Dash.
The girls and "Baby Dash" (even though Dash is taller than
Emily) got along fabulously.
Here are the kids at the Myrtle
Beach Board walk.
Have you seen that gymnastic event known as the pommel horse?
When Dash sees candy or blue ice cream he can launch right off your
shoulders in about the same way...
This is on the way back. We
stopped in Wrightsville Beach, NC, for lunch (and real estate
reconnaissance)
The night before leaving...
Swingset
Grandma & Grandpa Stokes Visit
Grandpa and Dash in a helicopter mockup on board the USS Midway.
Dash sitting in a trainer jet!
Grandpa and Dash at the very tip of the aircraft carrier.
Grandma and Dash at Legoland.
Kili sacking out with Grandma...
Bye-bye at the airport.
Misc.
Summer supper on the patio
Somebody refused to get out of the swing, so we unhooked
the swing and brought it in.
4/25/08: Dash now has some Youtube
postings. To see whatever videos he has posted click.
To the right the boy modeling his Easter
swimsuit from Grandma Martin. Below is another picture to be used
for disciplining when he's a teenager
Daylight Savings Time pushed Dash's bedtime
back to 9:00p and Spring Break brought SeaWorld's fireworks
back.
He still doesn't like the sound of them (we have to close the guest
room's windows) but he does like watching them.
He sits on my telescope chair for the five minute show...
Last 4th of July he was on the upstairs deck in plain view of several
fireworks shows but was running around with other kids and paid them no
thought.
When I carried him onto the patio the first night this year, he got
really frightened and started pulling away, finally yelling "I'm
scared!" I found this very moving, though I'm not quite sure
why. Perhaps it's because even though frightened he was able to
express himself and trusted me to do something about it. I don't
know. Strange what moves ya.
Since then we've watched from the guest room.
3/17/08: Got a burst of "Why?" "Why?"
"Why?" Seems to have a gone away, for now. Had
a funny conversation Friday.
"Hey, Dash, we're having Pizza for Dinner tonight!"
"I don't like pizza."
"Dash, everybody loves pizza."
"Why?"
"Because you can put anything you want on it."
"Lollipops?"
3/13/08: Disneyland cupcake face (all are clickable). Don't call
Child Protective Services: those
red marks on his forehead are Cinderella's lipstick.
3/3/8: Disneyland last weekend w/ Alex and his
parents, Bob and Marissa.
The boys had a blast and were well-behaved.
As our last activity on Sunday we all went on
the Matterhorn, which everybody knows is a big boy roller coaster not a
baby roller coaster.
Well, to be honest, we didn't really sell it like that to the boys
until afterward. We line we were in first abutted it near the end where it
was very slow. Train-like, fact. I casually pointed out the
"Mining Train" to Dash. "I want to ride
that." OK. "I want to ride it right now."
"Well, coincidently, we're in line for it right now."
They had a blast with apparently no permanent emotional trauma
resulting (I was concerned that Dash would be freaked out and that it
would set back his roller coaster development). By contrast, my
first coaster was when I was nine or so.
The photo above is post- Matterhorn. Notice the lack of
worries. Dash, in fact, seems to have his "I'm a big man" look
on his face.
