Spring with Dad!

 My Dearest Evan,

It's been about 3 months since I've written.....and you've spent the past 3 months super busy with Dad and now that Avery's on summer break, you and Avery are pretty much inseparable. And I have to say, Dad's doing a great job of keeping you all busy these days, including Pascal!

Since last time, Avery's turned 7, Grandma and Pop visited in May for her birthday, we took a trip to San Diego for Memorial Day weekend, we had a Parents Say Yes Day, and you've been fishing and camping! You really enjoy practicing casting in the backyard and going camping and fishing with Avery, Dad and Pascal. When you're not doing that, you enjoy dancing to any music that comes on (including posing at the end of the dance, on the floor in a still shot of a breakdance move), coloring next to me while I work in the office, playing with Legos, swimming, and playing games from the game closet.

You're still pretty fiesty - that hasn't changed - so you say things like, "I'm not doing this" or "good grief" when you have to do something you don't want to do (both phrases you get from me) and we're trying to rid you of saying, "Oh my God". You like clicking your tongue and squawking before doing something and there are things you make a consistent habit of doing (i.e. pushing the air conditioning and window buttons in my car before getting in your car seat). You like saying "boo" and scaring me and you like laying on Pascal, whether he likes it or not! You keep talking about taking a road trip (every day). You can count to 20, say your ABCs and identify shapes and colors very well now. You cry when you don't get your way, which I'm hoping will change with the start of preschool (less than a month now)! And you're good at taking care of Pascal - you feed him, give him treats and bring him in and out of the backyard and his kennel. You still like dinosaurs but you're also really into the Avengers (specifically Captain America) right now. You tell me "no" when you don't want to do something (something Avery never did but she's learned from you). You also graduated to the next level of swim classes - from Goldfish to Jellyfish!

You have an imaginary friend you affectionately call "Ghost" and you're pretty specific about what Ghost is doing and where he is. He's become another member of the family!

You also still prefer to go by "Big Dog" or "Evan Big Dog" instead of Evan Stein :)

Here's your life in pictures right now.....

Cheering Avery on at soccer!

Park break!

You've gotten really good at the scooter and the trike!

Kid movie night! We do this once a week!

All tuckered out!

You enjoyed your dentist visit and followed the lead of your big sister!

Don't step on the unicorn poop!

Water table fun....while Pascal supervises!

Jello Slime from your Easter baskets!

Avery reading you a book before you both go to sleep

Picnic in the park!

A visit to the zoo with dad after he got his second COVID shot!

Captain America! You're still not a fan of wearing costumes really

Fishing on Mt Lemmon with dad!

You always use the binoculars backwards :)

Twinkies!

Paw Patrol live show!

Fishing is hard business!

Pascal's (and your) first trip to the dog park....dogs liked you!

Dinner like rock stars - in the back of dad's truck!

Avery's birthday party!

Walking the golf course with Grandma and Pop!

Water balloons!

Fresh haircut!

At the science museum - Astronaut exhibit!

Swim lessons - you have really grown these past few months at swim

Working on a volcano at the beach in San Diego!

You listened to Avery present on Jupiter many times before she had to do it for class - such a good helper!

Road trip! San Diego or bust!

Ice cream treat!

Sea World fireworks from the hotel room!

Corvette diner we like to go to in San Diego - it has an arcade in it too!

Science museum and baseball game day! Dad for the win!

You two are too cute!

A dip in the pool right before dinner! Summertime fun!

Camping in the blue room on kid movie night!

Parents Say Yes Day!

Parents Say Yes to new toys!

Parents Say Yes to IHOP

Parents Say Yes to arcade!

Camping with dad!

Evan, you've had a great spring/summer so far! Up next is a trip to Bryce Canyon/Yellowstone/Grand Teton/Denver/Albuquerque, followed by the start of your preschool camp to get you ready for the real thing in August!

All My Heart,

Mom