2013 May 3 (First Camping Trip)

Mom has been waiting to take Katie Katie camping her entire life and today we finally got to do it!  Katie's first camping trip was to El Capitan State Beach just north of Santa Barbara on the beach.  We went with Tom, Allison, and Matt Hooper.  The next day Matt and Dawn Boatman also arrived.   Reagan and Katie has the tent below set up as a little play room.

Camping cousins, Katie and Reagan.  And of course Katie took her Pink blanket with her.  Warm Blanket also was along for the trip.

A nice close-up of Katie and Reagan:
                                 

Mom prepares the camp site while Uncle Tom and Dad try to get the over-sized bed in the tent.

Aunt Ali prepapring the camp site:

Katie pretending the tree is a horse.  El Capitan State Beach, California, 2013-5--3, 8:30 PM:

For more photos of this day see Patrick Dwyer's facebook page ( https://www.facebook.com/taptrick )

2013 May 2, Thursday

To bed early for a good night's sleep before her first camping trip tomorrow.  With Pink Blanket, Warm Blanket, and her reindeer. Rancho Penasquitos, San Diego, California, 2013-5-2, 8:30 PM.

2013 May 1, Wednesday

Eating her broccoli at dinner.  She actually really likes broccoli.  It seems like a lot of her taste preferences are coming and going at this age.  She likes something and then three months later says she doesn't.   So, she likes broccoli...for now.  Rancho Penasquitos, San Diego, California, 2012-5-1, 6:30 PM.

2013 April 30, Tuesday

Throwing a paper airplane that "Leo" gave her at preschool.  Rancho Penasquitos, San Diego, California, 2013-4-30, 5:15 PM:

2013 April 29, Monday

Katie before gymnastics.  The smiley face on the forehead was her idea.  This was Katie's last night of her first gymnastics class.  She said she likes it so we are signing her up for more continuing next week.  Rancho Penasquitos, San Diego, California, 2013-4-29, 5:45 PM.

2013 April 28, Sunday

Katie and Mom at Katie's strawberry-tea party she held for us.  She woke up feeling much better today.  But her temperature started to rise again and she decided to lay down on her own again and took a 3-4 hour nap.  When she woke up in the afternoon she was doing great just in time to go meet Matt and Dawn Boatman  for a great dinner at The Blind Lady Ale House in Normal Heights.  Oh, in the photo below, Karen was lucky.  We only had to wear hats but at the start of the party she told us we had to go change into nice uniforms.  Luckily we talked her out of that.  The strawberries we all picked by hand yesterday at The Carlsbad Strawberry Company's fields. Rancho Penasquitos, San Diego, California, 2013-4-28, 9:30 AM.

2013 April 27, Saturday

FOR NOW THIS POST IS AWAITING A PICTURE.  DAD FORGOT TO BRING THE CAMERA'S MEMORY CARD TO THE STRAWBERRY FIELDS.  I DID GET SOME PICTURES BUT THEY ARE ON THE ACTUAL CAMERA'S MEMORY.  I NEED TIME TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO TRANSFER THE PHOTO(S).

2013 April 26, Friday

We had some work done on Diego.  That's the name we gave our Mitsubishi Montero around 10 years ago when we bought it.  And the car place is the same shopping center as Round Table Pizza.  Soooo, what better time to go to Round Table for dinner and games.  Katie loves this crane game because you keep playing until you get a piece of candy.  I have no idea why my face showed up so red in the picture.  I swear I am not currently that color.  Rancho Penasquitos, San Diego, California, 2013-4-26, 7:00 PM.

2013 April 25, Thursday

Walk Katie to School Day.  These are the best parts of Dad's life right now.  But Katie is starting to get slower and slower on the walks so I hope she isn't getting bored with it.  Katie in front of the tree in her classroom that has her "sight words" on it.  Rancho Penasquitos, San Diego, California, 2013-4-25, 8:00 AM.

2013 April 24, Wednesday

Intense focus on the computer while playing Octonauts on the Disney site before her bath.  Rancho Penasquitos, San Diego, California.

2013 April 23, Tuesday

A happy and silly Katie before dinner.  Rancho Penasquitos, San Diego, California, 2013-4-23, 6:15 PM.

2013 April 22, Monday

Katie gives Dad a balance beam lesson before gymnastics.  YMCA Rancho Penasquitos Canyonside Recreation Center, Rancho Penasquitos, San Diego, California, 2013--22, 5:50 PM.

2013 April 21, Sunday

Today we went to the Avocado Festival in Fallbrook, California with Mat, Enrica, & Matthew Malone.  Below, Katie is trying avocado pie.  It was good.  Tasted a little like key-lime pie.

We got Katie a hat that has two holes in it you can pull her pig tails through.

On the rides.  Something about the hat makes Katie look like she's a little 2-year old again.  Fallbrook, California, 2013-4-21, 2:00 PM.

2013 April 20, Saturday

Busy Day!  The day started early with Katie up at 7AM.  Mom and Dad take turns sleeping in when able and it was Mom's turn to sleep in.  That meant Dad was able to attend Katie's music class.  She would sing, "If you are  in music class jump on one foot."  Then Dad would have to jump on one foot and then move each animal in the same way before the next verse.

Here is Dad and with his classmates.  Photo by Katie Marie Dwyer.  Rancho Penasquitos, San Diego, California, 2013-4-20, 8 AM.

Then we met Dad's old supervisor, JP Patterson, and his wife Sara at The Fish Market downtown.
Katie with mom and Dad at The Fish Market.

I regret that we forgot to get a group photo of all of us but I did get a great shot of JP and Sara outside of The Fish Market.

When we go to the Fish Market Katie always like to go see the Bob Hope statue.  Today she asked, "Why is his last name Hope?  What is he hoping for?"

Then after The Fish Market, we walked down to Seaport Village.  Katie got to ride the beautiful merry-go-round from the 1890s.

There was a street performer at Seaport Village.  Katie was quite fascinated.  He did the old fashioned sword swallowing act.  Just before he swallowed the sword Katie yelled really loud, "DON'T SWALLOW THE SWORD!"  The guy looked right at Katie and said, "Well I have to honey.  I already told all these people I would."  Seaport Village, San Diego, California, 2013-4-20, 3:30 PM.

Later in the day we met JP and Sara at Lorna's Italian Restaurant and had a great time but didn't get any pictures there. 

2013 April 19, Friday

Katie does planking.  She's never heard of planking.  She just likes doing this and calls it a bridge.  Rancho Penasquitos, San Diego, California, 2013-4-19, 7:00 PM.

2013 April 18, Thursday

Walk Katie to School Day for Dad.  It was also Crazy Mix-Match Day at Katie's school.  Here is Katie stylin.  Rancho Penasquitos, San Diego, California, 2013-4-18, 7:50 AM:

2013 April 17, Wednesday

Today Katie earned enough stickers for listening to the teacher to pick out a prize at school.  She picked out a dinosaur that she named Patrick.  A fine name I think.  Ironically, while Katie's school was practicing contingency management in the form of a token economy, Dad was giving an inservice training at the Veteran's Administration on a contingency management treatment he is using at work for stimulant drug abusers. I think Katie had more fun. Rancho Penasquitos, San Diego, California, 2013-3-17, 6:15 PM.

2013 April 16, Tuesday

Today was crazy hat day at Katie's school.  She wore her favorite hat in with straws sticking out of it that she said were horns.  They also made hats at school.  Katie came with this one that one of teacher's made for her. Rancho Penasquitos, San Diego, California, 2013-4-16, 6:45 PM.

2013 April 15, Monday

Gymnastics night!  Being silly after a hard workout.

I think she like playing on the rocks outside the gym as much as going to gymnastics.

I wear my sunglasses at night , so I can, so I can see. YMCA Rancho Penasquitos Canyonside Recreation Center, Rancho Penasquitos, San Diego, California, 2013-4-15, 7:00 PM.

2013 April 14, Sunday

Busy day.  In the morning Katie gathered a bunch or her stuffed animals and walked them in her shopping cart a few at a time to the living room.  She said she was taking them to school and she was the Mom.  Then she arranged a little school area and had Dad come in and read books to the class.  Here she is below with the class:

Then she said there was going to be a ball and went back to her room.  When she came out to attend the ball she was all rock starred up - dressed for the ball.  Rancho Penasquitas, San Diego, California, 2013-4-14, 11:00 AM:

Later in the day we got to go to our good friends the Malone's house and had dinner with Enrica, Matt, and Matthew.  Katie and Matthew played good together.  Katie dressed herself and I think she did a pretty good job.  She really wanted to wear her guitar shirt but Mom told her it was too cold for a short sleeve so she put a long sleeve on under.  Then she found these cool winter socks that matched and looked like leg warmers.  Finished it off with pink shoes.  Notice she brought Horsey with her. Mira Mesa, San Diego, California, 2013-4-14, 7:30 PM.

2013 April 13, Saturday

Asleep.  She played hard today at her friend Austin's house, the boy she played soccer with before Christmas.  Bouncing on a trampoline for an hour wore her out.  She even got in a two hour nap earlier in the day.  Rancho Penasquitos, San Diego, California, 2013-4-13, 11:30 PM.

2013 April 12, Friday

Game night at the Dwyer ranch.  When we went to Viejas last time we found this Mother Goose game that we tried out tonight.

Playing a Bingo game and eating a banana.

And the final game involved one Katie created in which we selected gum balls from a bucket, played them in the pooping chicken and then had a free for all grab fest as the chicken pooped bubble-gum.  Did I say the chicken pooper was a gift from Grandma and Grandpa Dwyer for Easter?  Rancho Penasquitos, San Diego, California, 2013-4-12, 7:30 PM.

2013 April 11, Thursday

It's Dad's "Walk to School with Katie" day - his favorite day of the week.  Katie brought her bunny rabbit Grandpa and Grandma Dwyer got her for Easter.  She calls him Peter Cottontail.  Rancho Penasquitos, San Diego, California, 2013-4-11, 07:40 AM.

2013 April 10, Wednesday

Being silly before dinner after a day at school.  Sometimes she's so silly when I'm trying to take a picture it takes up to ten shots just to get a good smile.  But she laughs the whole time and its always fun.  Rancho Penasquitos, San Diego, California, 2013-4-10, 6:15 PM.

2013 April 9, Tuesday

Today was picture day at school so hopefully there will be some nice one coming soon for friends and family.  Katie in her dress bought by Grandpa and Grandma Dwyer.  Rancho Penasquitos, San Diego, California, 2013-3-9, 06:45 AM.

2013 April 8, Monday (First Time On The Balance Beam)

Back to gymnastics!  Outside the gym waiting for the start.  Mom got all of the hair out of her eyes:

First time ever on the balance beam and they already took the girls on the regular size beam at full height.  They all walked on their own on the two lower practice beams.  But on the tall one the instructor held their hands all the way across and let them jump down onto the pads on their own.

And doing the somersault again.  YMCA Rancho Penasquitos Canyonside Recreation Center, Rancho Penasquitos, San Diego, California, 2013-4-8, 6:30 PM.

With Dad at dinner at IHOP afterwards. Rancho Penasquitos, San Diego, California, 2013-4-8, 8:00 PM.