Pictured is a recent entry to Alan’s Newsbook for preschool. He enjoys practicing his Chinese characters and music notes every night. The inspiration for his “auto-sled” invention came earlier this week when Alan and his classmates went sledding outside the school!
Alan, to Grandma Debbie, when asked what his favorite season is:
“Spring, summer, and fall because that’s when I go to Indians games with Daddy.”
One day we’ll get to both Spring Training and October baseball together…
Alan the police officer.
Alan just wanted everyone to know that he wears white undershirts like Daddy. 🙂
Every other Sunday Alan goes to visit his Tata (Great-Grandma) and Papa (Great-Grandpa). It’s a weekend tradition that goes back to when Alan was a baby and spans three different apartments.
Some of Alan’s favorite activities have been playing in the sink and laughing about it (pictured above), reading with Tata, eating corn and graham crackers, playing in his [original] hideout (pictured below over Papa’s left shoulder), maneuvering his body through a fish-shaped drying rack (pictured below over Papa’s right shoulder), and playing with trucks, trains, and construction equipment (pictured below).
When Robbie and Jill are in town, the activities expand to playing “rescue” on the parking garage with Robbie (where workers are rescued from the roof via crane) and the board game Chutes and Ladders with Jill.
It’s always a great time on the weekends at Great-Grandparents’ apartment!
Note: The pictures below were taken by Alan today. He picked up my phone and just started snapping. The photos are both artistic and unique to his perspective. Nice job Alan!!!
The school year has continued to go well for Alan. He’s strengthening his communication skills and being a good leader in the classroom. He particularly enjoyed pajama day at school on the day before his two-week winter vacation. That day he also came home with the holiday gift to Mom & Dad pictured above.
Alan has become good friends with two boys named Taran and Almas lately. Alan always has a story to tell me about them, which usually involves the chasing games that they play at recess.
Speaking of recess, when three girls in Alan’s class, Natalee, Ella, and Ryleigh, want to play “family,” they turn to Alan to play the dad while the girls play the mom and two babies. Once after coming home from school, Alan came to me and said…
“It’s hard being a dad!”
I, of course, told Alan I could relate!
I leased a new car this month — a 2016 Hyundai Sonata — and Alan told me that he’ll be in charge of inspecting the wheels this winter to make sure that there’s not too much ice and snow on them before we start driving. As indicated by the picture below, it’s an important job when you live in Cleveland!!
On Thursdays and Fridays Alan gets to spend the day with Grandma Debbie, Papa, Rosie, and Lulu. Alan has a great time reading, going to the library, playing bingo, going to a shop in Chagrin Falls where his friend Jennifer gives him lollipops, and mixing coffee for Papa at Starbucks (Alan adds sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla flavoring and puts the straw in the lid).
Alan also enjoys playing “I Spy” with Grandma Debbie, playing Paw Patrol and Blaze computer games, playing with the dogs, and going to Great Clips for haircuts, where everyone loves Alan. Occasionally Alan gets to visit Uncle John too.
He especially loves Thursday night sleepovers and going on nighttime adventures around the neighborhood in his pajamas with Grandma, Papa, and the dogs before bed!
Alan’s always up to something new and interesting at Grandma Debbie’s!
Alan’s current list of favorite things to do:
-Playing catch with his Ohio State football
-Wearing his Braxton Miller #5 jersey (debuted during Ohio State’s win over Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl!)
-Building with Legos
-Playing bingo with special cards that have pictures of transportation vehicles on them
-Collecting Paw Patrol figures of all sizes
-Reading Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (he can recite the entire story from memory)
-Babysitting Lulu Belle
-Creating secret handshakes with Daddy
-Playing the piano
-Swimming! (this may never leave this list)