Counting

Samuel counts this way: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,14,16,19,11...

Joshua asked him what he was going to get him for Christmas. Samuel replied, "I'll think about that while I'm sleeping."

I'm getting good at this

While playing ping pong today at Grace's wedding in NYC, Samuel announces, "I'm getting good at this!"  Not really, but I love his confidence.

Not so sick

Samuel was coughing a lot last night, so this morning, I decided to keep him home with me instead of exposing everyone at his preschool to his germs.  Samuel was elated.  I quickly realized that he was actually feeling pretty well--the only time he would cough was when I asked him how he was feeling.  "I feel sick dad."
Nonetheless, it was a fun day to spend with Sam.
We went to Chinatown to have noodles.

At one point, I thought Samuel had all of sudden learned how to read--he saw a red button on the Silver Line and sounded out the word: "Ssss, tttt, oopp--STOP!"    But then later we saw a vending machine and when I asked him to read the word "Pepsi", he sounded out:  "DRRR..INNNN....KKKK."  I think he's faking phonics.

It was fun to have a daddy--Samuel day:  we played hide and seek at the playground, enjoyed a nearly empty Children's Museum, watched a lot of demolition & construction along the streets of Boston, I carried him all the way from Kendall to Joshua's school when he fell asleep (good workout!), and it was nice to be relaxed and be able to give him some special attention.  In return, he pointed out a lot of interesting things to me, like this skylight at South Station I never noticed before.  Sam said, "It looks like someone punched out the roof and put some windows up there!"

First day of pre-K

Not time for loving

Favorite recent Samuel quotes:

When Annette tries to cuddle up with him while he is trying to playfight, Samuel escapes her grasp, snarls, and says, "It's not time for loving"

Now wanting to cuddle up with Annette:  "I want to snuggle up with someone with squish arms."

While trying to hold me down while wrestling, "Someone cheer me up!"  (he means "cheer me on")

Monkey bars

Love his determination.  He goes on to try about 6 more times.

Lemonade Stand

The boys operated their first business today, a lemonade stand.
Making the "cukes"

The sign:

Samuel kept on shouting, "Free Lemonade!"  and Joshua had to keep correcting him: "Lemonade for sale!"

Swimming

Samuel decided one day that he'd swim on his own without his life jacket and he was brilliant.

I bet I'd be great at that

Annette points out a skateboarder to Samuel, "Do you think you would like to try that someday?"

Sam says without hesitation: "I bet I'd be great at that!"

Samuel is definitely our daredevil. After swimming around with a floatation vest for a couple weeks, yesterday he just decided he didn't need it anymore, took it off, and started swimming around on his own. 

He was so excited to swim back and forth between us and the wall.   Each time he reached the wall, he would flash us a big grin and give us two thumbs up.

Annette and I were flabbergasted.

Way to go Sam.

Hanging around

Reading tear

It was unusually quiet in Samuel's room, and when I went in to investigate, I saw that he had been methodically taking every book off his book shelf and reading them one by one.

Cupcakes and Lilacs

For Mother's Day, we went to the Arboretum to see the lilacs in bloom

And also to eat cupcakes!

Polynesian cultural center

Watching the luau




Pineapple smoothie




Ready for the buffet




Launching a Togan spear

Hawaiian sidewalk chalk art

Lanikai

Hawaiian threads



Another use for shaved ice cups



Shaved ice with Grandma Kim



Wailoa shaved ice



Taco boys



Lanikai beach

Best brother ever

At bedtime yesterday, Joshua was explaining to Samuel that if he could stay in his bed all night, Samuel would earn a sticker too and then both of them could go and get their prize this weekend. Samuel replied, "You're the best brother ever! "

Daddy I can see you with one eye!

Morse PreSchool

Breakfast club

 Body tracing

Counting

Can I have a time out

Samuel was having trouble going to bed again tonight, and when we told him he needed to go to sleep in his own bed, he asked, "Can I have a time out?"  He sat in our bathroom for a few minutes, and then went to sleep.  He just needed to get sorted I guess.

Aquarium field trip

Samuel got a little freaked out in the aquarium, but did enjoy seeing the lobsters and sharks!

New York!

The boys and I took the Amtrak to NYC today to meet up with Annette.

Waiting for train at South Station

Amtrak entertainment

Our first destination was the headquarters of FAO Schwarzenegger of course, and the boys went right to work picking out a toy. The problem with Samuel picking is that he likes everything, so as soon as he's decided what he wants to get, he'll see something else and want it instead. He also has no problem picking things he already has: "But I want it again!"

Singing in the rain

Back in the hotel room, the boys started right away playing with their new toys, and as usual, Samuel wanted to play with Joshua's toys too.

Joshua said, "I don't want to play with you."

Samuel replies, "You have to! That's what friends are for."

Samuel likes puzzles