Here are some notes from Bobby at age 5:

5 years

•   Turning 5: For his fifth birthday, Bobby and Mary made chocolate cupcakes with sprinkles and brought them in to share with his preschool classmates (they sang happy birthday, too). After school, Mary and I took him to a brewpub a block from his school where he unwrapped a few presents, including his first yo-yo. I took this shot of him there.

•   Baseball: Bobby is signed up to play "mini-baseball" (t-ball, really) for the next four Saturdays. He got a red jersey for his uniform and played on the team by practicing throwing, fielding and hitting a whiffle ball with a plastic bat. I shot some video footage.

•   Missing: Bobby gave me quite a scare today (April 25, 2004). We attended Mekala's birthday party (she turned 9) and late in the day went down to Lake Temescal's beach for a swim party. After I watched Bobby put on his sandals, a minute later I looked up and he was gone. He'd returned to the picnic area with the other kids, but I didn't know that, so I filed a missing child report. A camp employee accompanied me back to the barbecue, where Bobby was standing on a chair watching the girls play volleyball. Mary and I took him aside and explained the dangers of him wandering off and not telling me. He was good about it, and we had a great day playing soccer, badminton, volleyball, smacking a pinata and tying up Lynn, Mekala's grandpap. When we got home, we hit the spa for the first time this year.

5 years, 1 month

•   5th birthday: Bobby had decreed that he wanted his birthday party to be held at the San Ramon water park, so we waited six weeks until Memorial Day. About a dozen of his friends, mostly from preschool, joined him. (Overheard at one point: Bobby telling Kennet, "You know, if you come over, you have to throw balls for Tassie.") Bobby seemed a little bit down all day, saying he was cold when he was in the water and even taking a brief nap during the early afternoon. He did manage to open a whole bunch of presents on the grass, though. We discovered later why he was a bit out of it: He was running a temperature. He stayed home sick the next day.

•   Growing lexicon: Bobby is achieving quite the vocabulary. Some of the words he routinely rattles off: parallelograms, trapezoid, evil minions, fusion and his trendy new word, tsunami.

•   Dream: Last night, he told Mary, he dreamed that he was in a park. "There was a bear there. I was next to the lake and I fell in, but I was OK because I could hold my breath underwater."

•   Party boy: Bobby blurted this out the other day when he heard us discussing a party: "Parties? I like parties!"

•   Down in Sedona: We had a really nice time visiting George, the twins, and Rick on June 8-9 in Phoenix, mostly hanging out in the pool, where Rick ganged up on Uncle Joe and Bobby battled both of us. Then, on Saturday the 12th, George drove up to Sedona (where JD was speaking at a conference) and we hit a park overlooking Cathedral Rock. We hiked to the end of a trail in red-rock country, even George in his wheelchair.

5 years, 2 months

•   A week in San Diego: On June 26 to July 3, 2004, we took Bobby on his second trip to San Diego (he doesn't remember his first trip, 22 months ago). On Saturday, we hit a cool restaurant for lunch, Daddio's, which had reggae music piped in. Then we spent a few hours at Mission Beach, where a seal came onto shore and attracted a crowd. We finally arrived at the Yellow Cottage, a historic home in La Jolla built in 1895.

On Sunday we first hit a local beach, which was rocky and windy, before heading to La Jolla Shores, with its kids' beach. Sunday evening we hosted a barbecue for Mark Weaver, whom JD met at the Digital Storytelling Festival. Monday we spent six hours at Legoland in Carslbad. Bobby got to drive a little car with the older kids and did exceptionally well! We also rode on several rides (such as a spinning cup and a ride where you had to pull your seat up by a rope). Monday night, we dined at Jay's Gourmet, which had a nice view of the coast and a park but only middling food.

Tuesday we followed Mark Weaver's advice and hit Balboa Park, with its historic buildings and flowing fountains, and dined at the Prado restaurant. Then we drove to Coronado, with its less crowded beaches, where two or three dozen planes, fighters and helicopters came down very low overhead throughout the afternoon. Watched Pocahontas on VHS at night.

Wednesday we hit the Wild Animal Park. Highlights included the train ride, feeding the lorikeets (parrots), and watching the Dinosaur 3D movie (Bobby was thrilled with the T-rex and rollicking seats).

Thursday, Mary's friends Linda and Beth came over for the day. We spent the afternoon at La Jolla Shores, then had a great steak barbecue at night. We had a bit of a scare when we couldn't find Bobby's toy baby kitty at night. I found it outside the next morning.

Friday, we explored some small caves at a small inlet at La Jolla Cove, then spent the afternoon at La Jolla Shores. In the evening, George's restaurant downtown had an hour wait, so we went a couple of doors down to Top of the Cove and had a lovely dinner (mahi mahi, langostine salad with Kim Crawford NZ sauvignon blanc) as the sun set.

Saturday we spent a half hour looking for a parking spot within a half hour of Mission Beach, without success, and finally parked at a Burger King. While Mary ordered lunch, JD and Bobby hit the beach for one last hour before we headed back on Southwest.

5 years, 3 months

•   Water wackiness: On July 24, 2004, we took Bobby to WaterWorld in Concord, where we met up with Colleen, Mekala and her friend Olivia. Bobby tried walking across the inflated tire-like floats while hanging onto the ropes, but Mary had to help him down. Instead, we went down a "river" and Bobby spent a lot of time going down some of the smaller slides.

•   Night light: Oh my gosh, our little one is growing up. Bobby's night light in his bedroom went out, and when Mary replaced the bulb, he told her, "I don't need a night light anymore, Mommy."

5 years, 4 months

•   Play ball!: We took Bobby to a get-together hosted by the Rutgers Alumni Association Northern California club in San Francisco, and then walked a few blocks to his first major league ball game, between the Giants and New York Mets at SBC Park. He enjoyed the game, but especially enjoyed the play area in left field, which featured slides and other fun stuff. Aunt Peggy and Diane also met us there.

•   Birthday party: Mary, Bobby and I had a fun time at the 5th birthday party for Miara (Linda and Ennis Pipe's girl), at the Aquatic Center with about 10 other little kids. Bobby finally got up the nerve to go to the top of the water slide (with a life vest on) and slide down.

•   Play ball 2: Bobby and I have a new favorite game. We got a giant blue ball and, while Bobby stands or hops on the bed, we try to score on each other. Bobby has to get it past me into the goal (our bedroom sink area), while I have to hit it into the bedroom closet. Bobby usually wins (he gets upset if I do). Last night I knocked over Mary's lamp during the game and broke the shade.

5 years, 5 months

•   Capitola: We hadn't gotten down to Capitola this summer, after hitting San Diego in June, so we drove down for a last gasp of summer on Saturday. It was chilly on the beach, but Bobby found another little boy to play ball and keep-away with.

•   Dream time: Bobby told Mary he had a dream last night (Sept. 28, 2004). He dreamed that he was invited to a party and he was "waiting and waiting and waiting" and he looked up and there were two tree houses with trap doors on the bottom. That was it.

•   Flag football: Bobby has had a good time playing team sports -- soccer last fall and mini-baseball in May -- so we signed him up for flag football. At first he was upset that he hardly ever got to touch the ball during the melee they call a game -- there are about 25 kids on the field at once -- but eventually he decided it was fun just running after the other kids and sometimes getting the flag in their back pocket.

•   Zoo outing: Bobby took his first school bus trip today (Oct. 18)! All the kindergarten classes took the half-hour ride to the Oakland Zoo, where we saw giraffes, chimps, lions, kukaburras, eland gazelles, and other cool critters. It was my first time on a school bus in about 30 years.

5 years, 6 months

•   The Zen thing: We've been doing meditation sessions in the backyard spa. Mary's idea, but Bobby is quite taken with it. At the end of each outing, we go, "ommmmmmmmmmmm" while relaxing in he water and cupping our fingers just at the water's surface. Very relaxing.

•   First teacher-parent meeting: Mary and I went to our first parent-teacher meeting today (Nov. 9), with Bobby's kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Rosa. Bobby's doing well in everything! We were handed his first report card.

•   Another dreame: Last night (Nov. 12, 2004) Bobby had a dream about snakes. Rattlesnake on the roof. More snakes in the toilet. He's apparently learning about snakes in kindergarten.

•   New York, New Jersey: Bobby and Mary flew to New Jersey on Nov. 16 while I flew to Vermont (to address a group of educators at Middlebury College) on Nov. 15 and then on to NJ on Nov. 17. Our big day was Nov. 18, when Bobby went into Manhattan for the first time. He and Mary went to the Metropolitan Museum to see the mummy exhibit, and then we met up at the Carousel in Central Park. After dinner at an Italian restaurant on West 46th, we went to see Bobby's first play, the Broadway production of The Lion King, at the New Amsterdam Theater. On Friday Bobby and Mary accompanied Kathy and Nicholas to a children's museum in Paramus. Next day, the relatives came over to Grandma Lasica's house: Aunt Tory and Uncle Ed, cousin Carol, cousin Jessica and Byron, Mary Kay and Damien Reber, and Bobby's cousins Gina (with Elisabeth) and Christa (with Gabriella). And finally, that night Mary and I took Bobby to see The Incredibles, a really fun movie we all liked. It was a great trip.

5 years, 7 months

•   Another movie: Mary drove Bobby up to Sacramento to see Ellen and Fred for two days, and they took him to see The Polar Express, a kids movie, which he liked.

•   Thanksgiving For Thanksgiving this year, Mary drove her parents and Bobby down to Pleasanton to stay with us two nights. On Thursday (Nov. 25) we drove over to the home of Denny and Peggy Jo. Our niece, Kimmy, recently got engaged, and she was there, too.

GO TO: | Bobby's photo gallery, age 5

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