Princesses

When I came home last night K asked if we could play princesses... I said sure and we proceeded to be princesses at a ball. I was Ariel and she was Aurora... we were sisters and best friends. She would only call me by sister and not mommy. She let me know that we were sisters and best friends even when we slept. K went to bed and this morning woke up still wanting to play. We determined we were on our way to the grand ball. Our ball would be school for her and work for me...

We chatted at breakfast and had daddy cereal as that is what princesses eat. the flakes were poisonous unless you were one like C who was able to eat them... we could not eat them for fear of dying. Cinderella ate them and died... (of course we all know K is not a fan of Cinderella because she wears gasp a blue dress... as a result she is not a fan). We went to the dentist office everyday to get her teeth brushed because we didn't brush our teeth. I drove the car even though we both knew how to drive. In this princess land if you were five you were an adult.

We are still princesses.. I dropped her off to school with a final dance on the playground and of to work I went. An awesome morning especially because we had no arguments about food or dressing.

K...

K asked me today if she could cut her hair to match a girl in school's haircut... I had her describe the cut... a bowl... "a round cut all the way around her head" ... ahh the style at 5... I suggested that we were indeed due for a cut, but that I would prefer we start with a small trim...after all much easier to go back and cut more versus feeling sad you cut too much... As a girl I have definitely had this experience before... anyway so disaster averted... hoping for time to cut both kids hair... have to find somewhere for the first professional haircut for both...

And C's vocab is growing... spoon, water and flower... and hurrah dada!!!

Mothers Day 2010.. a few shots

Really babies shake lamps

Ok, so it appears that I should have realized kids are different months ago... and I did know that sorta... well ok not really... After all C.. was calling clone for many months by T... as she gets older the differences become more and more apparent... in ten years I am sure this will be even more the case... the differences we are seeing now.

eating... C loves to eat... loves it... she tried to nurse a couple weeks ago with her mouth so full of banana she couldn't shut it... that is my girl! T described her morning nursing sessions as a lion eating.. they are rather excited affairs for one of us... the girl eats all food with gusto! K although has finally shown some sort of appetite. The other day she could not take the granola bar I offered when she mentioned she was hungry as we got to school as she would have to sit to eat... no time to sit and eat... C on the other hand points to her chair and tries to get anything anyone is eating... really anything is good...

mobility... K lived to walk... by ten months she was walking and happy.. shaking leaves, carrying sticks happy to be like the adults around her... She would hold her hands sitting before walking crying as she waited for someone to help her walk... C loves crawling... grins happily and crawls around... she has taken quite a few steps by herself she has no interest in doing it... if offered a chance we see her drop to the floor and start to crawl to get to anything..

kid proofing.. K was so focused on being with her parents she never left our side... we never childproofed outside of a few electricity covers on outlets... C needs childproofing... I would take a pic but don't want to encourage this... she loves to go over to the lamps shake them grin and look back at us with the clatter... she especially loves the part when we all run over to stabalize the lamps... if we are really lucky she shakes her head no as we run over... once again not sure I can provide photographic evidence despite this is ridiculously cute and infuriating... The other morning as I was feeding MoCa I realized she was holding herself up with the tupperware full of cat food and helping herself to quite a meal... I told you ... she loves to eat. K although interested in MoCa's food would never have gotten past the first taste.. especially if we said no. C also figured out how to open shampoo bottles... I was unaware of this technique until I found a bottle of shampoo in her mouth and the lid in her hand.. this is similar to when I was emptying the contents of my purse at her one year appt and the dr and I learned she could open lipsticks and chapstick.. and take both and put them in her mouth... this fact worried the poor dr who was worried C would choke in her office... that would take away my favorite doctor in the world award I want to give her everytime I see her.

sleep.. K was sleep trained at 8 months... last night C spent half the night standing up crying with the binky in the mouth as we kept reminding her night was for sleeping.

Ok, so now I know should we ever do this again... you really don't know what you are going to get... and even more so pregnancy is not an indication of personality outside of the womb.. if so C would have been given away months ago...

And in the new developments... C is giving kisses... and finally said da... that is right T and K were ahead of us at the park yesterday and C felt left out being stuck back with Mom and I heard a da... heard it again this morning so it is official!

C turns one!

Just the girls

T is out of town on his mancation... Bandon Dunes with golf friends and fraternity brothers... pretty much heaven... a nice way to celebrate his bday!! Very fun... so I have been home with the girls the last few days...

K has been excited to have only girls in the house... we have had time to play animal bingo, read books and since C thinks 5:45 not 5:46 or 5:44 but 5:45 is the perfect time to waken we have had lots of morning time to catch up... all three of us.

The best part may have been C walking back and forth between K and me... three - six steps at a time C kept walking back and forth giggling and smiling at her accomplishment... K was laughing louder and we had one of those wonderful look at what C can do moments...


Sometimes having two mobile children when you are solo can be difficult... K closed the door on C when I was getting the bath running... I stuck on the otherside of the door got to C just in time to find her hanging off the ledge of the bathtub trying to get in head first... ahh... this was all in the under two seconds of no parental supervision... That girl loves baths... if the bath goes on and she is downstairs she recognizes the sound shrieks battttttttttttt her version of bath.

C's 6th word... book... right now the vocab consists of balloon, kick, bath, Kate, Mama, and now book...

K has also started working on paragraphs at school.. she is able to write in upper and lower case and now is working on sentences in her journal... the reading is progressing and her word identification is improving... and she really seems to enjoy math... we know that is not from me...

Four shots to prove it

It is official... she is one... we had four shots to prove it. C is not impressed with life or the doctor.. In fact the doctor mentioned she got the stink eye on the way out the door when C saw her from across the hall... Oh you... what I would say to you if I could talk... C weighed in at 20 pounds and 30.5 inches... doing wonderfully... she is going to be less thrilled about the end of the binky and the bottle per the dr.s request, but at least she is on her way to becoming a big girl. Boo!

K is also on her way to being a big girl... I feel like we made a mistake with the school we picked for her... so much structure.. it is unlikely she will return there in the fall to finish k and right now I am debating the summer... today she broke into tears about her skirt not being long enough and that she needed shorts under her dress... In disbelief I went to the teacher to learn that yes they did ask for shorts underneath and yes in fact long dresses are ideal as girls are not ladylike about sitting with dresses... I am and was steaming... really ladylike while she climbs on the jungle gym, the slide and monkey bars... who really cares... after all we are only going to see princesses and ponies... isn't she too young to be made aware that underwear should be hidden... ahh as I am sure you can tell I am not impressed. And since she didn't get the school we had been working for in the public school we are going to have to find a k that works for everyone... busy researching again...

NO...

C has learned to shake her head no... when nursing on Saturday I asked her if she wanted more mommy milk... she looked at me shook her head no and got off the bed feet first... When she eats something she doesn't like she shakes her head no and won't take it... already no? Can't believe it.


Her other new trick... hand clapping... so cute.. she breaks into a beaming smile claps her hand and applauds looking around so proud... also very sweet.

And we have mama... C is now saying mama... ever since I got home from Spain I hear a little girl saying mama while she pulls on my pants to get into my arms..... apparently Gma told her some of the kitchen things are mama's and so we also get a lot of mama when the kitchen cupboards are open.

Stairs are going ok as well... she likes to bump down on her bottom and or go feet first...

so many accomplishments... so hard to keep up!

K is doing well also... finally adjusted to kindergarten and loving it... she walks in sits right down to a "job" or runs outside to play with a friend... so great to see. Oh transitions... so hard!

Swimming is going well ... despite the fact she thinks it is boring... a lot of things are found to be boring... she is doing great!

sister love

some pics..

Khate, Khate

C was nursing this morning for the last time for a few days. I am heading to Boston so Daddy and Gma are back to the freezer supply... that may be the most amazing invention ever for my schedule... freezer bags and the freezer... (I can't compliment the pump even though I know I should.) Currently the freezer is full of frozen milk and not much else... this will soon change!

And because my cab was arriving in 30 minutes instead of the standard snuggle snooze fest we both try and embark on every morning which normally results in 30 minutes of sleeping for both of us until K arrives.. I was checking email while nursing... totally busted.. C looked at me wondering what I was doing... instead of the happy sounds she typically makes in the morning while nursing she spotted the phone and grabbed it... not hard to do with the screen on my phone.. Anyway so she grabs the phone and sees my pic of K... looks at it and starts to glow and chatter away Khate Khaa Khaa... ahh she has spotted her super hero! So the rest of our nursing session is spent nursing and staring at her sister...

With one fast approaching we are trying to decide what to do about nursing... With K it was easy... after nine months of pumping everyday I couldn't wait to be separated from that thing and stroll to whole foods for an organic gallon of milk... I wasn't getting any cuddles so it was just not the same.

With C it is so much harder! I am loving nursing her and don't really ever want to give it up... not very practical... especially as I am heading to Europe on Thursday and it is impossible to carry a pump around all day in a big city... plugs are impossible to find in America let alone another country... something I have learned over the last nine months... So I think I will be reducing nursing to just morning and nighttime feedings... hopefully she will stay interested in this (likely considering what an eater she is) and just let her completely self wean when she is ready .. not sure how long this will last, but logically it makes the most sense and allows me to hold on for a bit longer... The nursing is definitely in the top two moments of the day.

K's first Indian wedding

K had her first Indian wedding this week and loved it... she has been really focused on being Indian this week and mentioning that she wished was full Indian and not just half... this was a perfect time for her to be at the wedding and take in a bit of the culture...

We went to the henna party on Thursday and she got a few designs on her hands... She took home about 100 bangles and has been counting and organizing them ever since... She even took some of the flowers home from the garlands.

On Saturday morning we took both girls to the wedding and morning reception... K spent quite a bit of time watching the bride, standing in front of the stage watching everything and meeting kids... She came home and asked to empty out toy baskets so she could be carried in a basket like the bride she saw earlier in the day. At the end of the wedding her and a few other girls went up on the stage and picked up sparkles and flowers and we now have at least 30 roses throughout the kitchen and living room... She also spent quite a lot of time carrying around C and helping her climb stairs and explore the space... The reception last night was also loads of fun... and a nice date for T and I.

Right and wrong

As K gets older there is more discussion of what is right and wrong... what is ok and what is really unacceptable... for the most part these discussions are light and easy... compared to what we will face when she becomes a teenager, but still it doesn't make them any easier.

This morning we were taking care of my mom's catwhile she is out of town... all the tulips in her yard are in full bloom... K as we all know is a girlie girl... and loves picking up flowers (the rule is only pick flowers you can find on the ground). As I closed the door I noticed she had a tulip in her hand... one that had been clearly picked...

I asked her if she picked the flower and she grabbed my hand held on tight and ... finally slowly responded.. "yes I picked the flower" and immediately burst into tears... actually not even tears but full on sobs.. there she was gasping for air because she picked a flower and I was stuck... do I tell her no you are not to pick flowers or comfort her... so I picked her up held her and told her that as she knows picking flowers is wrong even if they are beautiful... At that point she looked at me and said mommy, the flower was for you... now of course I am feeling horrible. she was trying to do something nice but yet as she was breaking a rule and I had to correct her...

Although the argument was simple and the transgression beyond small it broke my heart watching my girl so sad... So hard to teach right and wrong...

Just a few steps...

Over the weekend C started to take three steps or so by herself... She was so thrilled with herself... literally glowing with pride... and also a bit shy and unsure of herself... she was so cute walking a few steps before losing her balance and tipping over..

Heading home

C decided to try standing on her own yesterday... things are about to become a lot more dangerous.... So amazing to see her already standing though.

We are heading home from Japan today. Overall a great trip. We saw so many interesting areas of Tokyo, went to some great museums, palaces, parks, saw cherry blossoms and tried to visit as many shrines as we could fit in despite rain the entire time we were in Kyoto. There were so many things to do we would have needed a month more to see everything.

We had a lot of great meals of soba, sushi, Thai, Indian and Vietnamese... It was all in all wonderful. Our favorite meal was a very traditional Japanese restaraunt on the Gion... a very cultural experience!

K was a great sport about everything and C tried as best as she could... She is really into crawling so the trip was a bit tough on her as there was no where to put her down... This made it hard for her as she was always in someone's arms, the bjorn or the stroller... However the evening romp arounds in the hotel were well received by both kids. Definitely a good learning experience for the next couple trips until C is two and more comfortable sitting and less interested in walking all the time.. The other issue was no highchairs with seatbelts meant she couldn't enjoy her favorite activity... eating.. she had to be held for this as well and that didn't make her the best eater... Luckily travel is about being flexible and seeing new things and both girls did amazing with being game for both.

Glad the flight home is two hours shorter and we have a full day to get the girls back on track for another quarter of school and of course work. Another wonderful trip.

Travel

So we made it... our trip to Tokyo was designed to be an easier glimpse into international travel with two... C did great on the first part of the flight, but by hour nine she was done... most of this comes from the fact that she wants to be on the ground crawling and our flight attendants wanted people in their seats... at all times unlike most international flights where it is expected that this is a long trip and people need to move around... The second travel part was the bus to Tokyo... over 2.5 hours due to traffic... that was also tough... the rest has been great... K was outstanding... not a peep ever. She is definitely an incredible traveler. The jet lag has been ok... we did a two hour wake up the first night and wandered around Tokyo at 2, but were able to get everyone back to sleep. C did a wake up the second night but is doing really well considering the time difference is considerable.

Everyone in Japan has been so helpful... on the bus ride a 20 year old guy sitting next to me played with C and pulled out little treats when she started to fuss.. he didn't even complain when her wet hands touched him... he just kept trying... so nice.

People keep coming up and commenting on the kids... some people have filmed C.

We were saved at least an hour on our travel journey as we were allowed to skip lines at security and in the hotel in Japan...

Our first day was great.. it was almost 70... we weren't quite oriented as we had no time for research prior to the trip so although it was nice to be together not an optimal day in seeing sights. C crawled all over Ginza as the streets were closed off... K followed behind and wowed us and everyone around with the caring loving sis she always is. We went to the traditional district and explored the streets had vietnamese and thai... both really yummy especially as rice noodles passed as pasta.

Some funny comments by k
In prada in ginza "I love this dress it is so beautiful it could be a wedding dress"
On all the masks "What the heck are all those people wearing mouthguards for"
On heated toilet seat in the hotel "Be right back going to the bathroom on the hot toilet seat, LOVE IT"
On our check in to see if she wanted ice cream after lunch... "I don't want ice cream, I just want to go shopping" She loves souvenir shopping... we always end up with one random thing on any trip.
She is also quite taken by the traditional costumes spotted..

Very excited about the family time.

Kain

We had all been trying to convince C to say Mama, Dada or K first....last night T was looking at a pic of K when she was C's age and showed it to C explaining the picture to her... C looked at it and said Kaitin.. T was so surprised he checked again... she said Kate... and went on to make the K sound... We are so excited!

Japan bound...

We are six days away from our first international trip as a family... we will see if we were completely crazy or just adventurous after we return... but for now we are excited to be leaving for a ten day trip to Japan next week... The goal of the weekend... figure out how to buy just the right amount of stuff and pack it in three hours the morning we leave as I am heading back east tomorrow night after finals... Exciting!!!

Aunt J came down yesterday... C appears to be as in love with Aunt J as K is... they grinned, laughed and snuggled as Aunt J played with them... I have been remiss with the camera lately... must get back on board...

C is chattering away... her favorite sound ba... balloon is still a word she uses a lot, but also for balls... She said bath a few days ago and tries her hardest to mimic her cool big sister's sounds...

Missing my family...

The week of finals always brings a similar feeling.. WTF am I doing this for? I miss my family like crazy and can't take another minute of finals, papers and school... Thank goodness for all of us this week is only a week and is followed by a holiday where we all hang out, reconnect and if we are lucky enough... travel somewhere awesome and amazing!!! For the first time ever work and school collided at the same time making this a crazy and horrible week... Three papers, one final, one presentation and I am home free. And soon.. I will be back together with the family... and we are going to Japan where if the internet is right we will catch cherry blossom season... so the reward is out there... just got to get to that point!

The wedding

K requested we play wedding today while T was out golfing and C was napping... She married T in a beautiful ceremony with lots of baby dolls... in fact she had a few babies of her own that attended... The dress... had a horse on it... and the cake... all frosting no cake and caramel sauce on top... and the honeymoon... Asia or Peru... or maybe even Hawaii... no wedding party... they were all working... funny to listen to her scenarios play out...