Every family has one. You know, the one who gets in trouble all the time, picks fights with siblings, doesn't listen to mom and dad, acts out, disrespects other's personal stuff.
And our family is not any different. The in-fighting and sibling squabbles have already started: the book hogging, toy throwing, pushing the other out of the way, head spanking, no regard for personal space and belongings...
And Malia is only 15 months old today.
Poor Kael - he's really going to have a time of it with Malia. I can hear him yelling at her: Malia, stop hitting me! Malia, I'm playing with that! Malia, wait your turn! Malia, stop making a mess in my room! Malia, let go! MOOOMMMM!!!
Her latest Kael-torture tactic: turning off the TV while he's engrossed in a show. He gets mad, stomps over to turn it back on, yells at her and sits back on the couch. She wanders back to the TV and turns to look at Kael in the eyes while her little fingers search for the power button. She turns it off and then quickly scurries away while he shrieks with outrage. They do this several times, back and forth until Kael is so frustrated he starts crying. I know he wants to sock her (I can see it in his eyes) but he knows better. Instead he gives her his very evil, very mean if-looks-can-kill face. Malia in the meantime is laughing her head off.
She also did this to Truong last night. She turned on the TV while Kael was eating dinner so Truong used the remote to turn it off. She looked over, gave him a dirty look, and turned it back on. She then walked back to the sofa and leaned against it to watch TV. Truong turned off the TV and again, she gave us a dirty look and turned it back on. This went on for a few more times until we flipped the switch box to VCR to show a black screen. I personally will be very surprised if the TV lasts until Christmas.
Today I scolded her to leave the TV on for Kael and you know what the stinker did instead? She turned on the radio on the stereo so we couldn't hear the TV. I almost turned down the volume in front of her but caught myself. I have to do it when she's not looking otherwise she'll figure out the volume control too. I already made the mistake of doing the switch box in front of her - I saw her fooling around in the area this morning and noticed the box was askew. I can just imagine her nosy little fingers probing the buttons, trying to figure it out.
Today she knocked Kael on the head with a toy hammer (repeatedly), destroyed his lego pirate ship, dumped his underwear drawer, threw it all up in the air like confetti, beaned him with a handful of balls and tossed one of his books in the bathtub and ran the water.
She is a nightmare.
Kael's nightmare.
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Monday, August 6, 2007
She's a keeper!
Malia had her 15 month appointment this morning and it was a rough well-baby visit for a variety of reasons:
1) She woke up this morning at 5:30am to a massive poop. For reasons known only to her, she's designated her crib as the Primary Pooping Area. She only poops in her crib. It wrecks havoc on her naps but I suppose if a girl's gotta go, then a girl's gotta go. I had hopes of nursing her back to sleep... until Kael walked out of his room at 6:15am and kicked Truong out of the kid's bathroom so HE could poop. It was an odd morning to say the least.
2) She didn't eat breakfast. Since the kids were up early and the house cleaner was coming, I decided to take them out for breakfast -- alone. Bad idea. Malia was so distracted at Kael's antics and Kael was so amped up from waking up early, that breakfast was... well, not quite a complete disaster, but not very successful either. Let's just say I was able to doggy bag a lot of food, despite Malia wearing a good portion of it. Hopefully Kael will eat his lunch at school to make up for the lack of breakfast.
3) She's just an ornery kid. She knows want she wants and will let you (and everyone within a 2 mile radius) know what she doesn't want. She most definitely did NOT want the doctor touching her. She was fine with him in the room chatting with me but once he pulled out the stethoscope, she shook her head, said "nononono" and ran away. I pulled her into my lap and she proceeded to swat his hands away. When that didn't work, she tried to hit him. And when that didn't work, she used her powerful lungs to scream him away. It took both the doctor and I to bear hug her (me) and hold her head still (him) to get the exam done. By the end of the exam (10 minutes) she was so pissed, she was practically foaming at the mouth. It was the fastest exam I've ever gone through. Kael was the best kid (read: mellow) when it came to the well visits (he doesn't cry at all now). The only time he cried was when he got his shots and even then it was over when I picked him up. So this screaming banshee routine - I don't know what to do. When the nurse came in to give Malia her 3 shots, she didn't bat an eye. Well, she did give Stacy a suspicious look (or maybe it was the evil eye) but didn't try to run away or hit her. Since she was already "prepped" by the exam, she knew something was up once I got her on her back to receive the shots. Her kicking was fierce and her screaming was glass shattering. It was a relief to finally get her clothes on to leave. She did throw her shoes across the room to show me how mad she was.
So here are her 15 month stats (drum roll, please):
Weight: 16 lbs (definitely a keeper)
Length: 30 inches
It's not much by most standards but for Malia, it's phenomenal. She's gained 15 oz since her 12 month visit and the doctor is very pleased. She's hitting all her milestones in terms of development and she's obviously very active so we've accepted that she's going to be a petite girl. And given the appointment we just had, being petite in no way affects her ability to being heard.
Our next appointment is her 18 month in November. I'm looking forward to it. Maybe I can get Dad to take her....
1) She woke up this morning at 5:30am to a massive poop. For reasons known only to her, she's designated her crib as the Primary Pooping Area. She only poops in her crib. It wrecks havoc on her naps but I suppose if a girl's gotta go, then a girl's gotta go. I had hopes of nursing her back to sleep... until Kael walked out of his room at 6:15am and kicked Truong out of the kid's bathroom so HE could poop. It was an odd morning to say the least.
2) She didn't eat breakfast. Since the kids were up early and the house cleaner was coming, I decided to take them out for breakfast -- alone. Bad idea. Malia was so distracted at Kael's antics and Kael was so amped up from waking up early, that breakfast was... well, not quite a complete disaster, but not very successful either. Let's just say I was able to doggy bag a lot of food, despite Malia wearing a good portion of it. Hopefully Kael will eat his lunch at school to make up for the lack of breakfast.
3) She's just an ornery kid. She knows want she wants and will let you (and everyone within a 2 mile radius) know what she doesn't want. She most definitely did NOT want the doctor touching her. She was fine with him in the room chatting with me but once he pulled out the stethoscope, she shook her head, said "nononono" and ran away. I pulled her into my lap and she proceeded to swat his hands away. When that didn't work, she tried to hit him. And when that didn't work, she used her powerful lungs to scream him away. It took both the doctor and I to bear hug her (me) and hold her head still (him) to get the exam done. By the end of the exam (10 minutes) she was so pissed, she was practically foaming at the mouth. It was the fastest exam I've ever gone through. Kael was the best kid (read: mellow) when it came to the well visits (he doesn't cry at all now). The only time he cried was when he got his shots and even then it was over when I picked him up. So this screaming banshee routine - I don't know what to do. When the nurse came in to give Malia her 3 shots, she didn't bat an eye. Well, she did give Stacy a suspicious look (or maybe it was the evil eye) but didn't try to run away or hit her. Since she was already "prepped" by the exam, she knew something was up once I got her on her back to receive the shots. Her kicking was fierce and her screaming was glass shattering. It was a relief to finally get her clothes on to leave. She did throw her shoes across the room to show me how mad she was.
So here are her 15 month stats (drum roll, please):
Weight: 16 lbs (definitely a keeper)
Length: 30 inches
It's not much by most standards but for Malia, it's phenomenal. She's gained 15 oz since her 12 month visit and the doctor is very pleased. She's hitting all her milestones in terms of development and she's obviously very active so we've accepted that she's going to be a petite girl. And given the appointment we just had, being petite in no way affects her ability to being heard.
Our next appointment is her 18 month in November. I'm looking forward to it. Maybe I can get Dad to take her....
Sunday, August 5, 2007
She will not tan.
Sunblock, SPF 50 -- Check!
Hat, wide brimmed -- Check!
Full rash guard suit, SPF 50 -- Check!
Swim shoes -- Check!
Shovel -- Check!
My girl will find it hard to tan, much less burn on my watch. We are prepared for a day at the beach.
We attended a beach party at Doheny State Beach and the kids had a great time. The weather was great and the water was warm. Malia didn't nap this morning -- at all -- and she's still working on those two molars, so we were expecting the worst but hoping for the best. She did pretty good up until the very end. Malia's a pretty good baby - she's got to be beyond tired to fuss. Around 1:30pm, she started to fuss and she fussed right up until her tush hit the carseat and then she went out like a light... before we finished loading up the car, before I had the chance to load up Kael. She was T-I-R-E-D!
Kael had a great time. He met the grandson of a client and it was pretty funny to watch the boys play. Christopher is 6 and already you can tell he's going to be a hunk and a half when he grows up. He's obviously very athletic, with the innate grace natural athletes exude. Kael is 4 with the expected clumsiness and goofiness of being 4. They were trying to play soccer. "Trying" being the key word... In the end, the kids had a great time chasing each other around and Kael was pretty bummed to leave.
Kael, checking out the beach.
Found our spot.
Let the digging begin!
Malia didn't like the slope at first but she quickly got over it and started running into the water.
Digging is very serious business.
Back at the tent, Malia is blissfully eating edamani beans.
1) Luckily she hasn't figured out the zip-lock bag (yet).
2) The proper way of sitting in a chair.
The improper way of sitting in a chair.
Ice cream mustache.
Hat, wide brimmed -- Check!
Full rash guard suit, SPF 50 -- Check!
Swim shoes -- Check!
Shovel -- Check!
My girl will find it hard to tan, much less burn on my watch. We are prepared for a day at the beach.
We attended a beach party at Doheny State Beach and the kids had a great time. The weather was great and the water was warm. Malia didn't nap this morning -- at all -- and she's still working on those two molars, so we were expecting the worst but hoping for the best. She did pretty good up until the very end. Malia's a pretty good baby - she's got to be beyond tired to fuss. Around 1:30pm, she started to fuss and she fussed right up until her tush hit the carseat and then she went out like a light... before we finished loading up the car, before I had the chance to load up Kael. She was T-I-R-E-D!
Kael had a great time. He met the grandson of a client and it was pretty funny to watch the boys play. Christopher is 6 and already you can tell he's going to be a hunk and a half when he grows up. He's obviously very athletic, with the innate grace natural athletes exude. Kael is 4 with the expected clumsiness and goofiness of being 4. They were trying to play soccer. "Trying" being the key word... In the end, the kids had a great time chasing each other around and Kael was pretty bummed to leave.
Kael, checking out the beach.
Found our spot.
Let the digging begin!
Malia didn't like the slope at first but she quickly got over it and started running into the water.
Digging is very serious business.
Back at the tent, Malia is blissfully eating edamani beans.
1) Luckily she hasn't figured out the zip-lock bag (yet).
2) The proper way of sitting in a chair.
The improper way of sitting in a chair.
Ice cream mustache.
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Would you like one lump or two?
It's been a while since Kael's gotten into any accidents. I was starting to think that maybe his aura changed and I could put away his crash helmet.
I was wrong.
Wednesday we meet Annie and her two boys at the park and then headed over to Carl's Jr. for lunch. Carl's has an air-conditioned indoor playground that's great for the kids to get out the last wiggles before naptime. While there, Kael konked heads with another kid. Pretty hard. REALLY hard. Both boys came down screaming but only mine got the goose egg. The other kid only had a red spot where the heads hit. My kid - I was worried that he got a concussion!
It's still swollen and discolored today. He says it still hurts but apparently it doesn't hurt enough to not go back to the park. Go figure.
Here he is 10 minutes after the collision. It's already looking really ugly.
But it's the side view that really makes a statement.
OUCH!
I was wrong.
Wednesday we meet Annie and her two boys at the park and then headed over to Carl's Jr. for lunch. Carl's has an air-conditioned indoor playground that's great for the kids to get out the last wiggles before naptime. While there, Kael konked heads with another kid. Pretty hard. REALLY hard. Both boys came down screaming but only mine got the goose egg. The other kid only had a red spot where the heads hit. My kid - I was worried that he got a concussion!
It's still swollen and discolored today. He says it still hurts but apparently it doesn't hurt enough to not go back to the park. Go figure.
Here he is 10 minutes after the collision. It's already looking really ugly.
But it's the side view that really makes a statement.
OUCH!
Malia's First Scream Lesson -- I mean SWIM Lesson
We finally registered Malia for swimming. I feel so bad - Kael started swim (Mom and Me) at 6 months old and here's Malia, almost 15 months old...
The lesson started out great. I was expecting the crying to start when I handed her off to Sara. Malia loves the water but she's never been in it with a stranger. Surprisingly, she didn't fuss at all and looked at Sara with a befuddled "who ARE you?" look on her face. Sara got her to back float the first time without any problems and dunked her under the water without any problems. But as she repeated the exercises, Malia caught on to the game and started wailing. Then she really understood what was happening and only wailed when Sara counted because it's 1-2-3-DUNK. Malia was fine in between dunkings but when she heard the 1 count, she would starting wailing, arch her back and do the limp noodle act. It took Kael awhile to master the float without freaking out and it looks like Malia is the same. She only sucked in water the wrong way a couple of times and by the end of the 15 minute lesson, she knew to close her eyes and hold her breath.
Kael had his lesson at the same time and I could tell he was really bothered by her crying. I heard him tell Jamie his instructor "That's my baby sister Malia crying - I need to go help her. " It was so sweet. Hopefully she'll get used to the lessons in a couple of weeks and learn to love them as much as Kael.
The first back float.
1-2-3....
DUNK!
What the @#$% just happened?!
She's starting to get fussy with the floats. She's not wailing yet - just eh-eh-eh!
Another dunk. Her eyes are tightly closed.
Now we're full blown wailing.
Otherwise she's just fine and dandy in the water. You like her tie-dye swim suit? It's size 12m and so baggy on her!
So it's really really obvious she hates the back float. But look at her form - it's perfect!
And here's our brave little swimmer at the end of her first lesson.
The lesson started out great. I was expecting the crying to start when I handed her off to Sara. Malia loves the water but she's never been in it with a stranger. Surprisingly, she didn't fuss at all and looked at Sara with a befuddled "who ARE you?" look on her face. Sara got her to back float the first time without any problems and dunked her under the water without any problems. But as she repeated the exercises, Malia caught on to the game and started wailing. Then she really understood what was happening and only wailed when Sara counted because it's 1-2-3-DUNK. Malia was fine in between dunkings but when she heard the 1 count, she would starting wailing, arch her back and do the limp noodle act. It took Kael awhile to master the float without freaking out and it looks like Malia is the same. She only sucked in water the wrong way a couple of times and by the end of the 15 minute lesson, she knew to close her eyes and hold her breath.
Kael had his lesson at the same time and I could tell he was really bothered by her crying. I heard him tell Jamie his instructor "That's my baby sister Malia crying - I need to go help her. " It was so sweet. Hopefully she'll get used to the lessons in a couple of weeks and learn to love them as much as Kael.
The first back float.
1-2-3....
DUNK!
What the @#$% just happened?!
She's starting to get fussy with the floats. She's not wailing yet - just eh-eh-eh!
Another dunk. Her eyes are tightly closed.
Now we're full blown wailing.
Otherwise she's just fine and dandy in the water. You like her tie-dye swim suit? It's size 12m and so baggy on her!
So it's really really obvious she hates the back float. But look at her form - it's perfect!
And here's our brave little swimmer at the end of her first lesson.
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