Week 157 and Week 70.5 - Charlotte's 3rd Birthday!

Wow - so much happened last week I don't really know where to begin!

It was a birthday party extravaganza for Charlotte!  I made penguin cupcakes from the book
"Hello Cupcake" - except of course I could not find many of the original ingredients (not even chocolate frosting) and improvised almost entirely!  Mine are made with scones, square(!) mini donuts, Nutella, blanched almonds, Oreo cookies, chocolate chips, white icing and marshmallows!  So fun and time consuming (especially the sourcing part).

Matt, Kathy and I surprised Charlotte at school with her penguin cupcakes to celebrate her birthday with her and her classmates.  Twelve students - she and another girl have the same birthday and another girl April 12!  It was cute- I was reminded why boys are boisterous and I don't understand them.  Char did not sit in her seat but I think it was because we were there and she is SO distractable. 

At the same time - Sophia woke up from a nap on Thursday unable to walk.  We had deduced that her right hip was injured.  We took her to the doctor on Friday afternoon and confirmed there was nothing broken.  It was so sad to see her unable to walk.  Her leg progressively got better the next couple of days and was fine by Monday morning (where I already had a jab scheduled).  She must be doing karate kicks in her crib.

Sophia is also enamored with the red wagon!  The first time we took her in it to the park she refused to get out of it.  So Yaya, Kathy and I are running her around the park.  She sat so regally - like she was a queen looking down on her subjects.  I let other kids ride - all with Sophia still there.  She was so serious riding that day - it was really cute and funny!

Saturday we had a lovely morning party at the park with her neighborhood friends- she wore a cute Auntie Laurie dress and Auntie Laurie shoes.  Auntie Sherry, Uncle Larry, and Uncle Neil joined us.  We gave her a purple elephant balloon that she walked around the park.  Her boyfriend Max (she still calls him her boyfriend) came, and they were so cute!  She tried to kiss him and he was shy (or as his mom says - playing hard to get) but Charlotte just laughed it off.  It made me very happy - her innocence and her lack of consciousness about it all.  Don't learn to be embarrassed Char!  I hope that your spirit always shines through!

Char led her party with a resounding rendition of the hokey pokey - Coach sings this at swimming and it is just like audio sunshine.

We fulfilled Char's wish of having fire and candles for her birthday with a Little Einsteins rocket ship and a Barney cake!  Kathy brought candles from the US - and the sparkly ones seemed like trick ones!

We came home and opened family presents - Char got a Barney from us (which she loves!  We are surprised by all the Barney love) and a suitcase from Grandpa.  Char wheeled this suitcase all around the airport the next day during our weekly dim sum run there.  She told us she wanted to go to Shanghai.  I went to the toilet and Matt indulged her and talked the First Class Check in agent.  She told the nice gentleman that she wanted to go to Shanghai.  The agent asked for her passport.  She opened up her suitcase, pulled out a Dora swimsuit, held it up to him and asked "Is this ok?"  The agent smiled and said that he can check her in when she brings her passport.  Charlotte asked me if I had her passport in my purse when I got out of the restroom.  So cute!

Kathy took Charlotte swimming and sadly left us on Saturday night.  Char was really upset on Monday morning (and before) and asked why Grandma wasn't there to get her ready for school!

Matt is in Macau this week - I let Charlotte sleep in my room at night and I sleep much better!  Matt does not like this of course as he does not want this to be a habit.  Or maybe we just need to invest in a king sized bed...

I have so many pictures to post this week - I am not going to do my normal captions this week.  Hope you can follow along!

Though I have not seen the movie- this is what I would suspect could be a deleted scene from "The Notebook":

Channeling Judi Dench here:

Week 156 and Week 69.5

Things have been busy with Grandma visiting.  Matt and I took a much needed staycation on Saturday at The Sentosa resort (thanks Grandma!) and we then went to dim sum at the airport on Sunday.

I am not sure if Grandma brought the rain with her but it has been raining almost every afternoon while she has been here!  Argh - this rain, these mosquitoes.... I am resorting to wearing bug spray in the house!

Before our staycation (Matt wonders what this word means) on Saturday morning Grandma organized a very cute tea party outside our house.  The cucumber sandwiches were a big hit with Sophia while Char was partial to wearing big beads and a tiara.

We are gearing up for Charlotte's birthday - something she would be blissfully unaware of if there was no school (we think) but now we are gearing up for a grand affair!

Susie and Matt helped us to bring over a Radio Flyer wagon -Charlotte helped to put it together.  Since it has arrived this week we are calling it a part of Char's birthday booty.  Char astutely pointed out that a picture on a brochure inside matched the Radio Flyer tricycle we are borrowing from TT.  The girls love the wagon!

Grandma and Sophia:

Tea party decor and nibbles:

Coiffed and distracted:

Tea party!

Cucumber sammies!

 Teddy Graham bliss!

Melancholy:

Angry:

The fam:

Char is blinking:

Airport climbing:

This one is for you Matt Wulff!

The infamous smile for mommy(after a LOT of cajoling):

Wagon assembly:

Late night wagon delivery and test drive!

Week 155 and Week 68.5

Charlotte has been sleeping with us or getting up early (like when I get up) recently and this has upended my schedule somewhat.  I know that parenting is all about adjusting and being flexible and blah blah but... I get up early to get some alone time (like being able to write this blog!) and get a bit grumpy when the small, predictable part of my schedule is, well, unpredictable.  I know Ho, relax, relax.  Today Charlotte is still sleeping (at 7AM) and I am very happy about it!

Birthdays are front and center in Charlotte's world.  She is learning about birthdays at school and has totally bought into this ritual.  Now she wants a purple elephant (balloon - they sell these at the mall with heavy legs so they 'walk') and a little Barney for a cake topper (along with her Little Einsteins rocket ship).  Both if these things remind me that Char is an unusual bird - TT had one of these walking elephant balloons and Char was super upset and scared by it and then of course there was the aforementioned Barney episode.  So she is trending to be scared and then giddily excited by certain things - but the beginning there is always apprehension.  She, like me, is change averse but eventually warms up.  The other thing to note is that Char is definitely our kid - she is into Little Einsteins and Barney (entities that we have introduced to her) - and we were reminded by her hip Aunt Laurie that we are ahead of the kid curve... from 5 years ago.  So she is us - hip but stuck in a bygone time as we just don't consume enough current pop culture to have any clue!

We have set up Charlotte's birthday to be a big apocalyptic event - "You know once you turn three, you are going to have to feed yourself"or "Once you turn three you will have to pull up your underwear by yourself."  We are certainly aiming for some self-sufficiency - especially with her eating.

I looked at Sophia's mouth yesterday - seriously seven more teeth!  If there ever was a teething prodigy I think Sophia would be it.  She has also had her share of runny poos and slight fevers... but she has not gotten up so much these days.  Yea!

I may have not mentioned it before- but Sophia is over her jealousy of Astrid.  They are best friends now!

We had a Bucky scare last week - we are giving him some Valium to help him sleep (as we think he never sleeps as he has to stand to breathe).  On Friday morning he could not walk (both his front and hind legs gave way).  We were sure that we had to do something... we called Shirley and Wee and we met at the vet at noon.... by the time we got there Bucky was better (apparently his muscles were rather latently relaxed - a side effect of the darn Valium).  You just never know what he wants and what we would want for him is not to suffer.  We are certainly at the point where we need to hatch a plan.  I have never had a pet before so this is not something I have had to plan for.  Luckily Bucky is back to his new normal self - still breathing heavy but still wanting food and walking better now.  Sigh.  Taking it day by day.

We also went to Loysel's Toy with Susie and Matt and their kids and ran around the restaurant with 3 of the 4 kids (little Astrid is still too little yet).  I think the biggest toddler requirement for an eating establishment is a vast and safe roaming space.

Grandma Kathy arrived to town bright and early on Sunday morning.  We went to Din Tai Fung for lunch (a sweeping success - the hot and sour soup was not too spicy for the kids) and tried to go to the water play area abut it was closed to set up for an afternoon special event!  Ah, these malls could learn a thing or too from America - don't build the church for Easter Sunday but don't close it either on Easter Sunday to set up for Easter Sunday (or you know, something like that).

We opened up an Easter gift from Grandpa - and Charlotte loves her scissors!  We just have to direct her to cut scrap paper and not $50 bills!

Astrid tries rice cereal for the first time:

While Teo goofs around:

Sophia is a proud Beatles fan!

While Char tries to watch Ella's iPad French:

Sophia likes to dance with Auntie Alex:

Thirsty sisters:

Cutting paper at Din Tai Fung:

And waxing philosophical over pork dumplings:

Sophia eats pizza al fresco:

While Astrid poses the Heisman:

Sophia sweats:

While waiting for her BFF Astrid:

And here is a video of Grandma showing off her Gangnam Style moves with the girls (or just watching the Hyuna version of the video):