Week 130 and Week 43.5 - TT's party and more!

Lots to cover this week.  First I want to mention things I keep forgetting to mention here.

1. A week ago I was super concerned as Sophia went to sleep with a clammy head (and a temperature of 36C - not sure what that is in F).  I was super nervous, checking that ridiculous Babycenter, and calling my sister (and her husband told me to put a hat on her head - brilliant).  Matt and I were concerned because she kept on shivering during dinner.  The next morning she is fine temperaturewise.  We mention the shivering to Imee.  She tells us that is how Sophia pees!
2. Sophia is now 10 months old.  I have been breastfeeding for 10 months!  How did this happen? 
3. Charlotte is now swinging in the big girl swing.  Of course she wants to go higher and higher and can go for 40 minutes at a time.  She even knows where to stand to queue for the next available swing.  This is a nice relaxing activity for Char and I (ok, mostly for me).
4. As mentioned in the video last week Sophia is clapping.  Sort of a golf clap where there is some hand contact but no noise.  It is surprisingly elegant for an infant/toddler.
5. Char is singing!  She now sings along to the rainbow song and sings this song from her school "Good afternoon, good afternoon to you.  I am thankful for my parents and my teachers."  There is also a Chinese song that of course we have no reference for.
6. The other day Charlotte says that she sleeps for two hours - eerie since she actually did sleep for two hours.  Then this morning she also volunteers that she sleeps for two hours (when really she slept for ten).  I was almost amazed at her ability to measure elapsed time.
7. Charlotte is also saying "Actually Bucky is lying down already."  Unprompted and without Bucky around.
8. Charlotte got to go to a fish farm and had a pirate day at school this past week for Children's Day (and was scared of the pirate mask I got).  She was scared of the big fish and the teacher dressed like a monster.  The monster made her very fast for musical chairs!
9. Charlotte did not get bitten this past week!  Sigh, the small successes. 
10. Sophia has a bit of diarrhea this week.  Ten times she went on Saturday.  Nightmare images flashed past my mind of Charlotte's rotavirus.  Luckily this seems to be a smaller bug as she has gone 4-5 times a day since Sunday (and maybe 3 times on Monday).  I really loathe diarrhea.
11. Sophia inadvertently ate a half a teaspoon diaper cream this week.  I was really nervous about it and took her to the pediatrician who was the voice of reason and said it would pass through.  Sophia has been a champ - smiling through diarrhea and diaper cream ingestion.  I however have been a nervous wreck this week.  No reason why really.
12. Matt is traveling again - he is gone the whole week to Macau.
13. Finally - we helped to celebrate TT's birthday at Mana Mana on the beach on Saturday!  Char's BFF is now 4!  Happy birthday TT!

Sophia is fancy at the beach with Tita Monica!

And Yaya!

Serious birthday boy:

Midwest Matts share their own symbol(?):

Sleepy Mai:

Organized activities:

Char was not into this hat!

Neither was Sophia:

An engineered volcano cake to make DH proud!

Lava!

 

Various candids:

Like father like son!

Matt and Susie bump bellies!


Nice shot!

 

Prom shot:

Money TT shot!

Sophia sleeps:

And hates hats!

Ok better now:

Sisters hug:

Sophia talking to Ella:

Virginie and son:

Sophia's jealous that Imee is holding Ella!

Toe walking:

Bouncing:

So many teeth!

 

Week 129 and Week 42.5 - More freakin' biting and Daddy's birthday!

Argh.  Char was bit again on Monday.  Same girl.  Apparently V wants to be BFF with Char and expresses her love via biting.  Jeez.  Can a one year old (she is 22 months) be reasoned with?  The school is trying to be reasonable (and reasoning with all involved) but now they are to be 'separated' with a teacher always with one or another.  WTF?  I am going to take Char out of this happens again.  Double argh.  School should be a safe haven.  I know biting happens but maybe I am too overprotective to be super tolerant of this.  I wish I could be the mom who could be more laissez faire but V has issues.  Luckily Char was in better spirits about it.  She is stoic as it is happening I guess.  Thank goodness she is Midwestern/Korean.

We have decided to put Char in school three days a week (or so) as she gets so tired on her home days (yesterday she had a three hour nap!).  Also on her home days (and whenever possible) she helps me cook - putting liquid ingredients in the bowl, pushing fruits and veggies through the juicer, spinning the salad spinner and turning on the blender.  It is nice to keep her engaged with this (now getting her interested in eating her concoctions is another matter entirely).  The other day she helped make Spanish rice -even sauteing the rice and onions in the pan (while standing on a footstool).  Need to take some pictures soon.

Char is watching Gangnam Style, 12 by the Pointer Sisters (the Sesame Street pinball video), and Feist's 1, 2, 3, 4.  Also she is playing with Play Dough these days.

Sophia is sleeping better these days.  She slept all night except Sunday night.  The two hour evening crawling strategy seems to be working!

Another Sunday lunch at the airport- my new favorite place!   Kiddie toilet seats everywhere and good kiddie distractions.  Now if only we can get Sophia to nap on a Sunday...

More camera bits - shutter priority for indoor pictures!  Where have you been the last two years?

I also got my S95 back.  There is not much love there (from me) anymore - will get a different camera when this one blows up.

Today is Matt's birthday!  He is in Macau today, but we got to do a small birthday celebration yesterday (to be continued to a more extensive one this weekend).

Sophia with a teddy bear friend:

 

Sophia plays with things while I play with my camera (shutter priority and an external flash):

Char sets up for a table picnic at TT's:

Sophia at Crystal Jade Shanghai Kitchen:

Charlotte laughs at lunch (while we cry over all of her spilled water):

Watching airplanes:

Fake pet carriers on display:

Char and Daddy point to an elephant:

Char eats a cupcake:

And toasts Daddy with his birthday cupcake:

Morning shot with the birthday boy and his girls!

And the videos:

Here I am trying to get the girls to laugh with my gutteral(?) Korean counting:

Here we are celebrating Matt's birthday last night:

Week 128 and Week 41.5 - Biting and a broken camera

Wow.  This has been one busy week especially in Charlotteland.

Last Friday Charlotte gotten bitten by a classmate (a girl) in the face as they were fighting over a toy.  This girl (let's call her V) has been at the school all of a MONTH and already has had 'anger management issues' highlighted prior to this biting incident.  Argh.  Of course my gut instinct is to get her kicked out of school (again, she is maybe 2).  But of course crappy things happen and we all have to learn to deal.... but seriously?  V?  Maybe you are a bit too young for school (V also was crying for over almost 2 weeks when she started school earlier this month).  Char (I am told) behaved well during this incident and did not cry - but she has seemed shier around her teacher and turned her face and welled up in tears when Matt asked her about it on Friday night.  Sigh.  Welcome to a lifetime of dealing with idiots Char.

We went out to lunch on Sunday at the Airport - which was great fun!  Only in Asia would anyone hang out at the airport.... there is even a carpeted plane viewing gallery.  We ate lunch at Crystal Jade Shanghai Kitchen - a great experience as Charlotte ate the hot and sour noodle soup and the staff happily (and swiftily) cleaned up Charlotte's 'accident' (this was our first outing with her in panties).  Charlotte is liking all things spicy these days - she asks for chips and 'sauce' (salsa) and does not mind Old El Paso's medium spiciness.

Charlotte also broke my camera (the S95 - which I am kind of falling out of favor with anyway).  So we went to Harbourfront to get it fixed and we took the train back.  With his eyes, Matt would like to give me a proverbial "I told you so" about Char breaking the camera (one too many falls on the floor) but I grew up in a space where so much was verboten that if I am a bit too permissive (and get things broken from time to time) with my things then so be it.  I would rather my kids feel like they can be comfortable with their parents' things than for them to feel like they live in a museum.  I am, however, in the market to get a cheap camera for Char.

Speaking of cameras - I accidentally whacked Sophia in the face with my camera (the SLR) yesterday - she was not happy and nor was I.  She has a bit of a shiner to compliment the door-mark on the other side of her face (that she inflicted upon herself).  She slept all night last night - the first in a long time.  She normally gets up once a night.  But we are trying to just make her TIRED.  Jisun graciously let us borrow the Ferrari walker again (as Charlotte walked for miles in it) and Sophia has yet to figure the forward walking bit out.  Yesterday she crawled around in the park for TWO hours in the afternoon - so maybe that is what we need to do.  Let her crawl around for two hours everyday.  Yikes!

I discovered a new function on my camera - the 3D autofocus function.  Perfect for chasing down 2 toddlers!

Here is Sophia in her new park getup!

Adorable Alix:

Sophia continues her serious streak (while being confused for a boy here):

Eating yogurt is serious business!

Here is Char in my tribute to fall!

And in color!

Charlotte's scrunchy face - two ways!

I love this photo of Sophia.  Her eyes are so 'catchlight'-y!

Sophia is a serious driver (and at the moment a backwards only one):

Great teeth shot!

Reese does serious:

Sisters climb:

Happy Sophia!

Here is the family at the airport pretending like we are visiting Bhutan and wearing traditional clothing:

 

My favorite photos this week: