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Thursday, March 19, 2009

Say Ahhh!

She finally got her teeth checked today and surprisingly, everything went well. Credit must go to the "Barney Visits The Dentist" and "Elmo Visits the Dentist" books she has read, as well as a whole week of telling what to expect and practising how to say "Ah" and "Ee."

Since it was her first visit, the dentist decided not to do much, except to count her teeth, check for cavities and bribe her with toys and stickers. The diagnosis: A healthy set of pearlies with no cavities. He did however recommend that we floss her teeth with some regularity.

On to another first, the munchkin will be starting school this fall at Oakwood (http://www.oakwoodweb.org/). We received the acceptance letter in the mail earlier this week and she's thrilled. She'll most likely be the youngest student in class since she barely made the November 30 cut-off, but we think she'll do fine. Plus, it's not full-on school, just 3 hours a day, 2 days a week. I'm excited about honing her social skills and watching work and play alongside other kids, but I'm equally fired up about the predictable pockets of free time I'll finally have to catch up on errands, chores and whatnot. Just like Kayla, I can't wait for school to start. :)

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Out of the (Potty) Woods

February was a busy month and I'm so glad it's over. Now that I've more free time on my hands, I was finally able to dedicate an entire week to potty-training Kayla. Boy, am I happy it didn't take that long.

She had four accidents on the first day. On the second, just one. And by the third, she was fully conscious of when she should run to her potty, pull down her pants and go wee. We had some problems with the poop bit but she seems to have conquered that in the last two days.

But for me, the real test of potty training is her ability to stay dry even when we're outside. And she did! :) We were at Barnes and Noble yesterday, playing at her favorite train table, when she told me, "I need to go potty Mommy" and ran we did, to the ladies' room. All I can is that I'm super duper proud of her. No diapers! Yipeeee.............

That said, the book "Toilet Training in Less Than a Day" which came highly recommended by one of Mike's coworkers, really helped. While I didn't follow all the steps religiously, it was this main principle in the book that changed my entire potty-training focus. Instead of just focusing on making the child go to the potty, it emphasizes teaching the child the importance of staying dry and clean. Instead of simply rewarding the act of going to the potty, I'm also constantly showering her with praises (at times treats) for staying dry and clean. We've even come up with our own little potty cheer.

High-Five, Stay dry! :)

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Mini Minnie

We took these photos before taking her to Playhouse Disney Live. Hence, the Minnie Mouse ears. Here's Kayla demonstrating how she usually gets herself off the hook....

Oh..and Happy Chinese New Year all. We (or rather I) can't stop thinking about all the munchies we're missing out on. What would I do to get my hands on some melt-in-your-mouth kueh bangkit?!


She calls this her "scary face."

This is her "cute face"

Saying "Cheese" at her best.




She learned this fish pout not too long ago...and we have no idea where from.

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Talking Spots

If there's one thing Kayla has to do everyday, it's going through all the books in her bookcase. We have a pretty sizeable collection (not by the hundreds, but possibly close to 100). Our little bookworm also likes memorizing her favorite books and that has ranged from a story about baby Jesus to chicken pox. Here's Kayla "reading" (cos she can't really read) Itchy Itchy Chicken Pox by Grace MacCarone. Enjoy.


Tuesday, January 13, 2009

At The Museum

It was a lazy November weekend that we decided to take a trip to the Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo http://www.friendsjmz.org/. Coincidentally, I had written about it earlier in a "Fun Family Adventures" piece for a local mag. http://www.thewavemag.com/pagegen.php?pagename=article&articleid=26500

One of the city’s little-known gems, this local hot spot offers two attractions in one, and it’s free. Opened in 1969, the zoo’s collection of more than 50 exotic and native animals includes bobcats, raccoons and hedgehogs. It may not rival its counterparts in San Jose, Oakland or San Francisco, but families can still expect a fun, educational experience. Among its exhibits are a bat habitat showcasing African and Egyptian fruit bats, and a 500-gallon saltwater tank that houses two swell leopard sharks. The museum features permanent, as well as rotating, hands-on science, nature and history activities, geared mostly toward toddlers. Perfect for all ages.

In a nutshhell, small outfit that's big on fun -- at least for the little ones. Oh, we also took her to the neighboring park after. :)

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Mikayla Madness

The first two weeks of 2009 have been hectic, but happy, at least for Kayla. We spent New Year's at home recuperating from the holidays. We went to the library. We had a fabulous playdate with three sweet little girls. And today, we had lots of fun at Playhouse Disney Live! Pity tardy mommy forgot the camera, but I'm sure she'll remember it for at least a week, maybe two. :)

I've a big backlog of videos to upload, dating back from November and I plan to do so, slowly but surely.

If there's one thing every kid loves doing, it's jumping, hopping and grooving to music. And here's a montage of Kayla doing her thing to her now favorite song, Jason Mraz's "I'm Yours!"

Friday, January 2, 2009

Christmas Continued

Christmas Eve was spent quietly (perhaps not so quietly for Kayla and her cousin Emily who had so much fun playing together) yet meaningfully with Grandma, Grandpa at Mike's sister's place in Oakley. A big buffet Christmas lunch, followed by a special Christmas church service, leading to Christmas morn when the two girls excitedly ripped apart presents from Santa.

In the weekend before Christmas, we also attended Baby Caitlin's first birthday party and had a wonderful time. Pics to follow... (when Mike finds time to upload them.)

Fast forward to 2009... we finally disassembled the Christmas tree today (Jan 3) and Kayla was a good helper, packing away the ornaments. I know for sure that she can't wait for next Christmas to come. :)