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    The first hair-cut

    November 30th, 2012

    S2 got his first haircut this Sunday. It was time. While cute, the kid was sporting a mullet, and the only saving grace was that his back had curls.
    G had his first haircut when he was a little older than one. S2 has managed, though exceptionally slow hair growth and reverse-male-pattern baldness, to eek it out until 2. But it was time.

    We went to the little place we love, Lil Couture in San Mateo. The main owner is awesome, and has always done well by G’s hair. We asked for her specifically: a double booking back to back. We asked G to go first. This had me with some trepidation to be sure, because G can be so unpredictable at appointments these days. But S asked him to go first so he can show S2 what to do and how still to sit. And he did great! He was watching Cars on his little screen, and did awesome. I also welcomed his cut because his hair was starting to get into his eyes, and he therefore decided to take it upon himself and give himself hair-cuts. Sadly, the shorter cut is definitely illuminating his own uneven cut creations, but I guess now we’ve given him less incentive to try on his own.

    S2 also did great. He was subjected to the credits of Cars, since the movie ended, but still sat patiently for C who was extra fast and good with him. He even sat for the clippers in the end too. G has never had clippers!

    Haircuts are always a strange event for me. Both boys feel like they age 3 years right after a cut. It makes me miss them as babies. I also go through a period of estrangement, where I look at them, and I know they’re MY kids, but they look so different, I have a hard time getting over it. I’m not saying I’ll eat my young or anything, just that once in a while, for a split second, they look alien to me.

    They were both rewarded with lolli-pops upon completion. S2 took 2 hours to go through his. I dare not ask what germs and bacteria attached itself to it by the time he was through.

    Now… onto the pictures:

    Playing while we wait


    Bye bye curls and mullet!

    Getting some inspiration for a new Do

    Watching big bro






    Easy peasy! We can do this!

    S2’s turn

    The apron

    The mist

    Snip, snip!






    He even got a buzzer bee

    Lolli rewards



    Mommy’s memento

    After hair-cuts, we promised G that we’d go out for lunch where he can get a pu-pu platter. Potty jokes are big with him, but spelling isn’t, and he’s been asking for it for awhile. We figured if he was good, we’ll do it. I genuinely have no idea what he’s expecting to be served. I don’t think I want to know. I just know, though, that when he gets his sampling of small appetizers he’ll be sorely disappointed. Yep, I’m still using future tense here, because as much as S and I tried, we weren’t able to find a place, locally, that had them. We looked online, and thought we had found a restaurant with pu-pu on the menu. We went there and got seated for lunch. Looked at the menu. Nothing of the sort. So we walked out. So many restaurants don’t update their online menus and it makes me mad. In this situation it was a complete menu over-haul too. G asked for roasted chicken nuggets. We ended up at KFC. Sigh! The hunt continues.


    The FIRST homework assignment

    November 30th, 2012

    While in the pre-k class, G’s program participates in a Virtual Pre-K program. There are packets we can check out and activities to do at home. There are several activities that all kids are asked to do. It’s not brain science: just needs to get done.

    The first was a family tree. It was assigned in the beginning of the month, and when I read it I saw the deadline for the end of November, so I put it aside, planning on working on it around Thanksgiving, when we’re home for a bit, and my schedule somewhat calms down. In my mind, I swear I thought it was due 11/29 (or something). Well, in cleaning up my pile of to-do papers, I came across it again and 11/26 was in big, numbers. It was now 11/24. Damn! 2 days to go, and I needed to psych G up for it.
    I told him what we needed to do, and I gave him a choice: he can draw pictures of the people in his family, or I can print pictures out. He said he wanted to draw. Good news for me – no need to hunt down pics of everyone. You’d think that with as many pictures as I take I’d have an easy time finding good ones of everyone? Not so much – I have lots of pics, just not pics that will help this assignment out.

    Saturday blew by, Sunday came, and the thing was due on Monday. Now G changes his mind and wants me to print photos and not draw anymore. Crap! Ok – photos found, time to print, and then I realize how much our printer sucks. I don’t have time to send things to Costco, and come to terms that at-home printed photos will have to do and a bunch of 4yr olds don’t care about the quality of images, and loss of color gradation as much as I do. I cut them up, and handed them to G to position them in a way he wanted. The tree didn’t really have to be a tree – it could be a collage, but I seriously had to sit on my hands and let him do the assignment when he was randomly assembling people and groups with little care for which brand on the tree they swung on. But, it’s his assignment, and a first of many, so I had to let him. I then asked him who everyone was, and wrote their names on a spot of the page he told me to. Thankfully at least the names were associated with the photo  I asked him if there was anything he wanted to say about anyone, and the only thing he brought up was cousin J’s nick-name from last week-end “Dirtywater”. Don’t ask me why – it was cracking G up to call J that all week. No one else got a cute nick-name, and I really didn’t want to press it, less someone ended up as “Poop-head”. Yeah, I wouldn’t put that past him right now.

    http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8199/8231934272_6f841ca1b8.jpg

    Finally assignment is done. I put it aside for the glue to dry from prying and dirty little fingers. And of course, the next day, I forget to take it. I had to go back home and make a second drive to school to drop it off.

    Total mommy fail here. I taught my child to 1) procrastinate; 2) ignore deliverables; 3) accept lower-quality product. I mean, it was fulfilled, and delivered within the requested timeline, but damn, I gotta do better next time. I’ll hang my head in shame now.


    Our little rider

    November 29th, 2012

    G has really been excelling at riding his bike. Video proof of this is already seen here, but here are some pictures I also took of our little rider.










    Footprints

    November 28th, 2012

    Set five for G and three for S2. My little monkeys are growing up 🙁 It’s so nostalgic to see just how tiny their first day piggies were in comparison to today.

    G

    S2:

    Also, G’s foot hasn’t grown all that much in the last year. I guess it’s one of those curve things too.


    The trip out east

    November 28th, 2012

    Boy, I’m behind on so many things I’ve been meaning to say. The first are these images of the boys playing with family out East on our recent trip to Virginia. I was saving it for a Foto Friday, but at this rate, it will either be the biggest FF known to man, or I’ll be posting images through New Years ;p
    The Snuggles Chapter





    Visiting Piper






    J and G — so grown up!





    All the kids!

    Fly Wheels action. And yes — they landed on the roof!









    Movie Monday

    November 26th, 2012

    G and S2 now both each have a Strider bike. G, however, within just 2 days is excelling at it’s use.I’m pretty certain that his addiction to the RedBull Mountain Biking competition is contributing to his excitement with the bike. None-the-less, I’m starting to think that come Christmas, he may be ready for a no-training wheels, 2-wheel, pedal bike. See for yourselves.

    [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrDQ4dIhXjc]

    [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsdsjK8WtdU]


    Foto Friday: the bowling chapter

    November 23rd, 2012


    You’re not listening to me!

    November 23rd, 2012

    That statement is heard quite a bit around our house. But surprisingly, it’s not the parental units uttering that phrase, but rather screamed out by a 4yr old.

    The first time I heard G yell this out, I realized two things:
    1) It’s really used improperly
    2) I really have to watch when I use it

    Let me elaborate on the first. “You’re not listening to me”, in G’s case is used to mean “You’re not doing what I’m asking you to do.” Quite frankly, I think a lot of people say this and mean exactly what he does. I’ve caught myself saying exactly that, and since then I’ve stopped. But I also noticed one of the teachers in G’s classroom say “You need to listen.”, when really they meant “You need to do what I asked”. Quite frankly, G really DOES hear what we say. He just chooses to ignore us.

    So now, I am pretty explicit on what I need him to do.

    Of course, this doesn’t exactly help when he’s pissed off that we’re not following his demands, so now we’re also clear on saying “Yes, I am listening you to. You asked for BLAH-BLAH-BLAH. I’m just not going to do what you asked.”

    Pretty funny the things kids pick up on.


    Movie Monday

    November 19th, 2012

    G yesterday kept asking me to hold a rubber band for him so that he can use it as a sling-shot to shoot his cars around the house. What can I say, I’m lazy, I enjoy child self-sufficiency and a good challenge. So with the help of an empty amazon box, said rubber band, an exacto knife and two Popsicle holders, ta-da!!!!

    [youtube=http://youtu.be/CMOtHT6q5AU]

    I’m not a fan of salads. Really, I’m not. I mean they taste good, but a salad on it’s own is not a meal for me, and I need something heartier. That and most leafy greens don’t do it for me. I like spinach and I like sorrel. Sadly, sorrel isn’t easily available here at all, so this year I decided to grow it on my own, and it really took off. Apparently, G’s a fan too 🙂

    [youtube=http://youtu.be/omTCXvamnvk]

    Someone likes rubber bands a lot!

    [youtube=http://youtu.be/8LFDiKcCJ-w]


    Halloween recap

    November 18th, 2012

    Ok, fine, it’s mid-November, but better late than never?

    It was our first, truly family, celebrated event as both boys actively participated, both in dressing up, trick or treating and consuming candy. G went as a cheetah (fine, really a leopard since the actual cheetah costume was nowhere to be found, but he doesn’t know, so don’t ruin it for me), and S2 went as a monkey, reclaiming G’s Halloween costume from 2 years ago.

    I finagled an invitation out of A&B to ToT in their hood. A benefit to our place not doing ToT is that I don’t have to acquire candy, or stay home to distribute it. A disadvantage to the same, is that come Halloween, we are now nomads, seeking a friendly place to go. I feel uncomfortable picking a random neighborhood to ascend onto, and nowhere near ready to battle the insanity that is San Carlos’ Eucalyptus Dr that day. Thankfully, A was awesome enough to extend and invitation, so that’s where we spent our evening. We ate pizza for dinner, dressed the kids, and took off. Note to self: next year, bring our own wagon. G was insistent he HAD to ride in K&M’s, which was sad, because he was really mean about it.

    The kids were pretty polite at approaching homes, knocking on doors and picking one candy. S2, decided that he should extend his “treat” definition and asked people for their decorations. Apparently his cuteness won them over, because we walked away from one home carrying a pumpkin. Yes, a real pumpkin. Not pumpkin candy, pumpkin cake, or anything else immediately edible: a real, decorative pumpkin. At least it was small 🙂

    G asked to head back pretty early. I was surprised to be honest, but he was tired, it was late, and the rain came. We made good time, and I loved their little treat bags. They were the perfect size.

    My major coup for the evening was convincing both children they can each only eat one candy. It succeeded. Then, somehow, the next morning, each had forgotten about the remainder, and carried on without asking for it. They STILL haven’t asked for it. I know next year, I’ll have to be beating them off with a stick, but this is nice!

    Meanwhile, I am also happy to announce that I won $100 at my work’s costume contest. I didn’t win first prize, but I won enough to cover the expenses of my costume. Woot! Yes, this is freaky, but it’s an inside joke for my place of business. You see, last year, many of our projects were code named after elements and characters from the Wizard of Oz. Since Halloween is HUGE here, several of our VP’s dressed up as characters from the movie. They looked incredible. No joke. The  best, was MH who dressed as Dorothy, red slippers, dress, wig and all. And of course, he “forgot” to shave. He won first prize. So this year, I decided that I want to dress as him. I did. It was well appreciated, and while I didn’t win first place, I got second, and I made people smile all day long… except from one of our India colleagues, who avoided me all day because he “couldn’t look at me”. Ok — maybe a chick, pretending to be a dude, pretending to be a chick just didn’t do it for him. I still rocked it! Now I can burn the costume.