Short Hike

After working for some 210 of the last 240 hours, K-Pop managed to get a couple hours today to take K-Mum and K-bao to Golden Gate park for a little bit of R&R. We also thought it would be a good opportunity to test out the Kelty Kids baby carrier that our dear friends A&Z's Mum & Phat Baby Photographer gave us, pictured above.

Now why exactly we thought it would be a good idea to test a hiking backpack at a city park is unclear, given that it took all of 2 minutes to walk from our car to the kids' playground, all on smooth, paved asphalt. Especially since it took us about 10 minutes to load her up in the carrier, figure out all the straps, buckles and other bells and whistles, and another 3 minutes to unload her once we got there.

Of course, our lengthy loading time was due in no small part to K-Mum insisting on attaching the "UV Screen" with its fancy hook and loop system - this despite the fact that the sun was setting and K-bao frankly would probably have been quite pleased to get a few warm rays on her pale, chubby cheeks. All in all, with our hiking backpack, UV screen, diaper bag and other paraphernalia, K-Pop felt like a traveling circus. Barnum, Bailey & Hu.

K-bao appeared to have fun though. It turns out that she enjoys people-watching; she spent a good deal of time staring at the older kids hollering and clambering all over the monkey bars. Hopefully she didn't pick up too much. She also enjoyed the baby swing and slide, shown below.

Do You Want Some Cheese?

Response:

Optimism

K-bao is a generally optimistic soul. Even when she doesn't like the mush that we're spooning her (e.g. of the stringed bean or other veggie variety), she will dutifully continue to open her mouth another dozen times in the hopes that she will get something better in the next bite. When she finds it's more of the same nonsense, she will protest loudly, flail her arms and give us an angry look - but then open her mouth again for the next one.

To prevent her from developing cynicism at her tender age, and to get those veggies down, we mix up the less delightful foods with some treats. Recently, she's fallen in love with cheese. A hunk or two of Monterey Jack and our girl's as happy as a mouse in a house. Just look at the way she lights up when she sees the cheese coming her way after a few dreary spoonfuls of beans and parsnip.

Roll Call

Can't crawl? That's ok. I roll with the punches.

Ain't nobody would accuse K-bao of gathering any moss.

Pah-tay

K-bao went to visit her friend Sasha last weekend for Sasha's first birthday. The last time she was over a few months back, K-bao was not exactly the model house guest. In fact, she took one look at her friend's smiling face and started bawling like a drunken sailor. This time, thankfully, she held herself together and actually had some fun with all the other kiddos. K-Mum put her in the right frame of mind on the way there by doing a song and dance routine to the words of "Pah-tay....Pizza Pah-tay" which threw K-bao into a serious fit of giggles.

Speaking of birthdays, K-bao will be a full 9 months in a few days. In other words, as much time out as in. Hopefully K-bao has found the outside world almost as warm and hospitable as Mommy's tummy.

Da-da

Kayla's first word is officially "da-da." She says it loudly and likes to repeat it. She stumbled upon it a few weeks ago amidst her la-la's and eh-eh-eh's, and found that she got a lot of praise and affirmation for it.

K-Pop would otherwise be quite proud and happy if K-bao would only cease the practice of directing her special first word not just at K-Pop but also at her toy blocks, the checkout person at Trader Joe's, and Steve the stuffed monkey. "Take not my name in vain," says K-Pop...in vain.

To confuse matters, K-Pop likes to refer to himself in front of K-bao as ba-ba (the Chinese version of "Daddy"); K-Mum, who speaks to the little one in English to give her the bilingual environment, has only recently switched over her reference to Pops from da-da to ba-ba in order to stay consistent. Unfortunately, da-da also happens to mean "spank" in Chinese. Daddy = spank. Not exactly the association K-Pop would like to encourage.