Move It

Here's K-bao finding common ground with Moto Moto of Madagascar.

Veggies

Here is K-bao enjoying her broccoli - that is, enjoying pulling her broccoli into 500 pieces and then trying to persuade those around her to partake in her Fishes and Loaves miracle.

Incidentally, her mischievous and contrarian spirit is prominently featured in this episode.

K & L

Before our friends T&M departed for fish 'n chips across the ocean, K-bao got to spend a little time with her friend Lucas over some pizza and oysters. Though little L is about a year behind little K in months...he is already ahead in pounds! Solid frame, that little one.

Bossy

While K-Pop admittedly has little to no fashion sense, he is not pleased to report that instead of one woman bossing him around on his everyday dress, he now has two.

Today when K-Pop came home, K-bao insisted on several wardrobe changes. First, she grabbed the pink dress shirt in the closet. "Ba-ba, wear this one. Ba-ba, wear this one." Apparently K-Pop's blue shirt looked a little drab by comparison. It took several minutes of explanation to establish that K-Pop needed to change out of work clothes.

Next, K-Pop tried to get comfortable with some pajama pants. "Ba-ba, don't wear that. Take it off. Now is not the time to sleep." K-Pop was unable to argue with that reasoning, and reluctantly trudged back to the bedroom to switch into more formal wear.

Does not bode well for the next 16 years.

Big

At 2 years and 4 months, to both our pleasure and our horror, K-bao can now say just about anything she wants. While there are still some nonsensical phrases here and there, or difficult-to-make out pronunciations, she clearly understands cause and effect, before and after, simple logic...and is starting to delve into the more complicated areas of jealousy, competition, manipulation.

As it is, her negotiation skills already trump her parents (who need to resort to blatant authoritarianism to get anything done). She's direct and persuasive, and tenacious to boot. And when she wants something, there is no passive-aggressiveness to her approach; it's just plain aggressive.

Recent pronouncements from K-bao include:

1. K-bao farted. It really smells.

2. Auntie Katie can't reach because her arm is too short.

3. Dear God, thank you for K-bao.

4. Let me do it please. K-bao wants to do it all by myself.

5. First I will eat cheese. Then I will eat vegetables.

6. 1+1=2. 2+2=4. 3+3=6...all the way through 10+10=20. (Granted, these are memorized...but she will spout them off at all hours to pass the time)

7. What is that in English? What is that in Chinese? (often times stumping her parents)

8. K-bao is Daddy's precious one, little cutie and dearest.

Attention

Much has been said of the Millennium Generation's attention span, or lack thereof. Is it the TV? The gaming? Something in the water?

Clearly something that we will have to keep an eye out for with this little one. Here she is unable to hold her thought (to get some help removing her pajamas) long enough even to get a second leg out of her PJ's before she spots a shaker and runs off to the tune (self supplied) of My Little Donkey.

Baking

Here is K-bao about to bake some of K-Pop's favorite banana bread.

Dear Mum

It's only been a little over 2 years

(Technically, 848 days - I know, you got me started early on my sums)

But it feels like a lifetime

(Wait, it is a lifetime)

And you've loved me every single second of every single minute of every single day

And I don't even know how to begin to thank you...

But...Thank you

Happy Mother's Day!

Love,

Kayla

Go Big

K-Mum, in a fit of generosity today, promised K-bao a gift. The exchange went like this:

K-Mum: "K-bao, next weekend, we are going to go buy you a bicycle!"

K-bao, after a moment: "I don't want a bicycle."

K-Mum: "Why don't you want a bicycle? I thought you said you wanted one."

K-bao: "I want a motorcycle."

K-Mum: "A motorcycle! Those are for grown-ups. Kids can't ride motorcycles."

K-bao, repeating a phrase from one of her favorite songs: "If only I grew up!"

In other words, she's taken the normal 2-year-old demanding spirit and mixed in sass, irony, a touch of humor and a philosophy of "go big or go home" (ain't no sense in stopping at a bicycle if you can get a motorcycle!).

This spirit was also much in evidence yesterday when we took her to Target to buy a soccer ball. Instead of picking out a single soccer ball, she decided she wanted a sack of balls - and proceeded to drag the sack of balls around the store for the rest of the afternoon.