On the Wild Side

That Sunday when we stopped at the top of the hill next to the highway -- to walk a bit of the trail on the wild side...

Jon and Ben loved that detour...

And so did Kait!

There were these yellow wildflowers in bloom -- Arrowleaf Balsamroot. That's a plant of the sunflower family.

There was also the view below us to take in, of course!

The boys didn't think the slope was elevated enough for it to count as us being on top of the world. Still, it was all quite refreshing!!! You can tell by the springs in their steps, that stopping to gaze like this is something we'll like to do again!

Not exactly a walk in the park... The husband has three work trips this month in three different places to travel to. One down -- this week, and two more to go -- into the new week, before the month ends. Plus still more coming up. Work is definitely busy, and gets crazy busy.

I'm on my feet lots also with the daily grind, and am frazzled, too. The children tend to be neediest at my busiest, and cling on -- literally for the youngest. But it's when they go wild with their tantrums and fights, that really drives me up the wall :(.

Thankfully... There are the little joys and saner moments in between, that are really precious! Stealing time to sit down like this gives me the creative outlet to relive them; hopefully it's more than just an outlet. Everyone can use one, and I hope you can catch some air, too, amidst your own busyness :)...

*Breathe in* *Breathe out*

Bless the trees and wild renewing places!

- Pauline Conn

Quote as seen on Mutts' Earth Days, Apr 20 '10
My phone photos

Dancing Gal packs some punch

Then:
A year ago, at 8 months and a few days old...

Kait was on her feet and going *tap* *tap* using one hand to slap her side -- boogieing, bobbing to ABBA's Dancing Queen! (video 1, 35 sec)

The songs from the CD player, next to the TV, always had a way of drawing her to the TV stand, curious as to which button to press might get the music to play. She had the beginnings of a cruise, and would hang on to the couch also to help her with those early steps.

and Now:
Fast forward to two Fridays ago, a few days before she turned 20 mos this week...

She knows it's "dark dark" without having to pull open the curtains to peer outside. But she refuses to believe her fave band has gone to bed -- and so should she. She grabs the remote and presses the buttons to try and get the recorded show to "PLAY!"! (video 2, 1 min)

She is the Queen of the Floor still, the dance floor, that is! But see why we'd better not make this Hi 5 thingee a bedtime ritual!

In the day, Kait is as energetic and "action-packed". She's running around a lot, and...

- She chases the Gor Gors up and down stairs, and also walks up and down the steps steadily to whoosh down the slide at the playground, wheeeeeee!

- She's knocked over the kitchen trashbin, and overturned cups of milk and juice, and bowls of food and soup. But always after I've just vacuumed/mopped the floor. Talk about good timing.

- I was loading the washer when she did a get-a-load-of-this "look ma, no hands" stunt -- standing, not at all sitting nicely on the rider. She's also tried to get away with roller-skating on Jon's toy long vehicle: picture her with one foot on the detached cab, and the other on the rest of the semi, *SWEAT*!

- She uses the oven handle as a monkey bar, and continues to do her adaptation of the headstand. But she also got her head stuck in her toilet seat adaptor, that's scarier than unravelling toilet paper, her excuse to clean herself!

- At the supermarket, I'm grabbing her by the football hold when she'll rather run amok, or is not ready to go. She's kicking and screaming away -- and her shrieks are shrill, but I have to hurry along with our day, and that cart of groceries, too!

These antics aren't unprecedented (I have boys, remember? ;p), there's more, and they wear me out. Of course she's not the only active and playful one. But oh, the scrapes, bumps, and falls the three children have among them!
Kait is also asserting herself more, and wrestles with us whenever she doesn't get her way. Boy, can she fight, too, not just the two boys! How they keep us on our toes! (Kait at 19-20 mos).

Yak, yak, yak...

Hieeeeeeeee...

Vern took these shots of Kait yakking away last month, when she turned 19 mos.

She understands more than she can really carry out a conversation at this point. But it's amazing to watch her grasp and speak new words -- from what she hears, sees, and touches. Bit by bit, she's also using the words she can say, to talk to us.

At bathtime, she wanted me to know that the cut on her knee still hurt: "Owww" , pointing to it. There was a bit of "blood". The boo-boo because she fell "poom" on the "rock" in the sand she liked to "dig-dig". This was at the "park-park" (playground), where "ma ma" (this mom) had taken her and the two "Gor Gor"s (big brothers) to "play".

Never mind that "rock" sounds like "walk" and "fork". Or "shoes" like "juice" and "you". She also still calls penguins "A-O-A-O": this, from the "Penguins of Madagascar" theme song -- the last part with the spy-like music she'd go "mmmmmm" in addition to the upbeat "A-O-A-O", months ago when it was Ben's fave cartoon then. Most other animals she generalizes as "woah-woah", though she calls "woah-woah" "dog", too, like "bird" she knows but refers to as "A-O-A-O" also.

Her other "WOAAAHHH!!!" without pretense, is as big an exclamation as when Jon uses it, and so is her "WOW!!!". Other words like "knock-knock" she had picked up from the Gor Gors also, when they were making up silly jokes for Halloween. There are other such repeated words, like "hot-hot", "dark-dark", and her fave "bao-bao" (carry me).

Earlier words "more" and "done" she signed since little are as relevant in the bathroom now, as it's at the dinner table still. When it comes to food, "nai" (nice) and "good", as are asking for "more" and giving me two fingers-up, are all compliments to this mom :).

Last month was also when Kait got good at claiming this and that to be "mine". At the same time, she started doing a mean imitation of the (good) daddy telling her "No, no, no", wiggling her finger to assert the no-no. With the same finger she would then touch her NOSE, and continue to say "No!"...

That's when she's not the only one who breaks out in giggles, knowing she's got us confused, whether her "No" means "no", or "nose" that she calls "no", too! There's also the other "(s)no!", the light hail on and off on different days last week, that saw her going "sno, no" excitedly, as she watched the tiny pellets rain down outside the window!

Of all the talking going on, my favourite is when Kait fills in the blanks for this: I love _____ YOU!!!

Kids, they drive us half-insane more often than not, but being able to interact with them, and especially that special connection and bond we feel with our children, is something that words alone can't explain.

I love to catch Jon and Ben when they are in a talkative mood, and look forward to more and more conversations with Kait, too!

Pictures of Kait at 19 mos from Vern's cell, she is turning 20 mos. She still enjoys playing a game or two on his phone. She's also let her finger do the walking and pointing on the computer and TV, thinking they work on that same touch-screen concept. Besides the phone, she's also put a calculator, a pedometer, a toy car, and more things, even her pants, to her ear to yak away!

P.S. I'd chat more, if I hadn't just said what I should have over 10 posts. So let me just save the mobile mobile girl's antics, that's giving me quite the workout, to talk about another day. This is the fun and playful, and also mischievous stage!