This weekend Pamela and I took Kali to her first pumpkin patch. We ended up at a place in Valley Center called Bates Nut Farm. Originally, I was going to take her to a fly-by-night parking lot operation but another friend told me that I just HAD to go to Bates Nut Farm because it was THEE place to be for pumpkins and kids. So in an effort to wow her with her first experience, I decided to go all out and head out to Valley Center. Well, I'll just say it didn't disappoint. I don't know what I was expecting but what I wasn't expecting was to see the massive amount of cars in the parking lot when we arrived! There were thousands of people at the farm and soooo much to do. Face painting, petting zoo, corn maze, hay ride, bounce houses, pony rides, games, a marching band, etc. etc. etc! I thought it would be fun for Kali to have her first pony ride and at first, she did too! We stood in line for a good while and she was laughing and smiling at all the litle ponies going around in the carousel. When it was her turn, I put her on the pony and she was still all smiles but then, panic set in and her facial expression turned to fear. As soon as the pony took one step, she lost it and I had to tell them to stop so I could take her off. Awwww...a little disappointing but she is only two (sometimes I forget that fact)! I'm sure next year she'll be ready for that poopy pony (that's what she called the ponies because they kept pooping *lol*)! We could have made an entire day of it, but Kali didn't get much of a nap beforehand so after a couple of hours, she was starting to get testy and we got out of there before it got ugly. *lol* We all had a great time at the farm and it was definitely worth the drive. We're not a "Halloween" celebrating household, but pumpkins are for Thanksgiving too so....this just may be a new family tradition!
Oh yes she did!!! Yesterday, I took my baby to the mall with me where we were minding our own business and enjoying the 80 degree weather. Kalissa played in the water feature for a while, then she sniffed flowers, danced around, and was just being her happy little self. After we finished shopping, I took her hand and began walking back to the car. At some point, Kali became aware of this little, old lady walking very slowly about 10 feet behind us. This lady had to be 85/90 years old or maybe a little younger but just appeared older. Well, Kalissa loves seniors! If she comes into contact with a woman who appears to have some age on her, she will automatically call her "Grandma". She thinks that's the name of all older women. So automatically, Kalissa starts smiling at this lady. Every few steps, she would stop and turn around and just give her a million-watt smile. I did notice that the woman would look directly at Kali but not smile back, but I never expected what happened next. After about the 3rd time of Kali stopping to smile at her, she glared at Kali and in a mean voice said, "What is your problem little girl?" Ohhhhhh, but no! I was completely shocked and blurted out something that was not nice (I won't repeat it because I'm not proud of it). If you don't like children, fine...just ignore her. But she wasn't doing a thing other than being kind. Of course after I thought about it, I should have said nothing other than, "God bless you." I'll never know her circumstance and clearly, at her age, she should have had some help with her and yet there was no one. Maybe life has left her bitter, drained and without joy. And although I took it as an attack on my baby, I'm sure her reaction had nothing to do with Kali at all. She would have probably kicked a puppy if she saw one. No, that woman didn't deserve my response. But, it's another lesson that I learned from and that I'll teach Kali to do better from.
Last week Oma got back from Alaska and Kalissa was thrilled to see her. She'd been talking to her on the phone for the past 5 months so Kali definitely still remembered her. When Oma came over on Sunday, Kalissa just kept smiling at her and before long she was showing off all the new things she's learned. Matter of fact, she was so comfortable that when it came time for her to go potty, Kali told me, "moooove Mommy! I want Oma wipe me." At first, when she told me to move I just figured she had to poop because that's what she says when that urge comes (or she will say, "I need a moment" *lol*). But nooooo, not this time. She just wanted Oma all up in her business. awwwwww....now that's love. :)
Well, we are finally into September and we have been trying to soak up the last bits of heat that summer has to offer. We went back for round two of camping at Lake Perris. I wish I could say that it was the perfect trip like last time, but it definitely wasn't. Kali is potty trained now so we had the element of having to deal with her and public toilets. Luckily, she's still small enough to use her potty chair so I just brought that with us so that she wouldn't have to use the nasty campground toilets. That wasn't really a problem for us. What was the problem was her running around and falling every other hour. She's got scrapes on her knees and a nice new scar on her forehead as souvenirs of this trip. Each fall took about 2 hours of coddling and babying until she got back to normal....only to fall again. *sigh* Daddy agrees that we are done with camping until next year. The best part was her at the beach. She was perfect and loving every minute of that part of the trip. Of course we couldn't end the summer without a trip to her new favorite place: Sea World! When I tell her that we're going to Sea World she always says, "Mommy I so exciting!!! I so exciting Mommy!" Actually, she'll say that if I tell her she's going to take a bath! *lol* As usual, Sea World was a blast. We tried to visit a different section of the park this time since we usually don't make it out of the Sesame Place play area. We visited the turtles, penguins, sharks, and walruses. She almost jumped out of her skin when the big walrus came right up to her! I suppose I can't blame her...he's not exactly cute. She is sooooo independent and sometimes even bossy. She loves to tell Graham "Hush Graham! I said hush!" when he barks. If she wants to show me something in a different room, she tells me "Mommy, get up!" She's getting great at feeding herself with a fork/spoon -- yes, we were a little late with this task due to our messy child phobia but we're getting better...and so is she. She says her prayers, "Jesus loves me, Amen" She's also sooooo sweet and loving. Often, just out of the blue she'll say, "I loooove you Mommy (or Daddy)" and of course I just melt...even if she's talking to Daddy. She's starting to want to pick out her clothes which is funny to me. She still looooooves for you to read to her and she poses for pictures now which is really funny!! She also loves to be 'mommy' to her doll, Missy. She's very good at it and is really sweet to her baby....I suppose she's mimicking me. Awwwww!
Being the parrot that she is, when she thinks she looks nice she will tell me, "Mommy, I so beautiful!" Arrrgggghhh!!!!! I tell her that yes, she is beautiful but she's not allowed to say that...only other people can tell her she's pretty. She clearly hasn't gotten that concept yet. She also tells me, "Mommy, I so smart!" *sigh* I'm trying to curb this pattern of bragadociosness quickly, because it's not so cute much past age 2!
Two years old and riding a razor scooter! Our sitter just texted me this picture of Kali. I'll admit, my heart jumped at the thought of her even attempting to ride a scooter. But I know my Kali is fearless and she will not let it rest unless she's able to try it out. I also know that Kali gets the BEST care when she's at 'Nettie's house and she'll make sure Kali is as safe as can be. If she gets a scraped knee or elbow, I can't get mad because those are just growing pains that a chick like Kali is bound to get! There's no stopping her. Goooooo Kali!
Kali is a comedienne!! She does the funniest things and this picture is from her latest comedy routine. For some unknown reason, she grabs her chin, furrows her eyebrows and says, "Hmmmmmm....let me think about it" *LMAO* I don't know where she got that from but she does it all the time. It's hilarious. Maybe I can get it on video....
Anyhoo, Kali went in for her 2-year check up yesterday. She is 26.4 pounds which puts her in the 48 percentile. It's a little lower than average but then again, she is just coming off not eating for the past 4 days. The doctor says not to worry, she is nowhere near being under weight. Her height is 35.5" which puts her in the 90th percentile!! She's very tall for her age! Once again, our pediatrician was impressed with her motor skills and communication. She asked if Kali was using short sentences and then as if on cue, Kali said, "Mommy, I want to wash my hands." The doctor looked in amazement and after several more full on sentences she said to us, "You have a very special child. Really, and I'm not just saying that. One of the first signs of a high IQ in children is language development." Daddy and I were very proud!! She said she can tell that we read to her a lot and to keep up the great work. We definitely will!
Whether she's a genius or not is yet to be discovered but what I do know is that she's our special, hilariously funny baby no matter what!
We made it back from our 9-day coast to coast trip and Kalissa is now certified bi-coastal! Our first family vacation was absolutely wonderful and the only thing that would have made it better is if Kali hadn't gotten sick on the last leg.
We started out on Friday, 7/29, at 4:00 AM! We couldn't fit everyone and our luggage into one car so Daddy dropped Kali and me off at the airport first. Too bad the ticket counter didn't open until 5:00 AM, so we had to wait in line for an hour which Kali didn't like at all. While we waited, Daddy headed back to the house to pick up Qiana and Candy and the rest of the luggage. We all made it through security and to our terminal with plenty of time to spare and without incident. We boarded the plane and settled into our seats near the back, so we could be close to the lavatory. I don't think Kali knew what was happening but she seemed happy to be on the plane and not in the least be afraid. Once we took off, she kept saying, "whoah mommy whoooooah!!!!" We told her we were flying and she laughed and smiled. We let her look out the window and she seemed amazed. She was the perfect baby and didn't cry or fuss at all.
The flight to St. Louis was about 3 hours long. So by the time she got restless, it was time to land. We didn't have any issues with her ears popping or anything. She even used the lavatory and of course told everyone within ear shot, "I pee pee potty!!!" PawPaw met us at the airport and Kalissa was so happy to see him. She looooves her PawPaw! PawPaw took the older girls with him and Daddy, Kali and I went to get a rental car and stop at Daddy's favorite restaurant for lunch: White Castles! When we got back to the house, Nana was there and Kali gave her lots of hugs and kisses! Her Uncle Damon and his daughter, DeeDee (Kali's cousin), were there too. Kalissa quickly remembered Damon's name and formed a fast bond with him as well.
On Saturday, we went to visit Big PawPaw (Nana's dad, Kali's Great Grandfather). He is in a nursing home but you would never know it if you met him on the street. He is sooooo full of life (must be where Kali gets it) but he does have dementia so he needs to be in a home where he has people looking after him. When we got there, Big PawPaw was in the dining room having lunch and Kali happened to be asleep in my arms. When we entered the dining room, a group of ladies spotted Kali and wanted me to bring her over to them. I explained that she was sleeping and so they just looked at her and smiled. A few moments later, I woke Kali up and she sprang into Ms. Congeniality! She said hello to Big PawPaw and sat in his lap. I also took her to meet the other ladies and they loved her. Kali sat in their laps and gave hugs to everyone. She really brightened their day and it warmed my heart. Much later when we were in Big PawPaw's room, one of the ladies found Kali and just stood at the door watching us all with a big smile on her face. You could tell that she didn't want to leave our family visit. She probably doesn't get to see babies very often so I was glad that our Kali was able to fill a void for her.
Sunday was a very busy day! Kali went to Sunday school with Nana first and then joined us for regular service later. In true Kali style, she did not sit with us during the first part of service. Oh noo....she had people to meet! There was a mom with her son & daughter in the row in front of us and she just invited herself to sit with them! *lol* It was the cutest thing...she kept telling the girl, "I like your hair" or "I like your dress". Finally I put her back with us and she ended up falling asleep for the rest of the sermon. After church, Nana and PawPaw had a big barbecue at their house. The rest of the family came over and my head was spinning after meeting so many aunts, uncles, and cousins! Everyone was so nice and the food was delicious!!! Kali spent most of the time in the kiddie pool. I had to literally drag her out of it! She kept saying, "look mommy, I'm swimming!" *lol*
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday was more family bonding and outings. We visited downtown St. Louis and saw the famous arch...it was at night though so the pictures aren't very good. Kali was sooooo tired but she stayed up to experience everything (even though she was too sleepy to smile). We also went to the Children's Museum and Daddy and I even got to sneak away and visit the Budweiser brewery.
We had such a wonderful time making and strengthening bonds with our family. It was hard and sad to leave but.....Wednesday night we said farewell to St. Louis and Daddy, Kali and I packed it up and headed to Philadelphia!
We arrived late Wednesday night in Philadelphia after another stellar performance by Kalissa on the plane. She must have thought she was the mayor of the plane or something because as we were walking down the aisle after a potty break, she was waving and asking everyone, "How you doing?" They all got a kick out of her and the flight attendants loved her too (probably because she wasn't one of the screaming kids on the flight)! It was raining pretty heavily so I was glad that I had planned for us to stay the night at an airport hotel and then drive into NJ the next morning. By the time we got to the hotel, it was after midnight so we quickly called it a night!
Thursday morning, we got up and made the 40 minute drive from Philly to New Jersey, checked into our hotel and called up Uncle Felcie. I had been telling Kali that she was going to meet him and she didn't forget. As soon as Felcie got to the hotel, she made another buddy. She can say his name really well too. At first, she was calling him Michael (because she remembered the pictures of Michael on our mantel at home...I guess he looks like Michael to her) so I had to keep telling her that he was Uncle Felcie. She got it pretty quickly though. We did a little shopping, had some dinner and made plans to take a charter bus to New York the next day.
Friday morning, Kali was ready to hit the streets. Here she is testing out the jumpability of the hotel beds:
While we were waiting in the lobby, Kali apparently caught the eye of another guest. Next thing we know, a lady left her table where she was having breakfast to come over and tell us what a gorgeous daughter we have. She went on to say that she was watching Kali for a while and she just had to come tell us how beautiful she thought Kali was. Of course I was just beaming! Then Kali spotted a whole bunch of ducks outside and she thought they would let her pet them. Uhhhh....wrong! Next we boarded the bus and headed to the Big Apple! We had a great time in Times Square. I had the most delicious cupcake EVER....no, I mean this cupcake was like no other and from a place called Crumbs. I took a picture with a NY icon...The Naked Cowboy! And we visited the mother of all toy stores: Toys R Us in Times Square. This store is so huge that it has a ferris wheel inside! I've never seen anything like it. Unfortunately, Kali was sleeping pretty much the whole time so she really didn't get to enjoy much of anything. We also got Kali's portrait done by a street vendor.
Al did not like the drawing. He doesn't think it looks anything like Kali, but I love it! Speaking of drawings, when we got back home the pictures that he drew Kali for her birthday were ready. The framing came out beautifully!
I guess Daddy will have to do a portrait of Kali next since he hates the one from NY!
At around 4:00, we noticed that Kali was very warm. I didn't know if it was sun exposure or if she had a fever. Turns out she had a low-grade fever. That would explain why she slept most of the day away and now that I look at the pictures, she was very droopy-eyed in the bus ride photo. Hindsight is 20/20 *sigh*. We got her some medicine and headed back to the Port Authority to catch our bus back to NJ. I was worried about my baby and also upset at myself for not noticing her fever earlier. It was a sleepless night for us because Kali was burning up all night and we were trying to control her fever.
Saturday morning we checked out of our hotel and made a 45 minute car trip to Barbara's house and our family reunion with my dad's side of the family. As soon as we got to Barbara's house, Kalissa had yet another new person to bond with. I introduced her to Grandma and Kali loved her. If Barbara left the room, Kali would ask, "Where's Grandma?" and then run through the house calling out, "Grandma!" The family reunion was nice. Unfortunately it wasn't a huge turnout but it was really good to see all who did come out. Kali jumped right in and joined in all the fun.
I am so upset with myself that I didn't get hardly ANY pictures of the reunion. I was so busy keeping an eye on Kali's fever that I just wasn't taking photos like usual. After only 3 hours, it was time to get Kali back to the house and to bed. Her fever started coming back and I just wanted to get her in bed. She wouldn't eat very much and hadn't had real food since Friday's breakfast. I resorted to feeding her ice cream because that's all she would eat. We spent the night at Grandma Barbara's which wasn't very comfortable because Kali kept waking up crying. I felt so bad for her.
Sunday morning we woke up to a delicious breakfast that Barbara made us and then headed to the airport. Kali still wasn't eating and I was really worried about her. Once we got to the airport I bought her some yogurt and tried to feed it to her. After two bites it all came up and then some! She has never thrown up (other than her spit up as an infant) so I was really worried at that point. We had to buy her some new clothes and a blanket. I purposely didn't book a nonstop flight back to San Diego because I figured she would need a layover so she could walk around halfway through out trip. Once again, I'm glad I did that because she really did need a break in flying especially since she was sick. On our final leg of the trip, she had issues with her ears popping and cried a little bit. She just kept saying "mommy, my ear hurt!" Poor baby!
After 9 days on the road and coming home with a sick child, I have never been happier to see San Diego!! I'm sure if she hadn't gotten sick those last few days, then it would have been a perfect trip. All in all it was still a great trip (just super long!). I wish we had spent a little more time in NJ. But there's always next time!
This weekend Pamela and I took Kali to her first pumpkin patch. We ended up at a place in Valley Center called Bates Nut Farm. Originally, I was going to take her to a fly-by-night parking lot operation but another friend told me that I just HAD to go to Bates Nut Farm because it was THEE place to be for pumpkins and kids. So in an effort to wow her with her first experience, I decided to go all out and head out to Valley Center. Well, I'll just say it didn't disappoint. I don't know what I was expecting but what I wasn't expecting was to see the massive amount of cars in the parking lot when we arrived! There were thousands of people at the farm and soooo much to do. Face painting, petting zoo, corn maze, hay ride, bounce houses, pony rides, games, a marching band, etc. etc. etc! 
