Par-tay!

Collin is one lucky boy. For his third birthday party we went to the historic Belmont Firehouse to celebrate with his buddies. The Firehouse isn't an active fire station so we wouldn't have to worry about an impromptu emergency that would leave us stranded. Fireman Don led us on an official tour. It's technically a museum and a place for the community to learn about fire safety.



There's a mock firetruck for kids to play on, fire gear, and the highlight definitely being the pole.





And a big video screen to provide some distracting entertainment while we set up the pizza and cupcakes.






Collin blew out his candle with some help from Dad and no fires were started...Success! Then everyone enjoyed yummy cupcakes and got their firefighter hats and goodie bags. And balloons of course!

The next day, Collin got a second celebration with family (both grandparents and Uncle Devin).

He had a blast, opening more presents!

One of his newest obsessions is pirates and Uncle Devin got him a pirate chest complete with "doubloons," an eye patch and a pirate flag, much to Collin's excitement.

And he got to blow out another candle! Birthdays would be everyday in Collin's world.

One, two, THREE, oh my!

Three feels like such a big difference from two and milestones away from one. At two Collin started to communicate more but closer to three, it was a whole new world. He really is a little boy and less a toddler, most certainly not a baby.

Gone are the long blond curls, the delicious chunky legs, and the constantly falling and running into things. Now his hair is an ash brown, the baby fat thinned down and he's looking like a mini man. He's got never ending energy and loves to "fly" with help from a big person, run, jump and explore.

Collin has a wide vocab and is clear most of the time when you talk to him. We continue to monitor his hearing but nothing has changed. He still has limited hearing in his left ear, still has trouble localizing sound and if he's in a loud environment, may get frustrated but for the most part, communication wise he is on track. He is also opinionated, stubborn and bright.

He can be shy and likes to evaluate the situation before diving in but after he warms up will start playing with anyone. He doesn't take much crap (meaning if a kid shoves him, he'll shove him right back) but we have to watch out for him bullying--notes from school where he had trouble being gentle with his friends or sharing.

He's entered the world of make-believe and likes to pretend he's a kitty or a dog, he can chat endlessly to Blue and has a full range of sound effects for his cars and Playmobil people. He seems to love school especially art projects, and is moving into the preschool class from toddlers on Monday where it'll be more "school readiness" focused. I think he's ready for something a little more challenging.

He's also in the never ending question phase. Not so much "why," but "What's this?" Reading a book can involve at least three "What's this?" per page. I know he's trying to soak in the world around him and learn but this phase is also really annoying. I do try to explain what stuff is if it's new but when he points out the obvious, I try to turn it around and ask him what he thinks, or I just ignore it.

Collin can sort of brush his teeth (he likes the spitting part). He has been potty trained for a while now--standing up too. He is still in a pull-up at night though. He's starting to wipe himself (TMI) although this isn't necessarily a good thing... He can get dressed by himself as long as a buttons and zippers aren't involved.

Negotiations between, "If you clean this mess, then you can watch TV or get a cookie," have been none to occur. We are definitely entering the bargain stage and he is a master manipulator. Collin is capable of a lot of things so even if it's easier for me to do it, I have to remember to let him try and be patient as he learns (or not let my OCD side come over if all the books on his shelf aren't straight or his clothes are shoved in his drawer).

Some of his current faves:
*Pirates: "Scull and crossbones! Arh matey!" He also likes monsters and hearing "scary" stories. We have a morbid one.
*Anything transportation related is still a hit: Cars, trucks, trains, planes
*Spending time with his friends and family
*Books
*Swimming: He's getting a lot more confident and jumps in the water now without hesitation, wears his goggles and is starting to do the back stroke and slowly learning the crawl stroke (or "wheels on the bus" as his teacher says). He also loves the lollipop he gets after class and going to "Postco" or Costco, afterward which is just up the street. I figured out "Postco" to Collin is synonymous with samples. He'll toss aside his lollipop for a piece of buttered bread, a granola bar bite, or pasta while wandering the aisles.
*Building and helping dad with his tools. Future engineer maybe! His hand eye coordination is still stellar, he can figure out how to put together stuff that I have problems with. I'm sure in a few years Collin will be fixing stuff for me.
*Bath time: Along with swimming, he loves playing in the water with all his toys. He'll stay until his skin is wrinkled and the water is almost cold.
*TV: Yep this is one I should be proud of, but 25 minutes of "Jake and the Neverland Pirates" or "Elmo's World" are still a sanity saver when I need to take a work call or a shower.

Food wise, he loves mostly typical kid stuff: Pasta with cheese, "Chicken nuggets" which are really fake chicken (Boca) nuggets, pepperoni pizza, beans, oatmeal, yogurt, fruit, bacon, chicken and ham. Gone are the days of eating lots of veggies. Hopefully he'll break out and become a little more experimental. I keep trying to expose him to different kinds of food but getting past the whining cries of "I'm hungry," every five minutes or "I'm all done," after he has two bites are a challenge. At least I know at school (three days a week), he eats really healthy, all vegetarian, and nothing processed. And according to the daily reports he takes home, he eats a lot of it (stuff like quinoa, whole wheat muffins, unsweetened yogurt...He would most likely give me a look like mom why are you feeding me this at home).

As difficult as it can be living with a mini dictator, I love Collin and appreciate all the lessons he has taught me on life and being a parent. It's hard to believe three years ago he was lying next to me in a hospital bed and now he is sound asleep in his big boy bed, dreaming and ready to take on the world.

Happy Birthday Collin!

Swim, swim

Collin has been going to Dolfun Swim Academy since the summer. These are not community classes that usually consist of singing and splashing around in the pool with other kids and parents without any real skills taught(except maybe blowing bubbles). There's nothing wrong with those classes, we did them and found them fun and a nice way to introduce your kid to the water. But I wanted something that would actually teach Collin the skill of swimming.

I'm not the strongest swimmer--I can do the crawl and the basics but diving kind of freaks me out. So I learned about Dolfun and was a little worried because Collin was actually "old." They start with babies as young as one month to introduce them to the water and it involves dunking then in and out. May sound crazy but there were 2 year olds in Collin's class jumping in without hesitation and swimming by themselves. I watched a kid of about four in the next class swim like a fish.

We had our ups and downs. Collin made progress but would not grasp the concept that opening your mouth and swallowing water is not a good idea. He started getting more comfortable and having fun with his buddy Stellan. But then something happened and he suddenly became a barnacle. He clung to me for about a month in our once a week classes. I started dreading it and wondered if I was crazy for shelling out a bunch of money. But the teacher Diana is wonderful and told me it was normal. Kids went through phases and he was most likely "acting out" for me. When he swam with her he was fine.

About three weeks ago the parents started rotating out of the pool while Diana worked with the kids by themselves. Collin was definitely not as advanced as the other kids who are all able to practically paddle across the pool without help.

The first week I sat on the sidelines while Collin was with Diana, it was a scream fest. Collin aka. Mr. Dramatic screamed and screamed and looked at me with betrayal. He tried to escape the pool and run over to me several times. I give him waves of encouragement but it's hard to see your kid like that. He wailed for the whole 30 minutes of class and by the time class was up he was snotty, whimpering and red faced. I felt terrible.

Then, a magic thing happened. The next week I talked to Collin about how he would be alone with Teacher Diana in the pool while I watched him, and that if he cried I would have to walk outside. It was like he flipped a switch because this time he was a completely different kid. It may have also helped that the class was divided into two sessions and now Collin only had two other kids with him. He laughed, he eagerly jumped, he let Diana pour water over him. And then of course there was the highlight of the class. A lollipop after he was all showered and dressed.

Next week, same thing. Except this time the other kids were absent so Collin got a private lesson. And I had my camera handy.

From Winter 2010-2011

He still doesn't quite understand holding your breath but this week he actually wanted to wear his goggles. (Before it was torture trying to put them over his head).







He was giddy, he loved floating on his back and went under water to grab toys. And while he's not quite at the level as the other kids he has made huge strives from when we started. I'm excited to see him learn how to be in the water and enjoy himself (preferably while staying afloat!) Maybe he'll have a lifelong joy of swimming, or uh be the next Michael Phelps. At the very least I'm confident we'll be able to go on vacations and take him in the water without feeling too paranoid.

New Year's Resolution: Update this blog more

2011 wow it sounds so futuristic. It's been a busy year. Collin has grown into a rambunctious, talkative, gregarious boy. Not baby. A hybrid toddler, a near preschooler. Three in just a few months!



He has been in big boy underpants for nearly a month without any accidents for a while. Actually telling us when he has to pee was a huge milestone. Poop is another story. We try to bribe him with chocolate kisses but who wouldn't want to just let it all go in a pull-up when your parents can wipe your ass? Still it's pretty nice not to have to buy economy sized packages of diapers anymore. He's getting better about using big toilets in public places but it's not like he can just take down his pants without any help. I'm looking forward to those days...

He loves to hear stories about monsters and pirates and I wonder if we could have anymore of a BOY. Trucks, building things, the movie Cars, his tool set, Blue and his other stuffed animal friends are some of his favorite things. I love watching him enter a new world when he uses his imagination. He cooks soup, drinks coffee, fights pirates and goes on adventures with Blue. He is dramatic as ever and considering one of his favorite things to do at the Children's Museum is bounce around the stage I think he might do well in theater classes when he's a little older. He's in swimming lessons with his buddy Stellan and moms and dads will be out of the pool this next session.

New Year's Eve was quiet but nice. I watched Toy Story 3 with Collin and then Mike and I made ourselves a gourmet dinner complete with chocolate ecstasy from a local dessert shop. We barely made it to midnight. A little pathetic but the days of clubbing and staying out until 3 am complete with a hangover the next day are pretty much over. Not to mention I'm an easy drunk these days. Give me a couple glasses of wine and I'm good. Not that I'm never guilty of overindulgence...

Mike and I pledged to a ban of alcohol, junk food and sweets for January to start the year off right. Except dark chocolate. Because antioxidants don't count.

We also started a kitchen remodel on January 1st! Through a connection from Mike's work we got an awesome deal for an installation of new cabinets (including a pantry woohoo) and counter tops. Goodbye ugly laminate cabinets, goodbye outdated ceramic tile counter top and we bid adieu to you cheap looking white track lights. It won't make our pint sized kitchen any larger but it will add cabinets and counter tops which are essential when you like to cook as much as we do. Not to mention maple and granite will help the space aesthetically. In the meantime any prep work for cooking is done in our living room and the only place we can wash dishes is our pedestal bathroom sink. Meaning we'll be eating a lot of take-out in the next week. But it's a quick project and since our appliances were already pretty new and updated we don't have to worry about that part at least.

Next up will be refinishing the fir floors including ripping out the hideous carpet in the dining room. The house has been an ongoing project since we bought it five years ago and I will say it again (never buying another fixer!) But seeing the changes and getting to enjoy them for a little bit, whether it's months or another year before we sell, are definitely worthwhile. And it adds value.

I'm looking forward to posting the before and after shots of the kitchen when it's complete!

Christmas

Christmas with Collin was a little more exciting this year as he could kind of understand the whole Santa concept (Santa = candy). He also didn't once try to tear down the tree or pull off all the ornaments. He even left the wrapped gifts under the tree alone. The lights were probably his favorite part.

"Dada made the lights," he repeated over and over at the impressive light display Mike put up.

He also had fun decorating and of course turning on the Christmas tree lights.



I took Collin to the mall for his first Santa shot. After a 20 minute wait in line he sat perfectly stoic on Santa's lap while the photographer tried to entice him to smile by waving and making faces. Nothing. But at least he didn't scream. Though truthfully I find the pictures where the kid is shrieking more memorable than a smile. He got his lollipop and for a ripoff $22 I got three 5x7's.

Collin met Santa again on the holiday express train ride we went on by Oaks Park with Nona and Papa. The trains were decked out in lights and it was pretty cute, though not the most impressive view. This time Santa gave Collin a candy cane. And I have to say this Santa looks a little freaky so I couldn't blame him for not smiling.



We hosted a pre Christmas appetizer party for family on the 23rd and poor Mike painted our whole living room the day before, finishing late at night (must say the new gray blue color makes the room seem bigger and lighter).

Christmas morning Collin eagerly ripped open all his presents and tried to open ours. The biggest hit of the day was the helicopter Mike got from his parents. When the helicopter takes off Collin erupts in squeals and laughter. And I must admit it is very cool.







All the presents and craziness of the morning proved to be a little much for Collin


We took the helicopter later on to my parents house for Christmas dinner and it was met with a consensus of awesomeness. (Both my mom and brother ordered one so let the helicopter wars commence!). It was nice to spend time with my aunt Sherry and cousin Olivia and Collin got to open up even more gifts.

Thanksgiving with the Mouse

We had a quick trip to take in some southern California sunshine this Thanksgiving. Mike, Collin and I hopped on a plane to see the Uncles (and Auntie Virginia), Papa and Nona in Culver City. We were lucky enough to stay right next door to Chris and Todd in their friend's house. They were out of town and had a three year old so the house already came kid proofed and full of toys for Collin to explore. It was comfortable and perfect for our short stay.

Like any Hanada meal, Thanksgiving was full of deliciousness and copious amounts of food. We stuffed ourselves silly then got ready for our next day adventure to Disneyland. Mike and I unfortunately suffered the petri dish of our child so we were both trying to get over a nasty cold. Thanks to cold medicine I was determined to survive Disneyland (and Mike well he buckled through).



It has been at least ten years since I had walked inside Disneyland and it hit me with happy giddiness like being a kid. It's complete sensory overload with lights, crowds of people, many, many opportunities to arm yourselves with Disney merchandise, and of course rides. I don't think Collin was quite sure what to think.

At first he saw Chip or Dale (the giant chipmunk) and wanted a "big hug!" But alas there was a line for a big hug so we steered him another direction. A little bit of nostalgia from my childhood...the Disney characters used to walk around and spend more time greeting you and giving hugs, and now you have to stand in line to get a picture or go to a certain corner of the park. This I found a little lame, but I digress.

I spotted the Dumbo ride and we had to do that. Collin loves the swings so naturally he'd love the flying elephant. Thanks to Papa who kept him entertained while most of us stood in line for 45 minutes, we made it to the end and Collin got to fly up and down while dad snapped some pictures.

They also have a fast pass that lets you avoid most of the wait on a bunch of the rides. Thankfully we were traveling with Disney experts who knew about this...and the advantage of a large group meant that we could be waiting for one ride while someone else raced to get us fast passes for another ride. I hate standing in line and pretty much have little patience for anything over 30 minutes so this fast pass thing is pretty clever. Thanks Disney!

The park was also decked out with Christmas lights, trees and decorations so that made it even more fun and festive to take in. The weather was cool but not like the 20 degrees when we left Portland! We made it to the Jungle Cruise where Collin stared in awe at all the wild "animals."

The classic Pirates of the Caribbean ride now of course has Jack Sparrow and I still love this one. But, in retrospect it was a little scary for Collin. As the boat went into complete darkness, Collin let out a large whimper. And then when a "monster" over the waterfall screen showed up he screamed out and I started feeling really bad. Did we traumatize him, give him nightmares? Luckily he seems to not have any permanent damage. A few minutes after the ride he asked, "Again?"

He also helped drive a race car, played around in Toon Town (and could run through the houses over and over). I had to get him the souvenir Mickey hat with his name stitched on it which he promptly threw off. The Pooh Ride was also lots of fun for him (and clearly the designers were on acid). And, we had a loud dinner complete with live music which was entrancing.

Thanks to Papa, we also went on big people rides like Indiana Jones, Thunder Mountain Railroad and the Haunted Mansion (Christmas style). I was a little bummed to miss Space Mountain but was not interested in standing in a 2 hour line and the Matterhorn was closed down for maintenance.



Collin made it without any huge meltdowns and was wide eyed the whole time. We made it to past 6pm when he finally conked out and we headed home. Next time I'm sure Collin will be a lot more excited about the magic of Disney, but I'm glad we were able to take him. And THANKFUL we had supportive family with us. If it had been just me and Mike, surviving the whole day there would've been impossible and we would've missed out on any rides past 35 inches.



It really is magical knowing that he thought all this was real. And now that I've been re-engaged, we'll have to be back soon because we missed out on a Small World, Peter Pan, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride and more! And apparently California Adventure is opening a "Car's Land" next year. I foresee a fourth birthday adventure in our future.

Trick-or-Treat!

Halloween is one crazy ass holiday. It's an excuse to dress up, bond with strangers, purposely get scared and gain a massive sugar high. As a kid (up until an age that is a little embarrassing), my friends and I stalked the neighborhood with pillowcases to collect handfuls of candy. Ironically I don't even like American (cheapo) candy that much. Hit me up with the sugary chocolate they sell in Britain or Canada and I'm all over it. Still, there's something rewarding about dumping out a pile of candy at the end of the night and sorting it by chocolate, non-chocolate, and the "lame" pile. I'm not sure if the sorting thing is normal, I may have been a slightly OCD kid.

For Collin's first "real" Halloween, he dressed up as a sheriff with mom and dad as his prisoners. Side note: finding a women's prison outfit that was not skanked out proved to be an impossible feat but luckily I found a boy's costume that fit me. Trick-or-treating with my kid is not the time to look like I just walked out of Frederick's of Hollywood.








We ventured out to the 'burbs for a more family friendly neighborhood to go trick-or-treating with Collin's friend Hailey, who was dressed up as an adorable puppy. He also met Owen, aka Spiderman. The three toddlers were definitely some of the cutest trick-or-treaters out and were met with lots of "awwws."







The neighbors were in the Halloween spirit with fog, spooky music, screams and decorations from dancing pirates to hanging skeletons. Collin didn't seem too perturbed by the scary houses, so long as he got to collect his candy. Ringing the doorbell was probably his favorite part, and he pretty much froze whenever anyone opened the door. (Hailey spoke for the group with her cute little girl chant of "twick-or-tweat"). There were a few meltdowns when we tried to convince Collin to refrain from eating the candy as soon as he collected it. We caved in a couple times especially after he got a treasured lollipop.





Trick-or-treating lasted more than half hour and Collin collected a fair amount of candy. Well, it couldn't compare to my pillowcase days, not to brag...



I'm looking forward to many more Halloweens to come as a chaperone with Collin until that fateful day he insists on going by himself.