Dynamic Duo Halloween!

If you think the dynamic duo is be me and Mason, you're wrong.  It's me and Tachi! 

For Halloween this year, I picked a Batman costume. I had no idea that Tachi had a Robin costume, when I picked it.  Mama and dada thought it would be fun (and funny) to dress Tachi in his costume and take him trick-or-treating with us. What's even funnier is that Mason was dressed in a dog costume!

At first I protested that I didn't want to go trick-or-treating or wear my costume.  Mama and dada had to convince me to do it.  They kept saying that I'd have a lot of fun.  What sealed the deal is that I got to carry a flashlight!

After we all got into our costumes, we all headed out.  I knocked on the door and said, "Trick-or-treat!" and then proceeded to take the candy from the bowls.  Mama kept saying only take one, but the people answering the door kept telling me to take more or to take some for Mason.  So, I took more.  Some of the houses gave out full size candy bars! 

Mason didn't really know what was going on.  He's still too little for trick-or-treating.  Some people thought Mason was a girl because of his hair.  Sheesh!  Boys can have long hair...don't they remember those glamrock bands from the 80s?!  A couple of houses liked Tachi's costume and felt bad that they didn't have any treats for him.  I'm sure he'd like to eat all of the peanut butter cups that I got.

When we got home, I got to have 3 peanut M&Ms.  I've never had M&Ms before.  After I bit into the first one, I exclaimed, "Chocolate!"  My mouth turned blue too...neat! 

I had a great time trick-or-treating.  Mama and dada think I might have more fun if I trick-or-treat with some friends.  Does anyone want to go trick-or-treating next year?

Imagination Parade

If you've been following my blog, you'll know that every year my daycare has an Imagination Parade around Halloween.  It's not a traditional Halloween costume parade because we don't wear our Halloween costumes.  Instead we make and wear costumes based on a book that we read in our class.

This year, my class did the Wheels on the Race Car!  I insisted on the blue t-shirt because I like blue and it matches my sunglasses.  We helped put glitter on our race car number, 2.  Everyone's "car" was number 2. We also had wheels and hub caps!  I lost one of my hub caps during the parade.

Mason also participated this year.  It's his first year.  His class did Tiny Turtles.  He wasn't all that into the parade because he fell asleep in the buggy during the parade.  Guess it's better than crying and screaming the whole time.

After the parade, mama came to my classroom with auntie Ann and uncle Newton.  We took pictures and had a cookie for snack.  Dada went to hang out with Mason in his classroom.  I wonder what we'll be next year!

Mason is 10 months old!

Happy 10 months to Mason!

Here's what he likes:

• Mum-Mums: I never got to have these when I was his age.  He got to eat them because mama was trying to firm up his poop when he had his stomach virus.  To be fair, mama lets me have some whenever Mason has a mum-mum.  Dada says it's really entertaining when Mason is in the Bjorn and someone shows him a mum-mum package.  He gets really excited; his arms flail around and his legs kick.
• People: He's very social and makes friends no matter where we are.  In fact, he made a friend on our flight home from Florida. (More on our vacation in a separate post.)  He flashes his smile and people love it.
• Pulling to a stand: He's gotten really good at pulling to a stand and hanging onto furniture.  He likes to stand next to the tub when mama or dada are getting our baths ready.  Sometimes he'll bounce up and down while he's standing.
• Swimming: He started swim class about 2 months ago.  He seems to like it (at least he doesn't cry) so far.

What he doesn't like:

• Napping: There's a lot of loud crying at home on days when he only has a 20 min nap at day care. 
• Being put down: He likes being held.  If you try to put him down, he won't let you.  He'll arch his back or go completely stiff so you can't bend his waist to make his sit.  It's especially fun if he's tired or hungry.
• Being left: Dada says he cries every morning during daycare drop-off.  He's so different than me.  When I was his age, I'd just look up, say bye and go back to whatever I was doing

Mason's 9 month check up

Mason had his 9 month check-up today.  He's been cranky lately.  Mama and dada think it's because his tummy hasn't been feeling well.   

Here're his stats:

• Weight: 18 lbs, 3 oz (10th percentile)
• Height: 29.75 in (86th percentile)
• Head circumference: 46 cm (65th percentile)

He's only gained a little over 1 pound in since his last check-up!  Mama and dada are very concerned about his weight.  How's he going to defend himself when we start to wrestle?!  The doctor thinks he may have lost some weight because of his stomach issues.  He wasn't a great eater before he got sick.  Now, he's even worse.  Because his weight is so low, he has to go back in 6 weeks for another weight check. I hope his appetite comes back and he puts on some weight.

Once Mason is feeling better, he's going to start training.  Mama and dada are planning to discourage two of his habits.  The first one is arching back when he's being held and upset.  Not only is it dangerous because he could fall, it's also something mama and dada don't want to be dealing with when he's older and heavier.  How're they going to discourage this behavior?  Whenever he starts to arch, they're going to put him down on the floor so he can have his tantrum.

The other habit is how he wants to be held all the time.  Mama and dada are going to put him down and if he cries, they're going to let him cry.  He needs to find a way to self-sooth and learn that he's okay when he's not being held.  It sounds mean, huh?  Dada won't have a problem doing it.  Mama, on the other hand, well...she's going to do her best.  I'm not looking forward to this training...there's going to be a lot of crying in our house. 

A Disneyland vacation

Mason and I both fell asleep on the way home from Auntie Margaret and Uncle Ritchie's house.  When he woke up it was still dark and we weren't at home. We were at a hotel. Mason and I were so curious that we stayed awake for an hour before finally going to sleep.

Saturday (10/6):  Dada said we were going to Costco today.  I was confused because I thought we were going to Disneyland.  As we walked along, I saw Disneyland!  I pointed and exclaimed, "Disney!"  But dada kept saying we were going to Costco.  Dada must be getting old because it didn't look anything like Costco.  Then I saw the the monorail and exclaimed, "Monorail!"

Once we got into the park, I met up with my buddies Matthew and Edison.  We spent the morning together in Toon Town.  I rode Gadget's Go Coaster with mama! When I was in line, I was fine. But when it was our turn to get on, I got scared and said that I didn't want to ride anymore. But it was too late.  So, I rode it. When it was over, I told the ride operator, "I was scared." But mama told me that I was very brave to ride even though I was scared. Plus I was the only one of my friends to ride the roller coaster.

After lunch, we ran into Kyden, Sienna, Sierra and Sophia!  Kyden was having a birthday party in Disneyland at the Plaza Inn.  I took a nap before the party, but it wasn't long enough. I woke up in a bad mood and didn't want to participate in the party.  I spent most of Kyden's party crying and throwing a fit.  Don't be fooled by these pictures.


Anyway, back to the party.  We each got our own cake to decorate.  I liked painting with the frosting, and I discovered my love for M&M's. Mickey and Minnie Mouse joined the party. (Mama thought Mickey and Minnie would've put me in a better mood, but she was wrong.) They sang songs and danced. When they were done, they invited us to come take pictures with them. 

After the party, we all rode some more rides - Winnie the Pooh, Small World, Bumper Cars (aka Autopia), and Jungle Cruise. And we all stayed to watch the fireworks.  After the fireworks were over, I declared, "I love Tinker Bell."

This was Mason's first Disneyland trip.  I don't know if he had a good time or not.  He rode two rides: Buzz Lightyear and Winnie the Pooh.  He spent most of the time in the stroller or the ergo.  

It was a super fun day, even with my meltdown. Happy Birthday Kyden!  Thanks for inviting me to your party.

Sunday (10/7): We met up with Sierra, Sophia, Kyden, Sienna, Christian and Lauren for brunch at King's Hawaiian Bakery and Restaurant in Torrence.  (Yes, it's the same King's Hawaiian as the rolls you can buy at grocery stores.  Who knew they had a restaurant and bakery?)  Christian and Lauren's dada is mama, Auntie Christie and Auntie Joanne's friend from high school and college.  After brunch, we headed over to Sierra and Sophia's home.  We spent the day there playing with Sierra and Sophia's toys and just hangin' out.  It was nice break from Disneyland. Mason got to crawl around and explore instead of being stuck in the stroller or the ergo all day.

Monday (10/8): We headed out to California Adventure to checkout Car's Land.  I rode Luigi's Flying Tires with dada while mama kept Mason company during his morning nap.  Mama saw Lightening McQueen and Mater driving down the street while we were on the ride.  After Car's Land, we headed to A Bug's Land.  After lunch at the Pacific Wharf Cafe, we headed back to our hotel for a family nap.  Mama and dada thought it was the best nap ever and we should do it all the time!  After family nap time, we headed back to Disneyland.  Dada and I rode the Haunted Mansion.  It was fun! I saw Santa Claus, presents and Christmas Lights! We met up with Sierra and Sophia for dinner at Downtown Disney.  That's when Mason got sick.  He threw up.  Dada took him home, while mama and I hung out with Sierra and Sophia.  After dinner, Mama and I saw fireworks on the way back to our hotel.

Tuesday (10/9): Mama and I spent the morning at Disneyland riding rides.  Dada stayed with Mason, because he had the runs.  Mama and I rode lots of rides because the lines were short. When we rode the rocket ships (aka Astro Orbiter), mama said she was scared and asked me what I should do. I told her, "It will be okay. Sing Wheels." And then I sang Wheels on the Bus to mama.  She did great on the ride!

We also rode the train, bumper cars, small world and tea cups before it was time to meet dada and Mason. When we were in line for bumper cars, I kept telling everyone that I was a bad driver. When I told one of the ride operators that, he said he thought I was a good driver. Then I flashed him my belly.  I'm pretty silly.

I had such a good time with mam, that I was asleep before we even made it to the pick up/drop off area.  Even with my nap, it was a long ride home.  Mason had exploding poo-poo and didn't feel well at all.  Poor Mason.

The Highlights

• Celebrating Kyden's 3rd birthday
• Hanging out lots of friends, especially the ones I don't get to see very often like Sierra and Sophia
• Riding the rides at Disneyland and California Adventures
• My special mama and Logan morning at Disneyland
• Having everyone sleep in the same room.  I keep telling mama and dada that I want to go back to the hotel. Mama thinks it's because I got to sleep with dada or mama every night.
• Getting home

The Lowlights

• The crowds and long lines at Disneyland and California Adventures.  Mama and dada say we're never going back on a weekend, only weekdays.
• Mason getting sick and having exploding poop the whole way home
• My meltdown on Saturday because I had a short nap. Next time we go on a theme park vacation, mama and dada are going to make sure go back to our hotel for proper naps.

Twenty!

This afternoon I had my second dentist appointment.  I was okay with going to see Dr. Santiago (aka Auntie Margaret) until we got to the parking lot.  Suddenly, I got apprehensive and told mama that I didn't want to go inside.  Mama tried to show me all the fun things inside the waiting room.  Eventually she just gave up and carried me inside.

I did pretty good with the visit.  Cat, the dental hygenist, squirted water in my hand and sucked it up with Mr. Thirsty.  She also used the tickle brush to tickle my finger.  I still didn't want to sit in the chair by myself.  So, I sat in mama's lap while Cat brushed my teeth with the orange flavored toothpaste I picked. 

After that, Auntie Margaret came to look at my teeth and count them.  I counted along with her.  We counted all the way up to 20!  I have 20 teeth!  My 2 year molars arrived.  She says that a couple are still coming in so I might complain about teeth.  That would explain why I've been sticking my fingers in the back of my mouth!  She also looked at my bite, and it looks like my underbite is not as bad as my first visit.  We'll just have to keep watching that as I grow.  

The last thing I did was let Auntie Margaret use the tickle brush on two of my teeth.  I protested for a while.  Then mama bribed me with toy from Disneyland.  Hmmm...ok.  I don't know why they call it a tickle brush because it didn't tickle my teeth.

After my dentist appointment, we stopped a park and then had dinner with Uncle Ritchie and Auntie Margaret.