Wednesdays in Davis

Kai's last trip up the rock wall at the Davis Wednesday Farmer's Market - closing for the winter season. (Note new haircut. Ugh.)
Kai at gymnastics in his halloween costume. I love that part of class, it cracks me up every time I see it.

It's 10:00 PM. Kai and Nate are on the couch watching football - a dream for Nate!
We have a love/hate relationship with the nights when Kai can't get to sleep. Only at these times can we really have focused moments with Kai, and we cherish them. Some of my favorite most hezellig memories are of the times when Kai has come back down to play after bedtime.
So they're cuddling on the couch as I relive our weekend...driving around East Sac on Friday night to look at Halloween decorations...coming back to the car after a quick grocery run after said drive to find the kids fast asleep in the backseat...taking the kids to the pumpkin patch today, but taking a 1-hr detour into Amador Cty wine country as they snoozed...admiring Kai's attempts to break the ice with kids in the hay wagon at the pumpkin patch by telling jokes (Why did the chicken cross the road?")...vision of my precious little bleary-eyed redhead, carried into the Halloween party by my beautiful husband as Kai and I were just heading out the door...the hurt look and most real tears I've ever seen on Kai's face as he fended off the rule police at the party (aka 5-year-old band of girls)...Kai's joy the first time he tried on his pitcrew costume...watching Kai tenderly hold Nina for the photo at the UC Davis RSA halloween party...Nina's attempts to mimic Kai while painting on our lanai on a beautiful sunday morning...tasting persimmons off of the neighbor's tree while on a wagon walk with Jin, Rachel, Georgie and Kai...admiring the way Nate can find activities to do that engage both kids at once...
Life is good.

Wow. Kai is so excited to be Lightning McQueen's pit crew this Halloween, he keeps thanking me for buying it for him. It brings us to tears!
And we're getting three years out of this Devil costume - Nina fits the bill. The three of us were cuddling on Kai's bed today when she yanked Kai's hair, then mine, then laughed. Kai and I had a hard time suppressing a laugh as well. And a few minutes ago she bit my leg through my cords. Ouch. My little red-headed diablito.
We just got back from our first Halloween party...another party in the 'hood tomorrow.

Can't stop thinking about little T, and his tired mom and dad. And our very best friends in New Orleans.
And the kiddos. Wow, was it good to see them when we got back. They were awaiting us at 10:30 PM the night we returned. I can't stop kissing them.

Nina's new sweater

Thank you, Fran!!!!!!!!

We've been busy since Mom and Dad left. Our trip to Apple Hill Orchards was incredible. An hour from here is a cooperative of 50+ independently-owned orchards. We hit three - one for doughnuts and cider, Kai's favorite; the second to pick some tiny and crisp golden delicious apples and pumpkins from the patch on a small organic farm; the third to run around the hills and cornmaze and to see farm animals - Nina's favorite. The drive was so gorgeous that on saturday after Kai's soccer game (note: forgot Kai's shoes. Nate felt horrible. Got to soccer with 5 minutes left in the game. Kai didn't care. Played with the other soccer kids at the park - played pirates. Nina tried to join in. Very cute.) we packed up the car and headed east again. Took a long drive into El Dorado National Forest, got out to hike a few times, and watched the sunset on the way home. Sunday I took the kids for a bikeride along the American River; five minutes into the ride, "I'm hungry, Mom." "I'm tired." It's amazing how Kai can sit on a bike, motionless, when he's never motionless on the ground! He does a great job on the bike. Took a big dig while chatting up some nice men on the trail, see picture for wound near neck. Freaked us both out when the handlebar slowly dug into the tender flesh on his sternum as he slowly fell to the ground. Ow. Sunday afternoon we discovered the Davis arboretum. Will definitely take the kids there again, next time with Kai's bike. Kai was so excited to see a little boy climbing a tree that he RAN down the path, over the bridge to join him. Ximenes was a lot like Kai in looks (robed in Hannah Andersson) and energy. Kai dragged Nina over to Ximenes to introduce Nina ("This is my little sister, Nina, N-i-n-a.) They chirped and ran and climbed then suddenly Ximenes was off on his bike and his dad was running to follow him. Nina's favorite part: the ducks.

And here we are with a few days to go until we leave for nola and leave the kids in the hands of nana and dup. Nina's still waking at night but usually needs only a pat in the butt from Nate to fall back asleep. Both kids have colds now, hopefully they'll recover by saturday. I'm nervous about leaving Nina...

Kai is determined to be Lightning McQueen for Halloween. Not only are the two costumes available for purchase UGLY, but due to the fact that mom made almost all or our costumes growing up (I loved being a gypsy...and a playing card...I do remember some store-bought masks though , the heat and the sweat and the plastic smell) I'm really resistant to buying one anyway. So we're going to try to make one. If we start early enough we have time to recover.

Nina LOVES crayons, markers, paintbrushes. Check out how this girl can hold a crayon already.

Started gymnastics in Davis on monday. Kai loved it. It's amazing how much difference a year has made in his ability to focus and follow directions. Kai towers over the other predominantly asian kids in his class. Teacher was impressed with his lack of fear and ability to flip over the low bar.

Yesterday I was dancing with the kids to music from our TV. Artist was Fat Joe. I was holding a kid in each arm, Kai said, "Fat Joe!...Fat Breast!" and pounded on my boob. Ugh.

Nina's first trip to the Apple Orchard

Took the kids to a few apple orchards yesterday in the foothills. Nina munched on apples in the grass, but didn't eat nearly as many as Kai did on his first trip to the apple orchard (see picture, Kai in blue sweatshirt exactly the same age as Nina).

Back to "normal"

Mom and Dad left a few days ago and as always I was nervous about handling these two energizer bunnies on my own again. But as always it's easier than I'd anticipated. It's so nice to have a clean lanai - thanks to mom and dad, who scrubbed and carpeted and cleaned for hours so the kids would have a comfy playroom. We spend most of our time out there, especially if Nina gets her way. She just loves being outside, more than I remember from Kai's early days.
Last night the kids ate dinner out back...I ran in to grab something and came out in time to see Nina ON TOP OF the patio table on hands and knees with Kai's SHARP FORK trying to eat his dinner. This girl climbs anything and everything, can't leave her out of my sight. And, as mom said, I should be less worried about Nina hurting herself and more worried about Kai hurting Nina. He's been a bit aggressive with her lately, but she can usually hold her own. She's got attitude! Really. She bites, hits, paws, claws if she really wants something (like the computer...or my wallet...or the keys...or a toothbrush).
Kai still seems to love school, doesn't fight it ever, not even once while Meece and Fud were here. Brings home some kind of artwork every day, and comes home pretty dirty from playing outside. When I arrive to pick him up it's quiet visiting time, and he isn't usually ready to leave. His best buddy I think is his teacher's son, Devin, who this morning said, "Hi, Pie!" and they both cracked up.
This sense of self-awareness that Kai is experiencing is kind of sad for me to observe. The other day I dressed him (Nina picks out her clothes; Kai doesn't) and he said, "This doesn't look cool, Mom. The shirt is too long." But in typical Kai fashion he forgot about it within seconds. At the park the other day some older girls were kind of mean to Kai; he wanted to play with them and was innocently chasing them and doing whatever they were doing. They said, "Stop copying us!" "You can't play with us!" But he persisted, more like his dad and less like his mom, and pretty soon the girls were allowing him to run along with them. (A grandpa said, "He screams like a girl!" What a prick. I wanted to hit him. Kai was oblivious.)
The highlight of Mom and Dad's visit was Yosemite. We all felt so invigorated and alive. Our cabin was just perfect, beautiful, quiet, and right outside of the park. We hiked in a sequoia grove the first afternoon, the next we visited the Valley, saw the major sights of interests, ended the day with a hike up to Sentinel Dome. Kai wanted to go all the way, but we were warned all the way up that it was too windy and cold for him. So he almost made it and we kind of fooled him into thinking he did the whole thing.
I'm home with Nina this morning, no work from Michigan this week so canceled the babysitter. I wish every day were like this. Kai woke up early enough so we didn't have to rush to school; I got to go to the coffeeshop and sit outside with Nina; she gets to nap in her crib! And I get some one-on-one time with her, which rarely happens. I'm mourning the fact that she's almost weaned from night feedings. Mom took on the task of rocking her last week, the first night was awful and there is no way I would have let the crying persist if we weren't going to NOLA next week. But after that first night, with the exception of a bad cry here and there, she's doing great. Waking up just once in the night for a snuggle/rock or pat on the buns.
The past two nights Kai has incredibly fallen asleep while reading bedtime stories with Nate. Here's a picture.