Christmas 2013

So this year we decided to participate in the Christmas tradition. Yaya is old enough now to enjoy it and in fact, she asked for it. So here we go! Our first family Christmas. Also, since we have had a lot of work travels in recent months, we decided to forgo our usual end of year trip (someplace warm, usually) and stayed home instead. So bring it on! We start with the obligatory photo with Santa: [[image:2013_christmas31.jpg:Yaya was happy but luckily Adik did not cry (he thinks Santa is an evil overlord):center:0]] * Mouse over the pictures for captions We begin with a build up to the big day. Progression of the Christmas tree (artificial as Yaya was sad that if we had a real tree, it would die), decorations, and presents under the tree in the week leading up to Christmas. We pretty much wrapped a few presents every […]

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65 Months

65 months! Five years and five months have passed. [[image:2013-yaya65month-07.jpg:Beautiful smile:center:0]] * Mouse over pictures for captions Food status: A few new tastes! Yaya tried hot chocolate (during the snow adventures), finger tasted cookie frosting and also ate circle toast with a little nutella (under a generous slather of regular butter). So three new things. Baby steps, I suppose. But we are pleased with her. Sadly, none of the foods was at all healthy, but on the plus side she did not ask for more after she completed the tastes. Hopefully we will have more to report this next month and in the new year. Yaya is becoming a great big sister – always keen to teach Adik stuff, read to him, etc. She is still the second most dangerous thing for him (note Adik’s black eye from last month’s accident), but on the other hand, Adik is the single […]

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First Snowfall of the Winter

So we actually missed the first snowfall in Ohio (in November) this year while we were away at work in Pennsylvania. But when we were in Pennsylvania (again, for work) in December, snow caught up with us. This entry is basically just some fun photos taken during the snowfall, and afterwards. Most of the photos were taken on the Sunday afternoon (you might remember the Eagles Sunday afternoon game with snow flurries that severely limited visibility on TV?), but some were taken in the days after. [[image:2013_decsnow09.jpg:Let’s play in the snow!:center:0]] As always, please mouse over the pictures for captions. [[image:2013_decsnow01.jpg:Adik wants to know what this stuff is:center:0]] [[image:2013_decsnow03.jpg:He’s intrigued by the stuff and keeps walking to make footprints:center:0]] And yay! Adik still fits into Yaya’s old snowsuit! He has outgrown the lovely one that he received from Abang Reza (and that is now going to be handed off to […]

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Amusements at the New Ducky Hotel

So we have spent many days at the new Ducky Hotel in the past three months. We played in the snow, and amused ourselves in all kinds of ways. This entry is just a bunch of fun photos of the activities at the new Ducky Hotel (that would be the Homewood Suites in Lansdale, PA). Our Old Ducky Hotel was in Cranford, NJ. 🙂 [[image:2013_dechotel01.jpg:Smiling as brightly as the sun:center:0]] * Mouse over the pictures for captions Let’s be pirates! [[image:2013_dechotel03.jpg:Dancing peg-leggedly?:center:0]] [[image:2013_dechotel04.jpg:Cheese!:center:0]] [[image:2013_dechotel05.jpg:Arr mateys!:center:0]] [[image:2013_dechotel06.jpg:Pirates have all the fun!:center:0]] And now let us have fun with Papa and Mama’s shoes! [[image:2013_dechotel07.jpg:Shoe on a leash:center:0]] [[image:2013_dechotel08.jpg:Pulling it onto the sofa by its laces:center:0]] [[image:2013_dechotel09.jpg:Doodling on Papa’s sneakers (a new “canvas”, get it?):center:0]] [[image:2013_dechotel10.jpg:Coloring the underside of Mama’s shoes:center:0]] [[image:2013_dechotel11.jpg:Walking around in Mama’s shoes:center:0]] [[image:2013_dechotel12.jpg:Attack Papa!:center:0]] [[image:2013_dechotel13.jpg:”I clapping!”:center:0]] Also very popular, activities on the sofa: [[image:2013_dechotel16.jpg:Napping on the sofa (with pillows […]

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Rafe’s 23 Month Birthday

One more month before the big T-W-O! Whee! [[image:2013_1129_rafe23.jpg:Slightly amused at all the fuss:center:0]] * Mouse over the pictures for captions I don’t know how we got here, but here we are a month before Adik’s second birthday. The child is growing like a little weed! He has continued his obsession with the alphabet, and these days he not only wants to read them but he wants to write them. He loves to (attempt to) write letters using crayons and pens, and he loves the alphabet tracing app on the big thing. He seems to want to read right to left (time to introduce arabic letters?) but other than that, his progress is amazing. And to those out there yelling out the tiger mom-ness of it all, this is all Adik-fueled. He wants to do it and forces us to help him achieve his goals. So there! 🙂 Speech status: […]

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64 Months

So we are now at 64 months! [[image:2013-yaya64month-04.jpg:Love this shot!:center:0]] * Mouse over the pictures for captions Food status: Yaya tried one new food this month! Honey. She finger tasted it. I have hopefully convinced her that she should try eating pancakes with honey when I next make it. Let’s see if that actually happens (she has refused maple syrup on many occasions). She did attempt to eat carrots. The first bite went down well. The second bite, well, it came back up and so did everything else. ‘Nuff said. This time it was not on purpose, but it was still disappointing. So no new game or toy for her for the carrot attempt. We had a 2-week (almost) work trip in November, so it was quite a busy (and exhausting) time for us. Also Thanksgiving which fell on Adik’s 23 month birthday. But all in all a good month. […]

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Halloween Shenanigans

All Hallow’s Eve, an event that was eagerly awaited in the Renstrom household – at least by one little girl in particular. And this year, Papa said we could get a pumpkin and carve it (after some begging on the part of the particular little girl). [[image:2013_halloween_12.jpg:Happy Halloween!:center:0]] Let us begin with the process of carving a jack-o-lantern. I confess, I have never actually done this or watched this done (other than on television) so I was quite interested in the proceedings. So here’s how it went: [[image:2013_halloween_01.jpg:After you cut a hole in the top, you scoop out the insides:center:0]] [[image:2013_halloween_02.jpg:Adik wants to help too:center:0]] [[image:2013_halloween_03.jpg:Adik inspects the now emptied out pumpkin:center:0]] [[image:2013_halloween_04.jpg:A gratuitous smiling baby picture thrown in just for fun:center:0]] [[image:2013_halloween_05.jpg:Next, Yaya draws a face on the pumpkin:center:0]] [[image:2013_halloween_06.jpg:Adik wants to play with the pumpkin’s innards:center:0]] [[image:2013_halloween_07.jpg:Here’s Yaya’s masterpiece:center:0]] [[image:2013_halloween_08.jpg:Which was too complicated to execute so Vin had […]

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Rafe’s 22 Month Birthday

Only two months until the big second birthday for the boy! 🙂 [[image:2013_1029_rafe18.jpg:Happy Adik!:center:0]] * Mouse over the pictures for captions So another month has passed, and in two short months, the boy will turn two. It is just amazing how quickly time has flown and how busy (and exhausted) we always seem to be! Where does the time go? As always, we are thankful for backdated entries. Alphabets are still big with Adik. He knows all his letters still of course, and is very happy to yell them out when he sees them, sing his songs and whatnot. But he doesn’t seem to be quite as obsessed – meaning he doesn’t play his alphabet songs all day long, just half of the day. He still loves to come into the office to sit in the piles of books that he has repeatedly pulled off the shelves such that Vin […]

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63 Months

Sixty-three months now! [[image:2013-yaya63month-03.jpg:Trying on her Bollywood Princess costume:center:0]] * Mouse over the pictures for captions So this month, Yaya had some adventures in trying new foods! First, there was the disastrous attempt at eating an apple. Yaya suggested it herself and then welched out of it, and after two hours of holding on to the apple, we placed it in her mouth and she purposely threw up to get away from it. [[image:2013-yaya63month-02.jpg:Crying because she doesn’t want to eat the apple nor does she want to let us take it away from her:center:0]] But after that debacle, she felt really really badly (it was her own idea to begin with, after all). So she made up for it by eating miniscule slices of strawberry for two days in a row. And then she also ate a tiny bit of the white part of a hard boiled egg (which she […]

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Painting Plates

Since Yaya loves doing artwork so much (just like a certain Pak Yope of hers), we found a place nearby, Paintbrush Pottery, where you can choose something ceramic (a plate, figurine, etc.), paint it, and they would fire it up and glaze it for you. It was a nice Saturday afternoon surprise activity for Yaya. She wasted no time in choosing an owl plate to paint and an angry bird figurine for Adik. [[image:2013_paintpot01.jpg:Painting the owl plate:center:0]] However, Adik was not overly interested in all the painting. [[image:2013_paintpot02.jpg:Adik plays with Papa’s phone:center:0]] It was a bit of a challenge in the beginning. Yaya is used to just painting willy-nilly, but with pottery, you have to think about it in advance, plan it and then paint it. Meaning, you need to paint all the light colors first and gradually get to the dark colors. Also, each color needed to be painted […]

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Return to Orange Beach – The Other Stuff

So now that we are done with the beach pictures and the pool pictures, here are some of the other fun pictures taken during our trip to Orange Beach. [[image:2013_sep_orangebeach56.jpg:Peanut buttery baby:center:0]] * Mouse over the pictures for captions One of the good things about vacation is the opportunity for all of us to sit and have breakfast together without the need to rush anywhere. It is always a fun time. The following is a compilation of photos taken at breakfast (on different days, obviously) in Orange Beach: [[image:2013_sep_orangebeach02.jpg:Adik loved to feed himself peanut butter from the single-serving peanut butter container:center:0]] [[image:2013_sep_orangebeach13.jpg:Yaya always helps Papa put sugar and cream in his coffee:center:0]] [[image:2013_sep_orangebeach14.jpg:The siblings are finding each other’s “bee-bo” (belly button):center:0]] Adik learnt that Yaya does not want to eat peanut butter and starts to tease her with it: [[image:2013_sep_orangebeach24.jpg:Have some peanut butter, Yaya!:center:0]] [[image:2013_sep_orangebeach25.jpg:Yaya stays far away from the […]

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Return to Orange Beach – The Pool

So the beach pictures are done. Now for some pictures of the fun we had at the hotel pool in Orange Beach, AL. [[image:2013_sep_orangebeach01.jpg:Love this shot of Adik:center:0]] * Mouse over the pictures for captions We got new water wings for Yaya and a little boat for Adik at the Publix across the way: [[image:2013_sep_orangebeach09.jpg:Adik enjoying his boat:center:0]] [[image:2013_sep_orangebeach10.jpg:Splashed himself all wet:center:0]] [[image:2013_sep_orangebeach11.jpg:Yaya loves her new water wings:center:0]] [[image:2013_sep_orangebeach12.jpg:Yaya gives Adik a tow:center:0]] [[image:2013_sep_orangebeach22.jpg:Dangerously pushing Adik forwards while he gerams the water (she can tip his face right into the water this way):center:0]] [[image:2013_sep_orangebeach23.jpg:Keeping his head area dry:center:0]] [[image:2013_sep_orangebeach38.jpg:Obsessing with pouring water in and out of the toy while Yaya practises her swimming moves:center:0]] [[image:2013_sep_orangebeach39.jpg:Papa and Adik:center:0]] The pool was our way of getting the kids off the beach. And it was also nice to hang out in the pool in the evening after the lunch/rest/naptime. We had an excellent […]

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Return to Orange Beach – The Beach

Contrary to popular belief, the beach in Orange Beach, AL is actually not orange. In fact, the sand was beautiful, white, fine sand. Wheee! We loved it so much when we went there in April that we decided to go back there for a longer almost week-long vacation there in September. At the time of this entry, it has been almost a month since we were there, but given my track record it’s a wonder it’s only been delayed a few weeks. Hehe [[image:2013_sep_orangebeach35.jpg:The kids playing on the beach:center:0]] We chose to go after the Labor Day weekend, so not only was it fairly quiet, and we had the beach mostly to ourselves, but it was still hot and summery. And with off-season rates, well, it was icing on the cake. We drove down to Alabama in a 2-day road trip (each way), arriving on Sunday September 8th and leaving […]

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Rafe’s 21 Month Birthday

And the boy is now 21 months old! 3 more months and he’s two! Wheee! [[image:2013_0929_rafe17.jpg:Giggle giggle:center:0]] * Mouse over the pictures for captions Again, I am so very late writing this entry. No need to make excuses, you all know how it is, right? And Adik seems to have come a long way in a month. Our little hero now knows all the letters of the alphabet! A-Z, in capital letters and small letters! We can’t believe it. In fact, he’s obsessed! He can’t get enough of it. He is yelling out all the letters that he sees, and singing the ABC song (including the techno-rap youtube stuff that he loves) and all around just totally immersing himself in the written language. He’s even saying the alphabets in his sleep, poor lamb. 🙂  And the truth is, I only remember teaching him O and S. He just picked up […]

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62 Months

Sixty-two months since the girl was born! [[image:2013-yaya62month-02.jpg:Artsy Yaya in her tent-fort:center:0]] The hat was a gift from Pak Yope and Wan Yong way back in 2010. 🙂 * Mouse over the pictures for captions As I mentioned in the sixty-one month entry, I’m continuing with Yaya’s monthly posts but minimizing the chatter. We have pretty much been maintaining the status quo. No new foods were eaten, steady progress on reading, writing and arithmetic. Lot of artwork done in the house. All good things. Yaya now travels with an entourage of “imaginary friends”, all of whom are cartoon characters from her favorite tv shows. New ones keep popping up. She even made paper teddy bears for imaginary Peep, Chirp and Quack to sleep with and some of her imaginary friends sleep with real stuffed animals. Yaya is a good big sister and plays with her brother all the time. She […]

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Rafe’s 20 Month Birthday

Our intrepid hero is now 20 months old! Whee! [[image:2013_0829_rafe16.jpg:Cheeeeeeese!:center:0]] * Mouse over the pictures for captions Where to start? I have left this entry to be written so late that I have to be sure that I am not documenting things that happened in the 21st month (yes, I am that late!). Perhaps I should just keep it brief and let the pictures shine. A few things I am sure of: * Adik has at least 14 teeth now * Food status: Adik loves his peanut butter and toast. Or peanut butter straight up. But he’s game to try what’s on your plate, if he’s in the mood. Lately he’s eaten a lot of peanut butter on a toasted bagel * Speech status: There is nothing that this child cannot say! If he wants to say it, that is. His vocabulary seems to be growing in leaps and bounds. […]

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