Spring has sprung… sort of

Well, it’s mid-April, and in typical Canadian fashion, the flowers are peeking up, April showers have been a sprinkling and we are facing the prospect of 10 cms of snow overnight. What the ….? Ahh, Canada at its best. It’s gotten so desperate that we chose to escape the horror of an Ottawa spring by traveling to … Winnipeg. You can smell the desperation in that move.

The temperatures have been reasonably mild, however, so there is hope. Kiyomi’s favourite word these days is “outside”, pronounced by skipping the “t” and stretching out the “i” to obliterate the “de”, so it’s more of an “ousiiiii”. She gets her point across though, and we have been spending a lot more time in the if not great, at least reasonable, outdoors. As the pictures attest to, there is a wee bit of desperation in our outdoor escapades – you’ll note a general absence of any other living souls in the vicinity of the camera. Ah well, she’s got Winnipegers for parents. That’ll learn ya, kid, toughen ya up.

A big hit in the great wide world has been Kiyomi’s footwear. Specifically her froggy rubber boots with great big eyes that stare up at you (thanks to Nana for that find). Not only do they amuse Kiyomi to no now end, people seem to notice her boots before anything else about her. Of course, given that it’s -10, it’s not so surprising all you can see peeking out of the layers of clothes, hats, mites, are the eyes from her bright green rubber boots (it’s April gosh darn it, we’re getting out).

There have been a lot of new indoor games as well. Some attempts at crafts (does anyone know how to get finger paint off cats?) and new uses for household items. The cat bed has become a ‘boat’ which frequently gets pushed up and down the hall (yes, my back is feeling it, thanks for asking). You’d also be surprised how long a toddler is prepared to chase rubber balls or bubbles around a room (thanks to Colette for these latest additions to the toy box). Oh yes, and it would seem Dora has taken root in her toddler mind. I thought we’d escaped it, but it would seem that Nemo has nothing on the Spanish speaking wunderkind. Kiyomi actually talks to Dora while she’s watching the show and screeches “THAAAATTT!!” when something interests her. Kudos to the Dora creators though, it’s actually a show that has toddlers interacting with the tv. Don’t know how they managed that, but it’s impressive to watch. Now, if they could only get the subliminal messages going to teach them how to use the potty and clean up their toys, we’d be golden.

Speaking of potties (yes, it’s an awkward segue), Kiyomi has started to take a bit of an interest in the whole bathroom routine. Oh, not to the point that she’ll sit on the potty, but she has developed a fascination with watching someone else. You’ve never experienced shy-bladder syndrome until you have a 20 month old yelling “THAAAAT!” as she intently watches you do your business.

We are also now in the countdown for back to work for mommy, so the project du jour has been child care. We’ve visited a few daycares – the coolest of which by the way was the one that had a Where the Wild Things Are 3D mural. I head back the middle of June, so there are still a couple months left. It would seem, however, that finding a daycare is an exercise in compromise. You start with a clear idea of what you’d like regarding location, programming, hours, etc. and you quickly compromise it all because you really just want to make sure that you do indeed have a spot with a care provider that is somewhat competent. Although, I have to confess that for most of the daycares we’ve looked at, Kiyomi will be eating better than she ever eats at home for lunch! Apparently, instant noodles is not a staple at most daycare menus. Go figure?!

Keeping alive one of the traditions of our pkd (pre-kid days), we took advantage of the 4 day Easter weekend to get out of town. The destination this year – Winnipeg, which lived up to its reputation of Winterpeg with a low of -19 on the night we arrived. You know, it might be where we grew up, but I gotta ask, what’s up with that type of weather. We were escaping warmer weather in Ottawa!

I will say that it was sunny the entire time we were there, so at least some of Winnipeg’s stereotypes are pleasant. Kiyomi got to meet a whole whack of new people, including family and friends. She was a real trooper throughout, despite our doing our very best to completely exhaust and overwhelm her. Somehow, she managed to even survive a day without a nap. We thought we were in for it that evening, but thanks to the magic of toddler chemestry, she happily followed around her two newest buddies, Ava and Tessa, without so much as a temper tantrum. Later in the evening, she had her own personal entertainer in Spencer who worked his butt off putting on a fabulous show for her, complete with dancing and silly faces. Let me tell you, Kiyomi was smitten.

After all that, she was pretty exhausted the next day when we met my cousins for brunch, but as luck would have it, Kiyomi’s two favourite toys were present – older kids and a dog – which kept her happy as a clam. A big thanks to Liam, Sophie and Julia for that.

Of course, we are now dealing with the biggest peril of traveling for Kiyomi. It isn’t jet lag, it isn’t a different environment. It’s the fact that when we get home, she expects us to sit in her room with her until she falls asleep, like we do when traveling. This in itself may not be that bad, but for the fact that she fights off sleep to keep an eye on you to make sure your butt is in that chair. It’s particularly much when you walk in the room - after she’s been wailing to wake the dead for the last 10 minutes – and she stops crying instantly and points to the chair with a little grunt that clearly says “that’s better, now sit!” Didn’t I read somewhere that you’re not supposed to let the toddler control the situation? Well, it’s far too late for that around here! Don't let that innocent little face fool you, she rules with a ruthless dictatorship around here.

As for Kiyomi developments, they are pretty much still on course, she’s growing – sprouted two inches in the last three months – and learning all sorts of new tricks. I was pretty shocked when she spontaneoulsy started riding a tricyle at play group the other day. No idea where she learned that. I guess it’s a harbinger of things to come as she increasingly stakes out her independence and learns things independently of Kohji or I. As with everything else, there’s a sadly sweet feeling watching her change before our eyes and become her own little person.

The parting shot for tonight is proof that it's all worth it. Good night from Ottawa.

Herding cats

It’s official. No further research or attempts are required.

Trying to get 9 very excited little girls to sit together on a couch for the length of time it takes to get a picture - which given the number of cameras in the room was actually a considerable length of time – is the equivalent to herding cats on … speed… at night… armed only with a kazoo. It is an impossible task. There is no way to successfully accomplish it, so it’s best to take what you can get in such endeavors. Hence, here is the best picture available from the Chinese New Year celebration.

In truth, if I had the space, and the patience, it’s actually quite hilarious to see all of the attempted pictures in succession. Nothing spells hilarity like 12 adults trying to get 9 little girls to sit still… and smile… for a picture, especially when said little girls are dressed in rather slippery silk and seem to slink down the couch as soon as released. Ah well, no one said parenting would be easy.

Despite the rather ill-conceived picture adventure, a good time was had by all at the first (hopefully annual) celebration with friends from the adoption community. The girls were adorable decked out in their traditional gear, and the wattage from the beaming parents could have powered a whole city for a month. We were treated to some really good food from the Northern Han (a wonderful suggestion from Valerie) and a wonderful song in Mandarin from Allie (who put on a stellar performance of a song she learned in her Mandarin class). The girls all whooped in up and seemed to enjoy the barely contained chaos of 9 little girls feeding of each others excitement.

The only hiccup of the evening for us was when Kiyomi had her first real attack of stranger anxiety. Emerging from her Maru-Maru tent – temporarily set up in the living room for the girls to play in – and seeing neither Kohji nor I in the room sent her into a wee bit of a tailspin, and she made darn sure we were close at hand for the rest of the evening. She seems to have started into a bit of a separation anxiety phase, with a mommy preference. I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t music to my ears given all the horror stories regarding attachment and bonding that you hear about during the adoption process (that and a damn undergrad paper on maternal deprivation)! For the moment, anyway, she only shows mild signs of stranger anxiety and is usually pretty quick to get over them, so we’re not too fussed about it.

The week after the party, the whole fan-damily headed out to the wilds of BC for a week of skiing at Silverstar Mountain Resort. While we had been up to Le Massif for a weekend earlier in February, Silverstar was more or less our inaugural attempt at a ski vacation. We went with a group of friends, so Kohji and I each had people to ski with when we traded off skiing half days, and in the end, it worked out well. The first couple of days were a little tough (not helped by about 10 cms of fresh powder and our luggage getting waylaid for half a day), with each of us kinda itchin’ to hit the slopes, but all in all skiing half days worked out reasonably well. Kiyomi had a great time hanging out with her buddy Ella, and pretty much happily followed her around the condo most of the time. When she wasn’t shadowing Ella, she turned everyone in the room into her personal readers. By the end of the week, it’s safe to say that not a single one of the adults really cared where the heck Maisy was!

Upon returning to Ottawa, we were all promptly hit with a lovely little flu. In one of those wonderful parenting moments, we discovered that Kiyomi had the flu when she threw up all over her dinner (and her dad). Sure, she was crying, and tired and cranky, but we chalked it up to jetlag and hunger because she seemed to stop her crying long enough to take a bite. That was, of course, until said bites of dinner (and of her mid-afternoon snack) came right back up again. It wasn’t until a couple days later, when Kohji was laying on the kitchen floor clutching a bucket and I was popping in a video for Kiyomi at 10 am because I couldn’t sit up long enough to read her a book without feeling nauseous that it dawned on us, hey, maybe she had the flu? Ah, proud parenting moments indeed.

Despite our parenting ineptitude, Kiyomi seems to be toddling along quite well, picking up new tricks and skills all the time. Her comprehension is pretty impressive now. You can ask her to do things, and she will actually do them. I know, I know, this is a very short lived stage, and pretty soon, she'll be ignorning me entirely. However, for the moment, I never tire of watching her toddle to the kitchen, open the cupboard and throw something in the trash on command. It's reached a point where we'll have to start watching what we say though, especially given her latest pronouncments. I'm not sure where she learned it (I swear!), but she seems to have started saying "ash hoo" over and over again. Not sure if it is indeed what it sounds like, but if it is, it means we've been baaaad parents, yet again!

Well, that’s probably more than enough info about this little family for one post. The parting shot tonight is proof positive that Kiyomi will be a skier! Good night from Ottawa.

Chinese New Year - Year of the Pig (or Boar)

GONG XI FA CAI

This weekend marks the turn of the lunar calendar. On February 18th, 2007, the calendar officially changes over from the year of the dog to the year of the pig. Chinese New Year is a time of celebration with family and loved-ones. For our family, this marks the first one we will celebration all together.

We have a couple of celebrations planned for the weekend, including a get together with our travel group (don't worry pictures of all the beautiful girls in their dresses will be forthcoming). We have a little red (colour of celebration) and plan on seeing friends and loved-ones (the pivotal part of the new year celebrations). We may not get around to the deep cleaning (cleanse away bad spirits), but we've got lots of feasting on the agenda and will toast the passing of a year of amazing good fortune and happiness, while welcoming one overflowing with new adventures, challenges and happiness.

Kiyomi, Kohji and I hope the year of the pig brings you health, happiness, prosperity... and lots of laughter.

Six months already ?!?!

Six months have come and gone in a flash. It’s hard to believe that it’s been over six months since Kiyomi’s been with us. I think I can speak for Kohji and I, and our respective families, when I say it feels like she’s just always been here. In early January, we had our 2nd last meeting with our social worker, which is a required 6-month report. Pretty painless and short, interrupted only by the arrival of a package from Nana, containing Kiyomi’s very own singing frog (apparently, they're not just for Christmas anymore).

I’ll admit, I haven’t been that good at updating regularly. To be honest, there hasn’t been a lot new and exciting. It’s winter in Canada – staying inside, sipping cocoa, skiing and snowshoeing, that’s what we do in winter. Singing frogs notwithstanding, we’ve been pretty much getting down to the business of hunkering down for the winter.

While she hasn’t tried snowshoing – or hot chocolate for that matter – Kiyomi has been skiing a number of times now and seems to enjoy (aka tolerate) the baby glider. There isn’t a tone of enthusiasm, nor are there any complaints, so we’re assuming it’s a somewhat enjoyable activity for her. On our most recent expedition, it was -17 outside, so it was quite the endeavour. All there was of Kiyomi was a nose and eyes peeking out from underneath layers of clothing and two sleeping bags. Most people who peeked in were able to see her toy monkey better than they were able to see her little eyes peeking back at them.

Waiting for the snow to fall, we did head out for a morning at the Canadian Aviation Museum. If you’re looking for a place to let your kids run wild, this is it. A big open hanger, with huge airplanes and tons of room to run, run, run. Kiyomi took little interest in the planes, but she did like having the space to test her new found running skills. She especially loved making friends with a couple of older girls who seemed to take an interest in her from the get-go. Before we knew it, they were fast friends, giggling away together.

This past weekend, we headed out to the wilds of central Ontario for the annual Lumina Lodge excursion (after spending some time in Thunder Bay in my formative years, I refuse to call Algonquin Park northern Ontario). It was a small, but hardy, group this year with only us and the 3 Ms. The star for Kiyomi was Mika, and the two girls once again proved that you can have a ton of fun with a … scarf. If I had only known, I wouldn’t have bothered with the whole toy thing and given Kiyomi a box of scarves. A good time was had by all, although poor uncle Martin was suffering not only from a cold, but a mild overdose of Nyquil which kept him uncharacteristically in the cabin.

As for Kiyomi developments, well the words keep coming, as does the coordination, or at least a reasonable facimile thereof. She probably has a repertoire of 3 dozen words, and seems to be learning more and more everyday. The coordination is amazing. She can now climb a step stool all on her own and has been working rather earnestly at jumping. She still climbs everything in sight, but with much more confident and stability now. We’re not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing – one of us is still trying to ensure that she never takes to rock climbing.

Another interesting development is a greater interest in cuddling and hugs. While she’s been acquiesing to hugs when asked for a while now, she has started in the last couple of weeks to initiate hugs and want to cuddle. It’s heartmelting and will make either of us stop in our tracks to be on the receiving end of one of those hugs. Kiyomi has also started to ever so slightly ‘make-strange’. Not an unexpected development at her age, but for those of you who know anything about adoption, it is one of the last milestones to knowing that there has been a firm and stable attachment.

All and all, we’re starting to get glimpses of the little girl inside the baby, and it’s thrilling, frightening and a wee bit sad all at the same time. She’s outgrowing her clothes, getting taller, rounder and working at growing-up, and we can’t stop it (although sometimes when we’re pulling all 25 pounds of her in the baby glider, we sure would like to)! There is, alas, no stopping time and as thrilling as it is to see her learning and growing, there is always a little good-bye to the baby she was.

As for upcoming events, well, the biggy is on February 18 – Chinese New Year. This one promises to be a fair bit different than last year. There is so much to celebrate this year, that we’ve decided to have a party with our travel group and have a little family celebration in honour of the year of the Pig.

The parting shot for tonight is of one of those rare Canadian creatures... the elusive purple snow bunny. Good night from Ottawa.

Still waiting for winter...

You know, given what snow-junkies Kohji and I are, you shouldn’t be surprised to learn that soon after Kiyomi came into our lives, we were telling her about the wonderful winters she’ll get to experience in Canada. Not surpisingly, we told her about skiing in Gatineau Park, skating on the Canal, making snow angels and all the general merriment one gets to enjoy with the wonders of winter, especially over Christmas!

Well, it would seem this country has proven us to be liars. There is not even a centimeter of snow out there. Oh sure, there have been some hopeful signs – a couple days worth of precipitation. But it has been promptly snuffed out by 10 degree weather. Luckily, this did not serve to dim the Christmas fun. And in fact, I must admit, it made the Christmas travelling less stressful.

We started off in the Christmas mode by getting ourselves a great, big Christmas tree. We picked it out with Kiyomi in tow, strapped it to the car, and waited to see the wonder in her eyes when she saw a tree in the house. Well, we kinda forgot that actually, for a toddler, everything is so new and different, that something like a tree in the house can appear actually quite common place. Given her reaction, I am quite convinced that we have now taught our daughter that trees grow in houses, no biggie!

Our first seasonal merriment came when we headed down to London for the Miller-family Christmas. We started out well, until we hit the God forsaken land known as Toronto. Yup, we timed it perfectly. Not only did we hit rush hour traffic, we found ourselves a lovely little accident that backed up the 401 for 20 kilometers or so. The 6 hour trip took us nine, and every adult in the car was chomping at the bit to get out of the car. As for the toddler, well, she figured it was great cause she actually got to sit in the back with Katie (my cousin) and watch Buzz and Woody. How good is that?

Kiyomi didn’t quite get the hang of the present opening thing, but she sure got spoiled. In addition to a toy piano, she is now the proud owner of a Dora shopping cart, a sound effects barn and a myriad of other things that barely fit in our little Civic. While she didn’t quite catch on to present opening itself, she sure got the hang of the singing frogs. Here’s an image for you – a little toddler, sitting in a giant easy chair, directing a grown woman (my aunty Dawn) to make the frogs go on said toddler’s command. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the frog phenonemon, Kiyomi’s Nana has a collection of stuffed singing frogs, courtesy of Kiyomi’s Zufu. Some ribbit jingle bells, some just ribbit and one does a passable imitation of Louis Armstrong singing “Wonderful World”. This is one case, where a picture has to speak for me, cause it was priceless to watch.


Kiyomi really enjoyed spending time with Nana, Zufu, uncles Brahm and Tristan, my aunt Dawn and cousin Katie. Nana also took her for her first visit with Santa. As you’d expect, he wasn’t a big hit with her, but she did point at his nose and shout “DAAATTT!!” An added bonus of the London visit was that Kohji and I were actually able to catch a matinee. It was the first time I’d set foot in a movie theater in several months. Quite the treat! Needless to say, I made sure Cineplex Odeon took full advantage of me by buying a popcorn and a drink (no wonder I feel the need to run a little more often these days).

Returning to Ottawa, we had the Suzuki-family Christmas a few days later when Obaachan, Ojiichan, aunt Miyo, uncle Martin, and of course cousin Mika came for a visit. Kiyomi had a blast with Mika – who knew the landing on the stairs could provide hours of entertainment?! They tore around the place and were beside themselves with the Maru-Maru tent that Ojiichan and Obaachan got for Kiyomi. It came with dozens of little whiffle balls, which respond surprisingly well to toddler tosses. As a result, we’re still finding some whiffle balls lodged in some strange places.

We did get a wee bit of snow, so we were able to get out skiing a little bit. I guess the novelty of the baby glider has warn off on Kiyomi. The last time she was in it, she fell asleep. I also pulled it for the first time. I’ve determined that if I can do that regularly, I will be in awesome shape this winter. Nothing like skiing with 35 pounds of dead weight behind you to make your heart, and thighs, work.

New Year’s Day brought the traditional Oshyougatsu celebration. Part of the tradition involves getting dressed up for special breakfast and an annual picture. Kiyomi wore a dress that we had got for her in China, and looked radiant. She and Mika, herself looking absolutely splendid in a princess dress, possed for many pictures. I’m sure they were seeing stars by the end from the flashes. Now, I just have to figure out how to get spittle and apple juice stains out of silk…

In other news, Kiyomi has learned a few new words – “up” and “turtle” being her current favourites. But, a more stellar achievement is that she is now sleeping in her own room. Until last week, she’d been in our room, but we figured it was time. Unfortunately, it couldn’t be a gradual move as the crib doesn’t fit through any of our doorways. So far, naps are no problem, but she’s not comfortable in there at night, so we wind up having to sit with her until she falls asleep. Hopefully, this is only a temporary set back. Otherwise, I need to go get some more books to read while I’m in there.

The final shot for tonight lets you see Kiyomi's latest trick. Somewhere, she's picked up the habit of resting her head on her hands. Perhaps she's channeling Rodin's Thinker?