Basketball, TaeKwonDo, and Katelyn's 1 year wellness check, and Katelyn is REALLY walking!! (Week 192/54)

Hello everyone! whoohoo, only one day late this week. Hopefully things can get back to normal around here. ... except they're CRAZY as usual. Do things ever calm down around here? Aside from becoming a termite expert, we've added extra activities into our (already busy) daily grind.

First up: Half pint hoops basketball!  I must pat myself on the back for the cleverness of this one.  Tyler participated in this city-offered 4 week basketball course for 3-5 year olds last Summer.  He was a couple weeks shy of 3, but I really wanted him to participate since his friends Kaden and Dylan (both already 3) were doing it.  It was pretty crazy - 20+ kids, mayhem, and Tyler and his buddies were the youngest ones there.  Needless to say, at that age, attention span was quite limited.  I didn't make it to the last couple meetings, but I heard from Will that Tyler had a meltdown at the last class because he didn't want to play without Will holding his hand.  Or something like that.  Fast forward to this year.  I sign Tyler up for this class in the SPRING!  Number of kids in his class? 5.  L O V E it.  He gets much more one-on-one attention from Coach Ethan, and he's so much more concentrated now that he's actually in the specified age range!  Plus there are no school friends to distract him.  Here's Tyler stretching (he was still the youngest kid there though)!  Classes are Saturday mornings 930am (last Summer was 11am) and I like the earlier time since we get to be done earlier in the day too!  Only problem is that it's right at Katelyn's nap-time so only one of us will get to take Tyler each time.  So far he's done great - his dribbling has VASTLY improved from last year, and now we're working on his jump shot. :)

Video of Tyler hop stretching.  My little guy isn't that coordinated yet, and what was meant to be a one legged stretch became a hopping activity!


Onward.  Tyler's second activity?  TAEKWONDO!  whoohoo!  So I've been wanting to get Tyler into taekwondo for a while, but we didn't actually start until last week.  It happened so quick!  I emailed Mr. Do (the instructor/owner of this ATA here in Irvine) on Monday morning and by Monday afternoon we were there meeting with him and Tyler was showing him his moves (see last week's video!).  We went back Wednesday last week and Tyler was quite tentative but this nice instructor (Miss Nicole) managed to get him off to the side doing some blocks/kicks.  Then this past Monday Tyler was less scared!  He started out with wanting me to sit right next to him with the kids on the mat (I sat behind him) and then I gradually inched back and then he was doing it all himself (but he'd sneak looks at me for reassurance).  He did SO great!  And yesterday when we went - he didn't even look back and ran onto the mat with the other kids.  LOVE IT!  Go Tyler!

Video of Tyler taekwondo blocking.  You HAVE to watch this - it is adorable how gung-ho he is about it, how energetic he does his blocks and how loud he yells HI-YAH!!:


Here's Tyler waiting for his turn with Mr. Ben.  I love that these classes will teach him to focus/concentrate/be more respectful!

Plus it's a great way for him to get all his energy out.  Hi-yah!!!!

After each class the kids all run over and get into an orderly line and get a Starburst candy.  Tyler didn't know what was happening but joined them anyway, got the candy, and gave it to me.  Ahh, yes, little grasshopper, mommy has taught you well...

Other big news: Katelyn is now forward facing!  and OMG, does she love it!  It's like the storm clouds have blown away in the car.  Driving with her is now no longer a screaming, hold-your-breath ordeal.  The first time I buckled her in, she looked at me, pointed at the DVD player (mounted behind the front passenger seat in front of Tyler's seat) and made some noises.  It was like she was showing me what she gets to see now!

We finally had Katelyn's 1 year wellness checkup (like 2 weeks late).  I had postponed it since she had been SO sick the last couple weeks.  Thank goodness she's much better now.  There were a few nights in a row where she'd wake up SCREAMING (like blood curdling) but she seems to have gotten past that now.  We are trying to be really good at not nursing her to sleep anymore (big no-no) and she really is doing great!  This may have been Katelyn's 1st wellness checkup that Will actually missed!  At least I had Cheyenne to come with us!

Hey baby K!  Even Dr. Galang commented on how light Katelyn's hair was.  No molars coming out yet - when are those things going to pop through?  I was hoping her recent nighttime fussiness and fever could be attributed to that, but no luck. 

How much do I weigh now?  She had some yo-yo weight issues recently with her ~2 weeks of not eating.  But she's definitely made up for it and has got her healthy appetite back again.  She'll seriously eat more than Tyler.  (Example: dumplings.  Tyler likes the outside skin and Katelyn goes straight for the meat!)

Katelyn's stats:
weight: 22lb 8oz  - 74%
height: 30.5" - 90%
head circumference: 18" - 70% 

After a few shots (we decided to hold off on one of them until her 15 month appointment), Katelyn knocked out quick in the car.  Cheyenne and I were busy chatting and we didn't even notice!

Katelyn has become a GREAT walker!  No longer do we need to prompt her - she'll just stand up and walk!   She'll walk here and there and turn around and go over there, and then over here.  It's like she can't get enough of it!  Favorite place for me to have her walk?  At Tyler's taekwondo classes - since it's all padded!  Yesterday she got tired after all her walking and just got down on the mats and hung out. :)

Here's Tyler with Miss Nicole!  They break off into smaller groups (depending on level).  Miss Nicole is great since she always has stickers hidden away in her jacket.  This picture was hilarious because she had given one to Tyler for working hard, and you can see him admiring it in the mirror!  She has candy too sometimes but Tyler has no interest...

Ooh yes!  I finally got a little (and much needed) R&R time.  Although, I feel like I still need it.  I feel like I will ALWAYS need it!  Anyway, Mariam and I went to Happy Hour at Roy's on Friday and it was delicious.  Love $5 happy hour menus - that include Hawaiian martinis!  Mmmmmmm yum.  And to continue on with the festivities, Saturday night we got foot massages together!  Sigh.  It was wonderful and I already miss it!  (We totally missed not having our 3rd partner in crime T with us though!!)

Love that the weather has been so nice.  Cheyenne had Katelyn practicing walking in the yard, but I was more amazed that she got her to keep the hat on!

Video of Katelyn signing "more please".  Repetition pays off!  Yay Katelyn!  (note: "please" is rubbing your chest in a circular manner - but K does it more like Tarzan...)


This was too cute.  Tyler would stand on one side and Katelyn would walk over to him and they'd hug, then Tyler would give her a kiss and she'd squeal in delight.  LOVE tender sibling moments like this! :)

Wish us luck - tomorrow marks our official start of ... KUMON.  I haven't even gotten started on the music / golf / tennis / swim lessons yet. Aiya...