That's Okay By Me.

So Long, Blogger!

2010-01-06T21:11:00.000-08:00

I've decided to abandon frustrating Blogger and move to friendly Wordpress. You can now find my blog at: http://kangweyant.wordpress.com Farewell, Blogger!

New Editor Function in Blogger Messed Up My Blog

2010-01-06T09:54:00.000-08:00

You'll see that everything, pics, text, is wonky. That's because the new editor in Blogger is terrible and has wrecked my posts. I am sad.

Lily is Three Months Old!

2010-01-02T20:29:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine told me that it all goes by much faster the second time, and she was right. Lily seems to be growing stronger, plumper, and droolier by the second. With Kate's encouragement, Lily has been practicing lifting her head. "Look at me, Lily! You can do it!" Getting both Lily and Kate to look normal in a photo is an interesting challenge.

Sweet Lily.

At three months, Lily likes to eat drumsticks and hang spoons off her nose...

...she likes to express how she feels about her Appa through her wardrobe... ...and is enthralled with Kate's left hand. At three months, Lily graduated from the sink to a giant yellow duck for bathtime. And today, Lily held up her head all by herself! It was sweet to see how excited Kate was for her.

We also noticed two tiny central incisor buds starting to sprout in Lily's mouth. That explains all the drooling Miss Lily has been doing.

Lily's also been chatting more, and working on her raspberry:

Happy Year of the Tiger!

2010-01-01T20:36:00.000-08:00

To close out the Year of the Ox and the Year of Lily's Birth, Kate and I decided to try our hand at making mandu so we could have it with our dukgook on New Year's Day.

Kate loved how the small circles of mandu pi (dumpling skins) felt cool and soft in her hand, and I was very happy to see how much she enjoyed making them with me.

I used halmoni's recipe of tofu, garlic, ginger, scallions, and sesame oil, substituting ground pork for beef. The smell of the ingredients, the texture of the skins, and dipping my finger in the bowl of water for the "glue" all reminded me of halmoni and the times we made mandu together. Now that I have kids, I appreciate those seemingly simple moments even more. While Kate and I gabbed and stuffed, Lily enjoyed some mat time and pondered how the parrot got on top of the arch. Voila! Mandu for New Year's Day soup and a few for frying.

Kate spent part of New Year's Eve reading to her sister, who is always captivated with big sister's voice.

Lily also enjoyed some standing and Giraffey gazing.

Kate asked me to make her a little paper hat. Next thing I knew, it was propped on top of Lily (a.k.a. Popeye)'s, square head, and Kate was cracking up.

Jaunty Lily didn't seem to mind.

After Lily went to bed, Kate, Chris, and I had a special dessert (klondike bars on a stick), a special drink (Naked's Blueberry Machine), and tossed up some of Kate's homemade confetti before the countdown.

Then we got to the real stuff.

Where are the Times Square sweepers when you need them?

Attractive, aren't we?

On New Year's Day, Lily joined us for lunch on the table, finally able to hold her neck up in the bumbo seat. Huzzah!

Rice cake soup for New Year's Day.

The mandu came out great, thanks to Kate, and we all "ate another year."

After dukgook, the whole family went to see "Princess and the Frog," a surprisingly good and minimally offensive Disney princess movie. We returned home just in time to enjoy this incredible sunset.

Sae hae bok mani badu saeyo! Happy 2010! Kate and Lily (and anyone else who is reading), here is the mandu recipe, a combination of a recipe from halmoni and from the Eating Korean cookbook:

MANDU (KOREAN DUMPLINGS) INGREDIENTS: 1 lb of ground pork or beef (I prefer ground pork) 1 package of firm tofu 1 cup mung bean (sookchu) or green bean sprouts (can usually find this in the regular grocery store, or definitely Asian market. They look like very small, white beans with a teeny-tiny yellowish top). 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped 2 scallions, finely chopped 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 tablespoon ginger, minced 1 egg, beaten 1 tablespoon sesame oil 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper 50 dumpling wrappers, or mandu pi (can find these at any Asian market. They usually read, "gyoza" on them. Get the small, round ones, not the "extra thick skins," but the regular ones. canola oil for frying a small bowl of cold water for the "glue" TO PREPARE: 1. Open package of tofu and pour out water. Wrap the brick in cheesecloth or towel or paper towels. Squeeze out as much water as you can (this is important). Repeat as necessary. Crumble tofu in a large mixing bowl. 2. Blanch the mung bean sprouts. Rinse in cold water to stop cooking. Squeeze out as much water as you can. Chop them, put them in mixing bowl. 3. Add the remaining ingredients (except dumpling wrappers) and combine until mixed. 4. Get a large tray or flat surface for laying down the dumplings as you make them. Get small bowl of cold water. 5. Place a mandu pi in the palm of your hand. Spoon enough filling into the middle of the circle to leave about a 1/2 inch of empty skin (about a tablespoon). Dip your finger into the cold water and wet 1/2 the edge of the dumpling skin. Fold the skin in half, sealing the filling inside, making a semicircle. 6. If you want to be fancy, you can make small ridges on one side of the edge as your seal, using your finger and thumb, making about 5-7 ridges on each dumpling. 7. Repeat with each wrapper until all the filling or wrappers are used. TO COOK:

TO FRY THEM: In frying pan, pour enough oil to cover the bottom surface and heat over medium. Carefully, place the dumplings in the pan, filling it without crowding them. Should have enough space in between them in the pan. Fry until golden brown and crispy on one side. Flip them. Continue until all dumplings are cooked. Note: this is what I do -- I fry one side for 3-4 minutes, flip them, then add a 1/2 cup of water (steam will shoot up), quickly cover the pan with a lid, lower the heat and continue cooking for another 2 minutes. OR, you can cook them the following ways: TO STEAM THEM: Get a steamer. Lay a wet cloth on the bottom of the steamer to prevent sticking. Add a single layer of dumplings, making sure they're not touching each other. Steam over boiling water for 10-15 minutes, until filling is cooked through and the skins are slightly translucent. Servie immediately with soy sauce and vinegar. TO BOIL THEM: Boil a large pot of water. Add dumplings one at a time, careful not to fill the pot. Let them cook 8-10 minutes. Fish them out with a slotted spoon. You can also boil them in beef stock and make dumpling soup (mandu guk)! Just top with chopped scallions, some dried seaweed, and cooked egg strips! Makes 50 dumplings. Serve warm with soy sauce and a little vinegar. --You can freeze the uncooked dumplings if you have too many. If have left over filling, make them into patties and cook.

Enjoy!

Tea For Two

2009-12-29T16:51:00.000-08:00

As a post-Christmas treat, Kate and Mom went for afternoon tea at The Huntington Gardens. After all the tea-party playing and pretend tea sipping, I thought Kate was old enough to experience the real deal. Kate had orange blossom tea for the first time and really liked it. But she especially liked the delicious tea sandwiches ("they took off the crust!") and side salads. They had Kate's favorite -- hummos and black olive tapenade -- and she even sampled caviar for the first time. As she chewed, she smiled, "Mom, I like it!" and then, "Mom I really don't like it!" and washed it down with water.

We sampled fruit tartlets and little brownies for dessert, and got to take home the wonderful scones for Appa to try. Kate wanted to take home a ton of sandwiches for Appa, but I could only sneak out a couple while maintaining my dignity.

It was a lovely afternoon with my girl, Kate. We can't wait for Lily to be old enough to join us and make it tea for three.

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-26T23:44:00.000-08:00

While the Kang-Weyant family slept, Santa and his cute little helper paid us a visit. Woot! Woot! It's Christmas time! Time to par-tay! Kate crawled into bed with us at six o' clock and mercifully slept for another hour. Later on, I hurried downstairs to turn on the tree lights and get the video camera ready as Kate shouted down, "Mom, did Santa come last night? Did he eat the cookies??" "Whoo hooo!" But even after seeing the piles and piles of presents under the tree, the first thing Kate wanted to do was give Chris and me our present: A handmade "Christmas ornament, not a potholder." Seeing it hanging on the tree, Kate realized that it might, in fact, be a potholder, but we all agreed it was too beautiful to be sullied and left it on the tree. Kate was very curious about what was inside this gigantic package from Uncle Tom in Canada. A ginormous giraffe for Kate and Lily! Kate was over the moon. And Lily...well, Lily cooed and drooled. Chris and I knew that somewhere, Tom was impishly giggling to himself, wondering if we were furious at him for sending such a ridiculously huge present. Truthfully, Chris and I both dreamed about having a giant toy animal when we were kids, like Richie Rich or Ricky Schroeder in Silver Spoons. An impractical, inconvenient, and expensive toy no parent would buy. Thanks, Tom! Of course, giant giraffe upstaged Santa's big gift to the girls -- a play refrigerator. Still, our darling daughter was grateful, and told us so. Pop-Pop and Grammy Marianne sent matching dresses with a beautiful Korean print. As well as a couple of pretty princess nightgowns for Miss Kate. And some cute owl p.j.'s for our owl baby.

Kate was the proud new Mommy of Bitty Baby "Carol" (for "Christmas Carol"), thanks to Samcheon, Sookmo, and Emma!

Who came with her own diaper backpack/carrier.

Aunt Soo sent a bunch of "Little Miss" books, and beautiful matching outfits for the girls.

Kate received a wooden microwave from Nana, and Lily got an owl buddy to keep her company.

Santa left clothes for Mom...

...and a T-shirt for Appa, among other things. Since Chris does all the vermin-trapping, bug-killing, and toilet-unclogging chores in our family, he has become our de facto janitor. Chris said all he needs now is a basement office with a girly calendar and a soiled cot.

Giraffey and Kate bonded over a bowl of Cheerios.

Santa's little helper needed a diaper change or two.

And enjoyed some sing-songy conversation with Mom.

This snowman ornament reminded us of Kate and Lily.

Later on, Lily paid a visit to Kate's hair salon.

And received a very fine hair fluffing.

Santa also brought Kate a few "Magic Tree House" chapter books, and Mom read the first one to a captivated Kate and Giraffey.

Ever since she was a baby, Kate has always loved books.

After all the gift-opening mania, we delivered Kate's Xmas cookies to our neighbors and got some exercise.

Even after getting an enormous amount of presents, Kate said that the best ones in the whole world were "Mom, Appa, and Lily." Here's hoping she feels this way for at least another year or two.

Merry Christmas!

Ho Ho Ho!

2009-12-26T22:41:00.000-08:00

For Lily's first Christmas Eve, we dressed her up in leggings for the occasion, in case she felt the urge to breakdance. Meanwhile, Kate, Chris, and I decorated a batch of cookies to distribute to our neighbors. I was so impressed by how much Kate has matured. She stayed focused on this project for well over an hour and had a great time. Sticky fingers are a pet peeve of Kate's. She had to take a break every couple of cookies to wash them. A few of Kate and Chris' creations. Kate believes you can't have too many m&m's or too much frosting.

Time for a silliness break.

Kate busted out some dance moves in honor of the cookies.

Afterwards, we got dressed up for Christmas Eve mass. While the rest of us got ready, Kate pretended Pop-Pop's calendar was a music hymnal and sang Christmas carols.

All dressed up and ready to go. Lily will punish me for that hat one day.

Kate had been asking Chris and me for weeks to go to church, we were finally granting her wish. She was excited to see her friends from school, sing some Christmas songs, and have a chocolate donut afterwards.

I'd love to say that Xmas Eve mass was an uplifing, inspiring, and joyful experience for us all, but it was pretty miserable. The place was jam-packed with screaming kids and tense parents, the air was choked with too much incense, and the priest basically phoned in his homily. An exhausted Kate (and Lily) sat through the entire mass, and in the end, there were no donuts to be had.

Still, Kate was thrilled it was the night before Christmas, and for the first time ever, hurried into her pajamas and dashed into bed. She thought she heard Santa's sleigh bells ringing downstairs and nearly exploded. "Oh my goodness, Mom! I think I heard Santa's bells! Goodnight! Check on me in ten minutes! Oh my goodness! Goodnight!"

Huntington Gardens with Nana

2009-12-22T21:17:00.000-08:00

Nana and Bob had never been to the gorgeous Huntington Gardens in San Marino, so we gave them a tour. It was a delightfully overcast and brisk day, and we all got a healthy dose of fresh air and exercise. Mellow Lily snoozed soundly as Appa and Kate checked out the seed exhibits in the background. Kate couldn't wait to show Nana the Children's Garden. In the Chinese garden, Appa and Kate stopped at every entrance and pretended they were scary Fu Dogs warding off evil. Two cuties. Kate striking a pose. And another.

And one more. "Oh, let me sit like this on the tree now, Momma. It's better!"

Kate feeling zen-tastic.

Namaste with Nana.

Buddha fingers.

Of course, after all that meditative reflection, Kate couldn't resist reaching under the bar and messing up the rocks in the garden (gasp!). If we were actually in Japan, we probably would've been peacefully booted out the door.

As Kate and Appa checked out the bonsai trees, Lily woke up and said, "Whatchu talkin' about, Willis?"

My sweetie pie.

Lily's face always lights up when you talk to her. Just like Kate, she's got the gift to gab.

Kate thought Lily was lonely and offered Gabriella Weyant Dolly for company.

More fu dog fun.

Next it was Mom's turn. Unfortunately, I look like I'm going to the bathroom.

We bought Kate a toy dreidel the other day, and Kate couldn't wait to play. She learned the game at school and reminded us that it was "shin, put one in." The first night, we couldn't find the chocolate Chanukkah gelt Nana had sent, so we improvised with Cheerios. Or as Chris called them, "Cheeri-oys."

Nana, with her left-handed, counter-clockwise spin cleaned up, but Kate was still over the moon. "The whole family is playing!" Forget fun outings, dumplings, or even presents. Kate is most happy when family gathers around and plays together.

Before Nana flew back to Tucson, Kate finally sat down and dictated her letter to Santa, something we had been asking her to do for weeks. When I read that she asked for nothing we had bought for her, I told her that sometimes Santa gives you things that aren't exactly what you want, but things he has in the workshop. Kate said, "That's OK! I'll like anything he gives me!" That's my girl.

Kate addressed the envelope to "Santa Claus, North Pole," put a stamp on it, and mailed it herself.

Rockstar Kate at her dental check-up (they put sunglasses on her so the bright light wouldn't bother her). Throughout the cleaning, Kate was happy as a clam watching "Beauty and the Beast" playing on the ceiling.

Kate was even brave enough to get her X-rays taken. The technican was very impressed with how Kate was able to withstand those nasty cardboard pieces in her mouth, and for her courage, gave her two prizes. Yea, Kate!

I was happy to see that Kate had no cavities, and thrilled to see pictures of her adult teeth waiting to come in!

Meanwhile, 10-week old Lily smiled away at Appa....

The Nutcracker, San Gabriel Valley Style

2009-12-21T22:12:00.000-08:00

To spend some QKT (Quality Kate Time), Chris and I took our first born to see The Nutcracker at the beautiful San Gabriel Playhouse while Nana happily watched Miss Lily for a few hours. Kate and her Nutcracker Xmas ornament. In front of the San Gabriel Mission down the street.

Intermission is a good time to blow off some Act I steam.

The ballet dancer's impressive split...

And Kate's version.

The Pasadena Dance Company put on the performance, and it was just OK. At one point, the dancers' speed and energy were so low, it was as if they were dancing in a vat of lard. Somewhere, Tchaikovsky was turning over in his grave. Kate, of course, didn't notice, and had a wonderful time watching Clara, despite the unintentional comedy.

After the show, Kate opened her gifts from Bob (a book and a musical snow globe), and eagerly helped Nana and Bob open their gifts from us with her trusty scissors.

We went to the amazing Din Tai Fung for dinner and feasted on soup dumplings, wowing both Nana and Bob. Lily watched enviously, quietly sucking on her pacifier. That's okay, because she got a sampling through Mom's milk, later that night.

Tree Trimming...Twice

2009-12-18T22:05:00.000-08:00

On Friday, after Kate's holiday party at preschool, we picked her up and finally got a tree. I must be getting old, because for the first time in my life, I wanted to get a hassle-and-mess-free (and environmentally-friendly) aluminum number, but Chris wouldn't hear of it. After Appa gave the tree a haircut in the garage, Kate put on the first ornaments. Our two angels. Kate insisted that her ornament be "higher" than Lily's. And so the rivalry begins... Meanwhile, angel #2 slept like a log as the rest of us trimmed the tree, sang, danced, and made a racket. Poor Lily got her first vaccinations yesterday (ouch) and was sleeping off a l0w-grade fever. Just like her sister, Lily howled for a few seconds after the shot, then forgot all about it. One of Kate's favorite ornaments -- a bike-riding snowman.

Kate carefully hung the Jolly Rancher candy canes all around the tree at grabbing and eating height.

And finally, Kate and Appa topped the tree with the angel we got last year with Pop-Pop.

Perfect.

But then, as I was crouched underneath the tree, it completely toppled over and fell on me, sending the ornaments flying and crashing to the floor, and horrifying Kate as she watched the Christmas tree nearly kill Mom.

Sigh.

After Kate finally stopped crying she said, "I keep seeing the picture in my mind, over and over!"

Luckily, Mom was unscathed, all of our special ornaments were spared, Kate eventually recovered and fell asleep, and Lily slept through the entire debacle.

Leaving an exhausted Chris and I to clean up the mess and re-trim the dumb tree all over again. Next year, it's all about the aluminum tree and a pine-scented candle!

Kate, the Mommy

2009-12-17T20:41:00.000-08:00

Jina-Eemo sent a package the other day, and thinking it was for me, I accidentally opened it. Turns out, it was a Christmas present for Kate -- her very own sling for Dolly (n.k.a. "Gabriella")! Kate GASPED when she saw it and immediately put it on. Then she rushed upstairs screaming, "I HAVE TO GO GET GABRIELLA!" Kate's been a little jealous every time I wear Lily in the sling or Ergo carrier, so this was the perfect gift. "This is just what I wanted!" Now that Kate's hands are free, she can concentrate on arts and crafts projects. Thank you, Jina-Eemo! The Kang-Weyant household has become a little cluttered lately. I wonder where Kate gets her hamminess?

Appa and Lily Chatting

2009-12-15T21:22:00.000-08:00

Lily has been talking up a storm lately. Here, she's clearly saying, "Stop tickling my lip, Appa!" Chris wonders if she'll be as chatty as Kate and Mom. If so, he plans on getting a separate apartment.

The First Story of Christmas

2009-12-13T20:38:00.000-08:00

Kate's preschool had its annual Christmas pageant on Friday night, and Kate was extremely excited. She even agreed to take a nap after school so she could sing "Go Tell it on the Mountain" with gusto. Kate as Dr. Evil. Kate picked out this fancy dress herself. Getting Kate to give us a normal smile is becoming increasingly challenging. Kate and a grumpy Santa baby. Taking photos of a baby right before feeding time is not advisable. Santa baby burping. Kate and a gassy Santa baby. It wouldn't be Christmas without the glassy-eyed, frozen-smile family photo. Kate and her best buddies, Maya and Abbey, before the big show.

The Christmas pageant was wonderful -- we laughed, we cried. Kate and her adorable schoolmates sang their hearts out and remembered all their lines. Even Lily did her part by snoozing peacefully throughout the entire program.

This was Kate's last pageant at A Child's Garden. This year, she was an angel/Mary's OB-GYN, and had the critical job of delivering Baby Jesus to Mary.

If only having a baby were so swift and painless:

Next year Kate will be graduating from A Child's Garden. It will be sad for all us to say goodbye to this special place and enter the real world of Kindergarten!

Lily is Two Months Old!

2009-12-11T08:00:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe that Lily entered this world eight weeks ago. That miraculous day seems like it was both yesterday and a lifetime ago. It's even harder to believe that I've only had a few hours of sleep since then and can still remember who she is.

Sunlight shining through Lily's waving wheat.

"Ohhhhh!" Lily being amused by something Kate is doing.

I am so wittle.

Midway through every photo session, Kate leaps in. And hams it up. Upstaging Lily and teaching her new faces at the same time.

That's better.

Kate likes to capture Lily herself. "Aww, that's a good one!"

Lily looks like a Chinese general in this photo.

Dr. Lisa sent Lily this lovely quilt, and sometimes I catch her rocking in the glider enjoying it. Thank you, Lisa!

Happy Two-Month Birthday, Lily!

Lily is 7 Weeks Old!

2009-12-04T10:17:00.000-08:00

Miss Lily is plumping up and growing like a weed, just like her hair. She's already outgrowing her size 3-month clothes, especially in the neckline. Lily definitely has Kang hair and head size!

Lily is catching up to Kate in length. Almost.

Kate and Appa hamming it up as Lily lovingly gazes at her idol.

"Look, Lily's standing, Momma!"

Whenever Lily sees the video camera, she smiles. Which means we need to move out of L.A. pronto, before she's infected by the acting virus.

Kate toggles between wanting to hug Lily and wanting to crush Lily.

At six weeks old, Appa gave Lily a sink bath.

Just like Halmoni did for Kate at the same age:

Kate wanted to help Appa, and in her eagerness, shoved Appa into the wall.

Ahhh, cradle cap and sour milk smellies all gone.

Lovely Kate.

Recently, Lily has been enjoying the Gymini mat and trying to swat at the dangly animals.

Kate spent a large part of her babyhood lying on this mat, too:

Kate teaching Lily how to catch a parrot, a useful skill to have in our neighborhood.

Miss Lily.

In the past couple of weeks, Miss Lily's chicken thigh has plumped into a turkey thigh.

Lily loves looking at her forest friends, a gift from the Proulxs. It's great that the center animal is an owl, just like my owl baby. Thank you, Proulx family!

Kate Meets Ariel!

2009-12-03T19:57:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, Kate went to a birthday party where the guest of honor was "Ariel," the Little Mermaid. Kate couldn't care less that the woman had spray-painted orange hair, hailed from Highland Park, and looked nothing like the character in the movie -- she spoke exactly like her!

And she sang just like her, too!

Kate was over the moon. She couldn't wait to tell Appa (and her friends at school) all about it, especially the part where Ariel painted her face and fingernails!

Thankfully, Kate knows that Ariel could use some help in the self-esteem department. "She shouldn't envy others, she should be happy with who she is! Being a mermaid is good, too!"

Noodle Kate and Laughing Lily

2009-11-29T20:58:00.000-08:00

Kate making me laugh:

Appa making Lily laugh:

Gobble Gobble 2009!

2009-11-28T00:03:00.000-08:00

At school, Kate worked hard to make Thanksgiving drawings, decorations, and even a personalized placemat for the big day. Kate likes a little salmonella with her spicy, salty turkey. This year, we were having Lucy and her Moms over for Thanksgiving dinner, and in preparation, Kate and Appa made two pies -- apple and pecan. Uncle Glenn sent this fun apple-corer to Chris years ago, and we put it to good use.

Apple slinky!

Naked apples. Kate chomping on the apples' clothes.

Voila! Chris' delicious apple pie. He called it "Franken-pie" because the top crust completely fell apart and had to be "stitched" back together. Kate found that very funny.

Speaking of Frankenstein:

Chris' beautiful pecan pie glowing in the amber autumn light. This one was also incredibly tasty. Kate and I are oh, so pleased to have an excellent baker in residence. Hooray for Appa!

Kate created fancy napkin holders for everyone. Mom pilfered the turkey shapes from Kate's school and was narced on by one of her friends. Oh, that Zoe. Always the cop.

Kate and Lucy got fancy floral napkins while Lily got a burp cloth.

The "twins" in their new vests.

Hilary and Lily getting acquainted.

Amy D. and Chris worked hard in the kitchen, chopping, basting, cooking, chopping, basting, cooking.

In honor of Thanksgiving, Kate and Lucy sat on this big piece of paper and traced their cute tushies. Then Kate filled them in with drawings.

Meanwhile, lovely Lily watched the Manchester United soccer game on TV. Out of loyalty to her Samcheon, she was rooting for the other team to destroy Man U.

Lucy and Kate dressed for dinner. They both wore pretty hand-me-downs from Cousin Emma. Thank you, Emma!

Gobble gobble!

The Thankgiving dinner turned out extremely well thanks to Amy's side dishes, Chris' pies, and Lisa Sook-mo's cranberry sauce.

After dinner, the girls gave us a very loud concert.

It was a rowdy, hectic, joyful Thanksgiving. Thank goodness for great friends. Happy

Thanksgiving!

Lounging with Lily at 5 Weeks

2009-11-22T22:00:00.000-08:00

This is usually how most weekend mornings begin in the Kang-Weyant house. Lily and Appa in a staring contest. Lily won.

Lily's Kim Jong-il-esque hair looks blonde in this shot, but it's still brown with blonde tips. And growing by the minute.

We covered Lily's lawn-top with a Santa cap. We were all amused by it. She wasn't.

Nothing like a good cheek-poke and some music to stop a baby from fussing.

Lily's first smiles coincided with an outbreak of acne. Kate was horrified by Lily's sudden pizza-like complexion and when we told her she was covered in pimples at the same age, she said, "I hope I never have pimples again!" Well, that's what Clearsil is for.

Speaking of pizza... while Mom and her baby pizza napped, Kate and Appa made two pies for dinner.

When You're Smilin'

2009-11-17T20:37:00.000-08:00

Lily has started to smile. At first we thought it was gas, but lately she's been smiling more regularly when we speak to her -- in a VERY ANIMATED VOICE -- or when she slumbers, as in the photo above. I think she's having a lovely dream about being back in utero.

And as you can see, her hair has grown like grass! Hee hee. Kate got this dress from her buddy, Lucy, and couldn't wait to put it on.

This photo pretty much sums up our household these days.

Last weekend, we went to the park for some fresh (?) air and exercise.

Now that Kate is 4.5 years old, she's a much more willing model.

Lily, on the other hand, could care less about putting on a good face.

Lily started crying, so Kate jammed her finger in Lily's mouth to soothe her. This made her cry harder.

When Kate gets bored with being a model, this is her go-to face.

As is this.

And this.

And sometimes this. Not that I can complain since I did the same thing to my parents when I was little.

And still do to Chris sometimes.

Snack time for Lily and Kate.

I've been calling Lily my "owl baby" because she was nocturnal for the first few weeks (and in utero), and because I think she looks like Percy in "Owl Babies," one of Kate's favorite books:

Afterwards, Kate wanted to play soccer. Kate has always been very coordinated and fast on her feet. We've since bought an actual soccer ball and she loves kicking it around.

Believe it or not, Mom was a big soccer player in junior and senior high, having been a first-string forward. Sure, we lost every single game, but my friends and I had a blast.

I love my girls.

Singing On Mars

2009-11-16T00:25:00.000-08:00

While sitting in her homemade rocket ship, Kate composed a song called, "On Mars: It's A Planet that is a Rocky, Hot Place:"

Here's the link to the video of Kate singing her latest opus:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKQr-25j8Rw

Kate, the Lily Whisperer

2009-11-13T12:04:00.000-08:00

A video of Kate soothing Lily with sweet song:

Kate & Lily

2009-11-11T22:51:00.000-08:00

This is Kate at two weeks old... ...and this is Lily at one week. They look alike in these photos, don't they? Lily and Kate have another uber-creative Auntie -- Liz Quan sent lucky Lily her very own, handknitted bunny! Kate has agreed to keep it warm and safe until Lily is old enough to play with it. I think Aunties Jina, Laura, and Liz should pool their talents by opening up a children's boutique in NYC. Those Manhattan (and Park Slope) Moms would pay top dollar for their beautiful creations! And finally, Mr. Dimple, Lily, Dolly, and Kate hanging out before breakfast.

Lily had her one month checkup today and "passed with flying colors," according to Dr. Hemant. Hooray! She's now 9 lbs, 4 oz and 21.5 inches long, her gas and reflux issues have improved tremendously, and she sometimes sleeps for 4-5 hour stretches at night. I will enjoy every minute of sleep for as long as this lasts.

Hooray-hooray-hooray!

Lily is One Month Old!

2009-11-08T15:23:00.000-08:00

Four weeks ago today, Miss Lily So-Hee was born and graced our lives. "Hmm. Lily's feet are so cute!" "And tasty, too!" "I don't like lying here anymore, Mom." "I really don't like lying here anymore, Mom!"

"That's better. Let me wave my left hand now."

"Ah, Kate is so cozy."

Kate posing as Mom changes Lily's diaper in the background.

Lily's showing off her long fingers.

Sisterly love. This photo was taken vertically but for some reason, uploaded as a landscape shot making it look like Lily is in the verboten face-down, smothering position.

Happy One Month Birthday, Lily!

Swine Flu Vac and Friends

2009-11-08T15:06:00.000-08:00

Saturday was a gloriously cool, autumn day in Los Angeles. Perfect weather for getting the H1N1 vaccine and meeting up with friends. The Hollywood free clinic was distributing the vaccine, and by some stroke of luck there were hardly any people (unlike the 1,500 people that showed up at the park last week!). Chris, Kate, and I were all very brave and got our shots even though we "really, really, really didn't want to." What better way to take the ouchies away than to meet Uncle Mike for lunch? When he walked through the door with a big smile, Kate's face lit up and the shot was forgotten. We dined al fresco at a Thai restaurant in West Hollywood and topped off lunch with vanilla ice cream and "banana roll-ups," or mashed bananas inside a fried spring roll shell. Delicious! Afterwards, we said goodbye to Mike and went to Amy D., Hilary, and Lucy's house to introduce Miss Lily. While Lily dozed, Lucy and Kate played soccer, read books, took rides in Lucy's wagon, and laughed their heads off.

By the time we got home, it was pitch black outside, and we were all pooped. Miss Lily did wonderfully, and she even allowed us to hit the sack early that night.

It was a very good day.

My First Homemade Kimchi!

2009-11-03T21:18:00.000-08:00

Complete sleep deprivation + hormone crash + mania = homemade kimchi! Three-weeks post-partum is as good a time as any to make kimchi, no? I decided to make Kate's favorite "white kimchi," and it came out pretty well. Next time, I'll let it ferment longer. Of course, right after I made it, I zonked out in the glider with Lily attached to my udder.

The Kang-Weyant Ladies' Trotters

2009-11-01T21:55:00.000-08:00

Oh, the many colors of our feet: Kate's are yellowish, Lily's are pink and bluish, and mine are, as Kate put it, "old."

Halloween with Amaya and Amy

2009-10-31T21:16:00.000-07:00

Our dear friends, Amaya & Julian and their 4-month old baby, Andrew, were in town this weekend. It was wonderful to finally meet Andrew and introduce Miss Lily. We met up at the Arboretum for its "Goblins in the Garden" festivities. Of course, Kate looked everywhere for the goblins and when she didn't find any, asked me to ask an employee if there really were any. Much to her dismay she was told it was "just the name of the event." Rats. My other USC film school buddy, Amy, and her son, Oliver, also came out to frolic and meet Lily. Amaya said she'd already forgotten how little newborns were. A similar pic of Amaya holding Kate the day after she was born.

Lily was captivated by beautiful Amaya.

While waiting for our friends, Kate made a Halloween necklace and checked out the creepy crawlies on display.

"I'm the witch's tongue!" Andrew and his proud papa, Julian.

Oliver and his pretty Momma.

Amy, who is 7 months pregnant with a baby girl, was happy to see how affectionate Oliver was with Lily.

"Take a picture of me in the skeleton, Mom!"

After baking in the hot sun for too long, Kate and I cooled off in the greenhouses.

The greenhouses were full of exotic and carnivorous plants, and deliciously fragrant, reminding me of our honeymoon in Thailand.

Kate wanted to know all the names of the plants, of course, but unfortunately, Mom is ignorant of all things botanical.

Lily pads! Kate hopped like a frog for this shot.

This plant reminded me of Little Shop of Horrors, freaking me out.

It was wonderful to catch up with Amaya and Amy and see their beautiful bambinos. Happy Halloween!

Kate's 4th and Lily's 1st Halloween!

2009-10-31T20:50:00.000-07:00

This year, Kate wanted to be a fairy (thanks, Aunt Laura!). And Lily was a ladybug for her first Halloween (thanks, Aunt Jina!) On Halloween Eve, we strolled around Sierra Madre and went trick-or-treating in town. Kate looking up at the Sock Hop Girls.

Watching the parade of costumes on the band shell stage.

Sleepy Appa and Lily.

Kate spent the rest of the evening taking hundreds of shots with her glo-sticks. Happy Halloween Eve!

Mom's Birthday

2009-10-30T12:19:00.000-07:00

Kate picked out a yummy chocolate cake with blue flowers for Mom's birthday. This year, I got everything I could ever want -- Chris, Kate, and brand-new Lily. But on the morning of my birthday, Kate and Appa also presented me with a Chopin CD, two wonderful cookbooks (Mark Bittman and a Korean one) and two handmade cards: This one was done by Rooster Appa... ...And this one was done by Kate. This is a drawing of me as "Super Mom," flying through the sky wearing a red cape with a nauseated-looking Appa in the upper left corner, and Kate and Lily in the lower left. The bubble reads, "Mommy, when are we going to stop?" Kate was very proud of her joke. Kate loves it when Lily thinks her cheek is a nipple and sucks on it. Soothing bath time. Lily's been plumping up by the day. She was almost 8 lbs at last week's checkup, having gained nearly a pound in one week!

Kate's Pumpkins

2009-10-28T23:06:00.000-07:00

Kate had to decorate a pumpkin for her preschool class, and this is her wonderful handiwork. And Kate recently started writing lower-case letters! While Mom napped, Kate and Appa made a jack-o-lantern. Kate drew the face, and even the "tushy" underneath the smile.

More Second Week Photos

2009-10-28T21:44:00.000-07:00

I think Kate is the spitting image of Appa in this picture.

Kate's "Shining" face. All work and no play makes Kate a dull girl...

It's always a good time to flash your undies.

Sleepy girls.

Oh, the laughs just keep on comin'!

Lily's first bottle, at two weeks.

Kate wanted to join in.

Kate and her two dollies.

Kate's First Video of Lily

2009-10-27T21:43:00.000-07:00

Kate wanted to take her own video of Lily, and this is what she captured.

Handmade Knitwear by Aunties Laura and Jina

2009-10-27T11:09:00.000-07:00

This lovely pink cardigan was made by sweet Aunt Laura for Miss Lily. And this cute cap was lovingly made by Jina-Eemo, another one of Lily and Kate's incredibly talented Aunts. "You lookin' at me?...Well, I'm the only one here." The beautiful ensemble. I think Laura and Jina could give those fashionistas on Project Runway a run for their money. And of course, both Laura and Jina included a separate gift for Big Sister Kate -- Laura sent a DVD of Alvin Ailey, which Kate loved ("they're telling a story! That dancer seems sad!"), and Jina-Eemo knitted these finger puppets:

That's right, amazing Jina even knitted a baby monkey on the Momma's back!

Lily and Kate are two lucky girls. Thank you, Laura and Jina!

Oh, and today is Mom's birthday, and I will be celebrating with a shower, hopefully a nap, and the three treasures of my life.

Second Week at Home

2009-10-25T20:51:00.000-07:00

Ever since Nana left on Sunday, Kate has been filling in as Mom and Appa's best helper and baby holder. Not surprisingly, Kate has the magic touch when it comes to soothing Lily. When she sings to her, the baby immediately calms down and directs her eyes towards her sister's voice. Lily's eyes were a dark, steel gray when she was born and are slowly turning dark brown, like Kate's and Momma's eyes. And her hair is light brown with frosted blonde tips -- like Vanilla Ice. Lily's long toes. Her long fingers. Piano-playing fingers?

Kate took this nice shot of Lily.

Last week, Kate came down with a fever and had to stay home for a few days. Fortunately, she was a big help as Momma fed and burped Lily 'round the clock while dealing with her constant geyser of breastmilk. Kate would point and shout, "Mom! It's leaking!" and rush to get me my (aptly named) Lily Padz, saving our family from a flood, just like the little Dutch boy.

One Week Old -- Time For A Sponge Bath!

2009-10-20T23:29:00.000-07:00

Kate was excited to help Appa give Lily a sponge bath to clean off all the breastmilk that's been raining down on her since Mommy's milk came in with a vengeance. "Hmm. Do I really want a sponge bath now?" Kate warming up the wash cloth while Lily checks out Appa in the mirror.

Kate did a great job wiping down Lily gently and rinsing out the washcloth -- Lily was calm and happy the entire time.

Now, if we could only get control of Mommy's overproduction of milk (yes, even her boobs are Type A) and Lily's gas, things would be perfect!

A Child's Garden School Harvest Festival

2009-10-20T22:38:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, we headed to ACGS' annual Harvest Festival to pick a pumpkin, give Lily some fresh air, and have fun. Kate met up with Maya and her sister, Bella, and had a nutritious "bucket o' mud" with gummy worms to kickstart the day. They played a musical book walk game... ...and when the music stopped, the MC called out "Number 7" -- Kate was the winner! She was a little stunned as we hooted and hollered, but recovered long enough to select "How Do Dinosaurs Learn to Read" as her prize. Later on, she also won two rubber duckies in the ring toss game! Go Kate! After showing off Lily and eating a hot dog, it was time for Kate photo session. Kate loves posing for the camera.

Supergirl!

Giving her rubber duckies a bird bath. A favorite new face.

Meanwhile, Nana and Lily were spending some quality time.

Our first day out with Lily went smoothly. Despite the intense heat and my over-producing, engorged breasts nearly drowning poor Lily and soaking through two burp cloths, it was a successful outing. And it only took us an hour to get out the door!

Doctor's Checkup and First Days at Home

2009-10-20T16:43:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, Nana and I braved the LA rain and took Lily to Dr. Hemant's office for her first post-hospital checkup. At Day 4, she was 7 lbs (having lost 4 oz) and 19 inches (a few inches shorter), with a head circumference of 34 cm, landing her smack dab in the middle of the 50th percentile. This is a similar shot we took four years ago, five days after Kate was born: Like her sister Kate, Lily got a clean bill of health from Dr. Hemant, who told us to come back in a week to check on her jaundice. Lily likes to nap surrounded by zoo animals. When Kate comes home from school the first thing she does is look for Lily and ask if she can hold her. Appa and Lily, a small loaf of bread. Appa holding Kate when she was a loaf of bread.

Lily has a lot more hair than Kate did when she was born, and so far it seems to be straight and a brownish-blonde. The genetic milkshake that she is, anything is possible.

Going Home Day

2009-10-15T10:48:00.000-07:00

Two days after Lily's birthday, Appa and Kate came to the hospital to take us home. Kate proudly wore her "Big Sister" shirt to school that day. And baby Lily makes four. Kate really wanted to try out Mom's cool hospital bed. She particularly liked pressing the buttons to go up and down, up and down. Kate was torn between gazing into her sister's eyes and gazing up at the TV bolted to the wall. Lily's slight case of jaundice delayed our discharge, but eventually we were given the thumbs up to go home. It was an atypically cloudy, rainy, chilly day in Los Angeles, and Nana was waiting for us with a warm, homemade dinner of turkey meatballs and pasta. Welcome home, Lily! Let the marathon of sleepless nights begin!

Big Sister Kate

2009-10-13T08:00:00.000-07:00

On Monday, the day after Lily's birthday, Kate came to meet her brand-new, baby sister. Kate had a huge smile on her face as she bounded through the door bearing gifts and balloons. Kate was thrilled to finally lay eyes on her sister. She was also happy to hear we had named her "Lily," her top choice. "Awww, she's so cute!" Lily's lovely, long fingers and toes. We have no idea who she gets these from. The four ladies. As Uncle Mike says, "Proud Papa!" Kisses! Kate can't stop kissing Lily and wanting to hold her. Hopefully, this will last, at least for a few weeks. When we asked if Kate would help change the baby's diaper, she said, "I don't know if I'm ready for that." Of course, she's been eagerly helping us since Lily was born. Then Lily let out some gas and Kate had to ham it up.

And it was back to hugging Lily.

Lily and Nana.

After Kate gave Lily a Little Sister Present (her coming home outfit, which Kate picked out), Lily gave Kate a Big Sister present -- a set of Littlest Pet Shop figures. Kate was thrilled. Chris and his girls. "I love her so much!"

Kate was so excited to wear her new T-Shirt to preschool the next day. She ran up to her teacher, whipped open her jacket and said, "Look!" The teachers were very supportive and asked Kate to stand before the class during circle time to make her "very important announcement." Kate even got a lot of "congratulations!" from her friends, making her feel special.

We love you, Miss Lily!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LILY SO-HEE!

2009-10-12T11:13:00.001-07:00

On Sunday, October 11, 2009 at 1:43 PM, Kate's baby sister, Lily So-Hee Weyant came into the world! Thankfully, Lily gave her Momma a relatively quick and easy labor and delivery. The nurse took this photo of Lily seconds after she was born as Appa cut the umbilical cord. When we left the house at 5:30 AM to go to the hospital, Kate sleepily asked Appa, "Why is the umbilical cord attached to the belly button and not the mouth??" Wonderful Uncle Mike Bodie drove to us in the middle of the night to watch Kate so we could go and welcome her baby sister. Lily So-Hee weighed in at 7 lbs, 3.7 oz and measured 21 inches, the same length as Kate at birth. The first thing Chris and I thought when we saw her was, "She looks just like Kate!" And then we thought, "She looks just like Emma!" The same shot of Kate after she was born. After some skin-to-skin and nursing time with Momma, Lily So-Hee was washed up and swaddled.

"Mom, enough with the flash, please!"

This is Kate on her birthday. Lily looks a little like her, doesn't she?

Lily So-Hee.

Kate Sora.

Kate and Nana are coming today to meet you! Happy Birthday, Lily! We love you and are so lucky to have you in our family.

39 Weeks! Counting Down the Hours...

2009-10-10T22:48:00.000-07:00

Here we are, in the final stretch! My doctor says Kate's baby sister is upside-down and locked into position, ready for take off. She predicts the baby will come a few days earlier, or around October 14th, give or take. Luckily, Nana arrives tomorrow to help us out in case the doctor is right.

Kate said, "Mom, this looks like your belly button!"

The arrival of the latest Kang-Weyant will be a huge change for all of us respectively, and our little family as a whole, and we're all waiting in nervous and excited anticipation of the big day.

Clay Fun and Sling Time

2009-09-23T20:46:00.000-07:00

Once again, we're in the middle of a heat wave, the Santa Anas are blowing, and fires are igniting in the mountains. What to do? Stay inside, strip down to your undies and make things with modeling clay! Which is exactly what Kate did. She made lots of little people, babies, and accessories, and then coated them all in a thick layer of paint. Jina-eemo sent us a box of baby stuff (courtesy of Emma, Kes, Kate, and Kiki) since it's now Kate's Baby Sister's turn. Naturally, Kate wanted to try out the sling. She never liked it as a newborn, but I guess she had to grow into it.

Mom and Appa, by Kate

2009-09-20T20:54:00.000-07:00

Kate came home last friday with a drawing she did of Mom. "The baby is growing bigger inside you! And those red things in your eyes are your veins. And see the dot under the baby's mouth? That's her BEARD." I asked Kate if I she thought I was carrying Santa Claus' child. She cracked up and said, "Nooooo! He's already borned!" This is Kate's rendering of Appa. "Wearing glasses!" (?) Yeunjee-eemo sent a care package from Korea -- a new Korean hairband, and several sheets of cool sticker sets of food items and animals. To celebrate her first week of Pre-K, Kate wanted to go out to dinner. She came downstairs wearing her hanbok and new hairband, ready to go. I tried to get a nice shot of Kate in her hanbok outside...

...I was less than successful.

35 Weeks! Less Than 5 More To Go...

2009-09-15T20:20:00.000-07:00

Kate finds it fun to monitor the protrusion of my belly-button as if it were a turkey thermometer. "Ha ha ha ha! It's popping out, Mom!"

Hmm....resemblance? She also likes to decorate the butterball with stickers. What dignity? Kate waiting to feel her baby kick.

"I felt it move! I felt her knuckle!" Kate promised she would share her big toys and allow Baby Sister "to go first sometimes" (you heard it here) before singing the A-B-C's to her and going to bed.

First Day of Pre-K!

2009-09-15T20:10:00.000-07:00

After a long break, Kate was giddy to be starting Pre-K at A Child's Garden School. She couldn't wait to see her friends and her new teachers, Ms. Kim and Ms. Yolanda. She chose the pretty shirt Cousin Emma sent her for the momentous day. At Visiting Day yesterday, everyone remarked at how much Kate grew over the summer. Ms. Kim and Ms. Yolanda had the kids draw a picture about their Summer Vacation and dictate an essay. Kate drew a picture of the sun, the sea, and herself wearing "a flowing dress in the breeze" and wrote about seeing Halmoni, Halabuji, Pop-Pop, Grammy, Baby Kiki, Jina-Eemo, Scott Eemo-bu, and Soo-Eemo. "Because I love them so much." She also wrote about the ocean and how it "sings to me." Kate told me the other day that she wanted to be a writer when she grew up. God help us. Chris took this shot of Ms. Yolanda putting Kate's name tag on before the camera pooped out. Kate had a fun first day making red playdough and playing "princess" with Maya. It's going to be a great year.

Last Days of Summer

2009-09-14T21:51:00.000-07:00

During the last few days of summer, the Kang-Weyants squeaked in a few more fun outings before having to face the realities of school, work, and baby.

We finally went to see a show at The Bob Baker Marionette Theater, the oldest children's theater in LA and a historical-cultural monument. The rabbit called me and Kate the "strawberry twins" and then pounced on us. Kate found it both funny and slightly terrifying. The old-fashioned music and radio spots (remember "The Incredible, Edible Egg?"), the punny jokes, and the one or two offensive puppets in desperate need of retirement....

....made me and Chris feel like we were in a time capsule. Racist puppets notwithstanding, we all enjoyed the show immensely.

Topping off our journey back in time were the vanilla ice cream cups that the puppeteers handed out to everyone. Kate was thrilled to be eating with "an old-fashioned wooden spoon," and she appreciated the Nancy-Reagan-era message of "Say No To Drugs" on the sides of the cups. "Like Michael Jackson should have!" We continued our tour of downtown with a stop at Clifton's Cafeteria, LA's "oldest surviving cafteria-style eatery." Kate was fascinated by the block of green jello with bits of pear trapped inside.

It looked a lot more interesting than it tasted.

We all agreed it wasn't the soup-kitcheny food that made the visit worthwhile...

...but the decor and atmosphere.

Where else in the city can you dine by a family of bears fishing?

A few shots of the horrible fires during that week that kept us indoors:

View from the side-view mirror as we were leaving our house.

On another day, we escaped the toxic air quality by heading to the Science Center near Mom's alma mater, USC. After watching the Imax movie, "Under the Sea," narrated by Jim Carrey ("Mom, when is he going to stop talking??") and learning all about how cuttlefish mate, we headed inside the main building.

Aside from watching Adam Arkin help his kid tackle the climbing wall, the most interesting things we saw were this giant spiraly tube through which Kate could send secret messages to Appa ("Appa is very smelly")...

...a ride simulator in which Kate and Appa (pregnant ladies not allowed) took a trip under the sea to see schools of dolphins; and the playarea upstairs where Kate lead a group of kids in a game of working together to collect and distribute foam shingles inside a 2-story clubhouse. Karl Marx would've been proud.

When a few uncooperative boys grabbed the shingles out of Kate's hand, she shrugged and said, "Those boys don't know how to play nicely." They're lucky she didn't sentence them to a gulag.

It was an incredibly fun and productive summer. Kate learned how to swim, began learning how to read and spell, started doing simple addition and subtraction ("Michael Jackson is dead, so there are four brothers left and now they're The Jackson Four!"), further increased her rapidly-growing vocabulary ("Elephant is very discouraging of Piggie"), and even grew a whopping three inches!

Noah's Arky Arky

2009-08-29T21:18:00.000-07:00

We visited the Skirball Cultural Center in West L.A. for the first time to see the interactive Noah's Ark exhibit we had heard so much about. Kate couldn't stop singing, "The Lord said to Noah, there's gonna be a floody floody..." on the way there. The Skirball's exhibits celebrate 4,000 years of Jewish heritage. This is one of the beautiful gallery spaces. The Noah's Ark exhibit is an 8,000 square foot gallery filled with hundreds of handcrafted animals made entirely from recycled materials. The mane on the zebra is a piano keyboard, and the elephant's trunk is made of bamboo dumpling steamers. Turn the wheel and create a lightning storm! Kate and a little boy pumped rain into the tank and watched Noah's ark rise up. Appa, Kate, and Zebra looking out of the floor-to-ceiling wooden ark.

More handcrafted passengers of the ark.

Storytime by the ark. "The lady was a very good storyteller, Momma. She was talented!" reviewed Kate.

The kids marveling at the rainbow that appeared on the wall during the story.

Kate and Appa exploring the upper deck of the ark.

Mr. Lion with chopstick whiskers.

Kate on her way up.

Kate and Appa resting in walrus chairs. This is usually the expression Chris reserves for such an occasion.

Afterwards, we had a snack at Zeidler's cafe and then visited the other galleries about Jewish culture and history. I was happy to see that Kate was actually interested in it all. She is shaping up to be a fine museum-goer.

32 weeks!

2009-08-28T18:15:00.000-07:00

Apparently, the baby is now the size of a large jicama and will be growing rapidly (1 lb/week) as we waddle toward the finish line. I've noticed a big change since coming back from the East Coast -- I feel much heavier and slower and can't eat too much in one sitting (boo hoo). I can also feel the Braxton Hicks contractions more strongly, and Kang-Weyant 3.0 seems to be doing somersaults these days. I'm thrilled that I haven't gotten carpal tunnel syndrome (knock on wood) yet, unlike last time, and that I can still eat ice cream relatively guilt-free. Kate wanted us to do the "tree pose." And again. Me and my big girl.

Kate and Maya

2009-08-26T21:23:00.000-07:00

Kate's best buddy from preschool, Maya, came over for a long overdue playdate. It had been a couple of months since they'd seen each other, and they missed each other very much. Kate told Maya she was going to play a song for her on her CD player. "You'll like it. We can dance to it!" She put on Joe Cocker's "The Letter" (aka "Song Number 7") and she and Maya rocked out. They played dress up for the next couple of hours... ...Switching outfits every few minutes. After lunch, Maya's 8-year old sister, Bella, joined them and they all had a ball playing with Kate's toys and running around the house. It was a blissful few hours for me as the kids played on their own. I look forward to the day that Kate and her younger sister does the same.

Down the Shore

2009-08-25T00:11:00.000-07:00

Our first morning down the Shore, Kate and Pop-Pop kept with tradition and put out the flag to "start the day." Then we headed to the beach. The shot from last summer. Andrea said Kate looks a lot like me in this photo, which made me happy.

Kate showing Grammy the many clam shells she found.

Kate, Pop-Pop, and Appa.

Kate rushing back to show me the exciting piece of driftwood she discovered.

Kate's "museum of seashellies."

Kate didn't want to leave her museum, fearing it would be gone the next day.

Pop-Pop working the grill.

Grammy preparing lunch for everyone. Everytime we go down the Shore, we are shamefully doted on and cared for by Grammy and Pop-Pop.

Kate and Mom in the outdoor shower.

A little tushy.

The owner of the little tushy.

Appa reading the book Grammy got for Kate.

One of Kate's many camera poses.

Chris took this nice shot.

"Hellooooo, Baby Sister!"

Kate wanted to learn how to play checkers, so we bought a set at the local Five and Dime. Not surprisingly, Kate picked up the rules quickly and resoundly destroyed her father in the first match.

Kate and Grammy playing Go Fish.

Back at the beach, Kate decided to torture Appa with cold water and a sand shovel.

Snow White got her very own sand castle.

Appa and Kate and two umbrellas.

Chris has a fine eye for composition. He must be an artist.

Kate, after being doused by a wave while hunched over. Thankfully, she thought it was pretty darn funny.

Chris' artistic eye at work again.

Kate practicing the crane move for the big tournament.

Kate wanted me to scoop up the hundreds of colorful little shells as the tide ebbed.

Examining our catch -- tiny live clams! And water insects and sea plants!

We put a handful in an empty water bottle and made a "sea-quarium" for Kate to show Pop-Pop and Grammy.

Steamer clams (not the clams Kate and I caught). I'd never had them before, neither had Kate. To Kate's credit, she tried one before saying, "No, thanks!"

Grammy's peach and blueberry pie for dessert. Yum.

After dinner, Pop-Pop tried to wow Kate with a few magic tricks.

Pop-Pop pretending to "see" the side of the die Kate chose in his mind's eye.

The key goes through! It's magic! Kate appreciated Pop-Pop's effort, but was too pooped to be all that impressed.

She liked doing "Here is the Beehive" and tickling Pop-Pop a lot more.

On our last day, Grammy and Kate took an apres-beach dip in the pool. Appa, Kate, and I had spent most of day jumping in the waves. We all slept like logs that night.

We topped off our last evening down the Shore with a trip to the ice cream shop. Kate chose a blue cotton candy soft cone, then wisely passed it to me after a few bites and took mine.

It was a lovely and lazy few days down the Shore. Exactly what the OB ordered. As soon as we left, Kate wanted to go back. Thank you, Pop-Pop and Grammy!

Visit to NJ & NYC -- Home Sweet Home

2009-08-21T23:46:00.000-07:00

The Kang-Weyants headed East for ten days to see family, friends, the Atlantic, and a few New Jersey towns and houses. We visited Westfield, NJ first, and happily, the Paik-Powells tagged along. Kate was thrilled to spend time with Cousin Kiki. After touring several houses, it was time to take a break, Jersey-style, at Dairy Queen. Jina wondered if this was what Jerseyites did for fun. I told her this was called "date night" in the suburbs. Kiki napped while we ate our ice cream. She is, by far, the most easygoing baby I have ever seen in my life. I'm hoping Kang-Weyant 3.0 has at least an ounce of Kiki's disposition. Chocolate soft cone. Yum. After a harrowing bumper-to-bumper drive back to Bergen County, we all went back to Halmoni and Halabugi's condo in Edgewater and had dinner. Luckily, Kiki is the most easygoing baby in the world, and Kate decided to practice writing words in her notebook to pass the time. Believe it or not, the traffic in NJ is much worse than in LA. Ugh.

Halabugi held his grandniece for the first time.

The next day, we took the bus (Kate's favorite) into Manhattan to see Soo-eemo. Kate also took her very first subway ride. Chris was mortified by me whipping out the camera like a tourist begging to be mugged.

Soo-eemo made us lunch to welcome us -- a first! This was also the first time Chris and I had ever seen Soo standing in a kitchen and actually making something, and we had to record the historic occasion.

Lunch was delicious. Soo made lox-cream-cheese-cucumber and tomato-mozzarella-basil sandwiches as well as two different salads. She also served appetizers, champagne, and dessert! Thank you, Soo!

One of Kiki's favorite toys is a handmedown from Kate who got it from Emma.

Chris and Kate hadn't seen Uncle Steve since Kate's baptism over three years ago. It was wonderful to see him. Not surprisingly, he's a natural with babies and kids. He listened intently to Kate's chattering, and made her laugh. "I really like Uncle Steve!"

Kate loves Kiki.

After our lovely lunch, we walked to Central Park.

Soo taking out the pebbles in Kate's sandals. What a good auntie.

Kiki rode in a swing for the first time.

Kate tried out the "big girl" swings with Jina-eemo.

Uncle Steve and Appa explained to Kate the origins of the ancient rock formation she was standing on.

It was hot and humid. We desert folk aren't used to moisture.

Kate and Appa standing in Belvedere Castle overlooking the algae-filled pond. The location (and intense humidity) reminded me of watching Shakespeare in the Park many moons ago.

On Monday, Chris, Kate, and I saw a bunch of houses in Ridgewood and Glen Rock and liked what we saw overall. Especially the libraries. Kate and I are avid public library-goers and were really pleased to see how well-endowed and beautiful they were. Kate had a great time playing in puppet sections of each library and didn't want to leave. There was even a small section of children's books in Korean at the Ridgewood library.

The next day, Kate and I met Jina-eemo and Kiki at the Museum of Natural History while Chris went to The New Yorker for the weekly cartoon submission meeting and apres-submission lunch with his fellow cartoonists.

The first thing Kate wanted to see was the giant whale. There it is, lurking in the dark behind us.

Kate loved the "Early Peoples" exhibits the best. Especially the Korean one. Maybe she'll be an anthropologist one day.

Yesterday, while at home, Kate and I sat and sewed a sock puppet side-by-side. Kate said, "I'm like the Korean lady in the museum, and you're like the man!"

A giant prehistoric tortoise. "Taxi's cousin!"

Kate liked this prehistoric guy.

After hours of walking around and fighting the huge crowds of tourists and summer camp groups, we needed a food break or two. Kiki and Kate amused each other during a cookie break. I love the way Kiki is smiling at Kate in this photo. Kate was able to make Kiki smile all day.

We also took advantage of the pool at Halmoni and Halabugi's which overlooked the NY skyline. After swimming, Appa and Kate walked to the edge of the Hudson River.

Halmoni teaching Kate how to play Korean jacks with the colorful stones she got at the Museum gift shop.

Kate and Mom giving Halabugi a foot massage while watching one of the many movies that computer-savvy Halmoni downloaded for Kate. Halabugi was surprised by how strong Kate's little hands were. I think the loving gesture from Kate was the highlight of his month.

Kate was sad to say goodbye to Halmoni and Halabugi and all the delicious Korean food, but invited them to visit her and her new baby sister, "Lily," in October. Yes, Lily is the name Kate has firmly decided on.

Next stop -- the Jersey Shore!

Bob's Big Boy

2009-08-20T14:08:00.000-07:00

Remember this chain of restaurants? It reminds me of the road trips my parents and brother would take across the country when we were young. This one is in Burbank, and since Chris and Kate had never been, we dropped in for lunch the other day. The food wasn't nearly as interesting as the clientele -- the unglamorous, un-Hollywood, non-poseur blue-collar and office-worker types you rarely see in Los Angeles. We could've been anywhere in the U.S. But I guess that's the allure of Bob's Big Boy. That, and the big statue outside. Not sure whose belly is bigger -- Bob's or mine.

Happy Birthday, Appa!

2009-08-04T20:48:00.000-07:00

Today Kate and I celebrated the birthday of our beloved Appa and husband, Christopher. Kate was SO EXCITED about the idea of birthday cupcakes, that she screamed when it was finally time to sing "Happy Birthday." "APPA! IT'S TIME FOR CUPCAKES!!!!!!!" Chris and Kate, four birthdays ago. There was an after-dinner hula performance to commemorate the occasion. The "tushy-swishing" part of the hula.

Happy Birthday, Christopher. Thank you for making this world a better place, and for enriching our lives every single day with your beauty. We love you.

Kate and Mom Shakin' Their Bacon

2009-07-30T10:06:00.000-07:00

Kate's latest favorite CD is the one Chris made me for my birthday a few years ago -- a compilation of hit songs from 1970.

Kate's favorite tracks are Joe Cocker's "The Letter," Neil Diamond's "Cracklin' Rosie," Stevie Wonder's "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" (aka "Mama and Appa's wedding song" and "Barack Obama's song"), and of course, The Jackson Five's "A-B-C."

For the past couple of weeks, Kate's been playing these tracks all day, every day.

Here's a video of Kate and Mom getting down to The Diamond:

And one of Kate groovin' to Joe Cocker. With Mom trying to upstage her:

Apparently, Kate's big dream is to sit in as Joe Cocker's keyboardist:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9ijzm45EyA

Kate in "disguise":

Trying out for the naked rodeo:

Cowgirl Kate looking for a horse to ride:

The things we do for love:

Happy 7th Anniversary!

2009-07-25T17:16:00.000-07:00

Last week, Chris and I finally got away for some quality couple time to celebrate seven years of wedded bliss and fourteen years of love and friendship. The first time in 3.5 years! Nana generously offered to watch Kate, take her to summer school, and be her best playmate while we were gone.

A beautiful new resort in Palos Verdes was offering a grand-opening rate, so we jumped at the chance to soak in the stunning views, slumber in 500-count sheets, enjoy free HBO and Showtime, and dip in the heated, salt-water swimming pools.

Our room with a view.

Kate's handsome Appa.

The resort even had a private hiking trails overlooking the ocean and a sandy cove with cabanas.

Chris looking for a cool rock to give Kate.

A few minutes away was a "tree chapel" that Frank Lloyd Wright's son designed in 1951. A lovely example of organic architecture where the trees are the form, and the space within is sacred.

A brick path was commemorated with the names of couples who had gotten married at the chapel. Chris and I loved that Mr. Hockberger found the perfect mate in a woman named Pickles.

Relaxed and rejuvenated, we returned home to Kate and Nana, who had a great time having tea parties, baking clay, swimming, riding the carousel, and dancing. Hopefully, we won't wait another 3.5 years to do it again.

Happy Anniversary!

Thirteen More Weeks to Go...

2009-07-22T18:46:00.000-07:00

It's been 5 weeks since my last belly update, and it's definitely ballooned, as have my feet. Kate has been busy preparing for her baby sister ("Lily" -- new name she's decided on) by taking care of her doll, Jin-Ah, and bringing her everywhere. Kate Unni. Cutie pie. "There's a baby in there!"

Kang-Weyant 3.0 has been kicking up a storm and even hiccuping. Unfortunately, she's usually awake at midnight, rockin' and rollin', just like her big sister. Which means Chris and I will probably be awake at midnight post-October. Oy.

Kate, the Mermaid!

2009-07-17T19:53:00.000-07:00

Yesterday during her penultimate swim lesson, Kate actually swam! I was so proud and thrilled, I nearly cried. Kate, Appa, and I celebrated with a 3-scoop ice cream sundae at Fosselman's. "It's Friday, but we're eating a sundae, Momma!" Here's a video of Kate re-enacting it this afternoon:

Her teacher taught her to try to come up for air and say, "peekaboo," mid-swim.

The more Kate swam, the more confident she became. This is Kate pretending to swim "all the way to Pop-Pop's house" in New Jersey:

And finally, a video of Kate swimming towards Appa while he watched underwater.

I eventually put the camera down and watched Kate underwater myself. It was wonderful seeing Kate gliding towards me and grinning, just like the baby on the Nirvana album cover.

"Hooray for me!" Over the past two weeks, Kate was nervous about the swim lessons and didn't want to go, but she never quit. Hooray for Kate!

Malibu Katie

2009-07-13T22:38:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, we went to visit our dear friends, Elias and Gail, at their fabulous house in Malibu for lunch and a little beach time.

Elias was a writer on "M*A*S*H," "Frasier," "Mary Tyler Moore" and countless other shows and has the battle scars to prove it. I was lucky to have him as my TV writing professor during my last semester. He, Gail, Chris, and I instantly hit it off, and have been friends ever since.

Kate really liked practicing her ballet moves on their giant deck.

After lunch, Elias drove us down to Westward Beach, giving us a tour of his street (aka "celebrity drive") on the way down. We passed by the houses of Martin Sheen, Charlie Sheen, Howie Mandel, and Bob Dylan. We even saw the infamous porta-potty on Dylan's front lawn. The neighbors across the way had placed several huge fans on their deck to blow the stink out to sea.

Westward Beach is where the final scene of "Planet of the Apes" was filmed in which Charlton Heston sees the head of the Statue of Liberty in the water. "You Maniacs! You blew it up! Ah, damn you! God damn you all to hell!

You can see the famous bluff behind Chris.

Watching the surfers go out.

The tide was too strong for swimming, so Kate splashed around and dunked her feet (fun), and occasionally got sucked into the ocean (not fun).

This was Kate's "seaweed garden."

The lifeguards don't really look like Pamela Anderson or David Hasselhoff.

The waves were big.

The longer we were there, the more Kate started to look like "Gidget."

Oof. Belly full o' baby.

Elias is running for WGA President against the mighty John Wells (creator of "ER") in September, and I hope for the writers' sake, Elias wins. He has always been a writer, first and foremost, and played an integral role in getting us a fair contract from those greedy producers last year. Go Elias!

Happy Birthday, USA!

2009-07-08T10:30:00.000-07:00

To celebrate the 4th, the Kang-Weyants went to the parade in Sierra Madre. Kate loved the free flags they handed out. She liked the free candy even more. Nothing like celebrating the 4th with your first box of Nerds. Mom-Kate totem pole. Kate thought the fire engines were too loud.

"Why do they have to keep honking their horns, Momma?" Good question.

After a healthy lunch of hot dogs, popcorn, and pizza, Kate wanted to revisit the park she frequented as a toddler.

Later on, Lucy and her Moms came over for a BBQ and fireworks.

The artist-in-residence painted the girls' faces. "Take a picture of me, Kate's Mom!"

Lucy was a cat with patriotic whiskers -- "Don't paint in my nostrils, Chris!" And Kate got a couple of red cherries on her cheek.

Hilary made her annual flag cake. Yum.

After dinner we headed to a small bridge in Pasadena so we could watch the Rose Bowl fireworks for free.

Chris set up the camera on the tripod in the middle of the street to take this shot. Just as the shutter was about to click, Kate shouted, "Appa! There's a car coming!" Chris saved the camera from being killed.

Waiting for the fireworks show to begin.

Kate and Lucy dancing with their glow stick bracelets on.

Chris took a lot of lovely shots of the fireworks.

Hmm... how an egg is fertilized?

Everyone loved the smiley face fireworks.

We got home very late, waaaay past Kate's bedtime, as you can see from her sleepy eyes. It was a lovely 4th of July.

Farmer Kate

2009-07-08T10:22:00.000-07:00

Father's Day weekend we drove up to a farm so Kate could see that fruits and vegetables actually come from the soil and not from Trader Joe's. Farmer Kate walked to the other end of the field to examine the other crops. Kate and Mom picking out a head of butter lettuce while doing a kimchi-squat.

Sang-chu, also known as red-leaf lettuce.

Appa presented Kate with a very large bouquet of lettuce.

Though it was a blazing 90 degrees, Kate still found the energy to run.

"Those are funny cucumbers, Momma."

Zucchini.

Peach trees!

The heat finally got to her, and it was time to hitch a ride in the wagon.

Strawberry fields forever.

We picked a huge amount and ate even more. They were the sweetest strawberries I'd ever had.

Posing with our left-over strawberry stubs. It was hot-hot-hot out there.

Meanwhile, the farm animals were having a meeting.

Bull.

After picking some spinach, parsley, lettuce, carrots, and strawberries, Kate ran around the play area.

She was all smiles until she tripped and whacked her chin on the train. Hunger + dehydration + physical pain = meltdown.

Not surprisingly, Kate didn't like me taking a picture of her here.

Hugs from Momma under the cool shade of a jacaranda, Kate's birthday tree, made everything better. Water and snacks helped, too.

And a hair-stroking never hurt either.

Blood-sugar up, temperature down. All smiles again.

After refueling, we picked a big bushel of delicious blackberries. Kate's eagle eyes and short stature made her adept at spotting the ripe ones at the bottom of the vines.

We packed up our fruits and vegetables, and Kate drove us home.

Baby Kang Weyant in Utero

2009-06-30T11:35:00.000-07:00

In the beginning... A 3-D ultrasound picture at 11 weeks. When Kate was in my belly, we didn't have this technology available to us. My OB said, "she looks like you, Mom!" The perinatologist asked us who we thought she looked like here. "Um...a puppy?" We brought Kate with us to our 24-week scan last friday, thinking she'd really enjoy seeing her new Baby Sister. Boy, were we wrong. Kate was freaked out by the doctor squeezing jelly on my belly and pushing "the speaker phone" all over it. "I thought he was hurting you," she told me later. She cowered in her chair, refusing to look up until Chris whipped out a jolly rancher. "It tastes like blueberries!" I'm sure Kate also didn't appreciate the fuss and attention we were giving to the baby on the monitor. She sat on the examining table beside me to make sure I was all right, but refused to face the monitor. She choose to distract her Appa from watching instead, making him miss the entire exam. Luckily, we got a DVD of it so I could show Chris that night.

Her right hand has all five fingers and she has no cleft palate, according to the doctor. Apparently, she looks a little like E.T. here because computer artifacts distort the image... or maybe the doctor was just trying to be nice.

The blob on the left is the umbilical cord bunched up next to her face.

After this photo was taken, we saw her waving her hands around and trying to get her fingers into her mouth to suck. Just like Kate! According to the doctor, the baby is right on track. Her organs, spine, bones, etc. all look healthy and normal. Hooray! A few days after the exam, Kate said, "Momma, Dolly wants the baby in your belly to go away. I'm sorry about that, but that's what she said. She doesn't like it and wants it to go away." Chris and I told her it was normal for her to feel that way, but that she'd one day love having a sister.

Later, Kate said she "talked to Dolly and she feels better now." Kate's been having baby dreams almost every night, some "bad dreams" and some good ones. I'm sure they will continue as we approach October. I'm hoping the stack of "Big Sister" picture books I got from the library will help.

Pool Days

2009-06-28T15:22:00.000-07:00

Since preschool ended, the Kang Weyants have been spending almost every afternoon cooling off in the pool. Kate's wariness of the water has all but dissipated this year, as Chris had wisely anticipated. Now all she wants to do is jump off the side of the pool. A proud Kate. An even prouder Appa. Kate definitely gets her cheeks from the Weyant side.

"I'm chilly, Momma!"

Time for a relaxing ride on the Appa line.

Another jump!

Apres-swim, Kate put on her crocs herself.

And was wondering why they felt uncomfortable.

The other day, Kate went for her 4-year check up. Of course, I promised her there would be "no shots," only for the nurse to come in moments later and administer three gigantic booster shots as well as a finger prick. Poor Kate. Even a lollipop wouldn't calm her down. Luckily, pancakes and an ice cream sundae at a nearby restaurant did.

Our girl is now a strapping 34 lbs and 38.5 inches tall! A peanut, just like her Mom and Dad.

Face Painting with Appa

2009-06-28T15:12:00.000-07:00

While big-bellied Momma took a desperately-needed nap, Appa and Kate found ways to occupy themselves. Not surprisingly, Chris was a very willing canvas. Appa Cat and Daughter Cat. Kate felt she also needed flip-flops...and an ankle bracelet...and a band-aid. This image gave me a flash-forward of Kate as a pre-teen spending hours on her toenails. Over the past month, we've been slowing collecting baby gear for Kate's sister, making Kate very happy to have new toys to play with. "Before the baby comes, my dollies can use it, right?"

Happy Father's Day, Chris!

2009-06-21T20:50:00.000-07:00

To show our appreciation to Chris, and the 1,000,001 ways he is the most wonderful father and husband we could ever wish for, Kate and l let him sleep in and served him breakfast in bed. Kate presented him with coffee, an asparagus frittata with a side of whole-wheat toast and Blue Agave Sweetener and fresh-picked berries from our day at the farm. Small recompense to a man who spent the previous day and night painting the entire kitchen! Yes, that's right, Chris is Super Dad! After presenting Dad with a new, non-analog TV for his office (a gift Chris was completely expecting after Kate matter-of-factly told him about it days earlier), and a couple of vintage baseball T-shirts, we did some baby-nesting around the house, and then headed to the pool. Kate has matured tremendously over the past year, her wariness of the water having all but disappeared. Huzzah! Hopefully, her swim lessons next month will be just as fun and happy as pool time with Appa. "Momma, are you in there?"

Towards the end of the day, while Kate was dancing and singing, "Domo arigatoo, Mr. Roboto," Chris turned to me and said, "These are the salad days. Let's never forget."

I couldn't agree more.

Happy Father's Day to Chris, Halabugi, Pop-Pop, Emil Samcheon, and Uncle Glenn! We love you all!

My Prenatal Yoga Partner

2009-06-21T20:03:00.000-07:00

The other day, I told Kate I was going to do some yoga, and she happily joined in. "These women have babies in their bellies like you, Momma!" Kate does a mean downward dog. Kate trying to figure out where her hips are, and which way is counter-clockwise. Fifteen minutes later it was, "Let's do something else now, Momma." But I'll take what I can get.

22 Weeks and Growing...

2009-06-17T20:23:00.000-07:00

We've reached the 22-week mark with Kate's Baby Sister, aka, "Rose Luca Gabby Mulan Weyant." Chris and I have been taking periodic photos to document my ever-expanding belly. This time, Kate proudly did the honors of holding up the sign. Me illustrating to Kate how enormous I feel. Unfortunately, I'm almost twice the size I was with Kate at 22 weeks. Gulp. They're going to have to lift me out the window in a harness at 40 weeks. Kate giving Baby Sister a big zzzrbrrt. "Did she hear that??" Let the nesting begin!

The Many Uses of Costco Toilet Paper

2009-06-09T19:38:00.000-07:00

Whenever Chris brings back a year's supply of toilet paper from Costco, he tosses each roll up to Kate at the top of the stairs and she catches it and squirrels them away in all corners of the house for the winter.

This time, however, their most recent toilet paper routine spiraled into bowling-kickball-dodgeball madness.

I thought this was an appropriate shot to end with. Yes, this is a very classy blog.

Maya at the Arboretum

2009-06-01T20:14:00.000-07:00

Our friends, Anna and Maya Proulx met us at the Arboretum last Saturday for a lovely stroll and lunch. Kate was thrilled that her hair was finally long enough for pigtails and couldn't wait to show them off. Anna made her day when she exclaimed, "I love your pigtails, Kate!" Maya, almost 2, had a great time exploring the forest and looking at the ponds, flowers and ducks. "It's fun!" We're going to miss the Proulxs when they move to Michigan in August!

Baby Sister Names

2009-05-28T11:06:00.000-07:00

Since she heard the good news about the upcoming arrival of a Baby Sister, Kate has been talking to my belly, singing the "ABC's" and Korean songs, and hugging and kissing it. She's also come up with a few name suggestions for us: --Gracie --Shelly --Mulan She also said she'd like to rename her beloved Dolly, "Gabby." I'm guessing it's because it's the name of her best school pal's chihuahua. UPDATE: Kate has suggested another name for her Baby Sister: Luca. But she still likes "Mulan" the best so far...

Open House at A Child's Garden School

2009-05-25T13:13:00.000-07:00

A few weekends ago, Kate's preschool had an Open House to show the families all the hard work our preschoolers have been doing this past year. Above is a picture of Kate's sunflower plant. That's Kate's orange butterfly on the left and her sunflower is towards the upper right. Nana and I checked out all the photos of Kate displayed everywhere. Kate's favorite teacher, Ms. Mary, greeted us at the door, and Kate was very excited to introduce Nana to her. Kate and her class created a giant sculpture made of recycled household items. I'm happy that Kate is very conscious of "not making more garbage" and doing her part to "save the Earth" by trying to make something new out of her things. Kate's "Big Green Monster."

Kate said to Chris, "Appa! Look how strong I've become! Take a picture!" Nana on schmutz duty.

Kate's class goes on nature walks where the teachers teach them the names of the diverse flora on the grounds of the school. Kate proudly pointed out the azaleas and the jacaranda tree to Nana. We call jacarandas the "Kate Birthday Tree" because the flowers bloom right before her birthday every year. Chris and I will always see these beautiful purple flowers and remember the joyous day Kate entered our world and changed it forever.

Kate "Don Ho" Weyant

2009-05-20T23:42:00.000-07:00

Kate received a ukelele from Pop-Pop and Grammy for her birthday and hasn't stopped singing since.

Here's a video of Kate performing an original diddy entitled, "You Can't Know What the Cookie Man Says or Grated Cheese." Good thing those strings are sturdy...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGH9Q9tsskM