Tree Trimming...Twice

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

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

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

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!

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!

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!

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!"