Ironman and Wolverine- the 2013 edition

I'm so glad I get to work home on Thursdays and Fridays when I'm not in production at work. Luckily Halloween fell on a Thursday this year so I was able to take you trick or treating. Originally Auntie Jessica and Emma were supposed to join us, but the weather was terrible so they cancelled. I called up my friend, Jen, and her son Nate to join us as they just live around the block. Daddy and Kendall stayed home because the weather was so bad and daddy was giving out the treats. Even though we bought 1,000 treats, we ran out in the blink of an eye. That's how crazy it is in our neighbourhood…

First dance performance

After last week's tantrum fiasco, I wanted to make sure you would go to your class today without a hitch. I talked to you all this week preparing for your dance class. I kept asking you all week, "Aidan, are you going to cry at dance class?" Where you would answer, "No!"

I then kept saying, "Remember, if you listen you get EVERYTHING. If you don't listen, you get…" And you would answer, "NOTHING!" Lately, you've been acting up and just being a total nightmare. It's really draining daddy and I out because we're already tired as it is. Every day is just go, go, go and having to deal with tantrums is just so… hard.

Luckily, you were pretty good today. You went in your class without any hesitation and I even got to go in near the end of the class to observe you. Because of your good behaviour I took you to Walmart where I treated you with your own Batman umbrella. You've been asking me for your own umbrella and it was the perfect day to get it as it was rainy. I even treated you with your favourite lunch- a cheeseburger (hold the pickels) happy mean at McDonald's. This is what happens when you listen!

Mom sal (translated from Korean, meaning body ache)

What a day I had! I experienced the little monsters to the extreme today :-S

I took a day off today because Kendall had her 15-month checkup today at 9:45am. I decided to just take a day off and spend time with Kendall (since I hardly see her during the work week). 

I dropped you off at daycare in the morning with Kendall and it was all fine. Kendall was surprisingly pretty good when I first got to the doctor's office. It's always very stressful when it's the checkup appointment because the doctor measures everything and the appointment usually involves getting shots. As soon as I took off Kendall's shoes, she started crying uncontrollably. I couldn't even get her to calm down even when I gave her veggie chips. Every single thing that the doctor told me to do- take of Kendall's clothes (to weigh her), hold her down (to measure her length), open her mouth (to check the back of her mouth), hold her head (to see inside her ears), etc. involved a fight. At one point, Kendall was kicking the doctors upper body while the doctor was trying to see inside her mouth. Kendall was crying to much that it took a good 15 minutes for the doctor to see her pupils- her eyes were closed shut crying. By the time it was all over I was in a ball of sweat and Kendall got the hiccups from crying so much. 

Here's where she is at right now:

Weight: 8.32kg or 18.34lbs (down from 8.37kg last time)

Head circumference: 44 cm (same as last time)

Height: 74cm (up from 70cm last time) 

And the bad news? Kendall lost weight and because she was experiencing diarrhea, the doctor couldn't administer the vaccination shots. The doctor told me I would have to come back in 2 weeks to give Kendall her shots. AND, she will most likely be weighing her again since the doctor was concerned about Kendall's weight. ACK! I'm definitely not looking forward to the follow-up appointment. 

When I got out of the appointment, daddy had texted me saying that he was leaving work early and meeting us at the doctor's office. We ended up having a nice lunch and doing errands- grocery shopping and picking up prescription medication (Kendall had an ear infection). I can't wait for the day when I can just do… nothing. No running errands, not making dinner, not picking up kids, not grocery shopping, the list goes on and on. I didn't realize being a parent was SO HARD.

Here's Kendall walking with daddy after the doctor's appointment. You wouldn't know it from this video that just a few minutes before she was a crying mess.

I guess all the crying made Kendall pass out in the car. She almost never sleeps in the car. She actually fell asleep holding onto her veggie chips. Aigoo, aigoo.

We stopped by a ramen place to have a quick bite to eat. Look how cute you are!

Drinking water, all by herself.

Such a good eater… That's why it puzzles me that you lost weight. I was sure you gained weight.

Waiting for more food.

Pretty Kendall.

So by the time everything was done and we got home, it was close to 3pm and time to pick up the original monster- monster 1. Tonight was your daycare's Halloween party so I wanted to make sure you got a bath, ate dinner and had time to change into your costume before heading out. You were looking forward to this party for a whole week now so I thought you would be loving it. Or so I thought…

The Halloween party was at a high school and the teachers converted the whole main floor into a
Halloween-themed room. It was AMAZING!

They had stations set up for activities. 

I present you Iron Man!
I don't know if the new environment made you anxious, but you were quiet, clingy and just not
looking like you were enjoying yourself. When teachers walked by and said hi to you, you just
turned away and said nothing. I hate that!

More of the Halloween decor.

There were close to 500 people at the party. 

All the teachers dressed up in costumes. It was pretty cool.

And the best part of this party? Why, it was the entertainment, of course! They had hired Bounce Entertainment and they were soooooo good! All the kids were on the dance floor dancing like crazy. I was so impressed and I thought you would be all over it seeing that they were playing all the songs that you knew on the radio and I know how much you love to dance. However, you just stood there sulking and you didn't do anything. I think you were the only kid that didn't dance. I kept encouraging you to have a good time, but you were so clingy to me. Eventually you loosened up a bit and actually danced a little bit, but not much. You decided in the end that you wanted to go back to the activity tables and we did some of that, but when the party drew to a close you started throwing a huge tantrum because you didn't want to leave. You actually ran away and when I didn't follow you, you came back and hit me! I was so angry! I tried putting on your jacket and your tantrums got even bigger. I couldn't even get it on and by that time you were screaming and crying. All the parents were looking at me and I was so embarrassed. By the time we got to the car I was about to explode. I screamed at you all the way home. I'm so upset that you aren't like the other kids and it frustrates me that maybe it's something I'm doing wrong. Why is it that you don't say hi to people? Why are you such a snob?? Why do you go crazy when things aren't going your way? Every single thing has to be a challenge for me. I constantly have to think of ways to get you to move onto another thing because once you get into something, it's like you are in a trance. 

When we got home, I was so mad that I didn't even want to see you. I told daddy what had happened and he got so mad. He tried to put you in time out, but that obviously doesn't work with you. Daddy gave you so much memme. I took a quick video of when you are in your tantrum stage. 

How can a boy so cute by so… BAD?!

I really don't know what to do with you. You can make me so mad!

What started off as a nice morning- you playing with spoons (I know, you're weird…) and singing The Wheels on the Bus turned into a nightmare of a day. I really didn't think you were going to have a tantrum when I took you to hip hop class because you've been to several classes now and it's been pretty good, but I should have known better. I realize that I have to constantly talk to you so that you don't suddenly turn a 180… 

We got to the community centre a little early so we were watching the kids by the swimming pool. We always pass the swimming pool area when we are heading to your hip hop class. You kept saying, "Mommy, how come you never take me swimming. I want to go swimming…" I took a mental note to sign you up for swimming classes in January, once your hip hop class is over. I guess the longer you stayed with me, made you more clingy and just not wanting to go. When I told you it was time to start heading to your class, you started whining and saying how you didn't want to go. I tried taking off your jacket and you freaked out. I just started walking ahead telling you to follow me. You started screaming at me and you actually charged at me and hit me. I was shocked and embarrassed as there were a lot of parents milling around waiting for the hip hop class to start. I was so mad that I started grabbing your arm and talking to you sternly (I would have yelled at the top of my lungs if we were alone). You were just flailing your arms and just screaming. I thought once the teacher came out of the class to take you guys in you would calm down, but no. You were not consolable. I dragged you into your class and tried to get you to stand up, but I couldn't. All the other kids were being distracted by your screaming/crying so I told the teachers that I couldn't put you in this week. All my energy was put into getting you to calm down that I forgot your water bottle in your class. By this time I was fuming and so angry that I just started screaming at you in the parking lot. When we got to the car I just yelled at you nonstop. I was so angry that you couldn't be like the other kids in your class, angry that you didn't go to your class when I had paid for it, angry that you never listen and angry that I forgot your water bottle. 

I know it doesn't seem like it, but this was you before the whole tantrum fiasco. It's like a switch.
One minute you're such a sweet boy, and the next a little devil.

I was so angry when I got home that I just didn't want to deal with you. I literally threw you down in bed and forced you to take your nap time.

I was so angry at daddy too because he never takes you on Saturday mornings to dance class. It's always me. I never spend time with Kendall because I'm always with you. I think daddy just doesn't want to deal with you sometimes. I just am hoping and praying that this is just a phase and it will pass…

The only thing that made my day a little brighter was when Kendall smiled and played with me.

School picture day

This is what you wore to you junior Kindergarten picture day. Loving your tie ;-)

Picture day

I am sooooo tired… I've been coming home late all this week and part of last week because of work. I haven't come home in time to see both of you before your bedtimes so I'm frustrated and sad. Daddy told me that you got your proofs for your daycare picture day today. And here it is… I wish you smiled. I know they were trying to get you to smile, but you look so pissed and unhappy.

Tomorrow is your junior kindergarten picture day. Hopefully you look better in that…

Twins and yummy bread

Guess who were twins at church today? You and Asher! Asher's mom, YJ, bought that shirt for you a while ago, and today you and Asher happened to be wearing it at the same time. I think you found it really cool because you were literally attached at the hip to Asher. You were hugging, holding hands, following each other… it was quite funny.

Goofing off in the church gym.

Around dinner time, you and I went over to Asher's house because YJ was teaching mommy how to bake my own bread. She bought me a bread pan from Korea and I recently bought the same bread maker that she had.

The piece de resistance- my new bread maker.

YJ's infamous bread. I'm salivating looking at this.

Fresh out of the oven. Yum!