A Typical Morning

This is what 7am is like in our house! And yes, Mekhi caught me off guard in the end. (click on the video below to play)

From Mekhi Videos 10.5.09

What I've learned..

You can learn a lot from a 1 year old! Here's what Mekhi has taught and reminded me about love, life and myself this past year...

1. Stop and smell the roses (stop in awe and appreciate the things around you)
2. There's humor in everything
3. Practice makes perfect
4. A nap in the middle of the day makes everything all better
5. Love unconditionally
6. Short-term memory is a wonderful thing-- forget about it!
7. Eat several times a day (to avoid melt-downs)
8. Do what you love
9. Be persistant-- NEVER give up!
10. It's the little things that matter
11. Every moment counts
12. Love EVERY inch of yourself especially what others see as flaws
13. Accept people for who they are
14. Be patient
15. Don't need much to survive--just food, milk, shelter, love & laughter
16. You don't need a reason to dance
17. Smile often because it's contagious
18. Make the best of every situation
19. Be self-soothing, self-entertaining, self-reliant
20. Best things in life are free-- hugs, smiles, kisses, laughter
21. Be aggressive
22. Say what you want and mean what you say
23. Be fearless
24. Stick to the schedule
25. Share the best of what you have with loved ones

Top 10 Favorites

Besides balls in all shapes and sizes (basketball, football, soccer, etc), Mekhi does have other interests and they are--in no particular order:

1. Bugs (fake rubber ones please)
2. Books (loves to read & color)
3. Puzzles
4. Blocks
5. Cars
6. Bikes (especially motorcycles-- oh, boy!)
7. Airplanes
8. Hats (yes, he's obsessed)
9. Shoes (first thing he does after he gets up-- puts on his shoes)
10. Music (enjoys singing and dancing)

Honorable Mention: Bags (gulp, yes-- the boy likes carrying purses)

Pirate Party or Bust?

My baby is turning two... where did the time go?

I know I promised not to go over-the-top this year. Goal is to keep it small and on budget-- but I keep finding the cutest little party favors & decor and this crap adds up! I really wanted to do a sports themed party since Khi is crazy about balls but this pirate party pack keeps calling my name. Everything about this pack is adorable... right down to the birthday boy pirate party hat ($9.99), treasure hunt invitations, pirate balloon($9.99), treasure chest pinata ($15.99) and inflatable pirate ship cooler ($29.99). What do you think? Go with the Pirate theme? Man, I haven't even bought food yet and I'm already blowing the budget! LOL.

Terrible Twos!

Urrrrgh, does anyone want a little boy? I'm giving one away for free! Just kidding ... but seriously, I'm not ready for this phase where he's stating his independence and telling me NO. Who is this kid? What happened to my sweet 1 yr old?

Sequoia's 2009

Khi and I enjoyed a summer evening down at the waterfront in DC. We had dinner with Maya and made some new friends. Khi really enjoyed people watching and was fascinated by the motorcycles and watching this really pretty Asian woman with big calves ride her bike. Check out the short but sweet video below of him riding circles around me. (click on the image below)

From Sequoias

Boys Will Be Boys!

Khi having a cheesy snack with his lil cousin Zaire. When they weren't fighting for my attention they were making up over cheese sticks and goldfish.

He Aims, He Shoots, He Scores!

I can just hear the crowd roaring now ... Khi is destined to be great! Check him out playing ball in his room. If you can tune me out and listen closely, you can hear him saying "take a shot"!
(click the image below)

Mmmm, Vapiano's

Mekhi loves pasta at Vapiano's just as much as mom! But how is he oblivious to that noodle stuck on his head? Good job using your noodle Khi! (click the image below to see more pics)

Mmmm, Vapiano's

Benihana Baby

He loved the soup, sushi, steak and sauces! It was fun to watch him try out the chopsticks, laugh at the chef's corny jokes and watch the pyro tricks in amazement. For a sec, I thought the chef scorched Khi's eyebrows off but then remembered that he didn't have any to begin with. Enjoy the pics!

Having a Ball!

Mekhi had a ball at his first Wizard's game. I don't know which he enjoyed more- watching the game or the Wizards Girls since he cheered and clapped for both. Here's a very short video and some pics. Enjoy! (click the image below to view)

From Wizards Game- March

Mommy's Little Helper

Mekhi helped make some of the best brownies EVER! Check out the pics and video of him mixing things up. (click on the image below to view the video)

From Mommy's Little Helper

Call 911-- Khi Locked Himself in the Car!

Yes, that's right-- Khi locked HIMSELF in the car! (not me). Whenever I would hear stories about toddlers getting locked in the car, I would always wonder, 'How did a 2 year old lock themselves in a car'. Unfortunately, now I know.

Mekhi was a little fussy so I tossed him my keys to calm him down before he got too worked up. He was happy so mommy was very happy. I hopped out the car and walked around the back of the car to his side (passenger side). That's when I heard 'click- beep' and my heart dropped to my knees and I got a queasy feeling in my stomach. Sure enough the door was locked. I peeped in the window and Khi was all smiles. Since he kept pressing the lock button I thought I could convince him to hit the unlock button. I pleaded with him for 20-30 mins before I gave up and asked a neighbor to call the police. I really thought he was going to press the unlock button... he kept smiling at me and pointing to the unlock button but would press the lock button instead. He's a funny dude... I think he knew exactly what he was doing. Anyway, I heard the police, fire truck and ambulance sirens coming around the corner before we hung up the phone. I couldn't believe they sent so many people to come to Khi's rescue. So embarrassing with all my neighbors piling outside to see what the commotion was all about. I'd say it took them about 2 minutes to break into my car and pull out a happy, giggling 19 month old. Never again! Lesson learned... Mekhi now has his own set of car keys (random set of keys that don't go to anything).

Mommy, Boo-Boo!

This may sound gross but I must admit, one of my proudest moments today was when Mekhi greeted me kindly with these words.... "Mommy, boo-boo". And, sure enough there was a package waiting for me. Not at all what I was expecting to hear when I picked him up from the daycare but was very excited to hear that he's recognizing the poop on his bottom. Now, just need him to tell me BEFORE he poops!