Happy Birthday Maya!

One year ago, our little girl was born.  She still amazes us to this day. :)

Here is Maya munching on some appetizers as she waits for her party guests:

A hastily wrapped present from mom and dad:

A balloon for each child:

The guests arrive in time for lunch:

After a few (rigged) games… birthday hats and cupcakes!

Some nice collaborative play to round out the afternoon:

What Magnus Said

We've been pushing Magnus to share a lot this month, and he will often invoke the word "share" for his own devices:
Magnus: Maya, you have to share, or else you will lose friends!!
Magnus: Alexander, it's called sharing!  It's called SHARING!

With a little help, starting to spell
Gina: Magnus, how do you spell "soon"?
Magnus: <sounding out> s… uh… oo… oo… ss… o… ooo…
Magnus: 'S' 'O' 'O'
Magnus: <pause>
Magnus: Mom, what was the word again?
Gina: "Soon"
Magnus: 'N'!!!

Going to a new shopping mall:
Gina: We are going to the Gold and Diamond Park today
Magnus: Do they have gold coins?  Mom, do they have golden coins?
Gina: No they don't, sorry Magnus

Magnus: Do they have chocolate coins?

Teaching mum:
Magnus: Mom, I'm sighing, do you know what that means?

Gina: What does it mean Magnus?
Magnus: It means I'm tiiired.

Magnus loves sharing his phonics lessons from school:
Magnus: Ch says "ch!" as in January!
Magnus: TRAINS GO CHUGGING UP THE HILL!  CH-CH-CH!  CH-CH-CH!

Stubbornly anti-social

Magnus: I don't want <a> and <b> to come visit.  It's NEVER going to be fun.
Gina: You had fun with them in Toronto, it'll be fun when they come to Dubai!
Magnus: NO WAY!

Magnus has many sad moments
Magnus: That makes me sad
Gina: So many things make you sad
Magnus: Yes, all the things that you do

Reading a title from his Dad's bookshelf

Magnus: U-2 that spells youtube!!

Clueing in on the five minute rule:
Gina: Magnus, would you like to brush your teeth now or play for 5 more minutes?
Magnus: No, I want to play five 5 minutes!
Gina: How much is that?
Magnus: A long, long, time!
(in the end we agreed on two 5 minutes, which Magnus understood to be 10 minutes)

When we scold:
Gina: Magnus, don't ride your bicycle near Maya again!
Kendrick: Magnus, if you don't listen to Mommy, I will take your bike away!
Magnus: <scrunches up face, sits down dejectedly, talks in a low voice> Dad always takes things away
Gina: No, it's not just Daddy, I will take your bicycle away if you ride it near Maya  <long explanation ensues>

Cheerfully defiant:
Kendrick: You know what would be really nice, Magnus?  Some peace and quiet!
Magnus: No, peace and LOUD!

Your dad, actually:

Gina: <Housekeeper> is from the philippines, did you know that?
Magnus: Oh! who else is from two Ps mom?

Sad and grammatically stagnant
Magnus: You see, I always be sad when I cry mom.
Gina: "I am always sad when I cry"

Magnus: No, I don't want to say it that way!

If I am even slightly distracted:
Magnus: Mom, I don't like it when you say mm-hmm!

Bedtime story:
Gina: "… And a helicopter just for me!"
Magnus: No, "just for me!"
Gina: <pause>  That what I said, "just for me"
Magnus: No, "just for me!"
Gina: You mean, "just for you?"
Magnus: Yeah!

School Assessment 2

Hooray, Magnus was accepted at another school!!!  This school is our second choice, but a very good second choice, so we are quite happy.

I was actually very surprised about this acceptance because I was convinced the assessment did not go well.

I was not allowed to observe the assessment; all the children were corralled into a classroom to listen to a story, play with the toys, and to be observed interacting with other children.

I was left to try to piece together a picture of the assessment the best I could.  I quizzed Magnus after the assessment.  He insisted there was no story.  He said he did nothing, and that nobody talked to him.  He said he didn't like the school and he was cranky because it was late in the afternoon.  OK - bad picture.

Then, the next day when I went to pick up Magnus, I saw pictures of a wonderful boat the teacher had made in the playground.  In all the pictures, every single child was inside the boat, playing, laughing, and listening to the teacher.  Every child, that is, except for Magnus!!  I was so convinced of his anti-social ways that I thought for certain he would have done the same sort of thing at the assessment.

Now that we know he has been accepted, maybe I was wrong.  Or better yet, I was right and they simply understood that not wanting to participate can be a very normal thing for a 3 year old.  

Maya's Adventure

Depending on the angle and Maya's mood, she reminds me of one of her aunts; usually one of the two eldest aunts.  Today she did something that made me think of her youngest aunt.  

It was an unremarkable weekend evening.  As usual, I took the two kids up to Magnus' room to wash up for bed, and as usual, Kendrick was available to spirit Maya away so that I could give Magnus a bedtime story and tuck him in.  And so that I could keep him company until he fell asleep (sigh.)

In the darkness, I could hear Magnus tossing and turning, and I could Maya being entertained with a video downstairs.  After awhile, she tired of her show, and started complaining.  Her father let her leave the video and climb the stairs (we often follow her up the stairs to give her a little workout).  She climbed, complained, and climbed again.  At the top, her dad was not able to entertain her very long in front of the mirror as he usually does, and I heard her come closer and closer to Magnus' bedroom, all the while complaining.  In my mind, I tried to send Kendrick a telepathic message: "Don't let her in yet, just a few more minutes and Magnus will be fast asleep!!"

To no avail: I saw the bedroom door slowly swing open.  My little baby girl peeked inside and when she saw me coming to get her, she started to bawl.  I picked her up and opened the door all the way to talk to her daddy... who was nowhere to be seen.  In an instant, with the strains of the abandoned video in the background, I realized that she had crawled up the stairs all by herself.   She had passed the open doors of the office, the master bedroom, and the visitor room, and pushed her way into darkness - the last place she remembered seeing her mother and brother.

I cuddled her, nursed her, and watched Magnus toss about some more until I heard Kendrick (who was exhausted from a hard week and a full day of physical activity) wake up downstairs.  I called to him and he rushed up to give his little girl some apologetic hugs and kisses.  By the time that was all done, Magnus was finally asleep.  So we took our bright eyed daughter downstairs and spoiled her with attention and affection, until at last it was time for her to sleep too. 

Goodnight everybody, may you all find what you are looking for even in the face of a little adversity.