Dora is in the Diaster Medical Assistance Team and had gone through some training earlier this year.  She was finally deployed for the first time this past Friday to help with the Sandy disaster.  Only a few of the Colorado team (including Dora) got picked to join a Georgia team that was to be deployed.  I talked with Dora today; she along with the team have been lucky to be placed in a hotel in Manhattan for lodging so far.  Some teams had to stay in cots during their service.  All the volunteers there spend a lot of time waiting around for assignments. Dora finally was sent to an apartment complex in Conley Island yesterday checking in with each tenant to make sure that they were ok.  She also helped writing some prescriptions to ensure the people having adequate medication supplies. 

    Logan brought home a little book from school today.  The teacher was so excited to tell Stuart that Logan was able to read through his first book.  She shared that so far only 4-5 kids in the class are able to accomplish that.  After dinner, we were so excited to have Logan showed us what he could do, and he read through the entire book with no errors the first time round.  We were definitely surprised and proud of Logan.  I even asked him to read the book again so I could capture it in video.

     Connor is talking a lot now, and copying the words we say.  His pronunciation is getting better as well.  He seems to enjoy being able to say the words that he has known for awhile; he was pointing out the different part of his body and saying the words to me last night.  This morning when I was reminding Logan to change his clothes, Connor followed my lead and said “Gah Gah, Go change!”.  Then after Logan changed, Connor suddenly turned to me with a sad face, and said “Me, No change”.  I asked if he wanted to be changed, he said “Yes” with his latest favorite thing, a big head nod!  Connor is learning some counting too.  During bath when I asked Logan to count to 10 for something, Connor chimed in “1,2,3”, then he waited til Logan said 7, he continued “8,9.10”. 

    Logan never likes to share information.  The day when I returned from New Mexico, I asked Logan whose party he attended on Sunday or what he did there, but I received a silent response.  But last night after dinner, Logan suddenly remembered about the two rice krispy cupcakes that he received as a part of the party favor.  I purposely asked him to remind me what he was looking for, then he said “the cupcakes that I got from Hunter’s birthday party”.  It was funny that he would finally share the info when there was a motivation behind it.

   We decided to weigh the boys last night.  When I took the scale out, they both were so excited to hop on.  Connor weighed 38lbs and Logan weighed 41lbs.  Wow, they are just three pounds apart. 

     I plugged in their weighs online and obtained some stats.  Logan is at 73 percentile (53 on another website) while Connor is at 97 percentile. 

     Connor and I flew out on Sunday to see my parents.  Since we were flying out from OAK in the morning, we did not bother transitioning the kids to daylight savings time the night before.  Stuart and Logan drove us to the airport, hung out just a little bit, and both boys had no problems or clinginess while saying goodbyes.  Connor was so excited to see airplanes, kept gesturing and saying “big airplanes”.  He was excited to get inside the plane, and he had fun eating his snack, drawing and watching videos for the first hour.  Then he fell asleep on my lap all the way until the fasten seatbelt sign was turned off upon arrival. 

     My parents came pick us up as soon as we picked up our luggage; Connor was a bit shy seeing them.  While I was trying to secure the car seat in the car, Connor was following my instruction to sit with Gong Gong (grandpa).  I peeked at him a few times; Connor had a slightly frighten look while being held by my dad, but he was sitting very still as instructed.  When the carseat was ready, I moved Connor in it and striped him in, and during that time, poor Connor started to tear quietly and whispered “daddy”.  He finally calmed down when I climbed into the passenger seat next to him and held his hand.  Connor was so obedient, but it was so sad to see that sad face.

    Once we got to the house, Connor warmed up to Gong Gong and Poh Poh (grandma), and the new environment quickly.  He enjoyed walking around the house, and sometimes staying in our room playing with our luggage.  He learned to answer me “Here!” every time when I asked where he was.  During the next day and a half, we spent a lot of times visiting my relatives (great grandma, uncles/aunties) and one of my friends and her mother.  Connor was very good with everyone, smiley to them, repeating all the Chinese words that he was taught to say, giving hugs and blowing kisses.  He was very patient most of the time while I was catching up with everyone.  He liked the porridge and noodles my mom made, and he also ate well the next day during lunch and dinner with people.  Yesterday I also took my dad to his GI doctor appointment that I had made for him.  While we were gone for the two and a half hours, Connor stayed home and spent the time with my mom.  He initially cried when I told him that I was leaving, but according to my mom, Connor was very good the rest of the time, walking on his own with my mom to a park then later hanging out at the house.  The only time he cried briefly was when my mom attempted to check if he needed a diaper change.  I was very proud of how sweet and well behaved Connor was with everyone the entire trip.  My friend’s mother even joked (I hope) that I could leave Connor behind with them.

    Everyday during the trip, Connor asked for Daddy quite often and sometimes even for Goh Goh (Logan).  He asked me a few times to call Daddy to talk with him.  By the second day, Connor had learned to answer his own question “Home” when he asked for their whereabouts.  He was so excited last night when I told him that we were flying home the next morning to see daddy.  Today Connor did even a better job during the flight.  He enjoyed looking out the window while we took off; he then had some fruits, and afterward asked to watch a video.  Before I knew it, he fell asleep on my lap and woke up just 15 minutes before landing.  He was eating some seaweed snack while watching the landing.  At the airport, Connor was so excited when he spotted daddy and ran to him for a big hug.  Connor has been more chatty that Stuart even felt the difference only being apart with him for two and a half day.

    On the other hand, Logan was good with Stuart the past few days.  They attended Hunter’s first birthday party on Sunday at a gymnastic place.  Logan was a bit clingy but did follow the party instruction.  At one point, when he was reminded that I was gone, Logan suddenly had a big expression and questioned aloud “What are we going to do without mommy?”  Later on, when someone asked Logan again what he would do without mommy, Logan actually replied “Stay up all night!”  Haha!  For the rest of the time, Stuart enjoyed some quality time with Logan, playing some bigger boys toys together.  The only worry Stuart had was how to pack lunches for school, the first time he ever had to do it.  Logan did mention a few times that “Mommy and Connor are gone for a LONG time!”.  When he came home from school today, Logan ran inside the house to give me the biggest hug and smile ever.  While Logan and I were hugging, Connor ran over and hugged Logan from the back too.  Connor was missing his brother as well.

    Shortly after our joyful reunion and playing, Logan and Connor had a small head bump.  For a strange reason, Logan started crying and threw a tantrum which was very rare.  He ran into his room and took awhile before he was willing to come back out.  Dinner time was a bit hectic as we had to deal with both kids eating again.  Both Stuart and I agree that it is strange but true that it is tougher when we have two on two vs. one on one. 

   This trip home was definitely a short yet productive one.  I got to accompany my dad to a doctor visit, celebrated my mom’s upcoming birthday, assisted both of my parents in buying a pair of shoes, and educated my mom in healthier eating.  I also enjoyed some bonding time with Connor.  However, it is so nice to be home again today.

    Connor’s talking seems to be advancing slower compared to Logan did at his age, but he is doing a lot of practicing.  He is up to 3 words; some examples are “let me see” or “no, mommy reads!” when I ask him to read on his own, etc.  When we read to him, he will try to read along by making lot of noises throughout the entire book.  Tonight when we were reading “Elmo Loves You”, every time when I read “Elmo loves YOU”, he adds “and Momma, and Daddy, and “Goh Goh” (brother).  While I am singing lullabies to him, he does the same by singing along and humming noises.  I mess around with him sometimes by singing some Chinese ones, and he still keeps humming along.  For a long time, when Connor tried to copy certain words the sounds he made were completely different, which was funny to hear.  Now he finally gets better in copying what we ask him to repeat.  I have been trying to have him practice saying grandpa and grandma in Chinese before we see them, and his pronunciation for grandpa is still a bit off but sort of cute.

    Both Logan and Connor happen to really enjoy watching a TV cartoon called Backyardians lately.  Every morning, Connor asks to watch “Yardians, Yardians” when we come out to the family room.  Connor likes to dance to the theme song and Logan tries to sing along with it too.  Here is a video of Connor dancing this morning, and you may hear Logan attempting some of the lyrics in the background