Get Ready!
Ok! We’re getting back into the swing of things! We’re back home. We’re on schedule. We’re into the routine. We’re ready to update our loyal following of friends and family about what’s been happening with the one and only, Kai. Liu.
So, like, what does he do now?
Good question, everyone! One big thing Kai has been practicing is his verbal communication skills. Kai has been able to string more than one sentence together for a while now. “I just put the truck away. I’m all done with it now.” “I’m going potty, then I can have snack.” “Don’t clean this up, mama, I’m still working.” But now Kai wants to have conversations. Kai likes to talk about what he is doing, what he did, and what he is going to do. He looks forward to fun activities that will happen in the future and loves telling us about all the adventures he went on. A lot of times, however, it’s just weird stuff and we don’t really know what he’s talking about.
He also understands the 5 W’s and is even starting to understand the concept of favorite. Socially, Kai now has a healthy fear of strangers but loves seeing familiar faces. He’s even began expressing his feelings, especially when he is frustrated or sad. Mama and daddy are so proud of Kai because instead of throwing a fit, Kai often tells us he is upset and why he is feeling that way.
Sometimes, he doesn’t need to say anything at all…
No pictures!
Kai has literally turned into the abuelita in Coco when it comes to pictures. Mama barely gets any cute pictures with Kai’s face anymore. It’s super annoying.
Travel Pros!
The Liu family is killin’ it in the travel game. This trip, Kai got his own seat on the plane. Mama finally bought a travel carseat and the best carryon luggage for families. She even got a fanny pack. She geeked out mom style but it was totally worth it. Kai took a nap on the plane, played games, watched movies, stayed in his seat. The cutest thing? He held our hands when the planes took off and landed.
Nothing says “mom style” more than tennis shoes, fanny packs, BLACK leggings, a psychotic look that says “I' can’t believe I survived a plane ride with my toddler” and one article of clothing put on incorrectly. In this case, my sweatshirt was backwards.
When in Washington
We saw all the people. The family spent the first part of their trip in Washington, visiting friends and family, while doing a bit of touristy things. Kai had so much fun playing with everyone. He would go to bed talking about his friends or Tia and Jia or his cousin, then wake up the next day asking if we would see them,
So happy to see his cousins!
For old times sake
Mama took Kai to the Pacific Science Center and Space Needle as a special treat. Kai loved the Space Needle and it was a perfect day to see the city. But the dinosaurs and butterflies were on the same level of scary. :-/
Off to Oregon!
Via the train! The train is the perfect way for the family to travel from Washington to Oregon. The seats are big and comfy, there’s lots to see, and it’s a train. Boys love trains. We even got to sit on the upper level! We rode it all the way to Grandma and Grandpa’s house in Albany. :)
Hangin’ at Grandma’s and Grandpa’s house
Grandma was so excited to have Kai stay at her house! She picking the family up at the train station and had a happy face balloon for Kai right when we arrived. She decorated the house, had presents, and even a little trampoline in the garage for him to jump in. It was the perfect place for the family to relax. We also realized that Kai is definitely a cat person. The cats loved Kai. They always wanted him to pet them, they laid in his bed, and listened to him while he chatted away in their ear. Him shouting, “I’m Cat Boy!” sealed it. He’s just like is mama.
Goofin’ around with grandma!
Harvest Festival!
Since it was fall and were on the mainland, we went to the Harvest Festival at Bauman’s. It was so fun! Hayrides, big slides, farm animals, and bug trains. What more could a kid want?
Someone may have had more fun than everyone else. It may not have been their best look…
Speaking of “best looks”, Uncle Keean thought mama and grandma were taking too long trying to get Kai to take a picture. Uncle found out the struggle is real with toddlers.
We got a cute one eventually. :)
That naughty little smirk though…
Last Stop: Wa wa and Yei yei’s house!
The last leg of our Northwest trip was at Kai’s Wa Wa and Yei Yei’s house. Kai got a lot of time to soak up all his Chinese culture through, food, customs, and language. Even though it was a bit overwhelming at times, Kai did an awesome job and even had lots of fun in the process. Plus, Yei Yei showed him how to sing Karaoke and practice good showmanship.
A few little gems from our trip…
We even saw Uncle Isaiah and Uncle Kevan!
Uncle Isaiah and Uncle Kevan were able to steal a little time from work while we were in Portland to see us. We only saw them for a little while but we still had a blast. :)
He had his own cup of bubble tea for the first time.
Boba connoisseur in the making.
Literally the most fun thing at Clackamus Mall…
Back in the swing of things
Wearing barrettes. Painting robots. Scooping pumpkins. Playing in Jack’s crib. Brining things to Uncle Bob. Learning about the body. Maui-style puddle play. Sleeping with Maddox. etc. etc. etc.
TRUCKS! TRUCKS! TRUCKS!
Once a year, for one day, there is an event on Maui where kids can see all the big trucks and sit in them and take pictures and see them up close. To say Kai was excited, would be an understatement. :)
Phew! You did it. This is the end. We are officially all caught up. Next week, a regular-sized post.
