08.31.05
Protected: Magic of being 2
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08.26.05
24-month checkup
8/26/05 28 pounds 3 oz (50-75%); 34 1/2 inches (50-75%); HC- 48 3/4 cm (75-90%)
Maddy gained about 4 pounds, grew 2 1/2 inches during the past six months…. continues to be on the same curves for all three measures.. average weight and height with a big head.
Old measurements:
8/18/03 6 pounds 1/2 oz; 19 inches
9/03/03 6 pounds 14 oz; 19 3/4 inches
10/15/03 10 pounds 9 oz; 22 1/2 inches
12/17/03 14 pounds 7 oz; 23 3/4 inches
2/18/04 16 pounds 11 oz; 25 1/2 inches; head 17
6/22/04 19 pounds 4 oz; 28 inches; head 18
02/18/05 24 pounds 10 oz; 32 inches
08.24.05
Stair accident
The child rolled down the stairs this afternoon.
She was not even walking down like a big girl.. in a hurry to come down to play with her toys so she did the backward tummy thing. With her skill, she usually comes down within 5 seconds. She made the same mistake as Lot’s wife: looking back. It made her lost balance and the next thing you know she is not sliding down any more…. to my horror at the bottom of the stairs, the child practically flipped and rolled for the rest of the way down.
Sometime we get to apprciate the details our builder put into this house. One of them being extra padded carpet on the stairway.
She was more shocked/surprised than being painful physically (you can just tell from her cries), and thirty seconds later she was back playing with the toys she wanted in the first place.
No blood… not even a scratch… just a little bruise on the side of her forehead that showed up half hour later.
08.23.05
Best friends
Abraham is Maddy’s best friend in school now. They’re an unbashful pair. The other day one of the teachers told daddy a boy in class pushed Maddy and Abraham told him off: “don’t push Maddy”.
We get reports about them running in the playground holding hands often, and it was so obvious that Abraham was one guest who was awfully important to Maddy. When he showed up at the door, the girl jumped up and down and up and down and they ran off to a corner together and mubbled things to each other.
Abraham washes his hands ‘twice’ in the morning. First time when he comes into class, and the second time when Maddy comes into class. If he is busy playing, Maddy will call him across from the sink “Abraha come wash hands” They wash hands, wipe them and run off to their morning playings together.
I went to school to check on Maddy yesterday in her early pre-school class (they’re in transition this week). Apparently, they got assigned to sit together, and I got extra excited about her new class. It reminded me of me and my best friend Anne… how we were inseparatable for more than ten years before I moved away.
I’m thankful that God has sent a special boy to be Maddy’s best friend. He is affactionate; helpful (the only kid in the entire class who actually helps Ms Dancy move down all the toddler chairs every day); well behaved (”Hi Maddy mommy”, he calls me before giving me hugs and waits for Maddy’s scream “No, No, not Abraha mommy.. my mommy”); and just the sweetest boy you can ever find. “Maddy like pink” (it’s not entirely true but I thought the effort was commentable) he told his mommy when they tried to pick out a gift for Maddy.
I hope Maddy is just as big as a blessing to Abraham as he is to her.
08.22.05
Maddy_Mommy Night
Funny things Maddy said tonight during our Maddy_Mommy time:
1) Maddy: Where’s daddy? I don’t know.
I chukled at how mature she sounded. Just last week it was still “where daddy go”
Mommy: Daddy went to play valleyball tonight
Maddy: Oooh
2) Since it’s the second time Maddy has ever rejected a green veggie, I am officially declaring that Maddy doesn’t like Chinese Broccoli
(well, plus she said “I don’t like it” with a ugly face, and she tried it three times herself)
3) While we strolled through all the stuff in PBK, Maddy screamed on the top of her lung when she saw the toddler bed “That’s NICE bed!” I had been eye-ing this bed and debating on whether to get her a toddler bed or have her go straight to a full size bed. When I asked her to try on a full size bed there, her reply was “no, too big” I don’t think I’ll be making decisions alone from now on.
4) She insisted on being carried… “Too many people walk around” she complained. I guess I don’t mind holding her after all. She is getting heavy and I don’t think I can hold her for much longer.
She amazed me when she turned one… how one day she was a helpless baby and the next day she turned into this toddler who understood so much more than I gave her credits for.
Once again she amazes me and shows me the difference between a one-year-old toddler and a two-year-old toddler just like that… overnight transformation.
As she counted her dry plum pieces (yep, the girl loves the crazy Chinese snack) “One, Two, Thee, four-five-sec. eeight mumbled mumbled“… I’m so humbled and grateful to be part of her life journey!
It makes me so pround to see all that she’s accomplished and all that she’s becoming to be!
08.21.05
Too cute for mommy
Instead of whining or giving her usual demand “I want ###; I want ###”, Maddy gave me a shy look and pointed to the left over potato chips on the counter on Sunday morning fully knowing that she doesn’t get chips too often, not to mention it was breakfast.
Mommy: Does Maddy want chips? (w my half-pretend non-approval voice)
Without any prompt by anyone…without any words in reply, she gave me this sweetest kiss on the lips and a tight wrap around my neck, then she quietly look at me again with her begging yet ‘hopeful’ eyes.
The child got three potato chips as part of her breakfast.
So the manipulation started, and how I so gladly fell for it head to toe.
08.18.05
Primrose Prayer
I had never checked in on Maddy before her meal time or snack time, so I was very pleasantly surprised that the teachers actually made them say the ‘Primrose Prayer’ before they eat. Even more surprised that these two-year-old can resite many words from the prayer (although they still peek and smile and move around during prayer time):
Thank you for the world so sweet
Thank you for the food we eat
Thank you for the birds that sing
Thank you God for everything.
Amen
Maddy is TWO!
We’re thankful for the blessings God has given us through Maddy throughout the past two years, and what a unique and special person she has become!
Maddy is loved by many many people far and near and she is celebrating her birthday ‘week’ with different special events.
We pray that God will continue to give us the wisdom and grace to raise Maddy up to be a wonderful child of God.
08.15.05
Eavesdropping
While I was getting Maddy’s change of clothes ready (today is waterplay day), I over heard conversations between Maddy and daddy:
Daddy: Maddy, you’re too cute.. blah blah blah…. I love my daughter.
Maddy: I love my mommy!
Daddy: huh?? you love your mommy? (probably a little hurt)
That’s my girl 
08.11.05
Somethings mommy can’t do
There are things that mommy does the best and no one else can replace; there are other things the school does better than mommy. My hope is that Maddy will benefit from all the environments she is in and the ‘flaws’ of each environment (including mommy’s flaws) are minimized by the ‘community strength’ which she is growing up in.
Often the little things surprise me the most. Maddy came home yesterday with a braided new hairdo… done by Ms W, the sub teacher.
I couldnt’ believe it. I only have about five seconds to put up Maddy’s hair everyday. On my lucky days, I get to make two piggy tails for her. How in the world did Ms W get her to stay still for what it looks like a five-minute job I have no idea. Not to mention that Maddy has fine, sparse, uneven (because mommy refuses to get her a haircut until her hair is much longer) hair.
She was very pleased with her new hairdo when I picked her up… showing me the first thing I got into the room. Mommy and daddy got such a kick out of it we changed her into a dress before going out to dinner. She actually look girly!
08.09.05
Little helper
We walked neighbor’s doggie Rudy this past weekend as they took a short vacation to the beach. Rudy is a much better mannered dog than Brownie.. mellow and walks ’straight’.
All the sudden baby girl seems bigger than usual as she proudly walked Rudy all by herself for the entire 10 minutes around the trail.
First Prize
A lady from Little Gym left me a VM with her totally over-reacting voice and told me that I had won a big prize of a free ’session’ and a free membership fee and needed me to call back to confirm that I got the message.
I thought, ok, everyone can schedule a trial class for free, but the waive of membership fee isn’t bad at all… So I called and explained the message I got. The guy who answered said “Is your last name Chen?” I figured.. “ok, I guess not that many Chinese kids take lessons there.. I suppose we could be THE Chen at the Little Gym”
“Yes, you won the grand prize of the free session” said he with again overly exciting voice.
“Yes, thank you very much for the free session.. oh and thank you so much for the free membership” I said courteously
“Yea, and the whole free session” he said again “You’re our grand prize winner!”
“Yes, thanks again for the free class. I signed Madision up for the fall quarter last Friday. She will be in the beast class.. blah blah”
“YES, we know… we re-funded your deposit and look forward to have Madison in our fall session!”
Then I realized why these people seemed to be over-reactnig all these time…
“Do you mean Madison has the WHOLE FALL SESSION free as in all 20 classes?” I said, now trying to hide my own excitement.
“Yes, she got THE GRAND PRIZE at the open house last Friday. She will be attending the FALL SESSION at no charge!”
I would have done a Chen dance myself if there weren’t so many co-workers in lab.
I have never won anything except one red pencil sharpener when I was in third grade.. The lucky child sure has a golden spoon in her mouth..
God bless Maddy!