A REFLECTION...THE START OF THE SECOND YEAR

A REFLECTION...THE START OF THE SECOND YEAR

I am going back and retracing the events of the second year of Kai-Kai with us.

We had been away from Kai-Kai for three weeks...Manila was hot and humid when we arrived there and still hot and humid when we left. In crossing the International Date Line there was still at least 16 hours difference plus the times spent between flights. The most important thing was we celebrated the 95th birthday of his great-great Umma. Tisha sent her a card with Kai's picture and I noticed that my Mom put it in her handbag which she has with her at all times.

As usual, I waited outside for Tisha to pull in the driveway. As I was coming toward the car, Kai spotted me and I can see that he is straining his head to have a good look as to who was coming toward the car. I can detect that he recognized me though he did not smile; he immediately came to me from his Mom and put his head on my shoulder. His eyes wide open, looking around, maybe tiring to tell himself that: "I had been here before." "This place look familiar." He was in a certain mood that morning. It became obivious when Umma greeted him; "Hello Kai-Kai..did you miss us?" His response was some combination of a grunt and a whine, which could be interpreted as: "Where have you been?" He would not let Umma hold him but clung onto me.

The rest of the morning we were together by ourselves, me holding his little hand as we started exploring his old "turf." We walked in circle, going from one cupboard door to another in the kitchen. We went outside for a while, changed his diaper, fed him with banana, cheerios and milk. By the time Umma came back from her Monday shopping, he was asleep in his swing. That was the first time for a long time that he slept in my arms. I just cradled him in my arms and we dance and I sing..."Sleep Little Boy To Become A Big Boy" (my own composition) Umma came back, him sound asleep with Nalie by his side watching him.

The year seems to have gone too fast...Kai-Kai has grown! I would say he has absorbed so many things that a boy his age could accomplished...probably more than one would expect. He has learned to make conversation; although at times he reverts to his 'gibberish" way of expressing the things that he would like to say. Of course, Umpha understands him! He is making very good progress. The "r's," the "s'es" and "l's" are getting pronounced. He started to put words together like "Up, up away!" or "Up, up in the sky" when he wants to express something way beyond his reach. It amazes me how he will put a couple of words together to get to the point of what he wants to say. This year, he was on a dinosaur craze. I think he knows more about those creatures than I do or his Umma combined. Of course, the real love for cars is still very strong! You won't find him without his favorite car in his hands. When we are outside in the backyard and he will be engaged in another thing, he will give me his cars to put in my pocket. Halloween and Christmas has been a learning process with him. He associated the pumpkins, monsters and ghosts wrappings with chocolates inside...and with "Happy Halloween." Of course let us not forget the "purple spider" balloon that we visited practically everyday in the neighborhood...the same neighbor that has the Snowman and Santa Claus right now that he still wants to visit. The lights and the tree are also his favorite. He learned how to sing "Twinkle, twinkle little star" but with added words in the rendition, of..."Up, up in the sky."

I have to start sorting his "paintings" to be framed for the show in March. This will be something I am looking forward to and with a little apprehension; wondering how he will act during the reception. But, I can assure you that the show will be great for a boy with too much time on his hands.

I have written a journal of his first year with us...mostly our daily routines. It was 20 pages in all and I thought I lost it among my files...found it and re-read it just now. It was really a journey for us together! I wonder if Tisha would let me include that in his time capsule??? I will have to have either Tisha or Rodin transfer it to a disc. After all this years with the computer, I haven't done that!