These Days

*52 Portraits is my project to take and post photos of the kids every week.

Ela is now 16 months! Her stats from last month's well visit are:      Height: 2'6" (25th percentile)      Weight: 18 lbs 15 oz (20th percentile) She has 8 teeth (4 at the top, and 4 at the bottom). Thanks, Sally for the picture. Mobility . She is walking and almost running. It used to be just one directional but she has learned to pivot and change directions halfway. She can also stand from the floor, no more holding on to things to in order to get up. She wasn't walking at 1 y.o. which worried me for a bit but now I see how unfounded it was. Now I miss her wobbly walk when she was just getting started. She can also turn! I saw her do it for the first time when the Gilmore Girls intro song was playing. Exploring . She likes to open drawers and cabinets AND drop the contents to the floor. She likes to make a mess of her toys and books but when in the mood, she also packs them away. Talking . She can say more words now and copy new ones more ea...

Neil had his karate testing for blue belt last Tuesday. We've been through several of these events but to me, each one is a big deal. We see him improve day by day but these tests confirm that he's ready for the next level. He did really well on this test. My favorite part is the recitation of the 9 principles of respect (later part of the video). Only four volunteered to recite and he did it the best, my unbiased opinion. =) Congratulations, Neil!

After Neil's tournament , we stopped by Red Top Mountain State Park because it was a mere 10 minutes away. Had to take advantage. It's a big park but we only checked out the pier and (lake) beach. There was a good number of people swimming. Neil really wanted to swim as well but we didn't bring extra clothes so he just waded. We didn't stay long because we were all getting tired from the morning's activities. I hope we can come back soon to see more of the park and maybe tackle a trail. The parking fee to the beach area was $5 (we didn't know) but were only able to scrape $4.70.  The attendant let us in anyway. =) Made me miss the beaches in the Philippines. 

Neil participated in his first big karate tournament last Saturday. The tournament in May was just at his school. This time, it's all of American Taekwondo Association with most participants from Georgia and neighboring states. It was held in Emerson, GA which is an hour drive from home. The event was very well attended. It's really awesome to see so many age and skill levels represented. There was also a formal parade of the high level black belts and lastly, Grand Master Soon Ho Lee. Even if you don't practice taekwondo, you feel that something special is going on during the ceremony. Neil competed in forms/sparring and combat sparring in a group with 8 other kids. He did not win but I believe the experience itself was very valuable, for him and us. We got to be one of those eager parents in the sideline cheering him on. Grandmaster Soon Ho Lee and higher degree black belts Warming up Go time! Awarding Support crew

Week 32 Week 33

Last year, 5 of my vacation days expired.:( I did not do a very good job of planning and taking days off. Even for special days, I showed up for work. I don't even remember what I worked on that was so important. Now, I look for opportunities to take my days off, like yesterday. It was meet-and-greet day at Neil's school before he starts 3rd grade next week. Richard accompanied him last year so I really wanted to be present this time. We met his teachers, got school supplies and completed the paperwork for registration. And because we're still trying to be efficient, Neil and I squeezed in dental appointments in the morning. In the afternoon, we went to Six Flags Over Georgia as 'huling hirit' summer activity before school. We went on a few rides then spent an hour at Hurricane Harbor, the water park inside Six Flags.