Grandpa Ngai came for a visit which was a really big deal for us. The two oldest could hardly contain themselves at the airport and attacked with hugs and loves the moment they saw him.
I don't think he could have endeared himself any better with the collection of rocks and fossils from ages ago that he gave to the kiddos even before unpacking.
I think this was Bubby's favorite meal out! Check out the pizza face!
The week was spent in our usual pursuits with the beloved company of Grandpa. Free time was spent playing games of all sorts, snuggling to read books or watch shows, chatting away about everything and everything of interest. My children love an audience and if that isn't proof enough then Bubby choosing Grandpa as a reading companion surely is. He chooses you and it's a pretty special thing when he does it.
It was wonderful for me, the chats in the evening as he got to know Kent and. A little better, the walks around the neighborhood or to see the interaction with my kiddos. Before he got here Kent had prepped some questions with the kiddos in an effort to get to know him better and how it was growing up in Hong Kong. It was a fun game to play while eating dinner and certainly cut down the bickering from the oldest two since they weren't vying for attention from us but were wrapped up in Grandpa's replies. We even tried jackfruit all together at K's insistence and rather liked it.
Before he came we managed to set up the pool and Leora sent an excited video to tell him to bring his swimsuit. Unfortunately things were much colder than expected but Grandpa was a good sport and hopped in with everyone for a few minutes.
Birthday traditions are a must in our household. There is the birthday breakfast (Thai mango rice and bacon) and the kiddos prepped some homemade gifts and I pulled together a cake. Later that evening dad treated us to a dinner out.
We had fun at the science center, making the most use of the last of our membership.
We found this little historic surprise right by the science center. Who knew that the first LDS church was right on that site!
It really was a pleasure to have him visit and the kids talk a great deal about the next time we see him. Thanks for coming out to the heat and making some great memories with us Grandpa!
I can't believe Bubbykins has been with us for 6 years! He continues to teach us, 'train us' and remind us of what truly matters in life. The growth he has experience this last year has been wonderful and I'm so proud of all he try's so hard to do.
This boy is a solid 50lbs! One look at him and the doctor could tell he has a strong build and remains high on the growth chart, especially with the Down Syndrome. He still loves basketball and 'swimming'. He is the most enthusiastic cheerleader you will ever find. Our homeschool coop has a few boys that will shoot baskets. He loves to watch them and often yells his enthusiasm or claps whether they make a basket or not. He's already learned that the effort is worth cheering for. Most of the times he is my little runner and I hope he'll be my partner on my early morning runs someday. This is a mixed blessing for me and has definitely kept me young!
Bubby couldn't wait to get out of his church clothes before jumping into the pool.
His time in therapies has shown us that Bubby does much better when his sensory needs are taken so Kent built a swing in a our room that is wide enough to allow us to sit with him and work on writing or puzzles. He absolutely loves it and will drag either us or our respite worker, Mary upstairs, pulling activities he likes from the book shelf to work on. He knows all his letter sounds and we have begun some reading activities with him. I suspect he will better at reading sooner than he will be at clear speech and I hope it opens another world to him.
He wants to be just like everyone else and gets extremely upset when we don't give him that chance. Lately he's wanted to help make the smoothie in the morning or unload the dishwasher. This always has a little panicked as he picks up the glass blender casually and swings it around. Even when Brother limits him to the plastic ware he isn't satisfied and wants to do everything else. Thankfully amid all the broken glassware and plates, he has never cut himself so far. I have to remind myself that as 'young' as he looks, he is growing up and I need to give him the opportunity.
Finding something that Bubby turely loves is hard. We decided that since he loves raisins, nuts and apples, I would bake him a cake with all of it in. The spice round the flavor nicely and we made it a second time for our Easter feast. It didn't come out of the bundt pan the way I hoped but he sure enjoyed it.
Bug bought a large amount of cookies as a gift and we bought some puzzles that will help with pronunciation and spelling. The cookies were the definite favorite for him but he has since grown to
Since homeschooling he has begun to interact with us more, both in actions and verbally. He will often drag Bug to the swing out back and sign 'swing'. She'll guess it correctly and he will enthusiastically yell and jump with delight. If she declines he is quick to slump into a pile and cry plaintively which always softens big Sissy's heart and she relents to his wishes. He shows his affection more often, with his head tilted into your body, or a gentle pat or a funny tickle with his fingers. When he climbs into your lap with a book it's a clear sign he feels secure with you and it's a huge complement.
He has his favorite routine at night and it has become a treasured time for us. He climbs into bed and I lay down beside him, covering him with our family blanket (which is now his!) and laying softly on his backside I sing him his lullaby. Often he reaches back and pats me gently or tilts his head to touch mine. When the song is done he sits up to lay on my backside as he hugs me and pats me in his funny way. I often tease him and tell hhim it's his turn to sing me a song which he yells a negative to and pats me a little extra as if to say, "You don't need a song to know I love you!" If there's time there is giggling and games where I pretend to snore and he wakes me up, or we play peek-a-boo with his blanket.
I am so grateful to have this little man in my life. His persistence and determination amaze me and I can't wait to see what he does in the future! Happy sixth birthday my boy!
