Keila Is 2 Years Old!!!

  Keila is 2 years old today!!! We had a great day to celebrate, too. A party with her friends in the morning (decorating cupcakes, a craft, and lots of playing), plus Daddy came home early so she got to eat dinner with him for once. Plus of course all the presents and cards she received. Keila had so many gifts that she couldn't even open them all today! All in all a wonderful day for this new 2-year-old.
  Here's her progress report:
1. Language. This kid comes up with some hilarious comments now. I really need to start writing them down more often. Keila often has an ongoing narrative about what she's doing at the moment. For example, tonight it was 'Beast! Chase! Hold you!!!' as she chased Wasabi (Beast) through the downstairs hallway. She also still tells a lot of stories and has an amazing memory. Yesterday Keila was talking about Uncle Andrew and Aunt Joke's wedding; she reminded me that Aunt Joke had yellow and orange flowers, which were 'pretty'.
2. Those last 2 teeth are still holding out. Hopefully by next month?
3. Sleep.....yeah. Keila went through the night 3 nights in a row the week before last, then caught a cold and went back to multiple night-time wakeups. Plus napping is down to only about an hour. Maybe by the time she's 3??
4. Keila has started climbing a lot more things recently. I caught her on top of the toilet the other day. Other activities include playing kitchen in her new kitchen (thanks Grandma!), having baby doll use the toilet and get a sticker as a reward, carrying Wasabi around, and helping Mommy clean the house. Now I just need to teach her how to wash dishes and we're all set!
5. Keila is potty trained!!! I'm still finding it hard to believe, but it's been over a week since she's had an accident, save for an occassional sleep-time wee in the diaper. Keila even used the potty while we were Milan over the weekend; go Keila!!!
6. Totally forgot to check Keila's weight and height for today. Oops. She seems pretty average for both but I'll try to remember for next month.
  Happy Birthday Keila!!!!!
  See her blog for more pictures www.keilaeveryday.blogspot.com 


                             Harassing Wasabi

                              Thanks, Grandpa!!!

                         Eating Rainbow Birthday Cake

Product Reviews: Dairy Queen Pumpkin Pie Royal Shake vs Belmont Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream

   We tried a Dairy Queen Pumpkin Pie Royal Shake a few weeks ago, but of course I'm only just now getting around to reviewing it. Actually, my mom and I tried two different pumpkin pie shakes from Dairy Queen--the Pumpkin Pie Royal Shake, and then another shake that cost a dollar more. I don't remember and can't find the name of it, but the only difference really was that the pricier shake was supposed to have pieces of pie crust in it. I say 'supposed to', seeing as that extra dollar bought us about 3 measly and small pieces of pie crust in the entire shake.
 For the 2 small shakes, our bill came to just over 7 dollars. Ouch. Adding insult to injury, I then found out that the Dairy Queen Pumpkin Pie Blizzard was debuting just a few days later. I would've much rather had tasted the Blizzard than the Shake, but I'm not about to go waste more money at DQ.
  Anyway, the Pumpkin Pie Royal Shake review: in a nutshell, don't bother. Details: First off, the shake was way better after being frozen a while, when it had more of an ice cream consistency. So why not just sell it as ice cream, DQ?? Secondly, while it did taste like pumpkin pie, it was just a store-made generic pumpkin pie taste, nothing to write home about. Definitely not worth the 3 bucks and change that Dairy Queen is charging. Especially when....I tried an off-label brand of pumpkin pie ice cream that was amazing! And it only cost $2.88 for the whole tub!
 I had just about given up on finding any pumpkin pie ice cream at all this season (I'd been on the lookout for Edy's Slow Churned Limited Edition Pumpkin Ice Cream, but apparently it's a bit TOO limited around here, seeing as nobody has it in stock)...when I came across some seasonal ice cream in Aldi's, of all places.
 For those of you who don't know Aldi's, it's a generic grocery store that has pretty decent deals on fresh fruits and vegetables, along with staples such as dry roasted almonds and of course Winking Owl White Zinfandel. Great wine, even better price. But back to the pumpkin discussion.
 The day after we tasted Dairy Queen's Pumpkin Pie Royal Shake disaster, I stopped in Aldi's for some veggies...and walked out with pumpkin cream cheese, pumpkin ravioli, and pumpkin pie ice cream. Go Aldi's! Of course neither the cream cheese nor the ice cream were reduced fat, but they were both great. Way better taste than I was expecting for either one. The pumpkin ice cream was a perfect mix of pumpkin pie spices and creaminess, yum! And the pumpkin ravoli actually had pretty healthy stats, although it was sweeter than I expected. More like a dessert ravoli, if such a thing exists.
 I don't know if there's any of the pumpkin pie ice cream left at Aldi's this week (there wasn't any in our local store when I stopped by today) but keep an eye out for Belmont Pumpkin Pie ice cream. It's much better and much cheaper than anything from Dairy Queen, and I'm guessing it has lower calorie stats, too.


                                     Dairy Queen Pumpkin Pie Royal Shakes

 

 

Belmont Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream

 

Keila's 23 Month Update

  Posting this a bit early since we're traveling tomorrow. But seeing as it's already the 6th in Japan, and Keila was born there....
  Yes, that's right. In a month's time, Keila will be 2 years old! I still can't figure out how my baby has become a little girl!
 Here's Keila's progress report for this past month:

1. Keila is continuing to make leaps and bounds in the language department. I do wish that she had more Japanese exposure than she's getting, but we're working on it. This morning on our daily jog, she started saying the Japanese word for 'backwards"....I had no idea why she was saying it until she said it again, then yelled "Cars....gyaku (backwards)". And indeed she was right, cars do drive on the opposite side of the road here in the US! How she figured that out from rolling along the sidewalk is beyond me, but she did. Smart girl!
 Keila also likes to tell me storries about her friends back in the UK, or she'll tell me what Daddy is doing. Usually Daddy is working, but sometimes he's showering or eating.
 2. We have TWO new molars in! Oddly enough, they're not coming through as a matched pair like all the other ones did. Keila's back molars on her left side have come through, top and bottom. Which has made for some very painful meals after she accidentally bit her mouth several times in a row. Two more down, two to go.
 3. Sleep....well, it's obviously taken a backslide since our trip to the US. Keila is refusing to nap AT ALL even though she's exhausted, and as a result she's been rather whiny and clingy. And the lack of naps doesn't really help her sleep at night. I'm praying that she gets back to her routine pretty quickly when we go home in a few weeks.
 4. New activities....Keila loves doing Wii Dance with her cousin. She's also still really into running and being chased, but her favorite activity her is playing kitchen. Grandma's house has a massive amount of toy food, so we've been served numerous cups of tea, pieces of fried chicken, you name it. I can see that we're going to need to find a play kitchen in the UK asap!
 5. Potty training is still coming along, but all the changes in routine have thrown us back a bit. We'll step it up when we get home.
 6. I have no idea how much Keila weighs right now. Will be sure to check height and weight for her 2nd birthday next month, though! Until November 6th...

Product Review: Candy Corn M&Ms

While shopping in Target last week, I came across their massive Halloween candy display....and in it, some candy corn M&Ms. Now, while admittedly having a huge weakness for peanut, pretzel, and milk (and dark) chocolate M&Ms and also for anything new, I was a bit hesitant to try candy corn white chocolate M&Ms. I'm not a huge white chocolate fan for one, and besides, wouldn't adding any sort of chocolate to candy corn make it...not candy corn? So with those thoughts, I forced myself to walk away from the pack that was calling my name.
 Flash forward to Sunday afternoon, doing yet more shopping at Target...and they had put their M&Ms on sale. So of course I caved and purchased a pack of the aforementioned candy corn M&Ms. After dinner that evening, I opened the bag and was rather surprised. Surprised by the fact that these candy corm M&Ms taste like Orange Creamsicles (Dreamsicles to some of you) and nothing at all like candy corn! Thinking that maybe the orange ones just tasted....well....orange, I then tried the yellow and the white ones. Nope, still orange. And orange. Not that I have anything against Orange Dreamsicles, but this taste really wasn't a pleasant surprise. If you like orange candy or orange creamsicles then by all means buy these candy corn M&Ms. Otherwise, go fo the real (as real as anything chock full of dye and processed ingredients can be) deal and just buy a bag of candy corn.


 Seasonal White Chocolate Candy Corn M&Ms

Product Review: Cap'n Crunch Halloween Crunch

Since I'm currently in the US and my Barcelona pictures are back on the computer in the UK, I thought I'd do a few American product reviews until we get home. And seeing as Halloween is fast approaching, there is no small amount of new fall-themed treats in the aisles. Most of these novel products are candies, but some other sugar-laden snacks are getting in on the fun, too. So here we have Cap'n Crunch's Halloween Crunch. Claim to fame? 'Ghosts turn milk green!'
  I used to love Cap'n Crunch as a kid, and I'd happily pick through it to get the tasty red balls (not sure what's in them, but I'm guessing just a higher sugar content than their golden counterparts). So the first thing I noticed upon opening this box is that the good old Cap'n has increased the ratio of red to gold pieces. Smart move, hopping kids up on even more sugar than they were getting previously. I'm sure parents love that.
 These particular Halloween crunch pieces looked about the same as the usual ones, but I was easily able to pick out the 'ghosts': certain red pieces contain bits of green that will tint milk. Does this really excite children? I admit that when I grabbed the box, I wasn't really paying attention to what was special about it (screaming baby being foremost on my mind) but I was expecting something more than "turns milk green". Boooooo to that letdown!
 So overall, what you get is the usual tasting Cap'n Crunch, only with grossly green milk. Oh, and let me clarify that my taste buds have matured since childhood. This stuff is sickeningly sweet! My advice? Don't bother paying extra for the green milk. And if you're even thinking of heading down nostalgia road like I did, do a quick U-turn and go buy some oatmeal instead!

                                   Halloween Crunch: Looks like the usual Cap'n Crunch

 

Cap'n Crunch Halloween Crunch....it sort of turns milk green....but why do you want green milk??

 

 

 

Montserrat, Spain: Day Trip From Barcelona

Mid-week during our stay in Barcelona, we escaped the city for a day trip to Montserrat. Only about an hour by train from Barcelona, Montserrat is quite famous and is the most-visited monastery in the region. It's pretty easy to get to Montserrat--just catch a train from Espanya station. Of course, finding the train in Espanya station is another matter entirely. I'd advise getting there in plenty of time (check the train schedule first, as there's only about 1 every hour for Monserrat). Espanya is quite a large station, so we trekked around a bit after arriving via the metro. Basically, just wander around looking for line R5 for Manresa. And most vendors seemed to know where to point us when I'd pathetically question them: 'Donde esta Montserrat?'. Literal translation: 'Where is Montserrat?' (couldn't remember the word for train at the time). Once you do find the R5 line to Manresa, it's quite simple to buy tickets: the ticket booths are right in front of the ticket gate to the R5 line, and they're manned by very helpful attendants who will explain your options in English if need be.
  You've got a few choices when buying your tickets (do you want to take the cable car or the track railway once you transfer from the train at the foot of Montserrat; do you want to add in the funicular trams that take you to various parts of the the mountain once you're at the top, etc). I'd recommend going for the full package, since it's worth even taking just one of the two funiculars and hiking around. If you're really interested in all the details of getting to/from Montserrat, then try this link: http://www.barcelona-tourist-guide.com/en/tour/barcelona-montserrat.html It's pretty comprehensive and will walk you through everything.
  One final word of advice on traveling to/from Montserrat: be prepared to jump on board quickly when returning to Barcelona. Otherwise you may not get a seat for the entire ride back! Even if you're in line and waiting, it would appear that normal and civil conduct goes out the window when the train arrives: we were pushed aside several times by people trying to board. Apparently nobody cares if you're elderly or traveling with small children. Actually, a lot of elderly passengers were the ones doing the pushing! Thanks, Grandma.
  As for Montserrat itself: it was great, but I can also see why it's not a UNESCO World Heritage site. I'm not trying to knock it at all, but we just had a bit of a feeling of...'We traveled all this way, and this is it?' We're probably just a bit too spoiled by all the amazing world sites we've seen, however.
 One of the main attractions at Montserrat is the Black Madonna statue, which is housed inside the cathedral. You've got to get in line to view it, and beware if you're joining said line out in the hot, sunny courtyard. That means you've got at least a 2 hour wait ahead of you! We didn't realize this fact at the time, so we stood in line for about an hour before Yuki wandered inside the cathedral (while I held our place) and realized that the line snaked in through the side of the cathedral and up to the second floor, where the statue is located at the back. Now, I was all for seeing the Black Madonna, but not if it meant at least another hour of standing around when we could be seeing all the other great sites. Seemed a bit too much like idol worship to me, for one thing! That, and a big waste of time.
 Soooooo, we ditched the line, had lunch in a cafe there (overpriced so if you're on a budget then be sure to pack a picnic), then took a funicular up to the very top of the mountain and hiked around. This hike was probably the best part of the visit, even though it was sweltering and there's no shade up top. However...the views were simply amazing. Definitely make time for a hike if you go. We took the Sant Joan funicular, which is said to have the best views. (The other funicular, Santa Cova, takes you to a cave and a rock where, according to legend, the Black Madonna was rediscovered).
 A note for those of you with small children: bring a baby backpack. Strollers just aren't going to work up at the top. There are lots of steep steps in areas, plus the paths aren't exactly paved. And to anyone with a fear of heights....just don't look over the edge in some areas. Trust me.
  After sweating away half our body weight up at the top, we came back down and cooled off in the cathedral for a bit. It's a really gorgeous building, inside and out, and if you have a good lens or maybe some binoculars, you can actually see the Black Madonna from inside the main part of the chapel.
 All in all, it was a great day trip, but if you're pressed for time in Barcelona and wondering if Montserrat is a must-see....well, I'd say you won't hate yourself for skipping it.

                 
                           See those people up the steps behind me? That was beginning of the line for the Black Madonna.

                     Inside the cathedral at Montserrat. That cut-out arch at the very back (above the crucifix) along the second-floor level is where you could see the Black Madonna. Steps from along the side of the cathedral lead up and around there.

                                        The top of Montserrat

                                    Some nuns paying pilgrimage at Montserrat. The drop-off to the left was vertigo-inducing.

                           Ruins/cave along the wall of the mountain

                                Montserrat monastery as seen from above

                                                Inner courtyard of Montserrat cathedral

                                    Inside the cathedral at Montserrat

                               Outer courtyard at Montserrat

Keila is 22 Months Today!

  Only 2 more months until Keila turns 2. I cannot believe that time has passed so quickly! In fact, it's passing so fast that I nearly forgot that today was the 6th already.
  Here's Keila's progress from last month.
 1. Her vocabulary is huge now! She's easily combining words to make small sentences. Some of her favorites are: 'Get ready'; 'Hold you!' (she hasn't quite made the transition to 'Hold ME' yet);  'I riding' (used when riding her zebra, the back of the couch, and sometimes Wasabi); 'Toes dirty!'; 'Grandpa...phone!' and 'Dada....car....come home!'. She also knows random words that I haven't particularly taught her. Yesterday she touched her chest and said 'Heart'....no idea how she learned that one. Oh, and her first full, grammatically correct sentence was on Saturday. It was....drumroll....'I want ice cream!' Oops. That kid does love her ice cream. Go Keila go!
 2. Those back teeth have yet to come in, still chewing on things though. Maybe by the time she's 5??
 3. Oh, sleep. I'm longing for the nights when Keila would only wake up once! Lately she's figured out how to open her bedroom door (if she leans out from her crib she can grasp the handle), simultaneously with figuring out that Mommy doesn't just go to sleep when she does. Which has led to many fits when I tell her to go to bed.
 4. Keila has started playing hide and seek along with her favorite game of 'Chase chase'. She prefers to be the seeker but will sometimes hide for me, too. She also discovered how to go down the slide head-first today, so now I have something else to worry about at the playground!
 5. Potty training has begun! Not in full force yet, but we're taking it slowly and she seems to be doing ok with it so far. Maybe in the next few months we'll have that mastered.
 6. Keila is 12.4 kilos according to our scale. She loves to weigh herself and also her baby dolls on it. Not sure about height but she seems pretty average compared to other kids her age.
 Until the 23 month mark.....