Cold side!

As I sit here in a church parking lot off of Grange Hall Road with Kavaun sleeping in the backseat on one of our many nap drives, I am reminded that I am a kick-ass dad. While I kid, I have to admit that yesterday afternoon may have been the most challenging Kavaun day of my life. Nothing crazy or horrible. Just a tired boy without his nap being cranky and demanding. Yesterday’s melt down prompted today’s nap drive. I planned ahead with the U2 lullaby CD playing, my laptop and even a wireless connection in this wooded area (luck). I even have my list of bullet points in my messy script titled, “Baby Blog 5/18”. Here goes the rundown, starting with a recent Father’s Day that was awesome!

Father’s Day 2011 was spent at the Double J Ranch in Rothbury Michigan with Beata, Ryan, Amy, the boys and KK. It was a great time with one on one time with Ryan and Amy included. Indoor waterpark, petting zoo, pony rides for the boys = a great time. Beata’s gift to me was awesome. She made me a very cool collage of Kavaun black and white photo’s and most included him, me and smiles.

Mother’s Day was awesome as well. I made Beata a video set to music with Kavaun photos and video. It was to L-O-V-E by Nat King Cole. Good stuff. She loved it!

Other stuff:

Hide and Seek is a ritual everyday that Beata gets home from work. We are starting to phase out of it a little bit, but on most days Kavaun hides his face and thinks because he cannot see us, we cannot see him. Lots of giggles.

We have a little tradition where we eat one another’s cheeks with loud, “num num num” noises like Cookie Monster. I love it.

Kavaun has a new popular phrase that he must have learned from Beata as she tries to give him words to express himself. He says, “Kavaun sad!” or “I sad” with a perfect pouty face. Most of the time I think he means it and sometimes he says it in jest when he doesn’t get his way.

Reading entire books to us without making up all the words and singing songs are the latest forms of Kavaun entertainment. He loves to sing. His favorites include, I’ve Been Working on the Railroad, Old McDonald, If You’re Happy and you Know It, BINGO, Row Row Row Your Boat and occasionally Take Me Out to the Ballgame.

He also makes up songs. Beata has a goodnight song they sing. I will have to get the tune and lyrics on this blog so they do not get forgotten. They have a very playful and loving bond. Beata plays with Kavaun all the time and he lights up whenever she is around to play, dance, sing or cuddle.

Sometimes Kavaun will mockingly call us by the wrong names to get a laugh. He usually ends up laughing at himself and we often responds by calling him by one of our names or the name of one of his cousins. Fun stuff.

We chase ducks at the Mill Pond.

One day Kavaun said to me with a serious tone, “Swiper no swiping” as he learned it on Dora. He was not joking and I probably should have left his blue car alone rather than “swipe” it from hime. This was not as funny as the time he had a fit when I took his imaginary lemons while in the backseat of the car on Spring Break this year. He had a huge meltdown even though I gave every single one back to him. This little guy gets his mindset on something and he is near-impossible to steer in another direction.

I recently went to Washington DC and while I was gone, Kavaun would tell Beata that I was at President Obama’s house. She must have said that to him when I left and he kept repeating it. Cute.

Kavaun often demands that we turn his pillow over to the “cold side” when we put him to bed – proof to me that some preferences are normal and not learned. He also requests “napkins” and usually two of them by color at night in his crib. He wipes tears and snot with these washcloths.

Music in the Park is awesome. Kavaun dances happily to the live music, tickles the toes of spectators, runs with boys and girls, rolls down the hill.