La Fiesta!

Cutest cousins taking a walk

  The air has began to hold the chill of fall in the morning hours of the day. Wisps of fog stream across the vineyards like fingers on a hand attempting to pull the green from the leaves, as the sun crests the eastern hills surrounding Santa Rosa. The days are noticeable shorter now. Gold, yellow, magenta, crimson, red, orange and all the colors of fall are just beginning to work their way into the vineyards and deciduous plants and trees that cover the valleys and hills here; a preview of the explosion of fall colors that will paint the landscape in the month of November. I will admit that fall is not my favorite season, however, the show of colors here in wine country, really has given me a new perspective on this season...and the 75 to 80 degree days this time of year, are hard to beat.
  Apollo's Aunt Emily and cousin Olivia, flew down from Seattle this past week for a visit to meet Orion for the first time. Olivia is ten months younger than Apollo and is the only cousin he has that is close to the same age as he is. Apollo loves these visits and the two cousins are inseparable while they are together. To better understand Olivia, let me paint a brief picture of her family, the Ko family, and her home...from my perspective of course. Emily is very soft spoken, and quiet. Dennis, Olivia's dad, is quiet as well and both parents present themselves as laid back. Even their dog Zoey is "low key" while hanging out in the house. Pre-Olivia, The Ko house was like being in a library. Enter Olivia... Can you say "Tasmanian Devil"? I mean that in the most loving and cartoonistic sort of way. Full of energy, slightly naughty, and always in motion; just picture the Tasmanian Devil in a library and that is how I imagine Olivia at home. That said, Olivia is one of the cutest and sweetest little girls ever.

  I wanted to paint this picture of her to help explain how she wore Apollo out while she was here. I love watching the two of them interact, and enjoyed seeing the things they learn from each other. I also love seeing the similarities in a few of the personality traits that they share, giving credence to the statements I often make that Apollo's stubbornness and the fits come from Melanie's side of the family. Yes, I did just mention a few paragraphs earlier, that Emily is quiet and soft spoken, but that is only because she has mastered the art of self control and keeps her self in check; I happen to know the breeding stock, after all, I am married to her sister.

Olivia, Melanie (with Orion strapped to the front of her, Emily, and Apollo

  Since the birth of Orion, Apollo has become acutely aware that he is "big" now, at least compared to his baby brother. I used to call Apollo, "little guy", but now I am corrected with, "I am not a little guy, I am a big guy now!" Still, he is very aware that he has to get bigger to be as tall as brothers and dada. On a recent trip to a local hispanic grocery store, Apollo (sitting on my shoulders of course) noticed some items hanging from the ceiling; "Those are pinata's dada! They are for the fiesta. What are they doing here? You are supposed to hit them with a stick...can you reach them since I am not tall enough?" To which I replied, "Apollo you are taller than me. You can reach them better than I can." I could feel Apollo stiffen up on my shoulders as he was angered by my answer; "Just because I am UP TOP, does NOT make me taller than YOU! I have to grow up FIRST to be TALLER!" Yes, not only did he put me in my place for insulting his intelligence, but he did so with Melanie's angered vocal inflections. As if this wasn't humiliating enough, I believe that Apollo tried to gouge my eyes out after this while demanding; "You reach the pinata's RIGHT, NOW!" (Once again, Mel's side of the family)

 
  Orion is coming along nicely. I admit that it is hard for me to interact with him for long periods of time at this age, as after about 15 minutes are so, he is looking for his mom and his next meal. I remember that with Apollo, it took until he was about 4 1/2 months old before he really enjoyed hanging out and interacting with his dad. Not to say that I dont enjoy every second of this little guy, I do, I just don't enjoy the fact that he needs to eat and I have nothing to offer.
  Orion has advanced from big smiles to laughing. There is nothing cuter than your infant smiling and laughing at you. It is the reward you get for having to change those nasty diapers. Orion will even smile and laugh while I change his diapers. I am quite sure that he is laughing at me,  more than just offering a smile of thanks. It could be the theatrics I offer up through gagging and telling him how disgusting he is for soiling himself. I imagine that his laughter is his way of saying, "Ha! Look who has to clean it up!"

"Silly Dada!"

Grandma Banana, Melly, Apollo, and Orion

The best way to ensure that family will come visit you, is to have a baby. I don't recommend having one just to lure the family in, but when a newborn arrives, everyone wants to meet him. September brought us Melanie's mom (or Grandma Banana, or Banana Nana), Melanie's sister Cassie and her husband Steven, and we finished the month off with a visit from Uncle Gooch.  We cherish every minute we have with our family members and wish we had more visits and for longer periods of time.  

Cassie, Steven, and Orion

Apollo is enjoying all the attention. He is fairly certain that everyone is coming to see him, and not his baby brother. It has been a great distraction for Apollo and he loves having all the extra people to boss around.


  Orion just had his 2 month check up. He weighed in at 13lbs 12oz, which puts him in the 89th percentile for weight. He is 23" long, which puts him the 51st percentile for length. He also received 3 vaccines that day. a few hours later, the poor little guy was crying incessantly from the soreness caused by the tetanus vaccine. Thank goodness for baby tylenol! Orion returned to his normal, smiley, happy self be the next morning.

  I am constantly entertained by Apollo's antics. He loves to banter, which he gets from his mom, and has a defiant sarcasm, that came from yours truly. I find this very entertaining, yet I know I will pay for  this when Apollo is older. I enjoy listening to Apollo talk. I love his voice and his vocal inflections. I love the phrases that he comes up with and the off the wall things he says. Apollo loves to ride on my shoulders. He will demand, "I want to go up top!" when he wants a ride. In a recent one on one conversation with Apollo sitting on my shoulders, while I was grilling corn on the BBQ, I told Apollo, "I have to check on the corn. If I burn it, mama will get really mad." 

 "I get really mad too." he replied. "you do?", I asked. "Yup... at mama." "When do you get mad at mama?" I inquired. "When she says 'no' to Dora." 

  In honor of Cassie, I have to mention her favorite Apollo saying; "I am going to put this car in my pocket for safe keeping." 

  Thanks to Uncle Gooch (and his ipad apps) Apollo's favorite saying is now, "Kiss my nice, feathery, butt!" 

Apollo and Uncle Gooch
flying a helicopter

I will let Melanie explain that one away to other parents, while I sit back and laugh. 

  

  As a parent, you try to provide words for your toddler to use as a means of expressing himself. One of the words I have provided Apollo with is "Silly". I will call him this when he is having a fit about something, or acting in up. The pay off now is that Apollo uses this word at the end of a sentence when he is "calling you out" on your nonsense. As Melanie puts it, he is using the word "silly" in the place of "idiot" since he has not learned the word "idiot" yet, however, the context is the same. Thanks to this bit of insight, whenever I here Apollo say "silly", I replace it with "idiot" (in my mind) and enjoy the fruits of my labors: "Thats not how you do it, silly!", That doesn't go there silly!", "I want the blue one, silly!", "Brothers are being silly, can you be rough with them?"

At the end of the day, I can't wait to get home and see my boy's. I anticipate the laughter, wrestling, teasing, stories, and conversations with Apollo. It does not matter how bad or long my day may have been, my mood is changed the moment I am greeted when I come through the door; "DADA'S HOME!" Apollo will yell out in excitement, with a broad smile that light's up his whole face...even his eye's are smiling. Then comes the giggles and the 'galloping toddler run', as he sprints across the room and leaps into my waiting arms. "Silly dada, I missed you so much!", Apollo proclaims....Silly dada? Hmmmmm.....?