“Da Da!”

Tonight Ohene clearly called for Kwasi several times: “Da da!” I know this seems like such a small accomplishment, considering he just turned 16 months a few days ago. However, even though he could repeat it on-demand here and there, he’s never willfully (until tonight!) called out to Kwasi “Da Da!”

We had just finished dinner and were planning to take a walk down to the little neighborhood playground. Kwasi was upstairs, and I asked Kwabena to yell up to Kwasi to see if he wanted to go. So he started yelling, “Daddy! Daddy!” And then Ohene piped in, with his head up the stairs, “Da-Da! Da-Da!” It was unbelievably cute!No one heard or paid attention but me. So I had Kwabena pretend to call up to Kwasi again, just to see if Ohene would mimic after him. Sure enough! I just wish I had had the camera ready. So cute!!

So the walk to the park was really fun. Ohene and Kwabena were vying for who would get to hold my hand. LOL And just watching Ohene’s cute little body walking, as if he’s so grown 🙂 Precious, I tell ya. Kwasi hated that Kwabena even wanted to hold my hand. It totally irks him that Kwabena is such a “mama’s boy” but look who he learned best from–Kwasi! I have to point out to Kwasi that he goes to his mama’s house each day after work, and didn’t even want to move out of her house. Sorry to put that out there, but hey–let my son love me while he’s still young, because there is plenty of time in the future when he probably won’t want anything to do with me!

So the playground was really fun. The kids enjoyed the slides. Kwabena got a bit of ‘tude with Kwasi when Kwabena saw some kids walking past and was trying to engage them in conversation and play. Kwasi told him not to go over that way, over there, and Kwabena said rather rudely, “Why?? You think the GRASS is going to jump up and BITE me??” Well, Kwasi reached out and slapped Kwabena’s face slightly, and of course, he ran off and cried a bit. But he needs to learn you can’t just disrespect your daddy that way!

On the way back, Ohene was so funny! It’s like he was running into Kwasi, trying to kick him and play around with him. He found sticks and thought it was funny to play swords with Kwabena and Kwasi, as well as hit them in the back of the legs. That kid….I tell ya! He’s going to be a handful!

Even so, he’s so loving. If he hits and thinks it’s funny, I’ll say, “Love Mommy, Henny” and he will reach out and start stroking my face lightly. It’s the cutest thing ever!

Ohene is saying so many things now! Let’s see if I can count them all:

• More
• Ball
• Da-Da
• Broken (I swear he was saying this last night as he was trying to put the screw in the cabinet in the bathroom!)
• Shoes
• Cheese
• Dog
• Hot
• Duck (he saw some this weekend at Brookside Gardens)
• Down
• Ma (although he never really CALLS me that, not like he called Kwasi today. Although yesterday when we were taking pictures he did point at my picture and say, “Ma!”)

Some other recent and/or cute things about him and Kwabena:

• Kwabena’s Kindergarten orientation is April 28th! I’m so excited to see inside the school, the classrooms, and to meet the teachers!
• Kwasi is taking Kwabena to Ghana for 4 weeks this July! We will miss them. 🙁
• Ohene loves to sit on the counter with me nearby, while I pack lunch or prepare food. However, the minute Kwabena turns on that “P-L-A-Y” song in the tune of “Y-M-C-A”, Ohene says “Down! Down!” and wants to run circles around the kitchen with Kwabena. It’s hilarious!
• Kwabena’s developed a nasty habit of NAIL biting and his poor little nails are down to the stubbies, for lack of better word! Where did he develop that nervous habit. It’s awful!
• The kids just got haircuts for the spring and they look so handsome! I must post some pics!
• The other day Kwabena was looking at a picture of the new baby’s ultrasound, and although he knew it was a baby, he didn’t know WHO it was. I turned on the camera and recorded myself telling him, “What if I told you it’s a NEW baby inside Mommy’s belly?” Well, he didn’t want to hear THAT! He responded, “No! I don’t want to know that.” LOL I was thinking there was some truth to why Kwasi thinks we should wait on telling Kwabena. Maybe he ISN’T ready. But then the following day (yesterday) during dinner, Kwabena brings up the topic of 3 kids and says he wants another one, that he would prefer a brother. Go figure! I think he’s ready, though. A few more weeks, then we must tell him.
• And last but not least, last Friday, April 15th, at 8 weeks and 5 days, I heard the baby’s heartbeat for the first time! I am very early for that, but considering the position of my uterus, and that I’m “thin,” then it was easier to hear. How amazing!

All else is well. Well, my job stability is in question. We’re not sure if the contract will be renewed with the Foundation, so there’s a lot up in the air right now. I guess I will probably just ride it out. The Foundation may get it, but it could also go to another contractor, or maybe the gov’t will decide to go a whole new route. One can never tell until the last minute. The contract is up July 16th, so we shall see what happens. In the meantime, I am applying for jobs here and there. I would prefer to stay with the Foundation because I like their benefits. I was considered for another position some time ago, through the Foundation, but they ended up collapsing both of those positions available into one, and hiring a post doc person.

I tend to be an optimistic person, so I know only the best thing will happen, even if it appears to be the worse thing. I just hope that we can plan for and stomach on one salary, if necessary, for a while. Hopefully it doesn’t come to that.

Well, there are more things I could go on and on about, but it’s already past 10 and I want to clean up the dining room and kitchen thoroughly. Ants, ants, ants. I swear we’ve had about 3-4 colonies that have invaded the house, one in each part of the house–kitchen, family room, office, and laundry room. This stuff Mom recommended, called Terro, works very well. And it’s interesting to see how the ants just swarm to the stuff and kills them. It’s liquid ant bait, and it has borax in it. Kills the whole nest. Still, I think it may be time to call in pest control and have some outside contractors on call to come and handle outside and inside spraying. I can only kill so many of these buggers before it drives me crazy! LOL

Later!