Weekend With Linh and May
Dao woke up and didn’t see May in the car; therefore, he asked, “May dau roi [Where is May]?” May and Linh had left two hours ago after spending a weekend with us. He looked a bit disappointed. I tried to cheer him up by taking him into the mall after a two-hour nap in the car. We went into the men’s room to change him and wash his face. He stayed still and cooperated. I took him to the playground in the mall, but he didn’t want to go in. I didn’t know because the playground was packed or he was still dramatized by the accident at the playground earlier this morning.
He was having a good time climbing up and sliding down with May until I tossed him the ball so he could roll it down the slide. I was standing on the ground in front of the slides so he threw the ball back to me. As I turned away to pick up the ball, he took a few steps back and fell off the other side with his head first to the ground after hitting into the metal bar. His head has two swollen spots and his forehead has a few bruises. He was standing about six feet above the ground. Dana and I ran toward him and picked him up. He was in tears. I felt extremely horrible and stupid. All the these time, I watched his every step as he was climbing up the metal bars, and yet I let him fell.
He seems to be ok. He’s interacting, eating and took a long nap. When I asked him about the incident, he told me, “Dao fell down on the mulch.” Though I was laughing, but inside the pain and the anguish for being such an idiotic parent will never leave me. The day he felt off the crib and today will never be forgotten. The good thing is that Dao seems to be a very tough kid. I keep asking him if he still feels the pain and his reply has been, “het dau roi [no more pain].”
On the bright side, we had such a great time with Linh and May. So glad that they could come up and stayed with us over the weekend. At this time, Dao and May have developed into their individualities. They are completely opposite from each other, yet one thing still remain the same: Dao is still attached to May. He called her name. He invited her to play. He enjoys her company. They had a good time playing in water. Dao introduced May to “Curious George” and May introduced Dao to “Pocoyo.”
As far as behavior, May is way ahead of Dao. She listens and she does not act up. She speaks with manner and she doesn’t cry when getting her teeth brushed. Linh is a fantastic mom. She is training May well. May is such a sweetheart. I love to hear her talk. Linh puts it eloquently: “She makes poetry when she talks.” May already can count in both English and Vietnamese and knows the alphabet. As for Dao, this is how he counts in Vietnamese: “Mot, hai, ba, sau, bay, tam.” In English, “five, four, six, seven, eight.” He must be counting music notes or something.
Linh and May were the first friends that stayed over the weekend with us. We are thrilled and they are welcomed back anytime. By this time, we are completely comfortable with each other. Too bad, they’ll move so far way. I hope that we can still get together at least once or twice a year.
I was also glad to meet Chi Cap. Have been a fan of her blog for a while and she is as cool as she is on the blog. Also met O Kien, but didn’t get a chance to interact.
man, you have my full sympathies. I felt horrible too, because his fall was sort of slow-mo to me, and this is the thing that kills me – I have super duper slow reaction time. It’s the department where I suck all around, and no amount of practice could improve it, so, without fail, everytime my kid fell, I just watched in horror. The only thing I could think of at the time (maybe to cope, who knows) was that it’s a good thing Dao’s frame is so slight, so gravity is gentler on him. May had fallen from our indoor playcube before, the same sort of losing-balance-backward-head-meets-hard-surface fall, and the good news is, she has learned to stand with her back to something solid.
Anyways, I felt really bad and helpless too. Parenting is so hard. I know I lash out on Son 90% of the time when an accident occurs on his watch, which of course let him feel really really bad. Even if I refrain and exercise self control, my anger and pains could not be hidden, and that added to his guilt. Maybe you two can go and hug each other over a beer or something.
Donny
Dao is looking so cute and healthy. You two are doing a great job.
Is baby # 2 on the way? My sister seems to think that you two are expecting
another baby. Parenting is difficult and fun at any stage. Treasure each moment
Hi Donny,
I have been a fan of your blog for a long time. Love your reviews on the Vietnamese musics and of course, posts about Cu Dao.
Hôm đó không có thời gian, muốn hỏi thăm D và em bé cũng quên mất …
Hy vọng mai mốt có cợ hội qua DC, sẽ đến nhà Donny cho đàn kiến nó crash :)
Baby #2 is coming by the end of the year.
ổ kiến, sure any time.