Princess Otis

K is for Kaleia

At the park, surrounded by boys roughhousing and playing with their dump trucks, Kaleia picks up a stick and with stern eyes silently and purposefully points it at each one.  When one comes within easy earshot she furrows her brow even harder, jabs the magic twig toward him and says, "I put a K on you!"

When little Johnny scowls back at her, probably a little confused, Kaleia tilts her head, smiles and in a consoling, ain't-no-thing voice, adds: "A 'tend one..."

A Letter to Kaleia at 2 1/2

**Disclaimer: Again, I started this post last January. Kaleia is actually 3 now. Her 3 year post is coming soon!**

At 2, you still seemed so much like my little baby. But I can't say that anymore. As you reminded me this afternoon, you are a big girl.

Kaleia Turns 2!**

***Disclaimer: This post was written over a year. As with Magnolia, I started writing it just before her 2nd birthday. Life was SUPER crazy when Kaleia turned 2. I jotted down notes and have been working on it intermittently. As usual, it is long. Mostly, it is for Kaleia, but I hope you enjoy learning more about my daughter through my eyes.***

A letter to my Kaleia Shalom:

Sauvie Island with the Parris Family

We decided we needed to do something touristy in our new hometown. So we headed out to a farm on Sauvie Island with our friends, the Parris family. 

Kaleia's "First" Haircut

Kaleia's hair, unlike her sister's, has not been fast to grow. I think I trimmed her bangs once in China because I was cutting Maggie's and she really wanted a hair cut too. This is the first official one though where I actually needed to even it out a bit. I still hardly took anything off. I'm a little afraid she'll lose her curls and she is desperate to have long hair. 

Self-dressed and Accessorized!

Self-dressed for school, even accessorized!

Though we've got to figure out how to convince her to put her shoes on the correct feet. 

Welcome Home, Otis!

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Report from the Playground

"Today, when I was on the playground, I heard crying. I said to myself, in a quiet voice, 'That sounds like Kaleia.' So I went to find out. It was Kaleia and her leg was stuck on the slide. David -- the kid David -- David the kid tried to help her get her leg out, but he couldn't and Kaleia cried louder. My teacher Patricia came over and helped Kaleia get her leg out. Then David showed her how to do it." 

-- Magnolia (4.5), reporting on her school day in the car on the way home

First Day of (pre)School