Rites of Passage

We're settling into normal life again after a busy couple of months.  We visited Ohio last week and Zain had a great visit with all his grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins.  


Our return to Toronto also seems to have coincided with Zain entry into full-on toddlerhood - meaning tantrums, limit testing, and blatant defiance of his mothers' wishes.  The tantrums are still blessedly short, for now.  A couple days ago, he started flinging himself onto the floor during some of his more irate moments.  He doesn't seem to know what to do once he gets there, but does seem to recognize that he's obligated to do it as a toddler.  He has a ways to go before he masters it like the kid in this video.


Despite these little grumpy blips, he's still generally our lovable, happy, and sweet little guy.  He's all about the kissing right now.  He blows kisses to strangers, he kisses characters (and animals, lamps, etc) in books, he makes his stuffed animals kiss each other.  He loves to kiss mommies' tummies and backs, which is kind of weird, and embarrassing when he tries to do it in public, but very sweet.  


Some recent pics:

At a drop-in at our local community centre - pushing the cart around was more fun than playing with the toys that went in the cart

He loves to sweep so much, we got him his own broom

Passed out, mid-Cheerio

He's actually pretty good with a spoon - yogurt just isn't the best food to showcase his skills with

Playing with Spaceman Naeem

Trying on his own headgear

Zain loves fish  In all forms, even raw.  Here he's stealing some of Shif's sushi.

Christmas in Toronto

We weren't able to get down to Ohio for Christmas because Shif's grandmother passed away that week.  It was a tough week and we spent a lot of time with her family.  But Shif did insist that we get a Christmas tree since I'd be missing the holiday with my family.  And she surprised me one night when I was out shopping by putting out all our Christmas decorations and hanging lights.  So sweet!  Our little family of three spent Christmas Day together, opening a few presents and just hanging out.  We're headed to Ohio later this week to celebrate a delayed holiday with my family.  

Zain sees the tree for the first time.   

We were a little surprised that Zain hasn't really wreaked havoc on the tree (it's still up!).  Although as I look at it right now, I notice that there are no ornaments on the bottom three feet of the tree.  :-) He loves the lights and likes to remind us frequently of their existence.  And he always asks us to turn them on if they aren't on.  He actually asks in some sort of sentence. The only word we can identify is "da", which has always been his word for light (it was one of his first "words" and he uses it frequently - he really likes lights).  But he's thrilled when we understand him and he runs over to the tree and waits for us to plug in the lights.  He also tries to identify the colors of the lights.  He's wrong about 80% of the time, but it's cool that he's trying.

Seeing the "da" on the stairs for the first time

This is traditionally the job of the man of the house, right?

Zain spent more time in Binda's present than she did

We figured we have one more year before we actually have to "do" Christmas, but we did get Z a few gifts to unwrap.  Like any normal toddler, he was more interested in the wrapping paper than the presents.  But he seems to be taking the unwrapping very seriously here.

His first backpack!

He didn't really like wearing the backpack, but he loved the buckle.  Buckles are a favorite right now.  And "buckle" is one of his best-pronounced words.

That evening, Shif showed us how Muslims (and Jews and Hindus and Buddhists) typically spend Christmas Day - dinner at a Chinese restaurant! (We skipped the other part of the tradition, the movie.)  

Merry belated Christmas!

Catching Up

A crazy month or so for us, so we have a lot to catch up on!  Zain is doing great, despite a little cold the last few days and his first playground injury today (a bloody lip).  Lots of talking, making his stuffed animals kiss each other, and repeatedly putting things inside containers.  :-)  Will catch you up on some of his antics in a post soon.  Some pics from November and December:

He loves to talk on the phone.  Well, he likes to listen on the phone.  Sometimes he talks back.

One way to eat a banana

A better way. Bananas go in and out of vogue with Zain.  They are currently in again.

Planning to travel?

Husky had to pee-pee?

Celebrating Naani's birthday by stuffing ourselves at the Mandarin buffet (see me in the background returning to the table with yet another plate of food).  Lots of new tastes for Zain to try.