Kai's First Lesson About Little Girls

Yes. We've been busy. If you haven't visited this blog in a while, you might wanna play catch-up!

Two days after all the trips we took, we got an invitation to go to Sue's house for a play date. Sue was one of my yoga classmates. Because of the old-fashion beliefs her mother-in-law holds, for the past 6 months, Sue didn't... (Mmm... more like "wasn't allowed to") take her 7-month-old son Hao Hao outside. Needless to say, Hao Hao has never had play dates... until today. Sue was visibly excited, but Hao Hao was understandably apprehensive.

Hao Hao and Sue
I know! Sue looks like a child herself!

Hao Hao has a play room full of all kinds of toys that have bright colors, catchy jingles and flashy lights!

Setsuko and her mommy Chinatsu

It was good to see Setsuko and Chinatsu again. We haven't had play dates because they went back to Japan for a month. After I told her about our upcoming 11-hour flight, Chinatsu told me that their flight to Narita International Airport was only 3 hours long and Setsuko cried the entire time. From chatting about her experience, I'm convinced that nursing, playing, and lots of distraction are crucial elements for a (hopefully) peaceful plane ride!

Back to the play date.

The first thing I noticed as soon as we started playing was that there were 3 languages going on in that little play room. Chinatsu speaks Chinese and Japanese with Setsuko. I use Chinese and English with Kai. Sue, who studied for a few years in Japan, uses Chinese and Japanese with Hao Hao. While it may appear the common language is Chinese, we actually went back and forth using all three languages. Chinatsu and Sue both studied English in school. While I couldn't really hold long conversations in Japanese, my two years of Japanese classes in university was sufficient to have small talks.

So Hao Hao's play room has all kinds of bright and colorful toys that talk, sing, and make funny noises when they're touched. Just the novelty alone had Setsuko and Kai so excited they looked as if they had never seen a toy before.

Setsuko hurried to this colorful toy stand that has little frogs hanging on it

Kai rushed to this table that has a book, a phone, a computer, and a piano on the top

I love that intent look on Kai's face when he plays. In this moment, the usually rambunctious chatterbox was quiet and focused. He carefully examined every item, in every shape and color, on the table. He turned whatever that could be turned, pressed whatever that would go down, and raked with his fingers whatever that looked like it would spin. He did so almost meticulously and in order. When Setsuko and Hao Hao were already whining because of boredom, Kai had just finished checking out the piano and the book and was starting to play with the phone.

Then Kai accidentally knocked the purple phone down on the play mat.

Setsuko and Hao Hao were both playing with that book.
Hao Hao moved the purple phone out of the way.

Setsuko claimed the phone her new toy but apparently wasn't ready to let go of the book yet

For reasons unknown, Kai left his table and half-crawled-half-hopped to Setsuko
He just stared at her

As soon as Setsuko noticed Kai's presence, she knew what he was after
and immediately put the purple phone in her mouth

Kai kept staring at her, and the instant he moved a bit closer to her face...
Setsuko got upset and dropped the purple phone

Kai picked up the purple phone, but (I think) he didn't know what to do with it

So he examined it by turning it back and forth

After a short while, Setsuko saw the purple phone again, and she wanted it

She rolled her way to Kai, and the negotiation began

Kai: "Hey, what's that on your wrist?"
Setsuko: "I'll tell you if you give me the purple phone."

Kai:"Mmm.... No."

Setsuko: "Okay! I'll tell you what it is AND let you touch it if you give me the phone."
Kai: "Mmm.... No, thank you."

Setsuko: "Fine! I'm gonna make you another offer and this is my final offer, so listen carefully. I'll tell you what it is, and you can have it. Look! I'm taking it off right now!"
Kai: "Mmm..... I don't think so."

Setsuko: "GET. THAT. STUPID. THING. OUT. OF. YOUR. MOUTH. AND. GIVE. ME. THE. PURPLE. PHONE! NOW!"

In the end....

Setsuko: "Heh heh heh! Silly little boy. Doesn't he know us girls have a way to get what we want, and we almost always get what we want?"
Kai: "Can someone explain to me what had just happened?"
Hao Hao: "Who are these people and why are they in my house playing with my toys?"

We got an invitation to go to Chinatsu's house for the next play date. That should be interesting...