Dylan Turning an Old 2.

We celebrated Dylan's 2nd Birthday on September 19th. It literally seems like yesterday when we celebrated his 1st birthday. 1 year to us adults is unfortunately not much of a change. 1 year to a child is pretty life changing. We decided to keep his 2nd birthday super low key. Since Dylan is at daycare full time we decided to celebrate with cake with his school friends. Here is a picture of his cake. Initially Dylan did not really understand what was going on. I think he just wanted to leave the daycare as fast as he could. I think he was concerned that we were only visiting and then he would be left behind. You can tell in the pictures he is a bit shy. Once he understood the cake was for him and he had to blow out the candle he loosened up and a smile started to crack on his face.

Here are some of his preschool friends waiting patiently to get a slice of cake. This is Mrs. Ping...she is the main teacher of the preschool. She was a teacher for many years in China before immigrating to the US. Here are pictures of Dylan eating away his cake. One thing that the teacher loves to comment about Dylan is how well he eats. Here is Justin enjoying his brother's birthday cake with one of Dylan's classmates. Kids are funny. The first day I saw this kid...I swore if Dylan had a twin brother...he would probably be him. This kid is playful, mischievous, big bellied, just so much like Dylan. Here we are in a family picture and a picture with the teacher. Here is video of all the kids singing Happy Birthday to Dylan in English and then Chinese.



Remember how painful it had been for me when I took Dylan to his first day of daycare back when we lived in Downtown. It has been even more painful for me taking him 5 days a week. Nancy chose a Chinese immersion daycare in hopes of Dylan retaining and gaining the ability to speak and write Chinese. Every morning we go the same route to his daycare and every morning when I make that right turn off of Fremont he starts to whimper and tears begin to well up...when I make the left turn onto the street where the daycare is he begins to say "No" repeatedly and begins to bawl...I feel my heart breaking and wonder if we are sending him to the right school or if I should keep him home one more year. By the time we park he is crying in utter sadness. I then begin to wonder is he being physically abused. I hear from other parents that we chose the right school, but maybe the school is not right for Dylan. The teachers open the door hearing Dylan's cries knowing who has arrived without having to look out. It is the bereaved Prince Dylan approaching with his heavy heart. He clings tighter and tighter to my neck hoping that I will not relinquish him to his daycare teachers, but alas I must hand him over with a burdened heart hoping that I am doing the right thing. "Please don't feel sorrow because you think your Father is abandoning you." I give him a big kiss and tell him that I will see him later. I then begin my 20 yard trek back to the car listening to his cries through the window trying to reassure myself that this will be all better in a couple of weeks. When I go pick him up I try to peek through the windows to see if his sullen face has upturned. The first day the tears came out like a fire hydrant. Once the valve was released his emotions came gushing out as if he was telling me how could you have left me behind. He was so overcome with joy to see me, but also sadness was intermingled for being left behind. Now he doesn't cry, but you can see in his smile and feel in his hug the earnest happiness he has when he is once again in my protective arms. My boys are growing up. I guess it is time for me to start growing up as well.