Chinese New Year, a Snowman with a Butt, and a Foster Puppy?

Maliana ~

I was notified on Monday (by both Daddy and the director of your daycare) that you had volunteered me to come in on Friday to talk to your class about Chinese New Year. Evidently, it had made a huge impact on you when I came to your previous daycare to do this last year. You begged me to do it again and how could I resist. Right? It's amazing how big the "little things" are in the eyes of your kids.

that night you decided to try to teach yourself to
play Let It Go from Frozen on your guitar,
using a YouTube video   #ambition

We met many members of our Fu Group at the China Dynasty restaurant again this year as well for our annual Chinese New Year dinner and lion dance on Wednesday. It was a bit of a challenge to get there on time since both of our pets (Pipsqueak and Abby) had had surgery that day and so we had to race to pick them up at the vet, get them settled, get ready for dinner, and set Lali up to babysit them while we went out. After feeling like we were on a hamster wheel with all of this racing around, we finally made it and all in attendance had a great time. I'm guessing that there were somewhere around 50 people in our group and Michelle (Mia's mom) did a great job organizing all of us. I just love this CNY tradition that has evolved over the last few years!

feeding one of the lions money

rubbing the belly for good luck

just a small fraction of the kiddos at dinner
(L to R - Freddy, you, Mia, Niubei, and Noah)

Thursday you had to come with Daddy and I to the fancy schmancy office of our financial advisor for a routine meeting. I had brought toys and ice cream to keep you occupied while we talked finance and wouldn't you know that you decided on the darkest brown (almost black) dark chocolate ice cream they had in the shoppe. And in spite of precariously eating this over his immaculate light beige carpet and setting it on his deeply polished mahogany desk, he still gave you three of the cutest finger puppets before we left for home. What a nice guy!

Friday you and I headed to speech and then got everything ready to bring Chinese New Year to your classroom at daycare. We actually also brought Abby too for you to share with your friends for pet week. You were in hog heaven! You proudly showed Abby to your class and then helped me read Bringing in the New Year by Grace Lin. We had also brought your extra qi pao and another Chinese suit to show your friends. As we read the book, you paused and even pointed out the author, illustrator, and publisher...asking your friends, "Now, what does the author do?" Ha ha. I whispered to your teacher, "Is that what you guys say?" and she just nodded and laughed. You crack me up. Such a little adult. The teachers were all so appreciative of our visit and so very nice and helpful with everything. I am so thankful for your school and wonderful teachers.

all ready to go to school with hung bao
and your lantern...the rest Mommy
will have to carry

your classmates checking out a somewhat overwhelmed Abby

We had brought a change of clothes with us so that you could wear your street clothes to kindergarten that afternoon but you chose to keep your traditional Chinese suit on all day (and wouldn't even take it off the next day either, if truth be told). I am so glad that you are proud of your birth culture and am so grateful to be on this journey with you.

That night we went to our friends' home (Ziying and Zuchao) to celebrate the Chinese New Year and enjoy some of their delicious hot pot. It was so very tasty and also wonderful to get to see their new apartment. They moved into a slightly bigger place in light of their big news of expecting a baby this May! We brought over your old crib and you were so incredibly stoked to set it up for them. Could hardly wait until after dinner! Later in the weekend, I also have to mention that you leaned into me and said, "Mom, I have to tell you a secret...I think we should buy Lucas a present after he is born...but don't tell them!" You are so cute...and so very excited to meet their son when he arrives!

you were really good with these chopsticks

watching the Spring Festival Gala from China

with Ziying

so eager to help the guys set up the crib

focus

almost ready for baby, just need a mattress!

Saturday morning we went with Lao Lao to another in the winter hike series, this time at Blendon Woods. You had a ball looking for tracks in the snow, spotting the orange X's on the trees that were marked for chopping, trying not to slip on the slick ice patches, and watching out for dinosaurs. Coincidentally, you determined that there were actually some dinosaurs hiding in the public toilets and so naturally we preemptively warned the rangers that were stationed to help out with the hikers. Ha ha. All of those rangers got a big kick out of you, that's for sure!

trying to figure out where the animal
tracks were going and what
kind they were

you were convinced a squirrel lived in that hole

putting together the deer skeleton

cocoa, chicken noodle soup, biscuits, and a campfire

only our kid would try to put a butt on a snowman

As if dinosaur hunting, hiking, and snowman building in the park wasn't enough excitement, we also welcomed our very first foster puppy late that afternoon. She immediately fit right into our home, adapting to all of the animals and people like she was born here. You are incredibly sweet with her and I love to hear you talk to her in your "animal sweet talk" voice. And as you can tell by the pictures below...it is going to be one of the hardest things we will all have to do to say goodbye when she finds her forever family. *uggh* It breaks my heart to even think about it.

just after she arrived

keeping her warm after her bath

you were the first person she ever fell
asleep on at our house

Sunday was simply a day of rest and relaxation. You, Abby and I took the puppy, Susie, for a walk as soon as we jumped out of bed so she could go potty right away. She is such a darling dog, with tons of charm that is working magic on everyone in this house, even the kitty. Proof of this magic in the following picture of what I woke up to in the middle of her first night with us. 

a dog and a cat that haven't even known each other
for 12 hours yet...sleeping together.
seriously?

I was not feeling the greatest that evening, so Daddy took you and Susie over to Uncle Joe's to watch the Superbowl and let me catch up on some much needed work before being thrown back into the daily grind of the coming week. 

I tell you what, I am trying so hard not to fall in love with this little foster puppy so we don't become a "foster failure", but she sure is making it hard on us. *sigh*

Love,
Mama