Buzz, Yoda, and Spiderman it is!

Maliana ~

What a fantabulous week, even if it got off to a bumpy start. Daddy called me Monday morning at work and said you wanted to talk to me. You got on the phone and very tearfully said, “I want you Mama”, with big elephant size tears dripping down your cheeks. Completely broke my heart. Then you had a rough day at school, just not feeling like yourself. Mondays are so hard sometimes!

Luckily, things started shaping up with a great time at speech, then I took you out to dinner at Frisch’s. We went there attempting to find Mickey Mouse (who had been standing by the side of the road waving earlier in the day). Mickey Mouse was long gone but we had a good (and cheap) dinner with a lot of laughs on the side. You cracked me up by being very concerned about our server (e.g. “Where’d Josh go?” and “Josh is going to take care of us”, etc), then you insisted on thanking him with ‘xie xie’ when he would bring us things.

yes, you’re in your jammies. have been all day, even at school.
it was definitely a rough Monday.

The week started shaping up and on Tuesday you had a fire drill at school (actually, somehow one of the infants pulled the alarm by accident), so you all headed outside. Luckily it was nice and warm. Your teacher, Ms. Nancy, has a foot injury right now and so has to wear an ortho-boot that slows her down. She was surprised (and touched) to see you, (all on your own), linger behind for her, grab her hand, and say, “I help you Ms. Nancy.” I was pleasantly surprised to hear that too. You are such a kind soul.

A while back I had ordered the Star Wars trilogy on DVD for us since you took a liking to the original Star Wars at Memaw and Papaw’s last time we were there. Well, our package came this week and we watched all three movies in the span of 2 days. You were GLUED to them, just like Daddy and I were when we were kids. No offense to Dora, but it was a nice reprieve to watch these classics instead of more Swiper, Boots, and Backpack. Your current favorites in the movie are Chewbacca and Yoda. Personally though, I was drawn to Princess Leia. This time around, it dawned on me what a true badass she really is in these movies. A super role model for you to have around…and no wonder I picked Princess Leia to be for Halloween multiple years when I was a kid!

Since your birthday is coming up, I took you to Target to pick out some new bedding for the special junior loft bed that we are ordering for you. We were going to surprise you, but then I decided I want you to be a part of the whole process so that maybe you’ll actually want to sleep in it all on your own. I’m definitely glad I took you with me because there is no way I could have come up with the eclectic menagerie of bedding that you did. Spiderman sheets and pillow cases, a Toy Story comforter, and sitting on top will be Yoda and Buzz Lightyear pillow people. I love your unique flair…your quirks are the best.

Yoda, Buzz Lightyear, and Spidey it is!

And then we were silly for a bit in the parking lot...never a dull moment with Mali!

hardcore Mali

hardcore Mommy

And of course, you LOVE your new pillow buddies more than I could have imagined you would. You brushed their teeth and got them ready for bed with you, however I think Buzz lost a little of his dignity that first night home…

he's wearing your owl jammies (size 12 months)
and they fit like a glove!

You took Buzz to school with you the next day and were so proud of him! Unfortunately though, Buzz kept you up all naptime (he must be some chatterbox!)

After I picked you up at school I began feeling really sick. Sick enough to throw up, so I was not "normal Mommy" that night. Thankfully, Daddy took you to Memaw and Papaw's for dinner and a visit. You ever so sweetly tucked me into bed before leaving, and also gave me some strangely detailed instructions about taking Abby outside. (I guess being sick doesn't excuse me from "potty duty" for Abby.)

I slept all night and drug myself to work the next day, but took a turn for the worse and so Lao Lao was able to pick you up at school for me while I came home and slept some more. It was a nice surprise for you and you immediately conned her into taking you on a "date" (which you love to request from all of us...after all, who can resist an almost 4 year old's offer of a date?) You have become very fond of Target lately...so you and Buzz took Lao Lao and had another adventure there.

I have a feeling Buzz will be coming a LOT of places
with us in the future

Lao Lao also took you to visit her mother, your great grandmother, in the nursing home. On the way there, Lao Lao mentioned to you that she might need some help with her mother and you immediately launched into all kinds of "Call 9-1-1!" antics. Your sense of humor is so off-the-cuff and silly. Lao Lao also said that you were like a rock star at the nursing home. The residents were drawn to you like a magnet and I was pleased to hear that you were very polite with everyone. It seemed to brighten many of their days to see a cute and spunky little girl strutting through the halls. We probably need to take you on these visits more often.

I'm also delighted you got to see your great grandmother again. It's been difficult these past few years, (decades really), with my mom's mother. There is much too much detail to be able to go into in this blog right now, but trust me when I say that Lao Lao (and her brother Uncle Paul) have been through A LOT with her. I'm just glad to hear that your great grandmother may be getting a bit more stable in her life and that you can finally get to know her a bit.

By Saturday morning, I was feeling a bit better. Before I headed to an early dentist appointment, I already had to perform surgery on Buzz (as you lamented, "We just bought him!") while I ate breakfast. I'm happy to report that I now have sewing up stuffed creatures down to a science (after a lot of practice recently)...and 7 minutes later, Buzz Lightyear was good as new!

Saturday afternoon we headed to Chinese class and you learned a few more words and made some really great crafts to wrap up the Chinese New Year celebrations. You made a lantern, a picture frame, and a really cute placard with your name on it over a dragon made out of foam stickers and your handprints. It was nice to see and play with all of your Fu friends (and their parents).

not too shabby attempt at taking a group photo...
only one of you was adamant about not cooperating

We were hungry when we left and so went out with Mia and her family for some wings at BW3's. You and Mia were hilarious (as usual), giggling and holding hands and chittering away. There were two bathroom trips and it always amazes me how little modesty 3 year olds possess. But the good news is that your lack of modesty is helping Mia get this potty training thing down, so it all works in the end (no pun intended).

Our friend Jay came to meet us all at BW3's, since he lives so close, and you were excited to see him. This week you've been asking about him, saying, "I want to go to the gym and see my friend Jay." He was very sweet and spent time helping you win some candy in the claw game, thus securing his favored status in your mind, I'm sure.

Saturday night we went to Uncle Joe and Aunt Tina's and you played with Sam, Erin, and one of Sam's friends who was spending the night. The adults had lots of laughs upstairs (as always) and you kids went crazy downstairs. At one point, Joe went downstairs to check on you all and came back up and joked, saying, "It's like an Al Qaeda training camp down there". Evidently you guys were running around with some type of masks (tied shirts or something else) over your faces, and guns, looking for "bad guys". You made it upstairs later and began spying on all of us adults and we saw what Joe was talking about. In all honesty, it was cut but a bit creepy. We decided not to take pictures because we didn't want to run the risk of you all becoming the youngest people to be put on the "No Fly" list with TSA.

Sunday we headed off to the Bunk and Loft Factory to find you a big girl bed for your birthday. I think we found what we were looking for and you enjoyed testing out all of the displays.

On the way home you were very tired, but we kept you awake (so you'd take a good long nap later) by screaming in all the tunnels and under all the overpasses along the way...it worked like a charm!

We got your police motorcycle out for the first time since Christmas, since it was so sunny and unseasonably warm this afternoon You've got a bit of work to do with the throttle, but overall you did a good job on your first "hog". Ha ha.

Officer Mali's First Motorcycle Ride
http://youtu.be/hnCYND6xb9A

Sunday night was Superbowl night...but since none of us liked either of the teams, we decided to watch The Empire Strikes Back (again) while eating pizza with Memaw and Papaw and using our new family heirloom coffee table that they brought over to us. Papaw refinished it and it looks beautiful. This coffee table has been in the Wilkinson family for at least 50 years, so it's pretty cool that now we get to add our particular memories to those 50 years.

So, the past couple of weekends have not been nearly as hectic as the previous weekends...and I couldn't enjoy them more.

Love,
Mama

Growing, Learning, Changing

Maliana ~

Compared to the last few weeks, this weekend felt gloriously uneventful. We only had one big commitment on Saturday morning and you have no idea how content I was to just stay home and spend time in our jammies the rest of the weekend. When you don’t get to do it that often, it feels like such a treat.

As for our one big commitment, it was an event for the Cleft Lip and Palate Support Group at Children’s Hospital on Saturday morning. It was a wonderful turnout with so many families attending. The staff at Children’s did a great job of planning and hosting the entire affair. We were fortunate enough that two of the leading doctors for the craniofacial team agreed to come speak with all of us parents to help us learn more about exactly what they do when you kids come in for treatment(s). It was extremely eye opening and very touching. We are so lucky to have such an astounding facility so close to home, and even more fortunate to have a team of doctors, nurses, speech therapists, and many others who truly care about their patients. Both Dr. Pearson (your doctor) and Dr. Kirschner mentioned what a privilege and honor it is that they get to come to work each day and take care of our most prized possessions (you kids). It’s comforting to know that they are so close to home (when we need them) and that they care so deeply. And, you know me, as I was listening to them speak and looking at the various slides they brought in, I did what I do best, I cried. I thought no one saw, but then one of the other moms on our planning committee handed me a tissue. I was busted. Oh well.

in between Dr. Pearson and Daddy

One of the amazing things about the various events that we’ve attended since last September is at each one; we meet at least one (usually more) new family who has an equally amazing story. Take this event, we met Lakshmi and Mahesh, who were both born in India but live here now, and were at this event because one of their daughters was born with a cleft. As we spoke with them, it was evident that Lakshmi had had a cleft lip and palate as well. She had obviously had surgery but not nearly, the full rounds of surgery and therapies that you and the other children have had or will have. As she shared her story, we learned she was 40 years old and grew up in India, where the other children teased her because of her poor speech or the way she looked. Evidently, she must not have gotten any more surgeries other than her lip repair, (she appeared to not have any front teeth and her front lip was a bit sunken in with obvious scarring), and probably not had the opportunity for speech therapy. She said her family in India was very supportive and always told her how beautiful she was, so fortunately she was able to internalize those messages (rather than the ridiculously ignorant messages of those who would tease her) and thankfully grew up with a very strong sense of confidence in herself. Over the years, her speech did not improve much so she learned to compensate for her difficulties by using a pad of paper and pen so that she could write down what she was trying to say for others when her speech was not intelligible enough. A few months ago however, she was able to ditch her pen and paper due to a surgery, performed by Dr. Pearson (your doctor), for a particular procedure to help her speech production. She told us that during her daughter’s visits to the clinic, Dr. Pearson approached her and offered to do this procedure for her. She had always thought that she was too old (at 40) for any more treatments, and she had already learned to live with her mouth and speech the way it was. Dr. Pearson wanted to try to help her anyway. (Wow! As if we didn’t love Dr. Pearson enough as it is!) She was thrilled!

Mali, you should have seen the brightness in this woman’s eyes as she told us her story. The more we learned about her, the more beautiful she became. Her family clearly adored her, both she and her husband were such sweet and loving people, and her honesty and openness about her life was both refreshing and inspiring. Hearing her talk about how she overcame the brutality of others, that comes as an unfortunate part of growing up even when you don’t have to worry about the challenges that come with having had a cleft lip and palate, made me feel just a smidgen better about what you may face someday. There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t worry about any heartache you might encounter as you grow into the remarkable woman you are already becoming. But there’s also not a day that goes by that I don’t tell you, over and over and over again, how much I love you and compliment you on any number of things that you say, do, or simply are that day. I know that my words alone won’t be enough to deflect all of the harm that can come from others. However, I am hoping that my words and the messages I try to send to you can be some of the building blocks you will use to build up your armor. The armor that will help protect you from the ignorance and pig-headedness of others so that you can have the time and space you need to realize your true potential for yourself, to embrace in your own heart who you are as a person and love yourself as much as Daddy and I love you, even more. Time will tell, but I do think you have a good start on this already, and just knowing there are people out there like Lakshmi make me feel even better about it.

So, the rest of the week you had two dates, one with Daddy and one with me. One rainy day after school you and I headed to the library, then to Panera, and then to Half Price Books. The fact that you insisted on wearing your jammies, slipper socks, and Crocs made it even cozier. Your style is definitely beyond compare. Your appreciation for things is also sweet, with you exclaiming “Thank you!” and throwing your arms around my neck when I found a secondhand copy of the movie Cars for you at the bookstore. Sunday night you requested a date with Daddy to Easton. He laughed at your antics of nothing in particular but just walking around as if you owned the place. He said that there was a military person there dressed in all their camo and looking quite tough while lost in his own thoughts, however when you strutted by he couldn’t help but smile. You have that effect on people and you don’t even know it.

Friday morning Lao Lao had some extra time and so she stopped by to get you ready and take you to school. I got a text from her later that morning that said you had eaten two yogurts for breakfast and were “Full of Awesome” when she dropped you off. Ha ha! What a great way to start the morning!

As I said before, the weekend was relaxing for us all. One morning Daddy cooked us all breakfast. There’s nothing like the smell of bacon in the morning! Then you and I sat and chatted while we painted together. You told me about your friends at school and one friend in particular, Kaitlyn, that you are quite fond of because “she is so silly” and has long hair. When I asked you about the long hair part and if you wanted long hair too, you told me, “No, because I need short hair to play with Daddy”. (Hmmm, okaayy). I love our conversations.

loving your watercolors

Then after cleaning up the playroom and your bedroom, we headed downstairs and built a house with your Tinker Toys. I love that you are so into building things now. It’s pretty cool. When we put the gates on the house, you said, “This is like Lao Lao’s house, for her car”…pretty good memory kiddo.

climbing through the front gates

On Saturday night, we all got a wild hair and decided to watch the video from the first day we met you in Guangzhou. Daddy and I wondered how you’d deal with it, whether you’d have a hard time seeing that day again. I am relieved to say that you did fine. Daddy and I had a hard time watching it this time. Knowing what we know with each passing year, it is hard to see such fear and sadness from you on that day, and relive all of our own emotions as well. The one saving grace is being able to look at you now and see a well-adjusted happy little girl. Actually, the funny part is that you wanted to try on the same outfit that you wore that day, so we pulled it out of the safe too, you put it on..., and the dang thing fits! I think your legs and arms are the only things that have done any major growing, but the rest of you is still so petite. 

July 6th, 2009

while the rest of you may not have grown much...
I can definitely see that your smile has!

You have been throwing “xie xie” around lately too. When I’ll hand you something or do anything else to help you, you’ll say a quick “xie xie” (Chinese for thank you). It’s so neat to see this spontaneous use of Chinese from you. We need to continue to reinforce it and encourage learning even more language. I can’t believe how quickly you can turn a corner in your stages of readiness for learning. Perhaps it’s time to think of Mandarin classes?

Finally, as for your willingness to say all kinds of other things, I’m stumped at your near aversion to say one thing in particular, “I love you”. Instead, you seem to be more comfortable saying “I miss you” and appear to substitute “I miss you” when “I love you” would seem more appropriate. It’s very interesting to me. It’s not like you haven’t heard “I love you”…this was actually your first phrase when you began talking. In fact, Daddy and I think that you may just hear “I love you” so much that you may think, “well, that’s overdone…I’ll just say ‘I miss you’ instead”. I’ve actually asked you why you don’t say “I love you” much…to which you don’t really reply or reply with a very silly and exaggerated “I loooove you” to me, obviously making light of it. You don’t seem to have any problems with physical affection and wanting to be close to us, there are no red flags as far as that goes. So as long as I’m still getting hugs and cuddles, I’m okay with it. I hope that one day you’ll give us clues as to why this is, but for now, I’m content to wonder. You fascinate me kiddo.

Love,
Mama

Well, Hello...Year of the Dragon!

Maliana ~

While we had missed Daddy due to his business trip in San Diego, you LOVED having Lao Lao spend time with us and help me get you to school this week. She actually took the day off on Tuesday so you could hang out together. I’m glad you got to stay home and relax one more day and have some more fun. She had ordered some boots, which came in a really big box, so you both went to Target for paints and proceeded to decorate it and make a clubhouse out of it while I was at work. I was impressed when I got home. You are having so much fun playing in it. You decorated the outside as well as the inside. There is a toilet, a sink, a bed, a portrait of you, Daddy, me, and Abby, and then a TV with remote (with a picture of both you and Lao Lao on the screen)…all upon your request (the more difficult pictures drawn by Lao Lao). There’s even a mat drawn outside the door (and you actually wipe your feet on it!) Lao Lao and I took bets on how many days this clubhouse would last…after all, cardboard can only take so much. When I walked in the door after work, the house smelled like freshly baked chocolate chip cookies, just like a house should after a day spent with Grandma.

the clubhouse ~ windows even open!

As with any good slumber party, Lao Lao, you, and I were in fits of giggles the last night she was there. We were all lying in bed and either Lao Lao or I would say something so simple but it would set you off, to the point where you were laughing so hard you could hardly breathe. We were doing our own silly versions of “This Little Piggy” with you and you just couldn’t get enough. As hard as it is to settle you down again to go to sleep, there’s nothing like ending the day in hysterical laughter.

Wednesday was your first day back at school and you were excited about going to the lion dance that night (our first of three we will see for Chinese New Year this year). When I came in to pick you up, your teachers were all asking us about it. We rushed home, changed, and then went to pick Daddy up at the airport. When he got in the car, you said, “I missed you Daddy!” (Awww). We hurriedly went home to drop off his bags and back out to Chi Tai to meet Joe, Tina, Sam, and Erin for dinner. While you talked a ‘big game’ about the lion dance, you were a bit leery about it once those gongs and drums started up. You got used to it though and ended up enjoying yourself.

still not so sure about those lions...

Once we got home, you were happy to relax. It was a long first day back at school and rushing to dinner so you were completely pooped. Daddy showed you the surprises he brought you back from San Diego and then you went into our bedroom and got a pair of Mickey and Minnie Mouse jammies Daddy and I had never seen before. One more gift from Lao Lao that I didn’t even realize you had conned her into she had gotten for you. You love them.

It was really hard on Daddy to be away from us, even if just for a few days. He was tucking you into bed after this long day and you both were looking at pictures on his phone. All of a sudden, he was overcome with emotions and began to cry. When you asked him why he was crying, he simply said, “Because I love you so much.” Now, one would think this would be a tender moment, right? Well, normally it would have been. But for whatever reason on this night you replied, “Well, don’t cry on my new jammies!” Ahhh, such a sensitive little thing you are. LOL Of course, that dispelled any tenderness and made Daddy laugh, which is probably what he needed most anyway. You’re quite the kid, you are.

We also got an extra special email from Mia’s mommy this week…evidently, thanks to your shining example the last time we saw them (when the four of us – you, Mia, Michelle, and I – all piled into the ONE TOILET bathroom at Red Robin together), Mia went poop on the potty for the first time. Shortly afterward she proudly said, “I went poopy like Mali!” Way to go Mia (and Mali!) I can tell you are going to be a leader someday…even if, for now, it’s pooping on the potty. Ha ha. Later that night, we got a phone call from Michelle and Mia where you got to congratulate her on her “poopy in the potty” accomplishment. If you’ve never heard this before, you have no idea how comical a phone conversation is between two 3 year olds.

It was trying so hard to snow this week, but not having a great deal of luck. Thursday after school, some flakes began to fall, and since you had not been able to go outside much at school due to the frigid temperatures, you BEGGED me to take you out to romp in the flurries. Of course, we had to change you out of your new footie jammies that you had insisted on wearing at school ALL day (Daddy was too tired to argue that morning), but you threw a fit when I tried to get you to wear anything but your snoopy tee shirt and tennis shoes outside. Your big argument was, “But I want to be cool”…as in fashionable. Oh Lord.

After quite the battle, we finally got you dressed weather appropriately and ended up spending nearly an hour outside, until it was just about dark. We had snowball fights and made snow angels, and of course ate a little snow too (that last part was all you). You’d never know you were born in the heat of southern China with how much you adore snow!

Once Daddy came home, we spent some time together just chatting about our days. Daddy, being the sweet guy he is, paid me a compliment saying, “Mommy looks hot” and then asked, “Do you think Mommy is hot?” to which you replied, “Maybe…” and then proceeded to come over and feel my arm, saying, “No, just warm.” Ha ha. Oh yeah. 3 years old = very literal.And here is a random example of your budding independence I just had to include ~ “Hey Mom! I made my own sandwich!”

I love the "thumbs up" and the mayo on your lip.
You were so proud of yourself!

Saturday kicked off a great weekend. Over breakfast, I discovered you are truly starting to build your own memories. We were chatting and you recapped our night out with the Yersavich family to go see the nativity scene downtown…”Hey, remember when me, Sam, and Erin were in the back of your car and we played drums?…and then we took that picture?” and so on and so on. I was wondering when you would start to remember things on your own, and here it’s finally happening. So cool. Later you had a second (bigger) breakfast out with Memaw, Papaw and Daddy, then I met you all at Easton.

Papaw had seen where they were making Chinese New Year dragons at Build a Bear, but unfortunately, it was only an on-line deal. So, we headed to the Lego store instead and discovered a new passion of yours. You were so into these timeless toys (and so was Papaw). Memaw and Papaw bought you your first set of real Legos, a farm kit. Within 24 hours, you and Daddy had put the whole thing together. I see many trips to the Lego store in our future ~ thanks Papaw!

Build a Bear

Legos!

mmm...Yagoot

'nuff said

We headed home for a nap before our next adventure with the Fu group for dinner at Pei Wei and then ice cream and playtime at Graeter’s. It was so much fun. Your laughter was nonstop and running around everywhere ensured that all of you kids would sleep very well that night. Each time we are around this group of people, we come to adore them more. The kids are so sweet and funny and the parents, well, the parents are all amazing. We feel so fortunate to be included in this group of phenomenal people, look forward to many more outings together, and have dreams of you all growing up together.

swish!

climbing through the ice cream jungle gym

with your new friend Delaney

trying to get 8 toddlers to look at the camera at the same time
is like trying to nail jello to a tree

Sunday morning you woke up and I was tickled to hear the first words out of your mouth were, “Mom, are you ready for Chinese New Year?!” We headed off to dim sum with Uncle Flint (whom you clearly adore and who is so great with you) at Sunflower Restaurant, where we saw our second lion dance of the New Year celebration. Dim sum was a new experience for us all and it was really fun and interesting. We got to try all sorts of different things. With all of those carts coming around, it was hard to say no. It all looked so good! We were stuffed by the time we left the restaurant.

dim sum cart is here!

and now the lion!

our bellies were FULL

We picked up some nian gao (Chinese New Year cake) at the bakery on our way home so we could take it to our friends’ (You You and William) house tonight. There was a big blowout once home, due to your being utterly exhausted (you still hadn’t gotten caught up from all of your frolicking at Graeter’s the night before, poor kid). It got pretty ugly just before naptime, however, you surprised both Daddy and I by issuing a completely unsolicited apology to Daddy immediately following nap for, to be candid, “losing your mind” earlier. We were both amazed at the level of maturity and self-awareness that took. Once again, you astonish us.

Once we got you ready, we headed off to You You and William’s house for a Chinese New Year celebration. Once there, you were quite shy initially, but warmed up eventually. It was such a fun time. They welcomed us in to their home where we learned how to make pork and cabbage filled dumplings together, as William finished preparing a complete feast of so many wonderful foods. By far the best Chinese food we have ever eaten…all home cooked! It was such a fun night of delicious food, beer, good conversation with new friends, guqin music, origami, and even some Kung Fu demonstrations! We felt so comfortable because of their generosity and hospitality, and it was nice to meet some more of their friends who stopped by to celebrate as well. Everyone was so friendly, with huge smiles and warm hearts that made us feel right at home. As we drove home, we kept talking about what a nice evening it was, how lucky we are to have met this wonderful couple, and what a perfect end it was to a weekend of celebrating the incoming Year of the Dragon.

moistening the edge of the dumpling with water

spooning in the filling

sealing up the dumpling

and the feast is ready!

the taste test ~ a success!

You You, opening our gift...

mmm...nian gao!

our gracious hosts...William and You You

learning how to split open sunflower seeds
while we sit and chat after dinner

listening to the beautiful sounds of the guqin

everyone worked so hard making origami creations for you ~ it was so sweet

playing with some of your origami birds with You You,
you left with nearly an entire zoo of animals that night!

they were all so generous and thoughtful to present
you with hung bao for the new year

there was no better way to celebrate the new year
than with wonderful new friends ~ a BIG thank you for opening your
home You You and William, and to all who shared the evening with us!!

Sooo...the lunar year has started off super! I dropped you off at school in the morning and you were such a happy little thing. Then by the time I came to pick you up, I walked through the door to the biggest running leap and hug I’ve ever gotten at pick up time. It was the best! As we walked out the door, your teachers all said “Happy New Year Mali!” one last time before we left. I love that. Then, as we drove to speech, I told you how much I appreciated your big hug today and you grinned and said, again, “Happy New Year Mommy”. Your amazing mood continued throughout the night and when we got home from speech, you and I sat down together and made one of those fleece knot blankets with a fabric that you picked out. Earlier in the day I had learned how and made one at work as part of a charity called Project Linus, so I promised that we’d make one for you too. You love it.

your new blankie...not too shabby, eh?

Audrey came over to visit and once Daddy got home, we had the Szwabinsky’s over to try some nian gao with us for Chinese New Year. Everyone really liked it and you were just happy to have so many people you enjoy in one room.

you love "your kids"

getting ready to share a taste of the nian gao

To top off the night, you got a package from Lao Lao in the mail ~ a set of Justin Bieber toothbrushes that play music while you brush! There are no words to describe it so I’ll let this video speak for me.

Brushing your teeth with a little help from the Biebs
http://youtu.be/6mm-KdSBvGA

Tuesday of this week was our final official celebration to bring in the new year. We got home from school and you were so good about getting ready for dinner, packing your own backpack and everything, even remembering to bring your jammies and some training pants, “Just in case I need to sit on you and fall asleep” (according to you). You are definitely no stranger to late-nights out with us lately.

Anyway, we got to the restaurant where a somewhat quaint dinner had snowballed into a large, chaotic frenzy of fun at China Dynasty with several families that are involved with the Fu playgroup. Over the past couple weeks, each time we’d casually hear that someone was looking for something to do for the new year, either Daddy or I would invite them with our little group. It got to the point where we simply couldn’t invite any more due to seating issues since the total of our reservation got to 21! I think next year we’ll just try to rent out one of their rooms and invite all of our Fu friends, then call it the playgroup for the month!

We met for dinner at 5:30pm so we would all be ready for the lion dance beginning at 6:30pm. You kids were a bit shy initially (to be expected), but by the end of the meal…look out! You children were downright crazy! But we’ll get to that later.

While many of you kids were a bit freaked out by the lions, (what with them climbing up and down on tables and chairs and “snapping” in our faces at times, as well as the loud gongs, drums, and cymbals), I think you all enjoyed yourselves. It was definitely an experience for everyone.

After the lion dance was when the “dam broke”. By then, you all were so comfortable with each other and had been sitting still for so long, that you just had to burn off some of your energy and a spontaneous ‘ring around the rosey’ game began, which lead to dancing, then falling on each other, and lots and lots of hugging, then more falling and laughing. I have to give a big shout out to the staff at China Dynasty for being so patient with our wild little corner of the restaurant. As you can see below, a fun time was had by all.

pre-dinner/dance family photo op

you LOVE your egg drop soup!

wow! those lions are big!

you finally got up enough courage to
feed the little lion some money

a wild game of 'ring around the rosey'...
something about this picture makes me think we're
getting a glimpse of you girls in college...ha ha

uh oh! here comes trouble!

Mia and Mali, the 2 stooges

we haven't seen sweet Niubei in a while, but we sure had fun with her tonight!

one of the many group hugs...that is the face of a happy girl

you girls were obsessed with watching this massage video outsde in the mall...
and is it me, or do you look like two little old ladies? ha ha.

So, Happy New Year honey! So far, it’s looking to be our best one yet!

Love,
Mama