Lili's new blouse, a ladies medium from China.
First year hanging lanterns.
This year we have all of the animals represented.
Spaghetti with May, how fun!
Our of order and not a great picture, but their smiles say it all!
Mmmm.
Lili and Fei on the quad.
Fei and Abigail at the CNY show.
Jade getting a ride with Lili.
Anna and Lili at the CNY show.
At the CNY show in the Music Conservatory theater.
What an awesome building, awesome theater. We were so glad we took the time to go to this one.
Couldn't get the girls to pose, took a dozen photos and these two were the best. Jia wasn't taking her eyes off the Lion in any of the pictures.
We're in serious party mode here. Friday we celebrated Nicole's Birthday, Mary and Charles were over for the weekend and the kids had a great time playing together. So sweet to see Jia and May playing. Late night. Saturday we all met for lunch and then moved the party to our house for a pre-party before Raisa's Birthday party. Phew. It was so nice out that Eric let Lili give the kids rides on the quad and the littles played with Jia's new car. Jia isn't very confident driving it yet but she loves it. Jia and May got in the car, made it a few feet and then were stuck in the middle of the front lawn, they sat happy as could be just playing in the stuck car for 20mins. Too funny. Lili was thrilled to share the quad with everyone and Fei came out and rode behind Lili too. Fei isn't totally comfortable on the quad yet and she isn't able to use the brakes. Lili even gave Gramma a ride on the quad over the weekend. Gramma's squealing and hooting was louder than the quad! Also very funny. Wish I'd filmed it. Saturday night the big girls and I went to the CNY show at UVIC, it was fabulous. A variety show, mostly Chinese, lots of dance, a magician, choir, musicians and some Chinese rap. Very cool. Another late night. Sunday we went to a CNY show at the Music Conservatory. The theater is an old church and it was just spectactular. The program was short, featured musicians from the Conservatory and they were all incredible. A fashion show and the Lion Dance. The Lion Dance was hands down the best we have ever seen! There were two and the men were so talented that they put them down for a nap, showed them breathing, twitching, waking, falling back asleep, yawning and scratching fleas. Truly incredible. Jia's first time seeing them in person and she was delighted and talked and talked and talked about them. She totally gets that she has a little one of her own at home and knows that our costume is a little one of the same thing. She wanted us to go home and get it right away. I was worried they would scare her, but they didn't.
Now, in amongst our busy days, Fei has a couple homework projects. Can I just say again that I HATE homework. Really, there is just no place for it in our lives. Aren't the hours at school enough?! It's hard enough fitting our own life into the few hours we have together. Fei has added challenges to deal with at home. I tell the kids they are on their own with homework and for the most part they try to get it done at school or when they get home, before I'm home. But every once in a while, I have to be involved and I resent it. Thank goodness I don't have to take my work home with me. I just will never understand adding busy work to our home life from school. We have our own agenda and projects and school infringes enough as it is. There, teachers reading, some of us busy parents would rather not have to do school work, there is enough on our plates already.
Had another 'are they your grandkids?' the other day. That is getting old really fast. I don't actually mind the initial question that much, it was the following 'really?!' response that is frustrating. We left the store, but I almost wanted to go back and ask if she was amazed I had kids, amazed that they were mine yet Asian or amazed that I had kids at my oh so advanced age? Still refusing to color my hair.
Monday was my Birthday, 47. Mom, Jia and I went out for lunch and then some shopping. Jia never gets time with Mom and Gramma all to herself. At lunch Jia said "I'm sure enjoying your Birthday Mom". How cute is that?!
