Happy Chinese New Year!

Happy Lunar Chinese New Year!

What a great weekend, got to talk to many relatives and friends in China and friends this weekend! Since I couldn't get the 10-day holiday there, I'll give myself at least half day on Monday to relax and enjoy time cooking dinner for everyone.

Sunday night, we went to a Chinese restaurant for dinner, it was so crowded! Food was great, but the surprise dessert was the best! It's their homemade mango ice cream made from real mango. So smooth and creamy!

I caught this picture, so funny to see their expression - it's like Kaitlyn did it purposely, telling daddy "So yummy! I'm finishing up!" And daddy looked so eager to take a bit! Haha, both of them likes sweets so much:-)

Kaitlyn was tired and crampy when we get to the restaurant, but I guess the coke really worked well! Ever since daddy let her try it during Christmas holiday, she love it! That's a big reward for her to behave well in public, but the a few sips could get her really hyper for the rest of the night.

Plus, she has good reason to drink it, because her school ask kids to collect pull tabs and send to school, because those have high recycle value. I don't understand why? The same time school take off soft drinks off school menu, they're rewarding kids to drink more at home to collect rewards at school?

After dinner, we went to the temple with grandparents, to wish for good luck. Temple seems so strange to her, she wonders what are people doing to lighted sticks? Why do people kneel down praying so seriously in such a smoky place? Who are those statues inside the temple? How come one of them looks like a cartoon character grandma brought from China?

Just like a friend said the other day, all the traditions doesn't make sense for them, especially for the ones growing up here! I don't even get to see a lot of things for living in the city when I was little. It will only serve as childhood memory. For one day when she grows up, if she ever wonder about her ancestor and her roots, the memory will help her pick up thinking about her faded identity...

Monday was the Australia Day celebration at school, we both went to school to spend some time with her. She is so proud we make it! Sure it's a good thing when child sees their parents show up at school. One girl kept saying my mom will be here! Luckily her mom made it, otherwise I would feel so sad for her.
Jason is her good friend at school, now I know why - they're neighbors! Jason is such a sweet cute boy. It's funny Kaitlyn had one issue with him, because the very last time she checked out a book about "civil war", Jason said that's for boy. Kaitlyn was a little upset about that, kept telling me that's not, everyone can read it. I'm glad to see they do talk and share many things at school.

I made salmon, fajita chicken, and some spicy tofu for dinner. (Kind of wired meal, I made tofu just to finish up some leftover ground turkey.) Grandma make a vegetable dish. Surprisingly, she ate quite a bit of spicy tofu! Yeah, my girl can eat spicy now! We keep engaging her try it out, she just refuse to try any! Today, she kept asking for more. I'm so surprised. See she is eating one bit after another, of course with milk.

sleep walking?

Did this ever happen to me when I was little?

It was very cold last week and one night, Kaitlyn snug into my bed before daddy went to bed. Then in the middle of the night, I was suddenly woke up by Kaitlyn, (that's probably sleep with her, I easily wake up many times at night) she quietly crawled over me, slipped down the bed. I thought she was going to pee-pee. And was wondering why she didn't say a word. Um, big girl, she knows what she needs to do!

Then strangely, she put on her slipper, walked out of the room, stand in hallway for a second. (I can hear daddy was watching TV.) But she didn't say anything, and didn't come back to the room either. Just disappeared.

My instinct told me to check on her. I heard she walked to her room, turned on the light, and turned it off. Then I saw lights were on and off in each room upstairs. What's going on? What's she doing?

I stand by the stairs downstairs, watching her walking down. She then saw me, smiled... I asked her "what are you doing?" She said "looking for YOU!" with a surprise expression on her face! I said "I'm right next to you in bed? You didn't see me?" She shook her head said "no".

Daddy walked over, asking what's going on. After I told him, he said don't wake her up if she's sleepwalking. But is she? Her eyes were open, and she apparently know what's she doing.

When we told her what happened the next morning, she has no idea what we're talking about! Maybe she is! What a weird thing!

Happy New Year!

Well, it's the second weekend of the new year already, I'm finally sitting her updating the blog. We had wonderful holiday break and this week was the first week we all come back to work and school.


Kaitlyn started this semester with YMCA after-school program instead of taking bus home. I thought she might feel sad, b/c there are only two girls in her class staying late (Lucky the other girl already lives in our neighborhood, so they know each other). So all other kids have someone at home? (How?Any way.) She really likes YMCA so far, she got to meet her old friends (older siblings of her classmate at Montessori). She loves to play with older kids. She likes their snacks better (more "unhealthy":-), she likes the activities, more variety and more chance to play with older kids. Daddy said she was crying not want coming home the other say when he picked he up. Guess that's a good sign.


She seems much grown up now, totally in transition from my baby girl to big school girl. Especially every time we come back from trip, she will become more mature (both good and bad).


1. She is more polite nowadays. Instead of we remind her, she will say "thank you", "please" and "Yes, mama" by herself.

2. She can sing many complete songs. Especially Christmas songs. I love the way she sings, so cute.


2. She is better at sharing with others. Even though she has preference whom to play and still shy with new people, she is getting better and trying. There is this one girl on our street, she used to refuse to play with her and even locked the girl out twice. Now she still doesn't prefer to play with her, but she will try to find common interest when she comes over. She is better at expressing her feelings not holding on to herself.


3. Speaking of that, she does get way better at expressing her feeling, care about her feeling now:-)

An example from last night, I told her to finish food in her bowl before eating fruit or leaving the table. She asked me: "Is 'full' my feeling? I just feel full, right?" I said yes, thought it's just like another question she always ask how things work. Then she asked me seriously, "Then why are you begging me to eat?" I looked at her, saying "I'm not begging you, I want to finish dinner before playing!" She respond very unhappy "why are you ordering me to eat? Isn't that my feeling?"

Daddy laughed so hard this time, happy her little girl can think and strategy herself out of trouble. OMG, I foresee more and more challenge from my little girl on everyday little things.


3. I remember last year she complained boring a lot, but not much this year (I should say this year as last year 2008). Most of the time, once she leaves school, she wants to go straight to home, not going anywhere else. She enjoys doing things herself. I guess she is practicing what she learned from school from schoolmates. Not necessary what teachers taught her, but anything she picked up from classmates - tricks, ideas, good and bad. Being the only child, she learns how to entertain herself.


4. We finally bought a piano, as my husband said another expensive furniture. But he actually enjoyed more than us! This is always one of my dream to have a piano, and continue learning. Kaitlyn wasn't that excited, but she still likes to try it, and kept asking when she start the class.

Some funny picture of she is playing the piano:

As soon as she hears about taking piano class - pretending she was shocked and fainted..
That's another things, she is so good at acting, such a drama queen. Her tears come out anytime she needs, and turn laughing the next second.

Yeah, there was another funny story. Last week one night, she want to sleep with us. She was all smiling and excited when daddy said ok. In a second, she brought her toys and a big pillow standing by our bed. I said no no, not all of them, our bed is not big enough. Instantly, she put her head down on her pillow, leaning on the bed, crying "you just don't want me be here! You don't want me!" Her face does make us feel guilty like we hurt her feeling so bad. Of course, she got it her way. Daddy's girl, she kicked daddy out to watch tv:-) haha...


A lot more picture to edit, but I found these two I like a lot.