Twas the night before Xmas

I've been seeing this old guy around a lot lately. Apparently he has some list that he checks.

Mummy asked me what I wanted for Christmas and then helped me write a letter to Santa. I dictated while she transcribed:

"Dear Santa, For Christmas, please give me xiao long bao (dumplings), and noodles, and putao (grapes), and trains. I have been a very good girl. Thank you. Love, Maia"

We've been doing lots of holiday things around here. We have our Christmas tree all lit. I've seen a couple of reindeer. In school I learned to sing "jingle bells" and I do a pretty good rendition of "rudolph the red nose reindeer."

Hope you all have a wonderful holiday!

Happy Birthday Mama!

Dear Mama, We just wanted to say to the best mama in the whole world... "birthday birthday it's your special day!" Love, Maia and Lily-koi

Thanksgiving 1 and 3/4s.

We had a mini-Thanskgiving day celebration today at Din Tai Fung. Baba couldn't come so it doesn't count as a real Thanksgiving celebration. Jiejie LOVES this place. In fact, she said, "I don't like chinese class, I like Din Tai Fung." "I love the Canada." She's a little bit non sequitur, but I would translate that as "I would rather be at Din Tai Fung and eat lots of xiaolongbao. It's better than chinese class where you only pretend to be at a restaurant and learn words I already know. The tastiest dumplings that I've had though are in Canada." Drool.

She and mama posed with the restaurant's mascot. I bet Mama is wondering if he comes in plush. I better watch out, as I could see myself being this dude for next halloween...

Heehee. Who needs a costume. Here's my imitation of dumpling dude.

Jiejie ate a lot. This is that giddy look she gets when she's indulged. Ode to Thanksgiving!

5 months old!

What a spectacular 5 months. I love the holiday season! In preparation, I've been working hard on my tummy time. I've got the rolling and the giggling. I would be a little more pleased with my progress if I could just figure out how to crawl. I feel like I'm almost there, but my legs don't always listen to me. Grumble for my current state of myelination.

Mummy walked into the store with me looking like this and they called me a little polar bear. Grrrrr! Actually, I prefer the terms "Ga" and "uuu".

Things to be thankful for

A peaceful moment with 2 simultaneously sleeping babies. 10 minutes.

Laughter that ensues from loving hubby and daughter giving me the "our eyes are open" stare.

The wonder of a daughter who tries to imitate your moves and fill your shoes.

Coming home to your smiles and giggles.

Thanksgiving #1

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! We are actually celebrating Thanksgiving twice. O yeah! That's how we roll in this household. Mummy and I are getting ready. Thanks to Aunty M-C for the matching attire.

I'm making cookies. O, Mummy, did you need this spatula?

We had this feast last Saturday with Abi Meimei and family. Here's a rundown of our menu. Yup, that's a roast duck in front me. Good job Mama! Quack, nevermore. We attempted to make sushi like Auntie Lynne and her mom taught us, although it didn't come out exactly the same. Sweet potatoes with a vinagrette and candied pecans, burmese tri-color salad and homemade fish cakes, sambal chicken wings, proscuitto wrapped dates, kale, fennel, and butternut squash (Thanks Aunty Shannon!) Do what a turkey does and gobble, gobble!

Alpha chef Mama.. I'm taking a break. Gotta get ready for round 2. I love Thanksgiving!

4 months old 2 weeks late

It's an exciting time to be 4 months old. Just thought I'd let you all know what I've been up to. Head control is now a piece of cake. I can roll from back to front... but I have been avoiding the camera so it's undocumented. I spend a lot of time on my "tummy time mat." That's what Jiejie calls it.

I got this ball all by myself. Good reaching!

I like to put Sophie in a headlock and chew. I think it's hilarious when Baba makes Sophie squeak.

I really look up to my big sister. She gets to do so many things. Here she is reading on our new couch.

I've quickly learned that in this family, we like to eat. I'm no exception. Here I am enjoying a particularly good vintage of breast milk. Thanks Mama.

Knock, knock. Who's there? Honey bee. Honey bee who? Honey, bee a dear and change my diaper? HAHAHA, I know I'm hilarious. I am always more content with a clean diaper.

OK, enough for now. Here's my gongxi gongxi pose.

I thought I'd addend this post because my editors finally got some rolling footage. I also went to the doctor for my 4 month check up about a week after this post and am proud to say that mama's milk has made me 14lbs 15oz (50-75%), 24 inches (25%) and a head circumference of 40cm (10-25%) (that's for my peds neurologist friends). Kisses!

Trick or treat!

Halloween is a very interesting holiday. Jiejie has been going around saying "knock, knock... Trick or Treat... please give me something sweet to eat!" There's been lots of orange gourds around the house and on people's lawns, and we had to get all dressed up.

Mummy put me in this shrimp sushi costume and calls me her delicious little amaebi. Personally, I feel like I'm more of a king prawn than a tiny little shrimp, but I like this wasabi, ginger headband thing. If only it was edible.

I didn't actually get to go out with Jiejie since it was kind of chilly outside. Here I am hanging out in my bumbo, contemplating the ramifications of handing out chocolate to all these kids. Have we considered the obesity epidemic?

If you can guess, Jiejie was a friendly green dragon. She told me all about her trick-or-treating when she got back. Maybe next year I can go with her.

Hope you all had a great Halloween. Jiejie told me that Thanksgiving will be even more fun!

Pumpkin Patch Time

I went on a field trip with my school to my very first pumpkin patch. I was determined to pick out the perfect pumpkin!

We got to go through a hay maze. Here are a couple of my classmates. No, Baba, that's not my boyfriend, but Mama did mention to me that you were partial to the fair-haired when you were my age.

Mummy and I took a train! Chugga-chugga choo choo! It had a real whistle and steam. I was enthralled. (and a little uncertain.)

Pumpkin time! I ended up getting 2 great pumpkins.. one for me and one for meimei.

Happy Autumn everyone! Hope you found your great pumpkin!

Meimei, you are Fun-ny

First Day of School

I started school this week!
Backpack.. check. Water bottle.. check. Sweatshirt.. check. Extra diaper.. check. Let's go to school. Yay!

I think Mummy was a little sad. Something about me growing up really fast. But she could see how excited I was to make some new friends.

School is great, but guess what? They don't speak my language! I know, travesty. The way I see it, these people ought to learn to speak some Chinese. It would be so much easier to communicate. Don't you think?

The language barrier makes it hard to follow all these new rules so I'm often off doing my own thing. How does one translate "circle time?" No matter, Mummy is impressed that I've been picking things up pretty quickly. 2 days into school and I already throw away my own napkin and put away my water bottle when snack is over. Some of these other kids seem picky with what they eat, but I pride myself on being the "demolisher." The teacher also says I have a strong personality. Is that the same thing as having an opinion?

I really like play doh free time. Today, I made pancakes and an ice cream cone and pizza out of it. We also do an art project every day. The first day I drew a picture of myself. Yesterday I made a crown with my name on it, and today I got to paint with pretty colors. I tend to get a lot of ink on my hands though. Very messy stuff being an artiste!

I have a feeling school is going to have lots more adventures to come. Stay tuned!