A Super Fun Get Together

Last Saturday, Doug, Bri and I had a few friends over for some food and Rock Band. I guess having a Rock Band party in January is getting to be a bit of a tradition. Two of the families that we invited to our get together had ever met each other. We (Doug, Bri and I) and the "T" family were mutual friends with both the "B" and "P" families, but those two families had not met each other yet and was most certainly overdue. All the kids had a blast together - and the parents did too. Coming a little later in the evening were our friends that moved here from California and it was time they met everyone!

Bri and I decorated for CNY that morning, so it was perfect for our little get together...

Everyone brought food to eat and I had cooked some myself, so we were definitely not short in the food or drink department. Hopefully we can all get together again soon!

PS - I love how much G (in the last picture) was getting into the music!

100 Days Of School

Monday was not only the first day of CNY, but it was also the 100 days of school celebration! The kindergartners were asked to dress like 100 year old people. Some powder in her hair, pearls and silly glasses did the trick I think!

Hey there missy...

And Briana had to present a project of 100 things on a poster. I suggested to her horses and she loved the idea. She and I worked on her project on Sunday. We did a potpourri of pictures, drawings, stamps and stickers...

I can't believe 100 days of elementary school has passed. I was worried  I  she would never make it past day one. Look at her now. :D

Dragon Crafting

Last Friday right after school, I brought Briana to a local art center where we met Angela and her gang to make colorful dragons for CNY. I have to thank the art center because all of these pictures were taken by them. I didn't bring my camera (shocking I know) and only had my camera phone. My pictures were not even close in comparison. I took these from their FB page and they are great! Rebecca and her girls were also there to enjoy all the fun! Laney wanted to do everything that Briana did and it was so cute. Their dragons came out quite similar not so coincidentally. :D

Here are all the photos that I did not take, heh...

Of all the photos I did take with my camera phone, this one came out the best...

Briana and I are most definitely going back to this art center to craft. And they have summer camps too. A big find because you know my girl absolutely loves art. This is right up her alley!

Chinese New Year Eve 2012

Sunday evening, we joined a few China adoptive families/friends for a delicious CNY's Eve Dinner at one of our favorite local Chinese restaurants. All the kids dressed in their cutest outfits and we all feasted on delicious Chinese food. The kids received red envelopes and I also passed out adorable mini slide drums I bought and I'm sure all the parents were thrilled with me about that (I did pass them out right before we all headed home - not during dinner!). Snort. It was such a nice evening! Enjoy all the pictures and please do not pay attention to the knife Briana decided to wield in one of the photos. It was promptly taken away from her after that - heh.

Xīn Nián Kuài Lè

Happy New Year 2012!! Welcome Year Of The Dragon!!

I am so grateful to my amazing daughter that has brought this wonderful holiday and her beautiful culture into my life. She has added to and enriched my life more than she will ever know.

A Little Certain Someone Needs Glasses

Miss B is getting glasses! These are the frames she picked out. Isn't she adorable? We get the finished product in a few days.

Briana's teacher noticed that she was leaning in a bit when she was reading or looking at things. I noticed it too. So, a thorough exam was needed. I checked her out of school an hour early on Tuesday and we headed to the eye doctor. Briana did unbelievably well during the exam. When the nurse put the stinging eye drops in to dilate her eyes, she hardly flinched. The nurse was shocked at how well she did! Here she is waiting for the doctor to come in...

I was expecting to come out with him saying she needed reading glasses, but her exam proved differently. She has 20/30 in both eyes with an astigmatism, so she needs to wear her glasses all the time. So, she isn't too bad really. He will evaluate her again in about a month. Bri wanted glasses so badly that she probably would have melted down if she didn't get them. I am very glad she wants them (sigh of relief).

She looked so sassy going to school the morning of the exam...

And she was mega excited when she realized her raincoat matched her outfit that day...

I will of course post more pictures when she gets her glasses. Let's hope she doesn't break them within the first week!

Chinese Dance Class Recital and Red Envelope Presentation

What can I say? This was probably the cutest recital I have ever seen. Saturday afternoon was Briana's Chinese dance class recital. Bri and her classmates all dressed alike. Simply adorable. One of the moms in the class was able to get someone to make all the girls' skirts and Kathy, bow maker extraordinaire, made all the bows to match of course.

Above is Miss B with her best buds Chani, Imerie and Mary Lin. 

Briana and all the girls were ready to show off what they have learned so far. Below, I have tons of pictures of the class and videos as well...

The next four videos show what the girls have learned. In the last video, you will see how they have learned to count to 12 in Chinese. This is really cute stuff, so if you have a few moments, please take a look...
















After showing us their dance moves, the moms got the girls into their red outfits to do a presentation of red envelopes for Chinese New Year. In the Chinese culture, it is customary for children to bow or kneel before their parents and grandparents and say "Happy New Year" on Chinese New Year's Eve in order to receive red envelopes. This is what we did in class and it was so very cute! My parents were able to attend that day and loved seeing every second of it!

I am so grateful that Briana has an opportunity to take this class - a big "thank you" once again to my friend Amy for helping to make this class happen. Briana and her classmates will also be performing their dance number on Feb 4 at a Chinese New Year FCC event. It should be lots of fun!