Chinese New Year 2017 (Decorating, Presenting, Crafting, Food And Friends)

Briana always gets super excited when Chinese New Year arrives. She loves when I decorate the house for the holiday. When she was at school one day, I decorated and surprised her when she got home...

On Jan 27, I went to Briana's school to do my annual CNY presentation. Once again, Briana wore a pretty Qipao dress...

It's always a bit nerve-racking preparing for these presentations. Since I didn't grow up with the holiday, I don't feel super qualified to be teaching about it (I know enough to get by). I feel the jitters when I enter the school. Since I have been going for so many years, a number of the kids have seen me talk before and remember me. When I walk in the classroom, they seem to be excited that I am there and my nerves slowly start to go away.

Doug came along to watch, and he took some photos for me as I presented. These are students from Briana's two classes (big group!)...

Talking to the class...

Briana showing all the kids her lion marionette...

 I read a book to the kids and the pictures were projected on the screen...

The teacher put a short video up about the Ni'an monster that I recommended...

I had the kids assemble rooster masks for the Year of the Rooster and they had the best time with it (the teachers too!)...

The rooster mask group pictures turned out great...

Sadly, this was my last CNY presentation. :( Briana starts middle school this August and unless there is a class where the kids are studying World History, China or CNY, I just don't see it happening again. Bri will be changing between 5 or 6 different classrooms in 6th grade, so it really won't be possible. Also, my presentation is really geared toward an elementary school audience. :) I'm sad about it, but I'm grateful I've gotten to do this for Briana over the years.

Briana is well-liked by her classmates, but I don't believe she is in the "popular" group of kids at school. She is a bit shy and usually gravitates to two or three kids in class each year. So when I can give her a moment to be in the spotlight at school, I'm very grateful to be able to do that for her...

After school that day, Briana wanted to go to our local art center and do a CNY craft...

She made a beautiful "Year Of The Rooster" fan...

We came home, picked up Dad and went back out to eat Chinese food at our favorite Chinese restaurant.

Long noodles ~ long life...

Silly faces until I got them to cooperate...

Chinese New Year Day (Saturday), Briana opened some gifts. She received these great gifts from Gramma and Papa...

On Sunday evening the first weekend of CNY, we met our favorite families at a different local Chinese restaurant to celebrate the new year.

We are so grateful to have these amazing people in our lives...

Four beautiful besties...

The boys were laying in money... ;)

So lovely in their Qipao dresses...

The girls received red envelopes with gift cards from the restaurant...

The following weekend, Doug, Bri and I headed up to Chattanooga for the CNY celebration at the Creative Discovery Museum (my next post will be about this)...

We did so much to celebrate CNY this year. There is a dinner coming up this weekend held by the FCCA adoption group (we've attended in the past several times), but we can't make it this year. Wish we didn't have to miss it. CNY is just about over, and we are sad to see it go. It's been a lot of fun!

(In the sidebar of my blog, I've added a link list of posts that share how we've embraced Bri's biological heritage and the culture of her birth country over the years. )