Mid-Autumn Moon Festival Festivities

The Mid-Autumn Moon Festival landed this past weekend and I am very grateful to our local FCC (FCCA) for putting together the annual picnic to celebrate the occasion.

Briana picked out this Chinese silk dress to wear to the picnic...

We arrived at the center and Briana had her fan and lantern in hand...

First, Briana and her friend Kira headed inside to make a hand-crafted lantern...

And friend Emma joined us too...

Look what I made!

After some lantern making, we headed to the lawn to eat dinner. Here are Briana and Emma...

Hula hoops were available for some hooping fun... 

I brought along one of Bri's small China dresses for Kira to wear...

There was a ball through the hoop game and also a marshmallow and chopsticks game...

The sun started going down and Briana turned on her lantern. I got this adorable lantern at Target. They were really being sold for July 4th, but I knew it was perfect for this occasion...

I had one for Kira too...

The lanterns were so bright, Briana and Kira were asked to lead the parade of lanterns...

Group photo opp!!!

The moon finally started to make an appearance toward the end of the picnic...

It was beautiful and bright...

On Sunday, Briana and I baked moon cookies (in jammies)! I didn't do it from scratch this year, I just bought some sugar cookie dough. But they were still yummy! 

We still put some jelly on some...

Bri watched them bake in the oven...

Bri wanted to make some crescent moons and half moons as well this year...

She was very pleased with the results!

So that was our moon-filled weekend!

I am going to recap our vacation week in my next few posts - so stayed tuned!!!

Happy Mid-Autumn Moon Festival!

Happy Autumn Moon Festival 2012 everyone!!!

Really Enjoying Fall Break So Far

We are having a wonderful time on fall break and that is why I haven't written on my blog in a couple of days! So far we have had a girls shopping day, enjoyed a play date with a friend from school and went apple picking. We still have plans to go to the North Georgia Fair and an Autumn Moon Festival celebration.

Promise to be back soon! Having too much fun to write! :D

A Need To Respond

When I started this blog over six years ago, I knew I was putting myself out there for people to read about my life and my family. I like being able to share my life with people, but of course as everyone knows in blogging, it is very subjective. I share only what I want to people to know about and everything I blog about comes from my point of view. I share a lot, but I of course do not share everything. I know I am one to overthink things and fret at times, but it is just who I am. I think I am overly conscientious when it comes to making decisions. I put a lot of thought into everything I do. I ask lots and lots of questions when making big decisions. I often worry when there isn't anything to really worry about.

So when you put yourself out there like I have, people can judge and comment. I fully understand and accept this being a blogger. I received a comment this evening that I felt was a bit out of line though. I think if someone has to write "I hope you don't find this offensive" - it usually means it is offensive. The comment was written by someone that I have never met. I have seen comments from this person sporadically over the years but have never had any sort of blog link to go to or any sort of e-mail to respond to. I am not going to state exactly what was said because I don't think the comment was written maliciously or with any ill will. It seemed to come from a place of concern (maybe?). But I found it a bit insulting.

What I will say about the comment is that I don't think anyone can truly comment on my life or the decisions I make regarding my family based on what is simply written in a blog. I have never met the person that made the comment. Emails have never been exchanged. The person has never talked to me or anyone in my family in person. And though this person "thinks" they know me, my child and my family through what I have written over the years, they could not possibly know any of us. Because you can't possibly know everything about someone from what is written in a blog.

And I guess I am not writing this post only for me, but for all my fellow bloggers that have received comments that haven't always been so kind.

I am posting this response publicly because there is no way to address what was written to me any other way. It is a bit frustrating when a person makes a judgmental comment and I have absolutely no idea who they are and have no way to respond.

To the person that wrote the comment - just know that I do know what is best for me, my child and my family. I don't make decisions lightly. And if you have been reading my blog for as long as you say you have, you should already know this.

Last Few Days Before Fall Break

Fall Break is finally upon us! Bri is very happy - and I am too. I love spending time with Bri on break.

 Miss B wore a very cute outfit yesterday and I just had to snap a few pictures. She was all smiles with it being the last day before break, and she was more than willing to pose for me. She was also excited because she decided to clip one of her bows to one of her headbands because it matched and looked super cute. I told her she was on her way to being a fashion designer. :D

It has been a bit chilly in the mornings here in GA, so she has been wearing light sweaters to school each day. Yesterday, we finally pulled out her favorite Halloween/fall sweater and it still fits! We will get another fall season out of it...

 And to celebrate the last day before fall break, I put Yoda PB&J's in her lunchbox...

After school yesterday, Briana had a play date with her new friend Emma that goes to Chinese dance class with her. We actually met Emma and her mom several years ago at a mutual friend's house - and we also were in Chinese language class together for a couple of weeks a while back. For some reason, Emma's mom and I just never got around to scheduling a play date and we finally got together yesterday. Of course Bri didn't want to go home.

 I just need to share with you all that I am feeling a bit better since I wrote my last post. I had a nice lunch with my friend Miranda on Thursday and I always feel happy when I am able to get together with her. I think fall break will help get me out of my little funk. Also good news, I reached out to a mom of a little girl that Bri is good friends with in school and she and I are going to try to set up a play date during fall break. Things are looking up!

And I had to show you the picture of how Bri was beaming after winning a certificate for wearing a cute costume at the school book fair. She won a free book...

 

And when we walked into the library, on the wall was a row of pictures of kids that celebrated birthdays in August and donated money to put their name in a book. I didn't even realize there was a picture up in the library of her. She never mentioned it. It was fun to see her cute little face up on the birthday wall...

I am excited about this week. I have a number of fun things planned for my girl. One includes some apple picking. 

Oh - and happy first day of fall (to my northern hemisphere friends)!

Feeling "Out Of Sorts"

I saw this rainbow last night at Doug, Bri and I were leaving a restaurant after dinner. It was beautiful and I really needed to see it. Rainbows are lucky.

I am not sure what is wrong with me. I am feeling "out of sorts" this week.

Physically - I am feeling much better. I am still tired and sluggish though. Sadly, I am majorly lacking the motivation to do much of anything. I have to "turn it on" when Bri is home, but when she is at school, I don't feel like doing much at all.

Maybe I am just tired from the busy summer and from being sick.

I went to the school book fair with Briana and Doug last night. Bri had a good time. Me - not so much really. It was a bit chaotic and disorganized. Bri came home with a few good books, so it was worth going because she really enjoyed herself. And she even won a gift certificate for a free book for having on a cute costume (it was a "haunted" book fair). I ran into a couple of moms at the school I know. We said our hellos. Everyone I talked with was very nice and friendly last night.

Overall though, I am feeling a bit out of place at Bri's school. I wish I didn't feel that way. I can't seem to break into the elementary school parent "cliques" that have seem to have formed. I chit chat with a number of folks, but I don't really hang out with any of the other parents. In part, I think a lot of people have older kids in the school, so they have been a part of the activities for years and many people already know each other. Secondly, a number of parents probably have kids who befriended each other at school and play dates have come out of that. And lastly, a lot of people are already good friends with their neighbors, and their kids are all now in school together.

B has an amazing group of friends outside of our neighborhood/school district, so maybe she doesn't feel a big need to find a "BFF" at school. Bri seems to have friends at school, but she hasn't really hooked up with any one person specifically. And I have a wonderful group of friends outside of school as well, and I am so grateful for them because if it was up to solely making friends through Bri's school, I'd be on my own most of the time. It is kind of a bummer.

My biggest problem is that I live in a county that most of my closest friends don't live in. So when fall break happens next week, Bri has no one to hang out with because the counties where Bri's friends live don't have a fall break. I would really like to find someone close - in the neighborhood - for Bri to hang out with.

I live in a kid-filled neighborhood, but sadly, I don't really have any kids Bri's age living on my street. There is one house down the street with kids, but the kids are rarely outside the house and I don't know the people. I tried to introduce myself to the mom on Halloween a couple of years ago but felt a bit blown by off her.

I try to be open to meeting new people. That doesn't always mean every person I meet becomes my best friend, but I like to try to branch out. You just don't know who you will click with. Sometimes I click with a person and sometimes I don't. But it feels like a lot of people around here have "enough" friends and don't seem to need to make any more. Which is sad for me and my daughter.

Doug would really love to move closer to the perimeter. He works from home but visits a lot of sites/companies for work. And they are not close. It is far for him to drive all over. We live about 15 minutes from any kind of expressway and 45 outside of Atlanta. To be honest, in a few years, I am pretty sure we will be moving closer to the perimeter.

I love my house though - so moving is a much bigger deal for me. It is the house I brought Briana home to. And I do really like the area I live in. But if I cannot find a way to make more friends in my neighborhood and/or at Bri's school, then there really isn't much keeping me here - is there?

Maybe I could find it easier somewhere else. Somewhere I already have established friends. I have had a few of my friends already ask me to move closer to them. :D

I think this post is what you would call a "stream of consciousness" post. Just getting my feelings out. Writing is very therapeutic for me.

I have a bunch of activities for me and Bri to do next week on break, so maybe that will give me the kick in the pants I need to get motivated again. And once fall break is over, I have offered to volunteer a bit in Bri's classroom. That should give me some more access to meeting more parents. I guess I will see what happens.

Hopefully this post wasn't too boring for you to read. Thanks for letting me get this out.

Soccer Picture Day

We had to be at the field an hour early on Saturday to take soccer pictures. It was totally worth it because we were on of the first teams to get our pictures taken and it went very smoothly. 

Except...

Briana's attitude was pretty stinky for picture taking unfortunately. As I was closing the door to the car, Briana hadn't fully gotten out of my way and the door hit her shoulder a little. It hurt I am sure - but it wasn't really that bad. But little Miss B decided to hold a grudge - even though I apologized to her. And it was a bit warm in the full sun so she was being cranky.  She barely smiled for pictures and refused to talk. I was not happy to say the least. Doug and I got back into the car with Bri to cool down because we still had about 40 minutes to wait before the game started.

And we made Bri sit in the car with us for about 20 minutes with nothing to do. No iPhone. No iPad. No music. No nothing. Twenty minutes with nothing to do is like an eternity for a 6 year old. I told her she could get out when her attitude changed and that bad attitude wasn't going out on the field. And it was a miracle - her attitude completely changed. ;D

Doug and I had brought a couple of umbrellas to sit under and a few extra chairs for the girls to sit in when they were taking a break...

Then madness and giggles ensued when the girls all started piling on top of each other and under said umbrellas...

Once Briana started playing, I knew my girl was BACK! She played hard. She got three goals, a couple of assists and she passed the ball like a champ. I told her I didn't even care if she made any goals as long as she tried her best. Last week, her heart wasn't in it. This week - it was totally in it.

The only part of it I don't care for is when little girls do this...

There are a few "pushers." Briana gets a bit upset when someone touches or pushes her because she knows there isn't supposed to be any hands in soccer. 

She battled on though and really enjoyed the game.

Doug and I were so proud of her. It really was a good game!

Sesame Street Live

At age 1, Briana loved Elmo. By age 2, she started moving on to Dora and Mickey/Minnie Mouse. Then it was all princesses at ages 3 and 4. By age 5, she still liked princesses but also started loving Barbie. Now at age 6, she stills loves princesses and Barbie but has added Hello Kitty.

Briana stopped watching Sesame Street a while ago. So when my friend Ansu asked if we would be interested in joining her, Khalid and Kira at Sesame Street Live (Kira absolutely loves Sesame Street), I thought Briana would possibly say no. But when she heard her friend Kira wanted to go, she gave me a definite yes.

The girls were all smiles when we arrived at the arena. We walked through the CNN Center to get there...

Kira was giddy knowing she was going to see Elmo and Big Bird...

The girls impatiently waiting for the show to start...

The show was really cute. The girls were engaged the whole time. And this was Kira's very first live show...

I was a total sucker and bought both girls Elmo balloons that cost waaaay too much. But they loved them...

I wasn't sure how Briana would like the show, but she really enjoyed it. I am happy that she still finds joy in "smaller kid" things. She really hasn't jumped on the "teenage bandwagon" yet (liking boy bands, etc), and that makes me happy because she is only six and I am sure she will in time. She has plenty of time for that. :D

School Spirit

Friday was Spirit Day at school! Bri looked so cute - I had to snap a few photos...

Of course, Briana begged for the obligatory baby panda/pink baby shot...

Cute stuff!!!