Working Backwards

It's Saturday. I should be 'headed up' by now. I have to teach a class of first graders at 'church school' tomorrow. But I'm all wound up and all exhausted at the same time. So I thought I'd work backward since there seems to be so much catch up for me and this little place I put my life.

Today I took Abigail to the doctor because I was sure she had pink eye. She left with yes pink eye but also a positive test to Strep!!! "Ohhhhh... that explains everything," I thought. Like why she cried every half hour today.

I wonder how I 'missed this one.' I know her sooo well and she's sick a lot so I always know the onset of every ear infection, cold, fever, everything.. missed this one. After the meds tonight and as she was falling asleep she was moaning. Poor thing! It's gonna be a loooong night... maybe.

SATURDAY


Earlier this week her little group class was asked to play at a Chocolate Festival. Scott and laughed as we stood by the onions and trail mix and watched her play. She was darling. But it sure was a fiasco getting there on a Thursday night. Anna played too but she was standing behind Abigail and we couldn't get her, darn! (especially since she played more interesting music than her little sister) Here's a little clip...

THURSDAY


And since we're working backward, earlier this week we had a snow day. It was lovely. Tea, sledding, tea, and everything good that comes with an unexpected change in the schedule.

WEDNESDAY




Just steps out of our back door





I really wish I saw these pictures before today because I can see her pink eye right there!



Oh I love Abigail's smile as Anna had a crash fun landing.



And her walk back up the hill





Lots of tears this week leading up to Strep and pink eye :(





I love snow days. They're glorious.







And before that Scott had an overnight trip to NYC. It snowed that afternoon so even though it wasn't that much the girls wanted to shovel for daddy; to surprise him when he came home.

MONDAY


Sweet.





And our traditon is that if daddy is away overnight it's a sleepover with me!



Here's to meds working, me not having to work backward here in this space. And to a happy, healthy Sunday.

Cheers!

Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year is big in our house and this year was awesome!!! From our trip to Chinatown to our little celebration at home...

On the 'real deal' (as Abigail calls it) we had the yummiest (not your average yucky take out) Chinese food ever.  And grandparents over sure made it a party.  The girls wore their China silks and we decorated the house.











Grandpa tells the best "make up stories" to get Abigail to eat... we're always trying to get Abigail to eat. 


Anna's Aunite Jackie made such an amazing gift for her this year.



She created this box



Year of the horse.




And it was filled with fabric, handmade fortune cookies.



Each had their own special message to Anna... lovingly written by her Aunt.  Ammmmmazing!  Even Abigail got a gold box with one fortune inside made by her cousin.







Written to Abigail by her cousin


Sweetest gift ever!

We gave the girls bracelets with their Chinese middle names on them.  Anna's Chinese middle name is Jiang Qian.  It was her name given to her upon arrival at her orphanage.  All of the girls that arrived around the same time had Jiang as part of their name.  Jiang mean river.  The orphanage is in a huge city but the city is near a very important river.  And Qian means beautiful.  When we were in China "Qian, Qain" as they called her was often taken from my arms by strangers wherever we went.  She was extremely unusual looking for the part of China that we were in.  For a Chinese girl she has very pale skin, light light brown highlights in her hair instead of the dark dark black hair and she had chubby cheeks and a huge face... really unheard of for a Chinese baby.  "Oh she's so beautiful...." people would tell me in China.  (we had a translator of course)  And I got used to others wanting to hold her at museums, zoos, airports... where ever we were in China.  Before we even traveled to China we knew we wanted to keep her 'given' name.  It was all she had left of her life in her birth country.  We really felt that we just had no right to take it away from her and pick a 'cute' American middle name.



When I found out we were expecting Abigail we knew that we wanted to her him or her a Chinese middle name.  So when a little girl arrived we knew that Anna had a little 'mei, mie'  Mei Mei in Chinese means 'little sister'.  And her Chinese middle name couldn't fit our little Irish looking girl better!  We just love it!



Cards and gifts from grandparents..



Oh it was a special day!

We adore you Anna Jian Qian.  My how you've changed over the years.  We love looking back at Chinese New Years past.



For our little family just the word China pulls at our heartstrings.  We will forever love that country.  It is part of our lives.  With great respect will honor it as best we can.

Ten Years From Now

I love this blank white page before me. It's been a while since I typed here and I miss it. I've been busy with the usual here. Cooking, cleaning, baking, cooking, cleaning up, cooking, helping with homework... throw a little laundry in the mix and my days are full.

If you could hear what I hear right now. I'd bottle it up for sure with a sticker on the bottle that said, do not open until you're 50. It's the sound of a snow day. The sound of my for sure neat and tidy house getting torn apart very little by very little. The sweet sound of Anna reading Junie B. Jones aloud to Abigail. Or "jun a pee jones" as Abigail corrects us. It the sound of tea cups getting filled, and giggles.  It's a day I know they'll play outside with their daddy.  A day that must have soup simmering on the stove.  There might be a sister squabble but deep down I know they'll remember their snow days as sweet ones.  As will their mama, ten years from now.

The end of January brought Chinese New Year and we celebrated BIG this year.  With a trip to China town in NYC.  It's so much fun to go to New York City for a day trip.  Every time we head into the city we always say, "why don't we do this more often?"   A few favorites from our day.



















China silks ~ Anna picked out a light blue for a photo shoot I wanted to do with her.











And since China Town is soooo close to Scholastic Books we just had to stop.





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So today I'll soak it all in knowing that this is one day I'll wish I could open ten years from now.  So let the snow flutter down.  Bring it on Mother Nature, for Connecticut loves a pretty snow storm.