Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Curious
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That’s Fake
Eliana's daycare provider was out running errands this afternoon so she called me at work to say that she would bring Eliana by the house on her way home. No problem. In fact, it was a good deal because I could zip home, kick my feet up for a few minutes and catch some Travel Channel.'Weird Travels' was the program scheduled for 5:00 pm and today's episode focused on crop circles which is an interesting topic to me anyway.
I caught maybe 10 minutes before the doorbell rang.
As soon as I let Eliana into the house and locked the door behind her, the Empress bolted for the recliner with me close on her heels. I scooped her up and we played and snuggled for maybe 60 seconds because that's about the longest amount of time that she can stay in one place.
Crop circles must not impress a 3-year-old because she slid onto the floor, went straight to the DVD carousel, brought a movie back and laid it in my lap.
"I wanna watch Cinderella."
Grrrrr. I know. I'll give her a taste of her own medicine.
I stood up with movie in hand, jumped up and down and wailed in the best whiney voice I could muster, "But I wanna watch MYYYYY program on TV!".
Doggone it. I really did!
She stood quietly for a second and stared at me in disbelief. Then a smile swept across her face and between giggles she said, "Nooooo Dad. That's fake!" {extended}
Monday, January 30, 2006
This Little Piggy Went To Market
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Happy Chinese New Year 2006
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Sunday, January 29, 2006
Our Own Chinese New Year Celebration
We attended another Chinese New Year celebration but this time it was right here in town.
I contacted families in our area who had adopted from China or were in process and arranged for those who could to meet for dinner at a local Chinese restaurant at 6:00 pm. 24 people showed up and we had a blast. The adults, many of whom had never met previously, shared in great conversation and the children enjoyed playing together after warming up to each other.
Here is a group shot that David - one of the waiters - was gracious enough to take for us.
Here were our China girls.
The little girl seated on the floor in the gold-colored traditional dress is Abigail. From left to right across the top is Sara, Mia (who was the youngest at 1-1/2), Eliana and Lauren. Lauren and Eliana are the same age. Those two really hit it off together so Carmi and I have already talked with Lauren’s parents about future play dates. Nina is the young lady at the very top of the picture.
A young man from our town named Shea met Nina while he was teaching English in China for two years. The two married in China last year and moved back to our town last summer. She speaks great English and really loved on the children. I’m so glad that Shea and Nina were able to join us and I’m sure that she will be a great resource for all things Chinese.
Saturday, January 28, 2006
We Weren’t Even Late
Carmi bought a kitchen table and chairs from a lady who lives near Winston-Salem, NC so we left home around 10:30 this morning to go and pick the set up.When we pulled into the driveway, Carmi grabbed Eliana and headed for the house to let them know we had arrived. I stayed in the van to call and arrange a lunch date with some friends who also adopted from China and who lived only a couple of miles away. When our plans were set, I pushed the door lock button out of pure habit while stepping out and slammed the van door shut. No sooner had the door left my hand than I realized in a split second that my keys were still in the ignition.
For the luvva...
Aaaaaaaaaah!!!
Please don't think any less of me but...I got in the flesh.
The surge of adrenaline really stimulated the few brain cells I have. With a coat hanger kindly supplied by the residents of the house, I was able to get one of the van windows open without breaking it out which was my first instinctive plan of action.
We weren't even late for our lunch date. A small delay wouldn't have really mattered because there was a 25-minute wait at Cracker Barrel to be seated. {extended}
Diddle Diddle Dumpling
Carmi was reading nursery rhymes tonight when the Empress decided to illustrate one entitled 'Diddle Diddle Dumpling'. It goes something like this:Diddle diddle dumpling, my son John
Went to bed with his breeches on
One sock off and one sock on
Diddle diddle dumpling, my son John
I doubt that a laundry basket played a role in any of Mother Goose's tales so I suppose Eliana was taking creative license.
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Thursday, January 26, 2006
A Devotion A Day
I bought a neat little hardcover for Eliana from Amazon called One Year Book of Devotions for Preschoolers
. The book is extremely well-illustrated and features four children: Kaitlyn, Parker, Jake and a little Chinese girl named Zoe. Each day contains a very short devotion along with a scripture passage and prayer. I take a few minutes and share with Eliana every morning before we leave the house.
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Wednesday, January 25, 2006
A Tattoo On Her Arm
Eliana came home from Preschool today with a tattoo on her arm!To quote her, she said, "It's cool!".
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Will She Watch The New Movie?
Eliana and I made a trip to Wally-World as soon as I left work and picked her up this afternoon. There were a couple of food items we needed for dinner tonight but there was another reason for the shopping spree. An ulterior motive, as it were. I intended to buy the animated movie called Madagascar which neither Carmi nor I have seen previously. As far as I know, Eliana has not seen it either.Desparate times call for desparate measures. It's time for an intervention because the Empress is overdosing on 'Cinderella'.
Will she watch the new movie? Initial indicators don't look so good. Trolling the DVD aisle, she begged for everything from the Princesses to Dora the Explorer before I spotted my prize and picked it up.
Ohhhhh...look Eliana...
What is it?
It's a movie called 'Madagascar' and I want to buy it for you.
Ohhhhhhhhhh, but dad...I don't want THAT one!
I let her hold it as we left the Electronics section and headed for check-out. She stared at the movie expressionless all the way to the front of the store and continually stated her case:
I don't WANT this one and It doesn't look pretty and YOU'RE not my friend.
I bought it anyway and we WILL watch it. Sometimes a parent has to practice tough love. {extended}
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Chinese New Year For Kids
Nick Jr's website has a section on Chinese New Year for kids. {extended}Monday, January 23, 2006
In The ‘Cinderella’ Zone
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Fair Weather Fans
The Carolina Panthers were battling the Seattle Seahawks tonight for the NFC championship and a trip to Super Bowl 40 in Detroit, Michigan.Our friends, Ron and Jennifer, came over to the house after church to watch the game and we ordered pizza. By the time the pizza was gone, so was the Panther's hopes of winning. They were playing so dismally that Ron and Jennifer went home shortly after the 2nd half started. We turned the game off and finished watching 'Cinderella'. Call us 'fair weather' fans, I guess. Carolina ended up losing 34-14.
Carmi and Eliana worked on a craft and I retired to the desktop to surf the net. It wasn't long before Frosty showed up. She camps out at my feet anytime I'm sitting at the computer and would stay there until the cows come home. She's my little computer buddy.
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Sunday, January 22, 2006
2006 Chinese New Year Celebration
Today we went to the Charlotte FCC (Families with Children from China) Chinese New Year celebration. The Chinese New Year is actually next Sunday, January 29th. Some good friends were there, Jeff and Linda, along with their precious little daughter named Hannah Grace. Carmi and I both had to pose for pictures with her.There was a silent auction to raise money for the Summer Lotus Chinese Cultural Camp that the Charlotte FCC chapter supports. Carmi bid on and won a neat Chinese painting showing the Year of the Horse which is when Eliana was born.
You can see some pictures of the evening here.
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Saturday, January 21, 2006
A Night Out On The Town
Carmi went to a scrapbooking party with her friend, Jennifer, tonight so Eliana and I enjoyed a night out on the town.We waited on Carmi to come home from work just to say "hey" before taking off for Monterey's. Monterey's, in my opinion, is the best Mexican restaurant in town. Many others thought so too because the place was hoppin' but the young man at the door seated us quickly.
Eliana loves the chips and salsa as much as I do so we made quick work of the basket first handed to us. Then our food arrived and as we ate, she filled me in on the soap opera at Preschool. You know...this one is not that one's friend, what this one did to another and who is not on the birthday party guest list. Heavy stuff for 3-year-olds!
We finished our meal and then headed just two doors down to the pet store. Eliana ran around for a good 20 minutes oohing and aahing over puppies, kittens, rabbits, ferrets, hamsters, birds, fish, snakes and lizards. The lizards came about 'that' close to making her crap her pants, though.
There was a terrarium in the back of the store with probably eight green, scaly lizards piled on top of each other in one corner. The terrarium was low enough to the ground that she could stand on her own and peer through the glass which she happily did. Her little nose was almost touching the glass when she got the bright idea to tap on the glass and try to wake them up. On about the second rap, that whole pile of lizards made a mad dash and literally crashed into the back side of the terrarium in an effort to escape. They made quite a clatter and startled her so badly that the child jumped a mile high. Made me jump too. I started laughing but the Empress was not amused so our date ended that quickly.I don't know that she'll be able to watch those Geico insurance commercials again. {extended}