Snow Day

Tuesday it started snowing...and snowing and snowing and snowing. When it finally stopped on Wednesday we had more snow on the ground than we have gotten in one day since before I was born, 12 inches.
Thankfully I was able to work from home on Wednesday, so we planned to hunker down at home all day. We got up at our normal time and by 11 am Amelia had painted, played play-dough, played clay, watched TV and played on the computer. I could quickly see my window for work closing as she was growing bored.
Then Aunt Tammie called and Uncle Mike was willing to come over to get her - and bring her home later. What a deal, he also picked Lauren up so all the kids had something to do.

Amelia had been begging to play in the snow all morning, but there was no way with the 4-6 ft drifts in the front and the even bigger drifts in the back that I was going to take her out. Plus I knew she wouldn't last more than 5-minutes (and I was close). She went out to play with the kids and after about 3 minutes her mitten fell off - she lasted about 10 minutes and then ran back to the house. Note the look of misery on her face in the group photo!
The kids had a blast the rest of the day and I finally called at 6 to see when Uncle Mike was going to bring her home...soon. About an hour later I got a call from Mike; He was bringing Amelia AND Jordan over...Katie had been demonstrating her dance leaps for her mom and landed wrong. The poor kid broke her ankle and they were off to the ER. Thankfully it was a break in a "good spot" so no cast and Katie should be healed up within 6 weeks...thank goodness - our little dancer won't miss too many classes!

FORT!

One of Amelia's favorite things to do is to build a fort in the living room, pile some of her animals in it and snuggle up to watch TV. I think perhaps her animals were a bit too snuggly...If I would have fit I'd have snuggled up next to her and gone to sleep!

Saint Nicholas Day

Today was St. Nicholas Day, as with any other Sunday we spent most of the morning snuggled in bed and I read her the story of St. Nicholas and how he gave to the poor and those who didn't have enough to eat.

When I was a kid we always celebrated St. Nicholas Day. I went to Catholic School so often the priest would dress up as St. Nicholas and hand out candy canes in our classrooms. At home a bag of fruit, nuts and a little candy treat was delivered to the door in the evening by St. Nicholas...he'd ring the doorbell, but we could never catch him. It was always a symbol to me of the start of the Christmas season.

Today St. Nicholas delivered a treat bag to Amelia as well, but it was on the doorstep at about 2 in the afternoon and I heard the doorbell while Amelia was in the shower - she didn't hear it. When she finally got downstairs and to the front door St. Nicholas was long gone, but she was pretty excited about what she found in her bag, candy canes which she had been asking for all week - two boxes of hot chocolate - and some new books. I love that I can carry on these simple traditions with Amelia and that she gets so excited!

Slumber Party

Amelia and Katie have wanted to have a slumberparty at Katie's house for a VERY long time. Katie has spent the night at our house several times; however Amelia has never slept there. We had planned for her to spend the night on Thanksgiving, but it didn't work out - both girls were VERY upset, so we decided that they could have a slumberparty Friday night instead.
Amelia was at Katie's playing all afternoon, so I took her blanket, pillow, 3 stuffed animals, pajamas, etc over to Katie's so that she could spend the night. After dinner and watching a movie, Amelia decided she no longer wanted to spend the night...GREAT. Katie was so sad...as Saturday was her birthday and she really wanted Amelia to spend the night and have donuts with her in the morning.
I did everything I could to convince her, we read books in Katie's bed, shut the closet door and assured her that I would come back in the morning. Nothing worked.
I finally caved and went to the car where I retrieved my own pajamas and pillow...as I know my daughter a little too well. Amelia, Katie and I ALL slept in Katie's full size bed. Amelia did wake up once in the night with a nightmare (not terror thank goodness) and after I calmed her down she went right back to sleep. I woke up at 7 a.m. with Katie laying across my legs and Amelia on my chest. I got up and Katie and Amelia both woke up, Amelia went right back to sleep and I headed home.
When Amelia finally woke up Katie opened her birthday present from her parents. This is the third time Amelia watched Katie open presents:) Then they ate birthday donuts, took a 2-hour bath and played hamsters.
At 2 pm after Amelia had been at Katie's for 24 hours I called and said I was coming to get her, I got a resounding, "NO!!" My tuckered out little girl finally arrived home at 8 p.m. after going to the mall in matching t-shirts (we gave Katie matching pj's, actually not the ones in the photo and a t-shirt for her birthday) and out for a birthday dinner with Katie and family. I think they both got the sister they've been wanting...at least for a day.

Yet Another Party

Amelia's Cousins Katie and Leah both celebrate birthdays at the end of November, so it's become a tradition to get together at Katie's house the night before Thanksgiving to celebrate. My sister's make yummy soup, we have LOTS of food, since the grandkids are getting older and now starting to get engaged this is also another chance for those who can't get together on Thanksgiving to join in family celebration. We were missing my sister and her husband in NYC and my brother and his family in Maryland, but everyone in the midwest was able to be together which is quite a challenge itself these days!Of course since it is a birthday, there HAS to be cake. Unfortunately, Amelia doesn't take kindly to being told she can't blow out the candles...so she waits to make sure her cousin isn't looking and...blow she does.Amelia won't be left out of photos either...good thing her cousins put up with her!Once gifts were unwrapped and the men were sucked into sports, and boys into video games...Amelia decided it was a good time to play piano. Jordan and Katie are taking lessons and she would love to; however we don't have anywhere for a piano. Maybe some day for now she can practice at their house:)

Birthday Fun

Saturday Amelia had 2 birthday parties to attend...and boy did she have fun.
The first party was for her friend Lia who was turning 6. Leah had a fairy party and the world's most popular fairy flew in just to help celebrate!
The birthday girl was excited, but Amelia was enamored.I really don't think she took her eyes off of her once.
Next we dashed off to Cousin Katie's Webkinz party. Amelia had a blast dancing and playing games with the big 3rd grade girls. She really is a trooper, even with no nap she did great on a SUPER long day. I love the adorable expressions she makes when she dancees...they crack ME up!

"I just love him mom, I just love him!"

Amelia seems to have a new favorite friend at school, "S." This is the third year they have been in the same classroom and they have always played nicely, but this year they have really been getting along well.
Amelia and S had a play date a few weeks ago at his house. They played while I chatted with his mom. S likes all sorts of toys and he has wonderful parents who allow him to play with what he likes, so he and Amelia played Barbies and Polly Pockets, and camping.

Since their play date I have heard stories about them walking down the hall at school holding hands, Amelia putting her head on his shoulder during circle time and Amelia and S talking about getting married when they get older. They are so cute together and it's nice for Amelia to have a friend she doesn't constantly compete with.

If you ask Amelia why she likes S so much she'll say, "because is skin is so soft, even softer than mine." She also says, "I like how his head looks like it's cracked, but it's not" (pretty sure this has to do with S's hair line). The best is when you ask her why she wants to marry S...."I just love him mom, I just love him!"

I do think one of THE funniest things she has ever said was yesterday. We were talking about babies and I asked her if she and S were going to have babies when they get married, "She said, Yes 100! - Well, maybe only 35." I said, "Are all of those babies going to come out of your tummy?" To which she replied, "No, some are going to come out of mine and some are going to come out of S's"
Smart girl:)

Oh the conversations we have!

Amelia has been great about wearing her glasses, but all of a sudden she keeps taking them off all the time. I finally asked her why. To which she asked the question - looking at me with her glasses off. "Mom do I look more Chinese with my glasses off?"
I wasn't sure how to answer that, so I answered honestly. "Yes honey you do look a little more Chinese with your glasses off. Why?"
"I don't want to wear my glasses anymore, because I want to look MORE Chinese!"

I asked her who said that, "M!" (a friend at school).
Amelia went on to tell me that M said that she is Chinese and Amelia isn't. I asked if M is Asian, to which Amelia replied, "I don't think so." Then I reminded her of her friend S, who doesn't look Asian, but who's grandfather is Japanese, so S is Asian and M could be too.

We had nice long chat about how it doesn't matter if our friends are Chinese American or not, but truthfully I knew I had gone over her head when I said African American and she said shocked, "He used to live in Africa??"

I'm not sure who has more to learn, Mom or Amelia! Pretty sure it's me!

Like Siblings

When Amelia started Chinese school about a year ago, we were driving about 40 minutes to another town to attend. The second week her teacher asked if I could possibly bring two other children from our town there as their parent's own a local restaurant and weren't able to get them there or back. It wasn't really on my way, but of course I agreed thinking it would be a great opportunity for Amelia to get to know some of her classmates even better...

The next Saturday we picked Jenny and Addison up, they climbed in the backseat with Amelia and off we went. Jenny talking the entire way. They go to Catholic school, Jenny middle school at my old high school and Addison to the elementary school many of my friends attended. Addison immediately began to tease Amelia and Amelia immediately began to squeal. I could see right away they were going to get along just fine!

A year later and our Chinese class is much closer to home, but we still pick Jenny and Addison up most Saturdays. Amelia still squeals when Addison and Jenny tease her, but they have become like older siblings to her. Jenny fixes her hair, and Addison hides her toys. They tattle on each other - "Amelia got on yellow today and almost had to sit in the hall" and encourage one another, "Amelia your writing is getting so good." Last Saturday when we picked them up Jenny invited us to lunch at her parent's restaurant after school.

Lunch was awesome! So much food - their mom really likes to feed people. We took home enough leftovers for 2 meals for me, 2 meals for my mom and 3 meals for Amelia - along with 4 bags of Edamame! Amelia had eaten an entire bowl while we waited for our meals:) This was the second time their family treated us to dinner, but this time Jenny and Addison got to sit with us. They taught Amelia how to use chopsticks and both of us how to properly eat sushi. I am not a fan of seafood, but I tried it.

It is so nice for Amelia to have Jenny and Addison in her life...

Kitties, Ferrets, Snakes, and Alligators!

Last Friday we went to the school Aunt Tammie teaches at to see lots of interesting animals. This was an opportunity for kids to learn about different animals and which ones make good pets. We learned that snakes, turtles and alligators are really cute when they are little, but they grow REALLY big and hard to take care of. Of course the bigger the uglier, the more Amelia liked them! The only thing that scared her, the turtle...because when she touched its leg it hid in its shell.