Gong Xi Xin Nian

So we celebrated CNY eve by eating the yummy dumplings from Christine.

Today at the horse riding, her Kelly was so unbelievable, she said to me, "Xin Nian Kuai Le (Happy New Year), Wan shi lu yi (everything you do will go smoothly), gong xi fa cai (lots of wealth and prosperity) and something about not growing old (argh and that was the punch line which I can't remember!), anyway I thought it was so touching and well said that I wanted to give her more than one red packet!

I guess I didn't drill Nate as well, his came out as, Xin nin ki le (instead of Xin nian kuai le), he got away with a red packet and Ike can do the gongxi gongxi hand salute thing. Ike also likes imitating sounds... today he imitated drums and had a few more words, but I will need to carry a note book or recorder just to record all these things down!

Just as we were leaving Rinky Dink, I spot this great aloe flowering and others with shoots, it was quite a sight! look at the big white bell blooms!

I found a few punchers I bought in Taipei, nate really liked using them, it strengthens his fingers as well, I think I"ll lend it to his class so that more kids can use it and it was just sitting at the bottom of my pencil case. Today we spent an hour, punching leaves and snowflakes... later nate put it in his cooking set and made me "chao fan" (fried rice).

Ike woke up screaming at 5am today... took a short 50 min nap and did not nap the rest of the day, I tried to put him down to sleep, I had 5 mins of silence and I could rest with nate watching TV, then he started crying again and as I carried him on my arm, I got poo all over my sleeve. Luckily he had blueberries in the am and that was what came out but I wonder if the stains will come out. yucky.

Here is Nate reading the book from school, today is library day and he chose another book, its another thomas the train book. 2 out of 4 weeks... we get thomas! Ike carrying the book bag... he then went to pick up toys and put inside.