Jia's School

I can't even express how wonderful it is to have both girls in schools that they adore. For Jia, I really did not know what to expect with kindergarten. I was initially just very relieved that she liked it so much. Lately, I've been surprised at how many topics are covered there, and what the kids are learning!

I mentioned carbon dioxide the other day (don't recall why) and started to explain it. Jia interrupted and said, "Oh, I know all about carbon dioxide from science class!" Jia is also learning about different religions in her class and she told me all about the Maccabees one day. After school today, she rattled off the names of all the continents and all the oceans.

I was worried her school would be too academic and not creative enough. I could not have been more wrong! There are huge tubs of colored pencils and art supplies at each table. Her teacher incorporates art into math and puzzles into reading. They play lots of games and sing songs about everything.

Jia's teacher is phenomenal. She has been teaching since the early 80's and is SO good at what she does. For example, each kid writes every number up to 1000. This is one of the things they can choose to work on during the day, and kids get there at different points throughout the year. When a kid reaches 1000, the whole class stops, cheers and her teacher does the splits! When two students reached 1000 on the same day, her teacher did a cartwheel and landed in the splits! I love this.

Recently in art class, the kids created alms boxes reflective of those created by artist Tony Berlant. They are using them for a Pennies for Peace project through the non-profit run by Greg Mortenson, author of "Three Cups of Tea." Jia came home telling me all about "Dr. Greg" and is so excited to be helping kids go to school - just like she does.

Small acts of civil disobedience

There is an alliance forming in the house. Two small children have been periodically uniting to resist the rulers.

Example: Willa doesn't get dessert due to being squirrely at dinner. Jia later shares some of her own dessert with her.

Example: Jia is lamenting because she is in time out for doing something to Willa. Willa brings Jia some toys while she is in time out.

Example: Willa is being disciplined for whatever. Jia comes up to me and says, "I think you're being unfair to Willa because..." and pleads her case.

I fear a coup d'état!

Honestly though, good for them, everyone could use a sister who has their back.

Happy New Year!

We are very ready for a new year. I haven't blogged about it, but 2010 was a roller coaster health-wise for both Joe and me with unnerving diagnoses, scary possibilities, surgery, tests, treatments, a hospital stay and more questions than answers. We are optimistic that 2011 will be a better year in this regard! Thankfully the girls are healthy, love school, love us and love each other! They have been our shining light this year. (And likely always will be!)

We celebrated New Year's Eve with our good friends Binh and John and their kids. What fun!

Here are the girls in their sparkly wraps excited for their friends to come over:

We had our traditional fondue with bread, veggies, fruit and octopi (turkey dogs) - yummy!


There were the requisite bouts of tickling:



Quite a bit of stair sliding:

Getting ready with noisemakers and bubbly for adults and kids for the (early) countdown!

Our attempt at a group shot:

We had such a good time! Happy New Year!

Snowshoeing!

I am loving hanging with the girls on break. We are all having so much fun together. Joe had Monday off too, so we decided to go snowshoeing! It was the first time for the girls. Jia got the hang of it right away.



Poor Willa fell every other step! Each time she just got up and kept going. She then said, "I keep trying and trying and trying!" It was only about ten degrees when we went, and windy too, but she had fun regardless. She is such a trooper!

The girls put on a show for us at the nature center afterward.


The girls and I went snowshoeing again today! It was just over 30 degrees, yippee! Jia sped off (see her up there?) and Willa did great!

We went for a long time today, so some time was spent riding behind Mama the sled dog.

The girls really enjoyed following deer tracks - we were able to spy them much of the way!


Go Jia go!

Christmas festivities

We had a wonderful Christmas. Here are some excited girls coming down the stairs in the morning:

Here is Jia right before she noticed all the stockings were full except for mine, and asked, "Mama, why didn't Santa bring you anything?"

Joe had forgotten to fill mine. I thought about saying, "I guess I was naughty." But I didn't. I spluttered, "Um, well, I don't know!" We then engaged the girls in their gifts while Joe ran and got his stuffers and surreptitiously slipped a few of the flatter ones into my stocking. I then checked my stocking in front of the girls and lo and behold, there were gifts in there!

Gift opening was interesting this year. Willa opened all her gifts in a flash. Jia opened a couple and then opened a book. She read it for over an hour. We kept saying, "Jia, do you want to open the rest of your presents?" She always replied with her nose in her book, "No, thanks. You can do it for me if you want." Willa DID want, but we didn't let her. So we waited and waited. Eventually Jia was ready to move on!

Fashion Designer Jia, hard at work.

Mermaid Willa:

Some pictures of the family!



A great day!

Merry Christmas!

The girls are so excited that Santa is coming tonight! Jia is turning into a bit of a skeptic about Santa. This may be her last year as a believer!

Our day was full of fun traditions. We played in the snow. We had Chinese take-out for dinner - yum! The best part was spending the afternoon with our good friends, the Thompsons, like we always do and decorating a gingerbread house. Leslie came home from Korea as a wonderful holiday surprise!



The girls opened the family (shared) present tonight, and they always get a matching outfit or jammies on Christmas Eve.


They set out cookies and milk for Santa and carrots for his reindeer.

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

More snow!

It snowed all day yesterday, and is supposed to snow more this week! The upside is that it is finally warm enough for the girls to play outside again!

The downside is that our best shovel broke in the last snowstorm! Also, where will we put all the snow? The mounds were so high when I was shoveling that it just tumbled back down. Where will we put it now?

We have more good reasons to stay home and be cozy. Here Willa is wearing her new hat knitted by Joe's sister. I think this is an adorable shot!

I am glad to be off of work for the holidays so I can hang out with the girls. Time to make more holiday treats! We made this fudge recipe from Giada. The video doesn't show her bouncing around trying to avoid steam burns, or perhaps that was just me? The end result is worth it though! Scrumptious!

We also made these yummy morsels.


Now onto pumpkin custard crumble for dessert and mud pie for sharing!