Welcoming 2010

January has already passed, but it's still okay to say, "Happy New Year!" as we look forward to the Lunar New Year 4707 on February 14th. It will be the Year of the Tiger. We welcomed 2010 with a couple of days in Monterey with family and one friend, Toshi (a.k.a. "sho sho" as Iris tried to say her name). This was part of a golden anniversary gift to my parents. In addition to formal portraits, we shared meals, walked together, and relaxed at a rental house owned by my brother. It was a special time. Several of the adults (two of Iris's cousins, too), stayed up until midnight to welcome the new year with sparkling apple cider. Below are a few photos from our family time:


So, what's so new about 2010? First, Iris began two mornings (and afternoon naps) at a nearby preschool. This was a bit guilt-inducing for Mama, but Iris seems to be okay. The best days are when she sleeps well there. I (mom) am not sure if starting her this early is too early for school structure. However, I'm grateful that Iris is safe and most likely playing these mornings, so that I can work on school stuff. I miss her evenings, but so far, Dada has been here, except for one Thursday.

That leads me to describe another first- leaving Iris with an evening babysitter that wasn't a family member. We called upon a friend of the family, Meesha, who came for the evening to play with, feed and put Iris to bed while B. was on a business trip and I had to teach. She only had praises for Iris, and Iris was asleep when I got home that evening. Not only that, the toys were put away and dishes were clean! Yeah! Way to go, Meesaha! We were all glad when Dada came back from his trip, especially since Mama was coming down with a cold. It turns out the cold/dry cough has been going around in this area. It has been a lingering cough that caused me to nearly lose my voice. It's almost gone, but I've drunk a lot of hot tea in that past 10 days. I'm praying that Iris won't get the same "bug" I have.

Throughout January, Iris has been saying more words, most recently the colors. She really likes to say, "blue", "yellow" and "pink", but guesses on the other colors (red, purple, yellow). On the suggestion of the preschool director, Iris will have an intake to evaluate any possible development delay, including speech and language. It must be tough learning two languages-Mandarin Chinese and English. Her vocabulary list is nearly 80 words, 1/3 of which she says the Chinese words. Her comprehension is way beyond that. She still doesn't say two words together, unless you count the expression, "Oh no!" This is not a big worry, but it's better to check it out now (for free!) than too much later. Iris is part of a playgroup of moms who speak languages other than English with their children. It's great to hear about how the bilingualism develops, and just for Iris to know other children close to her age.

Now that Iris is distinctly in her toddler two's, we still marvel at the wonderfully delightful and adorable girl she is. Her smile gives us joy, and her laughter is a true blessing. The sweetest part is when she calls out "Mama" or "Dada", sometimes quite loudly. She's looking to make sure that we're around. I think about how important presence of a loved one is. Likewise, I'm thankful that God's Spirit of love is around, and is a faithful presence in our lives. I continue to pray for Iris to know that throughout her life.

2nd Christmas for Iris

Christmas Eve day started with a long bike ride with Dada and Uncle Justin. Mom was at home baking pies with cousin Grace. In the evening, we had a brisk walk to church to see the Living Nativity scene. With all the animals-donkey, lamb, and cow; she liked looking at the angel on top of the shed. Then, we all attended a Christmas eve service.

The next morning, Iris had the pleasure of waking her cousin up. Then, she pulled the covers over herself to pretend sleep. She really likes her jie-jie Grace. :) Take a look at those smiles!

After A-ma and A-gong arrived with Aunts Ruth and Lai Chan, Iris got to unwrap presents. Yeah!
Iris did very well and likes her new pink hat that is soft and warm. She looked pretty dazed as she watched everyone else open their presents. In the end, I am overwhelmed by God's blessings of love, family, and generous giving. The love of family surrounded Iris this Christmas, and God-willing, this will be the norm for all her formative years.

The traditional turkey dinner was great with plenty of leftovers. Yum-yum! Iris didn't care for much of the food, with the exception of the banana (sweet) bread. The drama happened while several of us were on a walk around the neighborhood. The garbage disposal had a clog, and as Dada tried to unclog it, the pipe under the sink came loose and buckets of yucky water flowed out. Uncle Justin came to help, but what a mess! Note: no picture.

The day after Christmas (a.k.a. Boxing Day) meant Iris actually got to play with some of her Christmas gifts. Once three adults figured out how to assemble it, Iris had fun playing in her toddler size house, tent and tunnels. Aunt Ruth managed to fit inside with her at one point.

Stay tuned for more family photos as we welcome the new year in Pebble Beach, CA!

Visiting Mom's relatives

Iris and Mama spent a week in WA with 2nd cousins and many aunts, uncles, a few grandaunts and granduncles. First, she was greeted enthusiastically by Colin T., whom she called "Ge-ge."
In fact, she had several ge-ge s, jie-jie s, and it soon became apparent that Iris was the
mei-mei.

Iris thoroughly enjoyed her time running around the house, going up and down stairs and playing with different toys alongside the three Thompson children. Yes, and there was a bit of video watching, too, that Iris was attentive, too. The three two-year olds are here with "ai-yi" (Betty). Please note the lovely pink high heels that the girls liked to wear; gifts from her 2nd cousins, Angie and Ellie (different family). In all, Iris met 9 second cousins, 8 aunts, 5 uncles, 3 grandaunts, 2 granduncles, and a gentle 8-year-old black lab.
The occasion was the wedding of the oldest son of one of mom's cousins (Susan). A-ma and A-gong were there as well to help feed and play with Iris at times. Most of the get-togethers centered around food, and we even managed to have pizza a couple of times that week. Yum-yum!

It was a great visit to see how the "children" have grown and for Mom (Cindy) to talk with cousins in person. We were most thankful that Betty and Dean opened up their home and allowed Iris to share all the diaper/potty stuff, so we didn't have to pack it up. Still, I managed to pack a large suitcase that was near the limit of 50 lbs. Oops!

Here's a glimpse of the active chaos that happened when the three two-year-olds got together:

Now, onto Christmas at the homestead.

T-Day in Phoenix

Thanksgiving Day was travel day for us... and Iris was a real trooper! We flew to AZ where several cousins and Aunts were waiting to see her again. The traditional turkey dinner was made possible thanks to Aunt Diane and Grandma Avenell. Yum-yum! The weather was great, and just a tad bit warmer than home. The fun part for everyone was seeing Iris open her birthday gifts one-a-day. Toys were very entertaining, especially the talking teapot with a British accent asking,"Would you like a spot of tea?" Iris WAS the entertainment for all the adults and older cousins, too. They are all so grown up; just look at them!














Some fun activities was decorating the gingerbread house, having red toenails (cousin Shelby was responsible for that!), and sharing a birthday cake with Aunt Lynn, who turned the big 4-oh! One evening was spent walking around the Phoenix Zoo for an annual show called "Zoo Lights." Iris's eyes were glazed over by all the color, different sounds, and all the relatives wanting to hold her. The show was amazing!

Of course, once Thanksgiving and November birthdays were acknowledged, it was onto Christmas. One fun Christmas "ornament" at Aunt Diane and Uncle Craig's house were the dancing and singing snowmen. Click on the video to see:

Next stop: Bellevue, WA in December