Joyeux NOEL

so, you are hoping she grows up to be just like you!

Before Noel was born, every chance I got, I was in Europe. 

Give me a month, a carry-on and a sketchbook; I was hitting all the museums and churchs, hunting down artworks you may  or maynot find in the travel guidebooks.  For years, I never knew you go to Italy to buy leather goods, or there is the Big Ben in London, however, I pride myself with some hard to find Andrea del Sarto , Tiziano and Charles Gleyre! What treasures!

So it's only nature that I want to share that passion with my daughter.  What I was not sure was whether or not she is ready for such trip at age 5, and what astonished me was how much she loved the experience and how much she is just, well, like me!

Noel making drawings in the Vatican museum

Drawing in Bargello museum in Florence.  Do you think I force the kid to do this?  Wasn't a 5 -year-old supposed to be jummping around the museum and trying to touch everything in sight?  I cannot speak for other people's parenting, but for us, art is in every day life and it is in Noel's blood, you should see the pride and joy in her eyes when she showed me her works.  I used to attracted tourists in the museums, surrounding, glancing over my shoulders like I am a living sculpture, well, it's Noel's turn now. 

Now, aren't these great!!!

The young diver of Paestum

And whatever we do, let's never forget about - kitty cats!!!!

Emerging

It has been months since my last update.  All is well, as I am sitting here at the cafe, waiting for my brand new 2nd grader to get off school ( yes, she is in 2nd grade, isn't it amazing?) I figure I better get started before my crazy schedule sets in.

This is a good place to jot down my thoughts, mainly about Noel.  For years, it serves as a great source for us to glance back, to share and to look forward to the future.  With the help of modern technology, Noel will be able to keep these momories at her finger tip when she grows up.  Little girl has been keeping her blog going, good for her; and shame on me!  Fortunately, I didn't have many strangers or intruders making offensive comments on my posts over the years, (or is this a sign that no one is reading?) let's hope it stays this way; as for those of you- the friendly visitors, do leave a note once in a while, knowing your kind words means a lot to us and will continue to be an encourgement throughout the years to come.

Cheers!

oh no, what happened?

What could possibly make a 5- year- old so sad???????

big words!

Breakfast time, if I am fully awake?

My 5-year-old is eating her breakfast waffle, turns and tells me : " mama, we need to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated, you know?"

Amazed at the big words, I say to her : " you are one smart cookie, such smart brain God gives you, better use it in a good place when you grow up!"

Noel replies : " Sure, speaking of 'brain,' in ancient Egypt when they made mummies, they put the brains in the canopic jars."

Impressive!  Children have some many resources nowadays.

grow flower, grow

Just when I thought my little girl is so very mature, she has a cute way of reminding me - that she is still 5!

Noel came to me yesterday, had a serious look on her face.  Holding her "flower pot,"  she said : " mama, look, this flower is not growing, I give it a lot of love and sunshine, but it still does not have a flower!"

LOVE

So I asked : " Hey Noel, why do you love mama?"

Noel answered : " Because you love me!"  with a mouth full of mac and cheese!

One of my biggest regret in life, is I never learn to master a musical instrument.  Not that I was never given a chance, I let it pass me by.  In another word, I was not appreciative enough, or mature enough to know at that time, music would play such a big part in my life.

When my passion in classical music grew stronger, I finally picked up an instrument, and not just any instrument, but one of the hardest, biggest (for me) - a cello.  But at the age of late 20s at the time, it was too late!  Really, it was TOO LATE.  I played though my suzuki books 1, 2, 3... but I was not good.  All the bad things that associate with an adult learning a new instrument kicked in all at once - stage fright, knowing what a "real sound" should be but could not achieve it, lack of time to practice...  I just could not understand why I could be so good in one type of art, and so bad at the other!

So When Noel was 2, and showed interest in violin, I was determined to make it happen.

Well, fast forward 3 years later, Noel starts to realize, hey, violin is not fun all the time,  it is hard work and you need to practice a lot!  We had our first "violin tamtrum" about a year ago.  Learning from my own experience, I was not going to let her win.  TOO BAD, you practice, or no computer game!  I don't care what other parents would judge me, Noel, you ARE learning your violin!

So ladies and gentlemen, here you go, Noel's Spring violin recital at 4-year-old.  "Mirror mirror!

have you met TOY PICKER?

Have you met TOY PICKER?

If you have not, you better ask Noel.  But before you ask, you better clean up, yes, clean up your desk, your room, your studio...etc. before you go to bed at night.  In Noel's case, she needs to clean up all the toys!

TOY PICKER is not a bad guy, he just comes by at night when people are sleeping.  Kind of like the little elves who help the shoe marker!  He goes to people's house, picking the toys that children scatter around the house, he then takes those toys to kids who cannot afford toys.  So a good lesson to learn here is - if this is something you love, you better put it away neatly before you go to bed!

Noel learns the lesson, really!

She asked me to put away one of her new toy - a game set that you play it like a tic-tac-toe!  But, this is really Noel's job, mama was too tired to do that.  So guess what happened the next morning?  The toy was GONE!

Noel was sad, but she decided there is always room for negotiation, so she left the toy picker a note:

 

and... it worked!  The following morning, the toy set was sent back but toy picker also left Noel a note....

And being a very nice child, Noel replied with a thank you note.....

 

What do you think our living room looks like before we head to bed every night?  You bet!  Clean and neat!

P.S for those of you want to leave a comment after a good laugh reading this post PLEASE remember Noel can read now, so be careful what you write!!! (unless you write in Chinese!)

keep going, recital is almost here

some thing NEVER changes...

Two months old Noel, life's biggest entertainment is chewing on her own arm, YUM!

For a girl who is almost turning 5.....arm is evidently still "yummy?"