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???????

make a wish

It's the season of fall.  I have a friend who lives thousands of miles away from me, but I miss her dearly.  Someone who stands by me through good and bad times, someone who truly understands me and someone who says she can "smell" the season of fall!

If I can make one wish for my baby girl, I hope she will find at least one such friend! 

A true friendship is priceless.

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!)

hey, who kicks me?

Noel says: "mama, sometimes I wake up, I thought it's morning, but it's not, it's still dark outside, so I close my eyes and go back to sleep." a few seconds later, Noel continues : "... and I check if you are still there by stick out my foot to feel you, and I have to do it on both side because sometimes I don't know which side you are."
Mama : " what is why I keep getting all these bruises from you kicking me in my sleep!"

Noel and her peach

Noel loves peach.

When I was pregnant, there was no crazy food craving in the beginning, I was lucky if I can keep any food down, the 24 hours sickness was more than just a nuisance.

But one evening, out of nowhere, I came down with a intense craving for PEACH.  During deep winter months in the midwest, where do I go to get peaches?  I hunted down cans and jars of peaches to satisfy my weird craving.  Normally I like peaches, but not to the point that I HAVE to have it.  In the end, I found some ugly-looking but real peaches at Walmart to get me by.  I did not quite remember how that craving faded; and the hunt for the nice, juicy summer peaches was not necessary.

Months later,  Noel started solid food... I noticed she take a liking to peach right away...

It's the deep winter months again here, and out of nowhere Noel asked for peach again, this time, loud and clear : " mama, do you have some peach?"

One thing after you become a mama, you learn to do magic.  So, it's snowing and grey outside, but inside the house, we joyfully enjoy our sweet taste of summer!

travel sketchbook

In my student days, I used to travel around Europe in the summer; at the end of the trip, I come home, not with bags of souvenir, but stacks of drawings.  Now with Noel, traveling around and sketch sounds like a luxury, but on this last trip to Seattle, I still have to come home with a stack of drawings.  Guilty though, not a single one by me.

 

These are about half of what Noel did while we were on the trip, she can sit down, draw, write, and come up with story books for an hour straight. 

 

I have hard time throwing away my own drawings, and now, I am left with a big stack of drawings....everyday, on the trip or not.

 

and when she draws on loose pages, they get scatter around, I am sure the sequence of these drawings are way off, but hey, what's a mother to do....especially when I don't have the heart to throw the very nice ones away.

 

I need to hunt down a gallery that sells talented kid's artwork.  Noel is so productive, I may be the next million dollars mom!

Is it December already?

Noel and Kota, how sweet is this? 

So my facebook is full of my complains of cold.  My stress level increases on what kind of gifts to buy, not just to my friends, but Noel's friends.  Yes, it is the end of the year, and yes, in Taiwan, you gain yet, another year not by your birthday, but by the approach of a new year (well, it's really Chinese New year.)

I never felt that sense of urgency when it comes to aging.  I used to pride myself for looking pretty fit and young among my peers; but that all changed when I have a kid.  You look at how much they grow within a year, you could not help but wonder.... okay, then how do I look?

The last night I saw Kota, he looked like this........

Kota's mom and dad were my old neighbors but had moved back to their native Japan in 2007.  We were lucky to visit again last month when Kota's dad had a business trip here.  When I saw little Kota walking up to my door step, I could not help but again, marveled at how fast time travels.

But you want to know the real shocker? 

See that cutest little boy and his beautiful mom?  The boy is now a teenager!

When I was talking to my classmates about a 10- year reunion, it did not really "sound" like a big deal.  Ten years, yeah, some things have changed; but it is not like a 30- year reunion, so how bad can it be?  Well, this photo will tell the story.  That boy was 3 in the picture, I babysat him when I attended graduate school in NY.  Now, he is taller than his mom and my own daughter is already older than 3!  The biggest mystery though is.... Lisa, how do you stay EXACTLY the same?  :)

love notes

What happens when your kid learns to read and write? 

I thought receiving love notes is a high school privilege ( at least it was when I was younger.)  Lately, I could be doing dishes, and as I turn around, there will be a love note left by my feet.  Or I could be getting ready for bed, and there on my pillow, another love note :)  Without fail, each time those carefully composed note brings me a big smile. 

 

What a sweet child!