What's wrong with this picture?

We almost made a record up here on the Tundra...a whole January below freezing...until today. Apparently that hasn't happened in 100 years. Of course today has to get above freezing. However, my thermometer was a wee bit off. No it wasn't 102F, but Auntie's car registered at 47F. Crazy.

Hours of fun for only $3.99 (+ tax)

I love Goodwill.

Day 2 of Chinese New Year 2009

The 2nd day of the Lunar New Year started out with...

"Mama, take my picture with B!"

Then we headed over to the Mall of America where this week's Toddler Tuesday activity was Chinese New Year. There were Lion Dancers, crafts and snacks (glutinous rice balls).

CiBaby was very curious about the lion.

At one point the lion was right in front of us. We even had an opportunity to have our picture taken with the lion, CiBaby lead the way. We had to show her there was a person inside, but was still very apprehensive.

See her clutching the rice ball?

She was still so curious about that darn lion.

After the festivities were over, we did a little shopping and playing.

We even stopped at a fountain to "throw coins."

It was a great day in the life.

Today we're laying low and having jammie day (like my friend Kar calls it). I need to finalize my dinner menu for Saturday and I feel like I'm coming down with something. I woke up feeling like I had a terrible hangover, but there was no alcohol involved! I've popped an Airborne, so hopefully I can nip it in the lotus bud.

How do you know?

How do you know to take the leap from one child to two*? This is a discussion that T-Daddy and I have been having intermittently.**

Is it your heart, your time, your house, your wallet or your child?

Is our heart big enough to bring another child in? We got SO lucky with CiBaby. She is awesome. She is loving, kind, thoughtful, witty, talented and has personality to spare. Could we do this well again? Could we love another child as much as we love her? I don't know how that is possible.

Do we truly have enough time for more than one child? To really give them what they want...us. They want time with us. Undivided attention. Do we rip that in half in order to have another child? Do we let our housework slide anymore than it already has just to love another being? To spend quality time with your spouse and not just be parents, but partners.

Is space an issue? While we don't have a tiny house, they sure do get smaller the larger the children grow. Teenagers need their space, as well as parents from the teens.

Do you really ever have enough money for children? To give them everything you can...the best. The best medical attention, the best education. I'm not even going to touch on material things as I think they are superfluous. Don't get me wrong they are fun to have at the same time, and we love our "things," but clothes, food and a home are enough to live comfortably.

Do your children let you know when it's time to add to your family? Is it fair to your child to go through their unique experience*** all by themselves. To not have a sibling to "feel their pain" or their joy?

As an only child myself, I can only answer from a "child's" perspective. I turned out well. Do I wish I had a sibling? Sometimes, but a lot of times it doesn't matter to me. T-Daddy comes from a different upbringing, he had 5 siblings.

How do you know?

*Yes, technically CiBaby is not an only child, but due to the very large (19 year) age gap between she and Big Sister, she essentially is.
**A couple friends have decided to adopt again, bringing it more into our forethoughts.
***I am speaking of being internationally adopted.

Year of the Ox

Happy New Year!

Today we celebrated the beginning of Chinese New Year...the year of the Ox (which happens to be my sign as well!) which will continue for the next 15 days, ending with the Lantern Festival.

The day began with a very fun playdate with 9 other mom friends and their 11 children, it was a full house. Fun was had by all. In an effort to minimize stress on myself I made nothing except for coffee. I did buy some fun treats at my FAV Asian market...trying to keep to the New Year traditions (and still be American kid friendly) I got green tea pumpkin seeds, sweet candies and taro filled wafer cookies*.

After the house quieted and was tidyed up, I set to preparing our meal. It was a simple dish but delicious and very easy to make, which was served with Yu Choy. G-Mama and Bopa joined us for the festivities.

Xinjian Rice Pot with Lamb
san geung yeung yuk faan

(copied from Food of the World - China)

This wholesome dish from Xinjiang Province is known in Uygur as "poluo rice" which means finger-food. Thus is eaten with the fingers rather than chopsticks* or spoons. This dish is always served at weddings, funerals, and traditional festivals, including the first day of Chinese New Year.

Serves 6-8 (generous servings)

2 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil

10-1/2 oz/300 g lamb or mutton, cut into bit-size cubes

2 carrots, coarsely chopped

2 onions coarsely chopped

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon Sichuan peppers, lightly roasted and lightly crushed

generous 2 cups short- or medium-grain rice

3-3/4 cups water

In a large casserole, heat the oil and stir-fry the meat for 1-2 minutes, or until the pieces are sealed on all sides. Add the carrot and onion and stir-fry until the vegetables are beginning to soften. Add the salt, ginger, and Sichuan peppers and mix well.

Finally, add the rice and water and bring to a boil. Cover the pan and cook over low heat for 30 minutes, or until the rice has absorbed all of the water. Serve alone or as part of a meal.

We cracked open a bottle of wine

we picked up in China, and put some
traditional Chinese music on the stereo.

CiBaby was so proud of her chopstick skills,

even though there were near misses!

Wishing you all the best,

CzaMama, T-Daddy and CiBaby

*If you see Durian fruit wafer cookies by Garden Company, run fast and far. Horrible. They smelled so awful and tasted just as bad. The coconut and peach were good, and the taro (by I-Mei) were good too. All not terribly sweet...like american wafer cookies.

**We used chopsticks...Bopa wasn't too excited about using his fingers to eat.

Men of the world, listen carefully

1. Sitting down to urinate does not make you less of a man.

2. If you insist on standing to urinate, assume you've missed and dribbled on the rim. Thus grab a piece of toilet tissue and wipe it up.

3. Anyone that tries to tell you that you are a wuss because you sit doesn't have to clean a bathroom!

*Can you tell which room I cleaned tonight???

Sledding!

Today, T-Daddy and I took CiBaby on her first sledding adventure.

To say she loved it is a little mild. She was so excited she had to do it by herself (of course). What we didn't get a picture of was her alone, riding that little purple sled like she was on a luge.

Watch out Olympics!

Inauguration day

What an exciting day. A ceiling has been broken.

CiBaby and I went to hang out with some friends for an intimate Inauguration Day party. While the kids screamed and ran about, we tried to listen to what was being said. The pictures were priceless and helped to cement an image of growth within our country...regardless of your color, you could be President!

Next ceiling to shatter...a woman President!*

*Under the current guidelines, CiBaby is not eligible to become President of the U.S. as she was foreign born. Who knows, maybe the rules will change. But at this point, she could ascend all the way up to Speaker of the House. Very cool. (And boy, does she have a lot to say!)

Princess for a Day

Years ago, I made a killer Snow White costume for a girlfriend's daughter's birthday party. Well, it has been sprung from its closet to make a special appearance at my goddaughter's 5th birthday party! (E is front and center)

CiBaby even got into the act.

Prince Charming* (of the day) even showed...

but here is my permanent Prince Charming

It was a very fun day.

*Yes, I made this costume as well. Just a little "fun" fact...there is almost 10 years between that bottom pic and when all of the rest were taken. yikes. And my PC for the day, yeah, well he decided he wanted to be something "scary" for that Halloween ('99). Boy did he pull that off. He came as one of the scariest looking women I've ever laid eyes on!

You've gotta love naptime

And where am I? Taking the darn pictures...that's where! No snoozing for CzaMama.

The key?

I definitely do not have a girly girl. CiBaby is not a tomboy, but is not super girly either, which is totally fine by me.

My biggest gripe is her hair. Her hair is beautiful...smooth and silky, but also tangles easily and goes in her face all the time, which she promptly wipes out of her face with sticky, food covered hands no less. And of course she again HATES having her hair washed.

So today I tried again. We have a ton of really cute Giddy Giddy hairclips and hair bands, but she never leaves them in. This morning I suggested putting in a "pony" in her hair to keep it out of her food, thus not having to wash her hair as often. So far she's left it in, and even picked out a clip herself!

Comfy

I've always heard a firm mattress is good for

your back, but this is ridiculous!

The perfect shade

The application may need a bit of work.

I drink a flower!

For Christmas, G-Mama got me a glass teapot and a box of blooming teas. Today, CiBaby and I shared a pot of Jasmine & Calendula tea. She LOVED watching the tea bloom and having a some tea with Mama...while telling me over and over "I drink a flower!"

Cold enough to freeze damp clothes, in the dryer.

Yes, that's how cold it is.

Last night* I moved damp clothes into the dryer, but didn't start it, in order to get the vomit covered comforter cover started washing. Oh, did I mention that CiBaby vomited in our bed last night? Yeah, lovely. No worries, she's fine.

This afternoon I wanted to dry something so I thought I would throw it in with the damp clothes that had not been dried yet...save energy. (I always examined CiBaby's clothes before putting them through the dryer in hopes not to permanently set stains.) The clothes that were in the dryer over night, with the door closed (but I could feel the draft), were crunchy. Nice, very nice.

Moral of the story...keep the dryer door closed to keep the basement warmer!

*Technically it was 2AM, but who's keeping track???

Diamonds - really, a girl's best friend?

We finally saw Blood Diamond* and I have to say I am forever changed. While I know it's a movie, that doesn't diminish the fact that a beautiful sparkling stone that has been ingrained in us to "love" since small children has lost it's luster for me.

To say I'm disgusted doesn't even hit the tip of the iceberg. I sat there saying "I don't get it." "I just don't get it." There is a lot of senseless killing that has taken place in history, but I think this might be the worst. I can't even begin to wrap my brain around it. I'd heard of "conflict diamonds" before, but never really understood the impact of it...shame on me.

The Kimberley Process sounds like a step in the right direction...but it's also just suggestion, and not a code.** It's self-enforced. Do the people that buy your diamonds really have the best interest of the people living in that area, or are they in it for the mark-up value, the profit? It does make one wonder, and it would weigh heavily on me.

Never again do I want another diamond.*** If you see a diamond on me, you will know it's one of two things...it's either 1. old OR 2. CZ, you don't need to ask.

*I had been on the very long waiting list at the library, and when it finally came up we just had gotten back from China with CiBaby...aaaah, I think not.
**As stated in the Pirates of the Caribbean.
***This is not to say that I won't wear the few that I have, but I will always wonder how my diamond made it to my body. T-Daddy was happy to hear it.

Budding artist

She sings, she dances*

She plays, she paints.

Boy, she reminds me of someone...but who???

*This video took 3 tries so she didn't see me. How many 2.5 year olds do you know that get all shy when caught performing? She closed the pocket doors on me to continue her performance in private! And yes, she took all of the pillows off of the couches and chair...it's an almost daily occurance.

Happy 2009!

What a way to swing into a new year...a rockin' tire swing, snow and a warm fire.

The last moments of 2008

Last night we spent the evening with friends at a very kid-friendly NYE party. What a great time. The guys watched the game (a.k.a. hockey), the ladies gabbed and the kids played...hard!

Girlfriends and laughter

A little work...

and a lot of play!

May 2009 be happy, warm and bright.