Maya's Special Day at School!

Today was Maya's special day at school. On this day, she gets to be the line leader, the teacher's special helper, and the snack "bringer". Today was extra special since her class was also celebrating her birthday. Maya chose to wear her fancy "China dress" which was just perfect for such an occasion.

Maya Goes to the Fire Station!

Today, Maya's preschool class went on a fieltrip to the local fire station. The trip was so hands-on and informative. They watched a video, acted out the "stop, drop, and roll", and visited the favorite fire truck garage. The kids played in a real fire truck, sat in the rescue boat, and even got to don official fire gear.

That same afternoon, Maya was busy in her playroom making something. She later came to me with a decorated envelope which held a hand-made thank you card for the firemen. She had gone through all of her card decks and had managed to find some cards that had pictures of firemen on them. She had carefully glued these cards to her thank you note and the envelope. She asked if we could go right away to deliver her precious package. We of course hopped in the car immediately and hand delivered her prized thank you card. I was so proud of Maya for finding a creative way of saying thank you with no reminders.

Thanks to our wonderful local fire department for such a memorable trip.

More Pics From Chicago!

The "Sandcastles on the Water"!

Auntie Debbie decided that Maya and Kai needed to stay in a very fancy hotel in the "sandcastles on the water" (a term Maya uses to refer to Chicago after seeing Chicago's silhouette across Lake Michigan).

As part of Maya's 4th birthday present, Auntie Debbie, Maya, Kai, and myself all got to stay in the Sheraton Towers which sits right on the river only 1 block from Michigan Ave.

The weather was absolutely perfect for walking down the city streets, playing in the fountains at Millenium Park, and swimming. Did I mention swimming? Maya and Kai loved the indoor pool at the hotel and spent hours jumping off the side, swimming, floating, and putting their faces in the water. They were mesmerized by the city lights as we took an evening stroll down Michigan Avenue for some dinner.

Thank you Auntie Debbie for a fantastic time in the city. It sure was fun!

More Birthday Fun!

Picture #1 - Maya and Kai on the carosel with Nanny

Picture #2 - Maya and Auntie Jil

Picture #3 - O.K. I guess the cake does look a bit like meatloaf. Sure glad it tasted great. (the non-dairy frosting didn't turn out as expected. Note to self to find new frosting recipe!)

Our Favorite Girl Turns 4!

I can't believe our girl is 4! Where has the time gone? Today has been a very special day for Maya. First of all, Nanny, Auntie Jil, Auntie Debbie, and Uncle Rick have all flown in from Miami, Phoenix, and California to help Maya celebrate. Of course DiDi and Papa are also here which makes for a really fun weekend.

Maya started the day by opening her gift from Mommy and Daddy. She was so excited to fine the heart ring that she had been wanting so badly after trying it on at a friend's jewelry party. She of course enjoyed yet another pair of sunglasses that she just HAD to have.

We then made a home-made non-dairy chocolate cake with a yummy rasberry filling. Although some family members thought the cake more resembled "meatloaf" in appearance, I promise you that it tasted lovely.

I had asked Maya if she wanted to go to Libby Lu on her birthday just before her birthday dinner to get her hair done like a princess. She asked if Shao Shao could also participate to which I told her that Libby Lu was really more for girls. She told me that she would rather go to Build a Bear so that Shao Shao could make something too! (is she really only turning 4?) So off we went to build-a-bear. You may be wondering how many adults it takes to escourt 2 children to build-a-bear. I can tell you exactly...1 mommy, 1 daddy, 2 grandmas, 1 grandpa, 2 aunts, and 1 uncle.

For those of you who don't know, Maya's favorite color is blue...and I mean everything blue. When she walked into buil-a-bear, there, sitting on the display, was a doll with bright blue hair, bue nails, and a blue dress. There was no need to look further...her mind was made up. Kai chose an elephant as he seems to be very interested in this species recently.

The kids had a great time making their doll and elephant. Afterwards, the whole clan went to eat at a great Chinese buffet/Mongolian grill. I really think that our kids are 2 of the only toddlers who actually enjoy sitting in a restaurant for almost 2 hours and actually participate in eating the entire time. We finished the evening with cake and presents.

Tomorrow, it's off to the family cottage in Michigan for more celebration fun.

To our birthday girl, we hope you had the best day ever. We love you to the moon and back!

Waterfront Property!

For two days, we were the owners of waterfront property. Getting 12 inches of rainfall in 3 days can do amazing things. At the beginning of the day, the streets were only slightly flooded and were perfect for wading through in boots and rain jackets. By mid day, our street was completely submerged and remained this way for more than 24 hours. We were stranded, and so thankful that our sump pump continued pumping throughout the storm. Fortunately, we didn't get a drop of water in our house.

Maya's "4 Year" Photo Shoot

Each year just before the kids' birthdays, I like to have a photo shoot so that I can somehow capture and celebrate their current age.

Today, we took advantage of a beautiful day and took some photos in our neighborhood. I love nature and pictures taken outdoors. Maya and Kai had a great time posing in different places while playing with the dogs in between shots.

More Pics from the Orchard!

The Orchard

Today we decided to take Nanny to one of our favorite fall places, County Line Orchard. When we arrived, we were practically the only people there (the orchard did just open a couple of days ago). We felt like we had the place to ourselves. When we went to pick apples, we had our own private tractor and driver, who took our picture, took us anywhere we wanted to go, waited while we picked apples, and returned us to the big red barn.

Maya and Kai loved the animals this year. Maya pet many of them as Kai preferred to keep a bit of distance. They also loved playing on the big tractor.

Maya's First Day of Preschool!

Our Maya is officially a school girl. As you can see, she is dressed in blue from head to toe...her selection of course. My how she looks so grown up.

The picture in front of the school was a must. Many years ago (I won't say how many), I had my picture taken in this exact place on my very first day of preschool. Never did I imagine that I would be taking the same picture of my daughter years later. Life has a funny way of working in circles.

I thought there would be tears on her first big day, but the only tears shed that day were my own, after my favorite girl so confidently said goodbye in between playing with the cash register and talking to her new teachers.

We're so proud of you Maya!