Holiday Update

Christmas was wonderful and full of cheer. Eliza caught on quickly to important concepts like presents and Santa. She adored looking at outdoor lights, and punctuated each sighting with phrases like "oh! Bunch a yights" or "Yook, Mama...Daddy...and baby Jesus".

Eliza has started to recognize letters. She confidently points out the letters A, B, C, and O. She has started counting in English and Mandarin and occasionally makes it to the number 5 without prompting. She's constantly talking and is impressively expressive. Her favorite color is green. She still equates candy with Halloween and frequently asks for a "trick or treat". A week before Christmas she asked for a trick-or-treat...I told her they were all gone. She quietly walked away and returned with her Halloween costume and said "more". When we have an exceedingly yummy meal she states "Santa Claus Lunch"...maybe because we ate so well on Christmas day.

We are finding that Eliza's memory is shockingly acute. Recently, she enjoys "reading" her books to us. She doesn't miss a line. We went to a party in Golden last week. As soon as we turned onto the main street, she recalled to us her experience at the Buffalo Bill Days parade in July. We've hardly been to Golden since July. She's even hinting at memories from when she was in China. Remarkable. In the photo above, you see her reciting "The Night Before Christmas".

Monkey Business

In past weeks, Eliza has shown some resistance to to the monkey costume. But last Sunday that all changed. During her first experience with trick-or-treating, she made a solid connection between the monkey suit and sweet sweet candy. She cleverly changed the chant to "treat or eat". Now she slips into her monkey persona with the ease of a banana slipping out of its peel.



It seems that Eliza very much enjoys Halloween [week]...and scarecrows.

Halloween Prep

Most of the trees in Arvada are either yellow, red, or bare. Our tomatoes are finished for the season and the mountain tops are white most of the time. We've had lots of fun playing inside and out during these days of fickle weather.

We and Eliza are engaged in a long and heated debate regarding her Halloween costume. Her faithful parents believe the monkey suit is the best choice for both aesthetic and practical reasons: it is very cute, cozy on a cool night, and sports a ripe banana. Eliza on the other hand, prefers the fish-head-ballerina costume. It's fashioned from her own developing sense of beauty. She does have some strong points in her argument.



This morning we drove to a pumpkin farm just to the north of town. As we approached from a few miles off, the land appeared to turn from brown to bright orange. This place had acres and acres of pumpkins. A hard freeze earlier this week minimized surrounding foliage leaving the gourds exposed. Given the ample selection, Eliza had no problems picking two of the best specimens.



Eliza and Mom have been attending a weekly Mandarin class for the past couple of months. One of the little girls who traveled back from China with us is also in the class. They have fun. Weekly art projects magneted to the fridge are a great addition to home decor. Eliza seems to pick up the new vocabulary quicker than we do. She knows her colors and body parts as well as please and thank you in the official language of China.

The Summer in Retrospect!

We have had a wonderful and happy summer. It's been great spending time with our families. Eliza has a fantastic memory and really warmed up to everyone. She was free with hugs and kisses for the grandparents and aunts and uncles.

She has taught us lots about fashion. Pink boots go with everything...so do purple flower headbands. Bows, however, must be removed promptly and without argument.

Eliza learned all about the wonders of the great outdoors. She spent hours in her car, sandbox, pool, dumping sand into the car and pool, leaving piles of sand all over the back yard, hauling little cups and water pails from the pool to the flower pots and tomato plants, picking red tomatoes and green cucumbers (with absolute glee)...the list goes on and on. A highlight of her outdoor experience was hiking in the mountains with her grandparents.

She clearly understands the importance of the telephone. She calls her dad every morning (using a meat thermometer) and tells him all about the plans for the day.

Belated Birthday!

Since our last entry Eliza celebrated her second birthday, grew two new teeth, traveled to Texas twice and the mountains once, learned to run, started Mandarin class, and grew another inch. There is so much more, but I realize it is much less interesting to you all than it is to Kyle and myself...we are slightly over the moon, you know.

Eliza's birthday outfit was hand crafted by her late great-grandmother, "Nana". What a wonderful way to celebrate Nana's gifts as a seamstress and Eliza's bug themed birthday.

The guests sported antennae, ate ladybug and bumblebee cake, and helped us release 1750 live ladybugs.

The highlight of the event was releasing the lady bugs into the yard. Everyone seemed to be pretty thrilled by all the orange critters.


Eliza seemed to enjoy the party, but the truth was expressed quite clearly during the night when we heard her cry from her slumber "NO BUGS!" I guess we'll have to rethink recycling birthday party themes.

Almost 2

Well Eliza just finished up her 726th day. It was a happy one; the joys in her life are many.

• Smiley face stickers--one for each pudgy hand
• Strawberries and blueberries
• Peek-a-boo--an old favorite
• Proudly pronouncing her own name on request
• Gently patting the feet of a baby we met at a store
• Cruising around the block on her trike
• Planting hear head on the ground from a standing position and waving her hands around
• Helping to feed fishy
• Getting close to doggies, but not too close
  
• Throwing rocks in the creek
• Putting anything we allow in the trash can
• Walking in other peoples yards
• Dancing to the 1980 rock band Duran Duran
• Seeing her reflection in her dinner spoon
• Watering the pavement with her yellow pail
• Flushing the toilet and saying "bye bye"

The joys in our lives are many as well.

A Tricycle!!

Eliza's God parents gave her a tricycle...and it's a hit! The second she saw it she got excited, requested help to climb aboard and boldly said "bye-bye" as she looked up at me with "O.K. lady push me" in her eyes. Her feet don't quite reach the pedals, but it won't be long at the rate she's growing.


Mother's day was fantastic. It was the kind of day you can't plan. Everyone was happy, the weather was perfect, and we had a great day together. We worked in the yard a little...Eliza included. She was very helpful.


The two pictures below were taken one year apart on Mother's day. It's hard to believe it's the same sweet girl, but it is. Where did the baby go?