Minute Maid Memories

Last week I was making dinner and the recipe (Baked Fruity Chicken - delish!) called for one can of Minute Maid orange juice concentrate.

I pulled the can out and sat it in the sink to thaw a bit before using it and suddenly a FLOOD of memories swept over me. I swear that EVERY morning of my early childhood, my dad sat out a can of Minute Maid orange juice concentrate on our counter to thaw before making that morning's batch of orange juice. 

I just have such a strong association of the product with a person. It makes me wonder if my children will associate a particular product with me. If so, there is no doubt in mind (particularly if the topic is "breakfast foods") that the obvious choice will be Mom=Frosted Cheerios. I eat them every morning, shamelessly!

Cultural Pride and Prejudice

Since there's no school on Monday, the little girls and I decided that today would be a good day for them to wear their native Chinese garb in celebration of Chinese New Year. (Gong Hay Fat Choy!)

Here's a photo of them eating breakfast, already dressed in their gorgeous patterned silk dresses. I just wonder...how long will they WANT to dress "Chinese" for Chinese New Year? When does their pride in their birthplace, which is strong now, start to wane after the inevitable assault of peer-pressure and not wanting to appear "different." 

Yesterday, Claire told me that one of her friends said that she had a "Chinese accent." Part of me has to laugh - the child came here at nine months and her first spoken language was English. But another part of me is angry that the other girl seemed to want to make Claire feel "different" - by virtue only of her Asian features. 

What's in store for the girls in the years to come? How do I keep them feeling proud of being China born? I routinely emphasize to them their rich history and how China was civilized long before most other places on earth. Add to that the resilience of its people and all that they have endured during the last century. And yet, I suspect those facts will pale in comparison to wanting to just be like all the other kids - for a while. 

So, I guess my goal is to keep instilling the pride and hope it comes out intact on the other end of their childhood. 

 

Three Cheers for Carol

I am the first to admit that our family unit is a bit...unusual. We've done our best to make sure that everyone gets along - which always seems to shock people outside the family.

Despite that, I have to say I was still very touched that Mark's wife, Carol (named "Silly Carol" by Claire and Sydney) invited us all along to help celebrate her birthday last weekend. 

We all met up at Macaroni Grill and had a great time - eating, laughing, and playing some seriously competitive Hangman. 

Carol is a gem. She is kind, funny, and generous. She has opened up her heart not just to Mark, Joe, and Sam, but to Claire, Sydney, Tony, and I as well. She has added a whole new wonderful dimension to our crazy little family and we are tremendously grateful.

Happy Birthday Silly Carol!

Jinzhoutou Village School

There is a school in Fujian Province in China that means a lot to me. It's an extremely impoverished area and most of the children have no family to care for them. 

Today I got an email from the foundation that helps the school that included photos of how last year's funds had been used. I LOVED this photo of the children, flipping through over 300 new books that the school was able to purchase. 

I think that the joy that comes from leafing through a new book - and all its possibilities - is universal!

Scary Clairie

Such a tiny little girl with such humble beginnings - yet this child gives new meaning to the word determination. 

This morning she finally finished the seventh and final Harry Potter book - she would have finished sooner but she read lots of other books at the same time. In any case, I felt as though it needed some type of commemoration, so I took this photo to mark the occasion.

Claire absolutely devours books and while I adore them, too, I was really just learning to read at her age. It also amazes me how she can multitask by reading several books at once - on a variety of topics. 

Great job, Claire! 

Playoff Fever

My recent bad luck seems to be edging into all aspects of my life. I waited literally ALL YEAR to see my beloved Falcons play live on TV. Against all odds they made it to the playoffs - imagine my excitement knowing that I would FINALLY get to see them. 

And it was exciting...for the first half. Then I had the all-too-familiar experience of watching them self-destruct in the second half. Sigh. 

Meanwhile, there are other familial favorites who are still in the running: Joe's Colts and Tony and Sam's Ravens. Hopefully at least one of them will stick around long enough to "represent." 

There's always next year! A refrain I have been practicing for 38 years!!!

How I Spent My Winter Vacation

Only my nearest and dearest friends know the FULL extent of how incredibly, insanely difficult the last few weeks have been for me. For the rest of you, just take my word for it: it's been a ROUGH patch.

Therefore, it may be somewhat understandable that I've immersed myself in the world of videogames over the past week and a half. It's been a wonderful escape into the world of Wii golf and Little Big Planet. Honestly, the highlight of my time at home HAS to be attaining my "Pro" staus on Wii golf. How sad is that?

And I'm not the only one who has been a high-achiever in the virtual world. Pictured above, PLEASE see both Joe and Sydney reaching Pro status in Wii bowling. Am I a proud mom, or what?

Happy New Year! Let it be more peaceful than the last.