CHINESE MOON FESTIVAL

Years ago while we were in China picking up Mimi, we purchased a nice little Chinese outfit for her. She wore it only once. After that, she never wanted to wear any kind of Chinese attire. Not sure what happened this year. After finding out that our monthly get together was to be held at Lori's and all the parents wanted to take pictures of the kids in their Chinese attire, Mimi decided that she wanted an outfit too. So off to Little Shanghai we went down at Pike's Place Market.

I'm not sure if it is because we have become good friends with Rhonda and her family and Elsie and Mimi are pretty close friends that Mimi is starting to become quite interested in her heritage now. Mimi has shared with me that she and Elsie do talk about their adoption now and then. That is when I feel soooo appreciative of my China family both near and far.

Mimi now loves wearing her Chinese outfit to bed everynight. She also paid me a compliment the other day by saying "Mom, you make the best Chinese and Japanese food ever!" I don't think I do but I'm happy that she enjoys it.

Come this Saturday night, together with Rhonda, Emma and Elsie we will all go to downtown Seattle to a Chinese restaurant (can't remember the name) to celebrate the Moon Festival with our local FCC family. Only this time along with her Chinese outfit, Mimi wants to wear Zori's (Japanese flip flops) so we may take a trip to downtown Uwajimaya tomorrow after school. The other day I told her that I could make her hair look like Ni Hao Kai Lan but it was a no-go.

This is where the heritage part comes in. Mimi says that although she was born in China, she now lives in America so she is a Chinese - American and plus her dad is white so she is part white too. To Mimi, Kai Lan is 100% Chinese because she lives in China. I'm not sure where she is coming up with all of this but I am assuming that this is part of some discussions she is having with her friends.

WASHINGTON APPLES

I purchased this sapling of a tree about 2 years ago from Costco for $12.00. Greg planted it for me and this year I am starting to get a pretty good harvest. Last year the tree produced a few apples but Butch being Butch and in the biting stage of puppyhood ripped the vast majority of my apples off the tree and played with them like they were his toy balls. This year the tree is a bit taller and Butch is a bit older. Therefore he did not pull any off the tree and we could enjoy some nice Washington apples.

BLAKE, MIMI AND XANDER

I think that I may have posted earlier about our sleepover guest Xander. If you think that Mimi has a ton of energy, well let me tell you, she has nothing compared to this little fella. We brought him home last Saturday night and I am still wiped out! Phew! My friend Amy says that this is practice for out next one to see if I would be able to survive.

SLEEPOVER AGAIN

This time it is Xander's turn. His mom Krista has always been such a great neighbor of our by taking care of Butch whenever we go out of town. This time it is our turn to help her out. She is from Holland.

Her parents 40th wedding anniversary is coming up and the family is planning a celebration. Together with her husaband and kids, well....they would like to go back to Holland and celebrate along with the rest of the family.

There is two huge problems though. One is called a..........passport. Unfortunately she had let hers EXPIRE! The second huge problem is the only place in our US of A to renew another Dutch passport is in San Francisco, California. Another place is is Vancouver, Canada, but she let hers expire. So therefore Canada is out.

Between a couple of other neighbors and us, well we are all chipping in to help with the dogs, cat, turtle and kids while she and hubby Sean are taking a somewhat 2nd honeymoon to S.F. Ca.

Xander was supposed to come over to the house at 9 tonight, however Krista brought him over at 7 cause he was soooooo excited to sleepover here with Mimi.

HOWLING

For quite some time Mimi loves to pretend she is an animal of some sort. Usually she is a dog.
A couple of months ago, around 9:30 at night, I heard Brandy's dogs barking from across the street. I also heard some howling going on. I started thinking to myself "Hmmm.....I wonder whose dog is that, that is howling and making the other dogs bark? Don't THOSE NEIGHBORS hear the howling and barking? And don't most people get ready for bed around this time of night especially when they have kids?"

It was not long afterward when I realized where the howling was coming from.................it was coming from MIMI'S BEDROOM!!!!! I was downstairs and heard the howling coming from her bedroom window. Needless to say, I ran upstairs only to find her sitting by her open window and howling at moon. The girl was supposed to be in bed. Egads!!! No wonder I have a whole headfull of grayhairs.

This afternoon I have the backdoor open because it is quite warm outside. I can hear the birds chirpping and the children laughing and playing on the school ground behind our house. When what do my wondering ears I hear? Some kid just howling away like a hound dog. I swear it must be Mimi.

SASSY SEVEN

That sassy girl is back. Thank goodness it is not with a vengance but still bad enough. This afternoon I took both Mimi and Olivia to the park where they met up with Zoe and Erin. Being that the weather was so gorgeious, other kids came to play there also. I was having a wonderful time visiting with Janet. I looked up in time to see Mimi blatantly kicked a bigger boy. Don't know who he is. Needless to say she was reprimanded accordingly. Then this evening came a string of other events such as acting like a real smart mouth, talking very bossy to Shad, spitting into the fruitbowl at dinner. I am pretty sure that it was Mimi who made Shad cry the other day. Then tonight dad said that she was talking really, really bossy to him when dad went over to the house to pick her up this evening just before dinner.

As her punishment, I had her march over to Shad house and appologize to him and explain WHY she will not be going to his birthday party this coming Thursday after school. I had her appologize to Cory as well. The girl bawled all the way home. It really sucks to be a parent sometimes but I feel that I would rather nip it in the bud now than wait till she is in her teens.

AT THE PARK

I love our September weather. It is soooo gorgeous at times. As soon
as school let out we all headed for the park.