Gong Xi Fa Cai

Happy Year of the Pig!

We celebrated Chinese New Year with friends this past weekend at the Families with Children from China event in Toronto.

It was great to see old friends and to share some Chinese traditions! Pictured here are the hóng (red) sisters, Naomi, Jasmine, Vanessa and Sydney. The three eldest all are four years old and attend Mandarin together on Saturday mornings.

The girls also loved the lion dance and were thrilled to be able to be a part of the parade. Watching the unique friendships that these girls have developed is certainly a lot of fun!

Even Myles is mastering the use of chopsticks! His favorite food was the soup (creamed corn, chicken and egg), which ironically was also Lilah's favorite food in China when she was a baby of the same age. Even Naomi (who is normally not an adventurous eater) tried it, and ended up devouring two bowls. As usual, Myles loved the crowd and spent the evening grinning from ear to ear. Folks are always commenting that he's the smiliest little man - and that he is.

Lilah was excited to be able to share CNY with her Gram. She was enthralled with the young singers and dancers that performed during dinner.

Chinese New Year is one of my favorite festivals. It is a time for renewal, a time for thanksgiving and a time to look forward to the future. Three years ago, we began the tradition of celebrating in Toronto with our friends. That year we celebrated our family with the adoption of Naomi. It is hard to believe what an amazing little gal she has become in those three short years. She is a gal who would make any mother proud, but my heart swells to know that I get to be her mom. In fact, I couldn't be more proud of each of my children. I've added a quotation to the header of our blog that really brings home the way that I feel. I am definately holding the evening sky in my hands!