Gong Hay Fat Choy!

I love Chinese New Year.  I especially love this huge party a friend of ours here in Colorado puts on every year because the Dad served his mission in Hong Kong and they have visited there multiple times. Because I am half Chinese I feel a special affinity for all Chinese traditions - by that I mean all Chinese foods and large family/friends gatherings. (This is probably because my mother is Hawaiian-born Chinese*). I have always been too lazy to put on my own organized events.. So in an effort to turn over a new leaf and actually celebrate ancestral holidays (which I just realized means I will need to actually celebrate Pioneer Day this year too for equal representation), we really did learn about the New Year this year.

We = I taught K.

I think I must have needed something as a pressure outlet from my work-from-home job, because we spent all week talking about it.

We talked about Goats - Happy Year of the Goat!

K learned to say "Gong Hay Fat Choy" and "Happy Chinese New Year".

We watched Malaysia's World Champion Lion Dance - it blew my mind.. so we made this:

Step one, spray paint a cereal box then cut to size and find decorations...

Almost done.. just missing its tail and nose.

 K actively participated so it took 3 days. Lucky me, I didn't have to think about what to do for entertainment for 3 whole days.
Lastly, we made Almond Cookies. Oops, no pictures. But they were beautiful and delicious. Well, the ones we didn't make together were.
And we went to the New Year Party. Oh Man. So yummy.

Happy New Year!

K wouldn't wear it long enough for a photo, but it looks good on J too.

They even gave out Red Envelopes with candy inside. Yum. 

I feel so inspired, I may even celebrate Moon Festival this year too. At least, we may eat moon cake.

* Modern-day Hawaiian culture tends toward celebrating via large family gatherings where food is a necessity and comes in extra large proportions. Friends count as Ohana, so the more the merrier. Oh, and a low-key serve-yourself style is also a part of the culture.

Snow much fun

We have been loooving the on and off snow here. It's perfect, in my opinion. Snow for a couple of days to play in, then sun for a few days to melt it all away.. Oh perfect winter.
One day we built a snow bunny - it is funny how quickly the phrase "do you want to build a snow man?" catches K's attention.. hmm.. who do we thank for that??

Ok, it looks more like a very surprised, leg-less pig. In my defense it was melting so quickly!!

Another day, it snowed enough to be more than a few inches deep. In keeping with proper Quillen tradition, we have introduced K to fresh nature-made (free-range?) snow cones.

Yep, brain freeze.

 Yet another day - after yet another total melt - we played in the freshly falling snow on the swings. It cracks K up that Teo always runs under the swing to get his ball (which he puts there..) when she is in mid-swing.. it makes me question his intelligence a little but hey, who am I to get between a dog and his ball?

K: "Watch out Teo!!"

More proof of genetics

We were playing outside and K looked up at the tree and said "climb?"

Yep. She is my daughter.

Breakfast with the Eldredges

Korrali decided she needed to have breakfast with her "cousins" and "Aunt Katie" (Sorry, she loves you Jason, I guess your name just didn't come out this time around).

She picked up the photo, hugged it, and then brought it to the table and contentedly ate her breakfast with them.

I love how much she loves her family.

Yet another discussion I thought would happen later in parenthood

Modesty: That topic upon which discussions with toddlers usually begin with "Yes, you must wear {insert article of clothing here}" and end with a parent chasing a toddler while holding said article after a frustrating and only temporarily successful dressing event.

I'd add another definition if I could remember one.

Or maybe K is just channeling her inner Cro-Magnon warrior? Or is she just impervious to cold?

Either way, if she doesn't want to wear pants or shirt, there isn't much I can do to prevent her from removing them when my eyes are not glued to her. I have to admit, I'm pretty hard-pressed to dress a twisting, flopping, screaming, kicking girl (has anyone else noticed that toddlers can be really slippery when they want to be?) if she doesn't want to wear whatever article it is that I'm convinced is necessary in the first place. Act II is something I usually only commit to when she is good and ready.

In an effort to up the appeal of clothing herself, I've taken to announcing clothes like this:
"ooOOoohh!! Look! This one used to be Ali's/Is from Grammy/Is your special ... pants/shirt/sweater." We've also entered the phase of wearing the same shirt day after day, or PJs, simply because it's not completely filthy and it's the only one she will wear.

It doesn't help that we are actively potty training.

Oh, you don't want to wear your diaper because it's wet/dirty? I applaud that. Just not while you're napping. Or in nursery.

I'm sure this is temporary. While it lasts though, it's a bundle of laughs - really, despite my sarcastic tone, it really is rather comical on a daily basis.

Me "Come inside - aren't you cold?? I can see mountainous goose bumps on your skin and it's 40 degrees!"
K"huh?"

Shh.. don't tell.

I know none of you ever knew, or cared that I don't do K's hair until sacrament meeting on Sundays.
Nevertheless, I feel I must be vindicated in the eyes of my imaginary judges ... by posting about it to people who would never have judged me anyway (I'm sure no one but me cares but hey.. ).

This, however, is why.

If I was to do it before, she'd pull it out on the way. I have to do it while she is focused elsewhere, then we all pretend we don't see anything in her hair.. If she touches it, we just pull her hands away and distract her.. I think it's funny. At home.

What? Goes up?

My good friend invited me to go to the Children's Museum with her! It was so much fun (and half price, thanks to the pass I bought last year for the Illinois museum - score!)

We had a delightful time, this was K's favorite exhibit I think - after the fire truck. You can see my friend's beautiful little girl exploring in the back ground. K put the balls in the wind tunnel and was fascinated by how fast they went up, and our cute little friend was just as mesmerized by the fact that the balls just kept on coming down!
What a great team.