Monday, March 19, 2007

Our Little Spritzer








Sometimes we use a spray bottle to spritz the dogs when they bark too much and the other day, Jemma got a hold of it. She went to town spraying the trees, the plants, the dogs - even herself. When she gets into something, she explores it to it's fullest. It's pretty compelling to watch her little fingers twist and untwist and her unwavering focus. A little over a year ago she was just starting to walk and talk. Now, at 27 months, she chatters about in 5-6 word sentences, runs at full-speed, does somersaults, climbs up and down anything, strings beads, eats soup with a spoon, sings songs, dresses herself (she can even put on her own tights) reads books, (well, she's memorized them but insists on reading to us) - it feels like she's turning five any day. Her communication is so clear - like the other day Mommy and Daddy were having a serious conversation and Jemma held Mommy's cheeks with both hands and said, "Look at me, Mommy, look at me."

Another thing that's changed is Jemma is fully potty trained - hurray! Two weeks ago she decided she was ready and that was that. She loves wearing her underpants and everyday she goes to the potty all by herself - she goes at school, at other people's houses, in public bathrooms... and poop is not excluded, oh no, equal time for all. It took us almost 4 months to house break Rua when she was a puppy - this is final proof that canines are not as intelligent as toddlers!

Sunday, March 04, 2007

Whale Watching









It was a glorious day for the beach - 77 degrees, low winds - and we had hoped to see some whales since this is the time of year they migrate up from Mexico, but alas, just seaweed and sand and crashing waves. Jemma loves the beach and would have stayed there all day if it were up to her. The water was freezing, but that didn't stop Rua from endlessly chasing the ball in the water. She was one wet, sandy dog, and completely ecstatic. We practically had the whole place to ourselves and Ollie acted like the big man on the beach. But it was most fun to watch Jemma soak up nature at it's finest.

Saturday, March 03, 2007

It's the Great Lantern Festival!





The 15th day of the 1st lunar month is the Chinese Lantern Festival because the 15th day is the first night in the new year to see a full moon. Owoooooooo! It's a chance for bright, fresh beginnings and a time for families to unite in a joyful atmosphere. So we celebrated by joining our friends Adam, Tina and Anna (aka ShaSha) and went to an exhibit at the Chinese Museum. The streets outside were bustling, and because the museum is located just off Olvera Street (the birthplace of the City of Los Angeles with historic buildings in a traditional Mexican style) there were more Hispanic families than Chinese. Jemma and Anna had a wonderful time together running around the museum and environs. They managed to climb up on a bench and they were having so much fun... they promptly fell off at the exact same time. Too cute. It wasn't suprising to us that three different people stopped us to ask if the girls were twins. They really do resemble each other. We saw a dragon dance made with lanterns and topped off the multi-culti evening with hearty Mexican meal, of course!

Friday, February 23, 2007

How Delicious!



Jemma devours the sweet little organic pears we found at Trader Joe's (our favorite store.) She eats the whole pear all by herself and it's such a delight to watch. She goes at it with such expertise, leaving the stem and pits but eating every other bit and sometimes asking for another. You can see how happy they make her.

Saturday, February 17, 2007

Chinese New Year 2007







More pix of our favorite pals!

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Happy Year of the Boar!





Once again we brought in the Chinese New Year in full swing - with an elaborate banquet at the Empress Pavillion in Chinatown. Jemma loves to eat long life noodles, though it's hard to pick them up with a fork! The entertainment was hypnotic - the Chinese Charlie Chaplin magician wowed the crowed with endless tricks. Jemma sat in Mary Fran's lap the entire show and didn't budge once. It was a star-studded event this time - Meg Ryan and Julia Sweeny were whooping it up their their daughters and Laura Dern was there, too - could she be the next celebrity to adopt from China? We'll have to follow the news to find out.

Monday, January 29, 2007

Park an' Posing






Look at these girls! Getting so big before our very eyes. The "Chinese Girl Mafia" had a great day in Griffith Park, and thanks to ShaSha's dad, we have these wonderful photos documenting it. Grace, Michayla, ShaSha and Jemma have such different personalities and these photos really capture their individualities. They are all so delicious!

Sunday, January 14, 2007

The Right Coast was Alright!





Jemma had a great time with her cousins Tommy and Stevie. They taught her how to say, "Go Rutgers!" and she said it over and over and over again - with the fist in the air, too! She got great gifts from everyone - mostly jewelry - everyone knows that Jemma loves jewelry. Ellen's dear friend, Rosie, and her entire brood of five children also came for a visit. Jemma had a great time with her daughter Clare. They climbed up and down the steps and ran around the house and played for hours. If we lived on the Right Coast, these two would sure be close buddies, just like their mommies!

The Garden State



We traveled up to New Jersey from Flordia to spend time with Ellen's sisters, Jemma's Aunt Sharon & Aunt Debbie. Unfortunately, Daddy was sick with the stomach flu and Mommy had her hands too full to take photos but here are some prior pictures taken of the aunts with MeeMa, and one with the handsome nephews, Tommy, Stevie, Jared & Ian with MeeMa and PopPop. Uncle Tom and Uncle Lee (a name Jemma likes to say over and over - perhaps because it sounds Chinese) are not shown in these photos...

Friday, January 12, 2007

The Sunshine State





We had a wonderful time visiting with MeeMa and PopPop. Jemma liked to start each morning stretching with Daddy and now she has graduated to yoga, doing downward and upward dog. MeeMa and PopPop threw a brunch party at the clubhouse cafe so all of their friends could meet "The Bug." Needless to say, she was a big hit and earned all those gifties by charming the crowd. Her favorite gift, though, was a doll from Ellie, which she now of course calls, "Ellie!" She tried to charm the necklace off of Ellie's neck but had to settle for playing with it instead.

Thursday, January 11, 2007

The Wizard of Ahhhs!





Jemma's grandma, MeeMa, is a very talented performer (down center in the blue skirt.) This year the Coral Lakes Players in Boynton Beach presented their version of the L. Frank Baum classic, but with a few twists - ahhh! In this version the wicked witch had a motorcyle-ridin' brother, there was a magic bunny and the tin man wore a car reflector for his costume. Jemma loved it so much she saw it twice.