Hosting Another Birthday Party

It was a rough week last week. So I invited Stella and her family over for dinner on Sunday. It turns out Violet’s birthday was the next day so her mom asked to bring a cake. Ally and I spent Sunday morning decorating a little to celebrate Violet’s birthday.

I made the paper banner, and Ally created the rainbow display complete with sun and moon and heart. And she drew a really nice card, a picture of she, Stella and Violet having a picnic under a rainbow.

Ally wanted a sign. So we got out the big paper roll and I drew the bubble letters and Ally painted them in.

Violet and her family were so surprised we decorated.  After dinner the girls went outside to hula hoop. Becky commented on how funny it was they each had a hoop that coordinated with her clothes.

I could not stop grinning – both Ally and Stella could hula hoop well, Stella was very elegant, hands out in a dance like way and Ally is quite athletic and straight forward about it. I have it on video.

Finally it was time for cupcakes and singing!

It was so nice to spend the evening with our friends.

Sun Dog

There is a math related computer program that is actually called Sum Dog but Ally likes to call it Sun Dag – originally because she thought that was the name, and now because it makes her laugh to call it the wrong name. Ally is Becky’s daughter in this pursuit. Becky loves  computer games. Ally pretty much wants to play everyday, but is quite good about a 15 minute limit.
The kids in her class play as well – they do it doing computer class, but a couple of the boys play at home. Ally is of course competing with two of them; Simon and Erik. It seems Simon’s parents ended his Sum Dog quest last week and he is no longer allowed to play at home, but Erik still is. On Friday at pick up Erik asked if he and Ally could play each other on Sum Dog at 430 pm. He explained his mom said they had to go grocery shopping after school but he would be home then, and would Ally be able to play him.
Yes, this is 2013 when two 6 year olds ask their parents to game with each other from their homes!

In the end we tried, but Erik’s mom and Becky could not figure out how to get them against each other – but boy was Ally thrilled at the prospect. I think they can play against each other when they are in the computer lab, so theoretically they should be able to play against each other from home, but we could not figure it out.

Sad Day

That is my boss Charlie and his wife Anne and their daughter Gwei Gwei. This picture was taken last year at our wedding on 12-26-12. Anne passed away last week on 4-4-13 after a 10 month battle against lung cancer.

It was a difficult afternoon and past few days.

I spent the afternoon with Gwei, or I should say Gwei spent it with us, or more specifically with Ally and her babysitter Lauren. For a variety of reasons it was best that Gwei not be at home and so she and I went for a walk and she asked what Ally was doing. So we walked to our house (a few blocks away) and before I knew it she was eating a snack and coloring with Ally. As her dad commented – its amazing where one finds comfort and security.

After a while Gwei’s dad came and picked her up and they walked home to their house together. We asked Ally to sit down and were going to try and explain what had happened, and as we started she told us that Gwei had told her “my mom died today” it a way it was heartbreaking and in many ways that was probably really very good that Ally heard it from Gwei and not us. Ally has been ok with it all and seems to understand. She has been aware of the situation for quite some time now and as we know, Ally is quite mature for her age. Becky and I are keeping a close eye on her and are ready to talk if she wants to.

It was a sad day and it is a sad time.

But there is always some joy with Ally around:

Our family has been happy to provide support to our friends during this difficult time, and we will continue to be there for them in whatever way we can.

This is the picture she worked on that day. A river of rainbows. And on the right is the back – where for the first time ever Ally wrote out her full name.

Ally’s New Scooter

I won a gift card to a local toy store in Ally’s school raffle. Friday after school we all went to the store and we told Ally she could pick anything out she wanted (in the whole store) it was a large dollar value and it had been a very rough week, why not spoil our kid. Except this kid, our daughter, was in a  tired mood and did not find one thing she wanted in the entire store. (Have you ever heard of such a thing – free reign in a toy store and nothing purchased?)

So on Sunday Ally and I went back to the store and she tried out scooters and we got her a new scooter! Ally immediately wanted to try it out and so we took it for a spin around the block at the shopping center.

And then drove to a different playground / park. At first Ally explored the playground, but then it was all about the new scooter.

There was a large asphalt area for basketball and other games – and it was all on a slight incline so Ally could scooter up and then coast for really long distances. (She said it was gliding).

After a while she started sticking her leg out like this – and could not stop smiling.

I realized my cheeks were hurting, not from the cold wind, but from smiling. I was so happy for Ally to being having fun and for being brave to try something she had been scared of.  I just had to take a picture of myself to remember the feeling.

She loves her scooter.

My Family

I love these two so much!

The trials of a 6 year old

Lice has been going around in Ally’s classroom. Recently we received 4 emails from other classmates that there were lice in their daughters’ hair.

4 CASES OF LICE

Ugh – we’ve been lucky to dodge this so far, but Ally’s babysitter decided to take no chances and made Ally’s hair “less available” to lice the next day by pulling it all back in 2 French braids. It looked to adorable I took pictures!

 

Why are there pictures of Ally’s mouth on the blog again (maybe you thought that was over when she left toddler-hood?) Ally is finally getting in her 6 year old molars. She has been sucking her fingers a bit more lately, and one day is was pretty bad, so I asked what the matter was and she said her mouth hurt. So we took a look. On the left you can just see a tiny piece coming in and on the right, its half the tooth! We took pictures so she (and you) could see.  Some ibuprofen, a popsicle and some special treatment (watching TV and eating cereal as pictured below) and she seemed better.

Oh, its rough to be 6.

Easter Day

Easter morning we celebrated just the 3 of us at home. Ally opened her Easter basket and then had an egg hunt all for herself.

A new bunny – it is currently the new favored “special thing” Ally has not decided yet if it’s a boy or a girl bunny, but has officially named it Fluffy. Of course she still calls it Bunny.

Kermit Pez from Aunt Beth was a huge hit!

A new box of smelly markers. Becky is trying so hard not to laugh out loud as Ally smelled the package. Here I am smelling a new flavor!

Then it was time for the hunt. The Easter Bunny hid 25 eggs around the house for Ally to find. Some large jeweled eggs held parts of a Lego kit. Some eggs had money, some were filled with Peeps and others with Cheerios.


Becky got a Cadbury egg. Later in the morning Grandma and Poppy arrived – they brought Ally a stuffed animal robin with its own nest. (Debbie made the nest, we were quite impressed.)

After brunch, but before church, Grandma and Ally worked on pictures with the new markers.

After church, Mama made the one with the big bunny, while Ally completed her Easter masterpiece.

Ally in her Easter outfit with her new bunny.

Pictures outside of church. It was a lovely service, Ally participated in the flower parade, where the children all carried potted flowers into the church during the first hymn, and then even volunteered during the children’s message. What is Joy to You? She said “flowers”. We were quite proud of her, and pleased that she is comfortable at our church that she is talking out loud and doing things without us at her side. Next month we’re going to officially join this church. It felt really good to combine the fun and the spiritual parts of Easter this year.
After church the grandparents left for the long drive home, and we got ready for our annual “Neighborhood Group Easter/Spring Potluck and Egg Hunt”

The gang of kids ready to search. Kai (and her mom Hanh). Aiden, Ally, Liem, River, Lila, Lily & Mia. We missed our friends in New Zealand, but River’s dad Thom did a great job taking over the egg hiding from Sean.

The hunt was on!

I loved how Ally came out in her Easter dress and rain/snow boots.

The girls table – Ally with Mia, Lila and Kai

After all of our guests left, Ally humored me with a pictures of the two of us.