Happy Valentines Day... Ayden's Creations!

Ayden absolutely LOVES Valentines Day...  and this year she crafted her own sweet treat Valentines.

Garrett and Ayden are very tight... and while walking Jordan to catch her bus for baseball, I stopped to see Ayden tying Garrett’s shoe.  This is how they are together...  most of the time.  Inseparable and the best of friends.

Ayden opened a full service salon in our house.  The services include but are not limited to, nail painting, back massage and/or reflexology.  The staff is kind and caring and even will supply you with a complimentary cup of tea.  

Another one of the special talents we all have acquired here and love is the art of making dumplings.  There are several different ways you can put them together but we all think that the way our Ayi Fang wraps them is the best!  

This is our Ayi Fang!!!  She has taught us many things while living here...  She is definitely a part of our family.

Lantern Festival Field Trip with our Shanghai Family

The lantern Festival is a big holiday celebrated in China.   It is one of my favorite Chinese Celebrations...   The photos below was taken by our side car side kick, Ayden on our Cheng Jang.   The streets are lined with red lanterns... the decorations are so festive.  One of my favorite Chineses holidays to celebrate!

Bundled up and off to Yu Gardens where the lanterns are known to be the most elaborate.   

Ayi Fang joined in our family field trip...

Our Shanghai Family in full....   Ayi Fang and our driver, Mr. Zhu

Falling on the 15th day of the first lunar month, Lantern Festival is the first significant feast after Spring Festival, so called because the most important activity during the night of the event is watching various wonderful Chinese lanterns. 

And because every household eats yuanxiao (a rice ball stuffed with different fillings) on that day, it is called Yuan Xiao Festival.  (We did not try... “street food” is a once in a lifetime treat.)  Ayi Fang made them for us to celebrate the holiday.  They were not a hit with the kids, but I have to admit, they all tried them.  The textures is that of a wet rubber ball.. with some warm nugget inside.

For its rich and colorful activities, it is regarded as the most recreational among all the Chinese festivals and a day for appreciating the bright full moon, and family reunion. ~~ Thanks Wikipedia!

It is never too cold to have an ice cream....   Dairy Queen even in China!

The dragon dances were the most fun to watch...  

The dragon dance is often performed during Chinese New Year. Chinese dragons are a symbol of China, and they are believed to bring good luck to people, therefore the longer the dragon in the dance, the more luck it will bring to the community.  The dragons are believed to possess qualities that include great power, dignity, fertility, wisdom and auspiciousness. The appearance of a dragon is both frightening and bold but it has a benevolent disposition, and so eventually became an emblem to represent imperial authority. The movements in a performance traditionally symbolize historical roles of dragons demonstrating power and dignity.

Celebrating Chinese New Year in Shanghai... Visiting the Healing Home Orphanage

This year we decided to celebrate the Chinese New Year in Shanghai.  We had heard that it was an experience to be taken in at least one time... with the festive fireworks and mass displays of red lanterns all over town.   It is during the holidays, and especially Chinese New Year, that you truly embrace the richness of the culture.   Red seems to be exploding everywhere and all of the folks who have moved from the country side to Shanghai travel home to celebrate with their families and friends.   We thought that this would be the perfect time to take Chris to see the children in the orphanage...    The kids always have a hard time going there without toys because the toys they have there are either missing pieces or broken.  So they pooled their money together and they bought them an interactive play bench that multiple kids can use at one time. 

As you can see, the toy was a huge hit and the kids loved it!

It was fun listening to our kids preparing Chris for all the personalities etc. of the children in the orphanage.   I was actually a bit concerned that he would not have such a warm welcoming with the children because most of the caregivers are female.   I couldn’t have been more wrong.   As we arrived one little boy pulled Chris to the ground and plopped himself right in his lap.  

We had such a fun afternoon playing with the kids and watching them explore the new “object” in the room.  

We hope that in Celebrating the New Year of the Snake, this coming year, these children find the love, comfort and security they deserve with their forever families...  

Saying good bye to the year of the Dragon and Welcoming the New Year of the Snake!!