Happy New Year! I love new starts and I love the potentiality of January. I got too much pleasure today vacuuming up the pine needles and dusting off the post- Christmas shelves.
We realized that this was out first New Years Eve ever spent here. In recap this is where we’ve been celebrating
2006- Thailand
2007- Philippines
2008- America
2009- Vietnam
2010- America
2011- South Africa
2012- Cambodia
2013- Hong Kong
Since we had no traditions to follow we began our own by dipping goodies into our chocolate fountain and playing a family game of charades. It was fun and simple and we would love to make it a tradition, although it is unlikely based on our track record.
Josiah and Annette have entered a “sweet spot” of childhood. This break we have enjoyed watching some of the things they can now do. . .
- both bike (Annette finally overcame her phobia of pushing the pedal all around) We love taking them to parks and watching them ride together
- One of our Christmas projects was to turn a small patch of cement where Jason previously parked his motorcycle into an area where the kids can play. Not many people in Hong Kong can say to their kids “go play outside!”- but we do now! It took a lot of creativity but we painted one wall with chalkboard paint, bought a workbench for Josiah, built a planter box and got a chair for starters. It is ghetto by American standards, but 5 star to our kids. This evening Annette played bubbles while Josiah and Jason built a “double decker bus” out there.
- they also now quote movies (ok, only one movie, Elf) much to our amusement, “does someone need a hug?” . . . “you’re not a cotton headed ninny muggins” love it.
- and they have discovered the joy of “entertaining” an audience. We had a friend over to dinner last night and they put on a 30 minute show involving many costume, instrument and lighting changes. Josiah loves to make up songs while drumming and Annette is a prima ballerina.
On the challenging end of the spectrum, we are living in a stage called “what about me?” When I praise one child or give them something, the other is quick to chime in with “what about me?” Just to bring their awareness to the frequency of this question I kept a tally mark one morning every time I heard it. I stopped at 8:30 am when we already had 15. Ai- ya! A close second to “what about me” is the “how come ____?” I have been trying to assure them of my unconditional love and remind them that they each get what they need. Of course the funny thing about training children in maters of the heart, is that it has a way of working back to your own. In so many ways I am right there with them, demanding the “what about me?!” and the “how come__?!” Parenting seems to be getting more fun and more complex, yet never fails to challenge, convict and hopefully sharpen us.
1 comment:
I want to see your fun play area!
Happy New Year, Paine family!
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