Lately...

I used to be such a dedicated blogger, and now look at me!  We had a great summer, visiting with family in the Outerbanks and in Utah.  All summer, as mosquitoes nibbled away at my children and me, I wondered how we could move west to be closer to family.  We haven't figured it out yet.

Mei Li did swim team this summer and she improved so much.  I'm so impressed with her willingness to try everything, even if it means struggling or failing in the beginning.  The results of this kind of attitude are impressive, and I'm trying to learn from her example.  I have lived my whole life doubting myself, which is just so unproductive!

Stephen did private swim lessons all summer and passed his swim test, swimming the length of the pool and treading water for thirty seconds.  His swim teacher, also named Stephen, taught him well and is just an all-around great guy.  I'm grateful Stephen could have such a good example in his life.

My kids really hated me this summer.  They had to do chores, math, and reading everyday before I would let them play outside with their friends or have screen time.  I plan to do it every summer, and I keep thinking that one day they'll thank me for it?  Who knows.  I sometimes wonder if I'm doing it all wrong.

Mei Li is in second grade, Stephen is in half-day kindergarten, and Mi Na goes to preschool two days a week.  Stephen had a bit of a rough start, but he is doing great now.  Each day, the kindergarten teacher gives one student in the class a gold star for behavior.  Stephen longed for that star and was sad each time he was overlooked.  Last Tuesday, he came off the bus with a huge smile on his face and the gold star in his hand.  He was so happy!  I love that kid.

Mei Li's teacher called me the first week of school to tell me how proud he was of her for making a good choice in class.  She was put out that she had to work with a certain boy and not with her friend.  After throwing a fit about it, her teacher asked her to leave the classroom and come back when she calmed down.  She decided to calm down quickly and work with the boy.  She and the boy became friends, and she thanked her teacher for allowing her to work with someone new.  I was proud of her.

Last week, Mi Na's preschool teacher, Mrs. W., told me how Mi Na refused to put her shoes back on after the foot painting activity.  She told Mi Na that she couldn't come listen to the story until she put on her shoes, but Mi Na still wouldn't listen.  The assistant teacher sat with her in the hallway where Mi Na just sobbed and sobbed.  After a while, she returned to the classroom, put on her shoes, and was great the rest of the time.  When Mi Na saw me, she hugged me and cried.  I told her teachers how she'd been getting up super early in the morning because she's in a big girl bed now.  She was probably over-tired.  Mrs. W., who looks and acts very much like a Disney princess, hugged Mi Na and said, "We all have hard days."  She said it with so much love that I almost cried too.  Later that day, I took the kids on a long drive so Mi Na could take a car nap.

Li Ya is proving to be the happiest little creature on earth.  She smiles so big all the time, I wonder if she'll burst open with joy.  That's how I feel about myself when I look at her.  She is such a joy to all of us.  She is crawling, cruising, making all kinds of messes, and I'm just delighted with all of it.  Last Thursday, as I was changing her diaper, I looked at her, pointed at me, and said, "Mama."  She responded, "Ma-ma-ma."   She's been babbling "Da-da-da" for a good month already, so it was quite exciting for me!