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video: Winnie-the-Pooh Christmas
breakfast: pawprint shaped pancakes, with green and pink holiday sugar
dinner: hot dogs and french fries
phrase: no, it's too sticky
activity: climbing into mama and baba's bed in the wee hours of the morning
music: Chinese children's songs and Woody Guthrie's songs to grow on

big bird

"Big bird" refers to the whopper of a turkey Keena raised for us for our Thanksgiving supper. At 31 pounds, it weighed slightly more than Binbin! While the thought of eating turkey sandwiches for the next month had its charms, we were happy to have Keena and Zach cook the bird and come help us eat it Thursday afternoon. We also invited the Horches--Fred, Hadley, Cordelia, Everett and Ian--and the Baumgarte/Topp family--Thomas, Karen, Julia, and Benjamin. It was wonderful to share the cooking duties and possibly even more wonderful to have the kids eat and entertain themselves while the not-kids had about an hour of nearly uninterrupted conversation.

Since I haven't posted in ages, we've got a glut of photographs from this month. Beginning with a snapshot from a short hike at Bradbury Mountain. Though we never did make it to the top for a snack, we did run around in the woods for awhile.



We spent several afternoons raking leaves. Since Binbin started watching Blue's Clues as Miss Donna's house, he's been asking for things in the form of a pawprint, including raked leaf piles. We've got an enormous sugar maple in the backyard, so there were plenty of leaves to mound into multiple piles...the better to jump in!



One morning, Binbin found sparklers in the cabinet. So we took one out to light up on the deck.




You probably didn't know that pancakes can also be made in the form of a pawprint. Yup, they're tastier that way, too. And the colored sugar doesn't hurt. Yum!




Here, at last, is the picture proof you've been waiting for. That's Zack with the knife. Keena stands at a safe distance behind.



Pictures of grown-ups aren't all that interesting, so here' just a snapshot of the three boys together on one bench: Benjamin, Everett, and Binbin.



Thanksgiving day was filled with excitement for Binbin: Baba and Mama did not have to work, the Macy's parade included big balloons and marching bands, lots of older kids came to play at our house!

But even the days after Thanksgiving were fun: Baba and Mama still did not have to work and Binbin could wear pajamas almost all morning. We took out lots of playdough colors one morning, and Binbin arranged them on his chair. Pretty!

holidaze

Ever since the switch back to standard time, we've been living much of our family life in the dark. Maine is so far east that it really should be in the Atlantic timezone, one hour ahead of Boston and New York. So, the sun rises around 6 and sets close to 4:30. Binbin doesn't get nearly as much outdoor playtime, and sometimes he just isn't ready for bed.

Add to that the fact that the baseboard heater with its unpredictable snaps and crackles frightens the daylights out of him...and you've got a recipe for nightly visits from Binbin, blankey, blankey, and monkey. Though we're bleary-eyed in the morning, it's hard to be upset when Binbin whispers, "Hi, Baba!" or leans close to give eskimo kisses with his nose.

More indoor time means also more time in front of the TV, and Binbin has rediscovered Pingu (claymation penguin shorts), and added more Thomas videos and Blue's Clues to his telly intake. Fortunately, he will still choose working with screwdrivers and baking scones over more passive activities.

Earlier this week, while driving home behind Anjali's mommy's car, Binbin decided that he would like to invite Anjali over to play. Voila! our first successful, self-determined playdate. The two of them played with trains and shopping cart, pompoms and pipecleaners, ate a morning snack of bananas and rice chex, and had a grand time together. Parents were delighted and squeezed in some grown-up conversation.

Growing up clue: When Miss Donna figured out to serve folded slices of ham between crackers as "sandwiches" to Binbin, he replied: "That's a good idea, Miss Donna. Thank you!"

Still little clue: A pre-potty training experiment this morning required the use of 5 pairs of underwear and pants. This child prefers the convenience and comfort of diapers.

daycare, weekend

We don't spend as much time doing the drop-off and pick-up from daycare in the states as we used to do in Taipei. And while I've been meaning to take pictures at Miss Donna's, I always forget. And then, when I do remember, I forget to download them. Finally, here are some snapshots at Miss Donna's Morning Sun Daycare. The kids, all two-year-olds, are in the backyard, looking for grasshoppers amidst Miss Donna's cherry tomato plants.

From left to right are: Izaak, Binbin, Alexis, and Ryan






Binbin occasionally makes art while at Miss Donna's house. On this particular day, maybe about 3 weeks ago, he drew what he called a "funny face" in the corner in yellow. The funny face brought smiles to our faces.



Last weekend, we had some gorgeous fall weather, and *finally* Binbin consented to go for a hike at Bradbury Mountain. At times, he bounded ahead, propelling himself forward at top speed...



...which means not so great pictures *and* a tuckered out kid who never made it to the top of the mountain. What do they say? It's about the journey, isn't it?

weekend in Acadia

Oct 5-8, we drove up to Mt. Desert Island's Acadia National Park. We stayed in a little cabin at Quietside Campground, on the west side. Our dinners were cooked on the little campstove, In the cooler evenings, we made fires in our firepit, and one night we tried roasting some marshmallows. Binbin thought that we fun, but he wasn't keen on eating the blackened marshmallows. In the evenings, we also saws stars, the moon, and the Milky Way.



Saturday morning, our first stop was at Sand Beach. It was a bit windy, but glorious and beautiful morning for digging in the sand



Here's a view of Sand Beach from the cliffs above.



Binbin hiked in his new green crocs. He did remarkably well, clambering up the rocky trail.




He found the mushrooms quite interesting. Certainly worth a photograph.



By early afternoon, he was exhausted.



So we went for a drive up Cadillac Mountain, the highest point in Acadida. Binbin missed the view, but we captured it in digital image, of Bar Harbor far below.



They predicted rain for the next morning, Sunday, but as it turned out, the rain came Saturday night, and Sunday was a stunning, crisp fall day. We went for a walk around Eagle Lake on the famous carriage trails. Here are some scenes near the lakeside.

interments

Every day, no every hour, Binbin has more english words at his command. No doubt daycare plays a huge role in this, but I also think that books do. I make weekly visits to check out a dozen or so new books that I think may spark his interest. While there are stacks of books about trucks and trains, about fish and bears, about dinosaurs and monkeys, there are few about musical instruments. but, last week I found a couple. One is called simply: Musical instruments. Binbin's title for that book is: interments. You can imagine that the first time he said this word I could not understand why my child was talking about burial. The other book has a less confusing title: Zin, Zin, Zin, a Violin!

Binbin is also reading: Mouse Paint, Mouse Shapes, and Mouse Count. He continues to love color, especially purple, pink, and green. He can sing the alphabet song. He can count to twenty in English; and to twenty in Chinese, with a little help after the number 10.

He can tell short stories about how he pulled carrots and beets at Keena and Zack's farm. Or how he heard the baseboard heater make fire or fireworks sounds, and he got scared, came to the landing and fell asleep on the floor.

Binbin has been cooking a lot lately, pancakes with lots of cinnamon ("Binbin like cinnamon" he says) for breakfast weekend mornings.

He will help build a Roy Toy wooden log camp cabin, then destroy it with his John Deere bulldozer. He destroys with obvious relish. He will also paint with watercolors and draw with color pencils. A couple weeks ago, he drew a "funny face." Artwork to come soon.

catching up

I haven't had a chance to download photos from either phone or camera until now. These are from the phone.

Sitting on the couch with Yeye, Binbin shares a fleece blanket. He also enjoys a most civilized hors d'oevres plate.



One morning, I decided to put on a necklace. Binbin decided to get into the act, and scooped up all the pearl necklaces and bracelets he could get his little hands on. Pretty!



On our way home from daycare, Binbin smiles giddily. I can't remember exactly why, and it's so unusual for him to grin for the camera.



I did want to be sure that Binbin's fans could all see his latest fashion statement: electric green crocs. Yes, we're jumping on that trend! And, we're jumping (running, crawling, dancing, moving in all sorts of ways) in crocs. He loves these shoes.