CNY & Valentine’s Weekend

It has been a fun weekend and I’m happy to report that the weather has improved as has my attitude and my lingering cold.  Saturday morning started out bright and early as Maisie had a 3-hour gymnastics practice.    Before her practice got changed from Friday to Saturday we had planned on going up to Chattanooga for the CNY celebration at the Creative Discovery Museum but after her practice Maisie really just wanted to be able to play with K & A and to help me in the kitchen.  So Saturday afternoon Maisie played with her friends and then we made the red velvet heart shaped cupcakes for her class party on Monday and since we didn’t go to the museum we instead went out for Chinese food for dinner.  Overall we had a fun day.

Sunday the sun was out, it was a warm day and we spent it with friends enjoying good food and time together.  

Before going off to play though, Maisie and I made almond shortbread heart cookies which we topped with a pink almond glaze and red sugar sprinkles.

We finished our red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and heart sprinkles.  I hope that her classmates love them!

After lunch Maisie, K & A frosted and decorated some of the cookies that Maisie and I had made earlier.  Maisie was very neat in frosting and decorating her cookies. 

A was all about the sprinkles and seeing just how many he could add to each cookie. 

K is a frosting lover and made sure to get as much frosting onto each cookie as possible.  They all did a good job and had fun frosting, decorating and especially eating their cookies.

Getting a picture of these two lately just has not been happening but they sure looked cute in their matching tops.  Here’s another truth-be-told, Anne and I were in the same matching tops too.  Yes all the girls matched again but no photographic evidence exists, maybe next year.

So after the Valentine cookies and lots of playtime outside we enjoyed a wonderful CNY dinner together.  We dined on dumplings, Asian short ribs, long noodles, sugar snap peas and a wonderful beet salad, all delicious.

Maisie and I at the end of the evening in our Chinese jackets.  Yes, Maisie is still wearing the same one that she’s worn since she was a baby in China.  Last February for CNY the jacket actually fit her perfectly but now the sleeves are a bit short but body wise it still fits her great and she loves the jacket.  Here’s a trip down memory lane, Maisie and her Chinese jacket through the years.  

CNY 2010 Four years old and looking so grown up.

CNY 2007  Sixteen months old and not happy about being put down so that her picture could be taken.

December 2006, 14 months old and just about a week after first being placed in our arms.  Maisie at the White Swan Hotel and done with the paparazzi snapping her photo.

Maisie’s certainly gotten good wear out of her jacket and we’ll have to see if she’s still wearing it come next CNY.

Wishing everyone Gong xi fa cai and Happy Valentine’s Day.