Big Sister banquet

We have had very busy days since Maisie’s school year ended on Thursday.  On Friday we had planned to have a super fun play date with our pals Lisa & Briana but Maisie was asked by one of her coaches to do something special so we had to postpone our play date but Maisie still had a very fun day.  Maisie, along with three other gymnasts and a few cheerleaders from her gym performed and demonstrated gymnastics and cheer skills all.day.long at Little River Elementary Cultural Arts Day.  Maisie had an absolute blast, loved performing, demonstrating and being in front of classes all day and has been asking to do it again.  Saturday Maisie’s gym hosted the 2011 Spring Compulsory State Gymnastics Meet so I spent from late morning into the evening helping out at the meet while Maisie had a fun day playing with Eammon, K & A.  

Today Maisie and I had a great end to our weekend as we attended the final event of the Big Sister and Brother* season, a lovely Chinese banquet with friends but it was also a sad farewell to the graduating Seniors. 

When we first arrived at the Big Sisters event Maisie made thank you cards and signed picture frame mats for the two leaders, Donna & Jenny, who are both graduating and heading off to college.

She signed her name to about a dozen mugs, one for each of the graduating seniors.

Maisie then headed down to the dock for some quiet time with one of the big sisters.

Snuggling and checking things out with another big sister.

Running around the playground. 

Maisie loves swinging high.

After fun on the playground it was time to head inside to watch some performances.  The children who take weekly language classes recited three poems in Mandarin and the dance students performed two dances.  Then the big sisters did a dance before the littles presented the graduating Seniors with their gifts.

All the big and little sisters and brothers gathered before dinner. 

After our delicious Chinese dinner we headed back out to the playground where the children had fun with the hula hoops.

Maisie always enjoys her time when she’s with the big sisters.

Maisie must have spent a full 20 minutes hula hooping without it ever dropping and she always makes it look so easy!  The look on her face is because she’s watching the other children with their water balloons making sure that they don’t get too close to her as she wasn’t playing that game.

Swinging into the night as our evening was coming to a close.

Sheer delight on the swing.

While giving her Mama a heart attack as she swung higher and higher upside down!  

* The Chinese Big Sister & Brother program is a youth led group which connects children adopted from China with Chinese-American teens through monthly gatherings during the academic school year.  I can’t say enough good things about the program and the people and how fortunate we are to have a program like this available to us as this is a local program founded, developed and completely run by high school students.  This was the fourth** event that Maisie has attended and each time it has been such a positive and enriching experience.  The time, effort, thought and energy that the young leaders and put into each program is amazing and all the big sisters and brothers are so welcoming, nice, kind and just wonderful with the children.  Once again a huge thank you to all the Big Sisters and Brothers for a wonderful day and evening and we’re looking forward to attending many more events once the school year starts in the Fall.

** Previous Big Sister & Brother Events:  1st event Pool Party; 2nd event Dumpling Making & Tea; 3rd event Race through Chinese history field day.