our little loves

These little two astonish me. They are growing so sweetly in their own skills and character and in their precious friendship with each other.

While our big two are usually plagued with Bubonic Bickering- I love them still, we are working on this, but there's nothing I can do to pretend that it's very pretty between these two sometimes- they can hardly sit in the same room to do homework, without some ridiculous fussing- these little two play "dog and owner" (John usually gets the scarf tied around his belly as a leash), play "Raa" (pretty much what it sounds like... they just roar at each other and laugh), or play cars or tea party or .... anything. They laugh together so well.

Right now, I think John is the super-star in this friendship.  He's usually the one to bend over backwards to make the little princess happy. I want to try to give them freedom but maybe some help to encourage Vivi's virtue, some beautiful generosity on her part too.

In the homework hours of afternoon or evening... sometimes there's fussing from these two but usually there's just laughing, lots of it, and for no reasonable reason at all. I love it. The best music of our home.

And here's just a bit more of the latest news about these little two...

John loves animals and bugs.  Especially this most delightfully loving little dog, affectionately called Da Mi ('rice') by our whole neighborhood of kiddos.  He's our family's "outside dog"... There are probably a dozen stray dogs that wander our complex courtyards, but this one shines.   He's been the subject of several talks.... how DaMi's kindness and attention to others makes us all smile happy and oh to be like Da Mi!  I don't know what's going to happen when deep feet of snow fall, but we want to do all that we can to care well for this darling little friend.

not the cutest shot of any of these... but really, DaMi is an especially sweet, cute, kind dog.  Who wouldn't love him?!

Vivi also has a gentle heart.... loves to pat her hand on the back of anyone sad or suffering, anyone crying.   And she gave a valiant shot at joining me for a pilates video last week.   She sings.... and sings and sings.  (it's more precious than words.)  Her teacher at school is a beautiful minority lady who has nicknamed her very suitably....  Her local name is Aygul but she's not called that or her Chinese name at school.  She's called Aygulee.  So sweet.

My favorite part of bedtime with her is when she asks me "lay -own with me" (for some reason, a hold over from her baby talk) and then she reaches her arms around my head and pulls me close to her.  That's the best part.  Then she begins her lonnnng list of requests:  tickly back scratch, tummy tickle, sing "The Lord is my shepherd", sing it again, water, "lay -own with me" again.....

she watched Marian and I attempt pilates for a few minutes and then she dove in all by herself.  And about 14 seconds later, she was totally wiped out and took a rest...
I really love being with this girl.... and all of our kids!

that's some "sparkle chicken" in her left hand... her very own, very famous, outdoor cooking recipe.