Asia November 2011 Middlebury Presidential tour was amazing. I missed Dalia as she spent the week with her Dad and Grandma Ginger and Ripton family and friends. And then - I walked in the door from Singapore to Newark to Burlington to Vergennes at 11:30 PM on Saturday Nov 12... and I could hear Dalia upstairs crying - a very unusual sound. Walked into my room and she was snuggling with Grandma Patty, with a 104.3 fever. Two days later - diagnosed with ear infection. Two days after that - diagnosed with bacterial pneumonia. Poor honey! I have never seen her so sick. Thank goodness my Mom was around to keep the laundry going, help with food, and extra love and care while Dalia was sick and I was up with her and jetlagged.
10 days later, it was time to Give Thanks. We did so by heading down to the New York City! We drove to Albany and got on the Empire Service down the Hudson River into Penn Station. As we sat in the big chairs, I looked out the window at the river, on a beautiful, sunny day, I thought "I am truly happy right now." And I did give thanks. I thought of my Mom's friend, Mary Dose, with cancer, whose day was made memorable because she was able to be pushed in her wheelchair around the hospital and outside.
We got off the train and into Penn Station on Thanksgiving Day. I don't think Dalia had been in such a cacophony of so many people, weaving past and into each other, since her first 18 months in China. She happily sat up straight in her stroller, in her purple snow suit, observing, and talking (though I couldn't hear her). Up the elevator, bags over my shoulder, coat OFF as it was 50 degrees, I walked and pushed her the 5 blocks to our hotel on 31st between Broadway and 5th, the Herald Square Hotel. Highly recommended for an inexpensive but clean and pleasant place with good service.
Took the taxi up to the Central Park Zoo - where Renee was waiting for us, tickets in hand. It was beautifully landscaped, small, but with plenty to see: sea lions, monkeys, birds of all kind, a sleeping polar bear and the snow leopard.
Walking around NYC with Dalia is pure joy. Everyone who sees her, smiles. Everyone! And as we look at people, she says, "Happy Thanksgiving!"
When we left the zoo and walked along the park, 4 high school girls and their Moms, from Kansas, who had participated in the Macy's Day Parade, stopped and leaned down and said, "oh, she is so beautiful!! Can we take a picture with her?
Thanksgiving dinner was at a Korean restaurant on 32nd St, aka Koreatown. The neighborhood was buzzing even though it was the holiday. After dinner, to Baskin Robbins for mint chip ice cream (Dalia), and then to the Muppets movie. After 30 minutes of bad previews, and 30 minutes of the movie, which was hard for Dalia to follow - she wanted to go "home."
Friday morning we got up early and took the subway to Brooklyn to see our friends Jake and Suzanne at their beautiful new apartment. Dalia loved the subway! And was fascinated by my having to push the emergency alarm in order to get through the gate with the stroller. Astonishing at how loud it was... by the end of the day and 4 subway rides later... we were used to it. Thanks, Jake and Suzanne for breakfast and excellent company! Then to the Children's Museum of the Arts... we got there too soon but walked around. Very cool. Walked around the Village a bit then up to the Museum of Natural History.
The day after Thanksgiving... PACKED! So many people... you can get off the subway and walk directly into the museum entry. We waited in line for 15 minutes to buy tickets. Our friend, Darcy, was game enough to meet us there on this crazy day. Dalia loved the museum - the huge animals, running from Hall to Hall, elephant to water buffalo to giant whale. So excited. She even loved the dioramas, the farm scenes, and the wolf in winter. We spent another 15 minutes at the Christmas tree, decorated with origami animals.
Then a snack, and a nap... and then up to Carnegie Hall to see Jason Mraz! Our seats were the first floor of the Dress Circle (the third balcony). In front of us was a red velvet railing, behind which Dalia could stand and look down at the people and the stage. Dalia clapped after every song, didn't talk much, and kept to herself. The woman sitting next to Dalia, a hip Japanese American in a shiny blue puffer jacket, smiled and took photos. At around 9:15, Dalia crawled onto her chair and curled up, with her head and entire body on the chair. When the peppermints (Dalia) and cough drops (Mom) ran out, we took a taxi back home to the hotel.
Saturday morning, we had a leisurely breakfast then walked all the way up 5th Avenue, past the holiday store windows (Saks, Lord & Taylor, Tiffany, Cartier, Gucci, Louis Vuitton), fully decorated in winter scenes, to Central Park - then caught a cab to the Jewish Museum for the Ezra Jack Keats ("A Snowy Day") exhibit with Renee. I was in tears, looking at the actual artwork for this book that I grew up reading, and kept a copy of in my college dorm room into adulthood. After some delicious gelato, courtesy of Renee's friend, we schlepped back to Penn Station, found a red cap to help us, were escorted to the packed sitting room - where we ran into Suzanne's parents, visiting from Killington.
It was such a memorable trip. I feel so fortunate to have been able to go there, to take Dalia, to see and be with friends and explore with my little girl.
Dalia has a new mystery tooth. It's in the middle of the roof of her mouth, behind where her cleft was. The tooth has triggered her thinking about her mouth, and her other teeth. She has a space in her upper teeth where her cleft was -- I could stick my pinky finger in the gap. In the next few years, she will likely need a bone graft there, but for now - it's fine.
Last week, she asked "Mama, when I was in the lady in China's belly, did I lose my teeth?" The lady in China = her biological Mom.
A few days later, "Mom, I'm four and a half. I'm medium. You're large. Are you 10?"
Me: "No, honey, I'm not 10. I'm 46 1/2!"
Dalia: "That is so old! Mom, I don't want you to be in a tomb."
Her current fascination is Egyptian pyramids, mummies and hieroglyphics. We saw a photo in Vanity Fair of the King Tut tomb and exhibit in the 70s. Dalia listened to me read almost the entire article.. . this week she is with Tal in Jekyll Island, making pyraminds and writing hieroglyphs on the beach.
THESE photos are from a visit to Joshua Tree National Park during our wonderful spring break trip to Rancho Mirage to see my Mom, and of Dalia in her pretty pink dress, her fennec fox, and her pretty new headband. And of sassy Dalia, posing in her beautiful Qi Pao, a gift from our good friend and angel in Singapore.
So many changes, a toddler growing up, now a little girl.
We moved from Vermont to St. Paul, MN last May, 2012. We said Zai Jian and Au Revoir but not goodbye. Friends, playments, colleagues wished us goodbye in the beautiful spring sunshine, and we flew out on the day of Middlebury Commencement. (Bad planning, but time was short; and I had a job to start.). We carried the Green Mountains in our hearts. We were welcomed with open arms, spring in Minnesota, the Dinosaur exhibit at the Minnesota Zoo. I started my position as Director of Development at Breck School on June 1, and Dalia started at Camp Breck for the summer. Going from Playlab to Camp Breck was a big transition. We were both a little unsure about the structure part - the rules, the walking in line, calling teachers "Mrs. and Mr.", sitting "criss-cross-apple-sauce" at lunch. But, we adjusted. Dalia was immersed in activities indoors and outdoors, swimming in the Breck pool, games, art, projects, and being around the older kids. We had our annual trip to Bob's Cabins for Grandma's marathon - which always goes too quickly.
Her surgery last July went well. Soft palate seems to be closed. Now the focus is on speech therapy. She goes to speech therapy at Children's Hospital in Mpls once or twice a week. Her therapist, Noelle, is wonderful with her. THey are focusing on "S" and "F". Dalia is now able to know which words have these sounds and correct herself when she sends the sound through her nose rather than her mouth.
Our stuff did not arrive at our new house until July. The traffic was deadening. But... friends and family were everywhere, summer nights were beautiful, we spent lots of time at Grandma's, too Mommy/daughter yoga, and settled in. At the end of the summer, Dalia went back to Vermont for 2 weeks to visit her Dad. When I picked her up, she was naked, jumping on the trampoline with wild hair.
We took 3 trips to the State Fair, including 5 visits to the butterfly tent and were followed by a robot. Then, Dalia started preschool at Breck. Right away, it was clear how much she would be learning in her vibrant classroom, from Mrs. Rogers and Miss Kordosky, and the 18 other kids. Avery and Nico, Sawyer and Winona, Jayla and Ava...fast friends. Dalia's teacher loves to teach natural science - the seasons, Minnesota study, animals, snow, peppers and other "units." The classroom is taught Montessori style. She also has Chinese twice a week -- with songs and learning characters, music -- she sings all the time; art - so so much art at Breck - it is wonderful; Religion -- lots of talk about God; gym class -- movement and games, body awareness, yoga; and extended day -- before and after school hours when I am at work. Dalia does a lot of coloring, playing with lego and other building projects, cars, cards, and playground. Her days are full.
In October, we went back to Middlebury for the 30th Anniversary of the Chinese Department. I heard the Dalai Lama. Dalia spent the weekend with her Dad and came home talking about the Dalai Lama, and about kindness.
Grandma Ginger has been to visit several times! She and Dalia immerse themselves in art projects at home and have a ball together. Dad visited in December when I was at a conference. We live in a little bungalow, perfect for us, and with room for guests. (Even though I am still unpacking... where is the time?)
Her vocabulary is extensive, colorful, broad. She can pull together words and make connections easily and in creative ways. Last week, I asked her to help me clean up the living room. She said, "Mom, let's not clean up, let's hug up." She wanted a hug. She is so affectionate, frequently saying "Mom, hug." "Mom, I love you." Her teachers say "she has a vast storage of knowledge." She showed me a Norway Pine the other day, differentiating it from the other pine trees. She is a dinosaur expert. She is becoming quite knowledgable about raptors.
She is a happy, joyful, funny, loving, creative, strong little girl.
We are visiting Grandma Patty now in Rancho Mirage, enjoying swimming, the warm weather.
