Photos: Flossing Mommy's Teeth

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Meticulous might be a word that comes to mind when glancing at this photo of Lydia flossing her mom's teeth. Would this not be a good advertisement for Johnson & Johnson's Glide floss?

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More flossing

Lydia enjoys flossing her own teeth using Plackers for the front teeth and Johnson & Johnson's Reach flosser for the back teeth, and tonight was the first time that she asked her mom if she could floss her mom's teeth with Glide, dental floss that her mom uses.

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Lydia is successfully placing the floss in the gaps between the teeth in her mom's mouth. After twenty minutes of having her teeth flossed by Lydia, SiowFong commented to Lydia that she should be a dentist.

Note: All of these pictures were taken on November 17, 2008 in the upstairs bathroom in our home.

Photos: Playing Match with Daddy

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Lydia is using a xylophone stick to move a card towards her dad.

One game that Lydia has enjoyed for over a year now is matching cards. In this set of flash cards consisting of animals, an adult animal is represented by an upper case letter, and the corresponding young animal is represented by a lower case letter. For example, the upper case K card has a picture of an adult koala bear whereas the lower case K card features an image of a young koala bear; as a result, the images are not the same. We bought this game for Lydia last December when she was almost two years old, and when she tried it then, she found it very challenging to match the cards since the photos of the animals were not identical. She could match a few pairs, but then she would be stymied. Since learning the upper and lower case alphabets over the last year, however, Lydia easily manages to matches these cards.

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Dad collects the matched cards.

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Lydia is getting ready to match another pair of animals by pointing to the first animal in that pair.

Note: SiowFong took all of these pictures on November 17, 2008 in the living room of our home.

Pretend Play

November 17, 2008

Pretend Play

Lydia’s favorite play activities include tracing, coloring, pushing her baby stroller (with Tiger as her baby), riding her scooter, being read to (and doing some pretend reading by reading aloud to mom and dad), games (matching cards), and taking care of her stuffed animals. When she cares for her animals, especially her beloved Tiger, she acts as their mother since she feeds them, diapers them, and puts them to bed. In the last few months, she has begun to involve her mom and dad in some role-playing.

“It is through ‘pretend’ play that children probably learn more about social interaction and behavior than through any other type of play. Pretend play emerges around 18 months to two years of age and becomes increasingly more complex over time. Role play with other children and with dolls and stuffed animals gives children the opportunity to lean about relationships and social interaction. They find out about caring for others and take the feelings of others into consideration in their everyday lives.

As a parent, you may like to provide the following:

Store-bought sets: a tea set, a doctor’s set, or a tool kit will provide your toddler and young child with lots of imaginative play opportunities

Useful household items: many common items such as a hairbrush and comb, kitchen utensils such as a whisk and plastic bowl, and cleaning materials such as brooms provide scope for domestic role playing

Pretend store: in addition to store-bought play cash registers, shopping can be brought to life with perhaps a few shoe boxes and pairs of shoes or some cans of food and a basket.”

(Source: Tanya Altmann. The Wonder Years. American Academy of Pediatrics. Bantam Books: 2006. pages 148-149.)

Photos: Salon de Lydia

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Lydia is combing dad's hair.

Earlier this year in January, the Chens (James, Jenny, Evelyn, and Samuel) gave Lydia a soft toy dog along with accessories for shampooing, combing, and blow drying the dog. Lydia has periodically used these accessories on her toy dog. Lydia wanted to demonstrate her skills on dad this evening her dad was watching the Sunday Night Football game between the Washington Redskins and the Dallas Cowboys.

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Lydia is examining her dad's hair.

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Lydia is preparing to blow dry dad's hair.

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Wearing her sunglasses, Lydia is getting ready to shampoo her dad's hair.

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Lydia is walking around the hair salon while the hairstylist uses a hair dryer to blow off the hair fragments after dad's haircut.

Note: SiowFong took all of these pictures. The first four photos were taken on November 16, 2008 in the living room of our home. The last photo was taken on October 15, 2008 at the F1 Hair Salon in Batu Pahat, Malaysia.

Photos: Target Shopping

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Lydia is carrying a green bucket adorned with white and red polka dots on its exterior.

When Lydia saw that I was carrying a red Target shopping basket, she wanted to carry one also. Fortunately near the entrance were a bunch of these buckets. SiowFong suggested to Lydia that she should carry one of those pails since they are much lighter, and Lydia eagerly complied.

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Lydia is trying on a bracelet. Her mom says that Lydia is definitely a girl's girl.

Our sole mission for visiting Target today was to buy Lydia some thick, warm white socks, which we had failed to find at other discount department stores including Fred Meyer and Kmart. While SiowFong seached and eventually found those socks, Lydia and I spent our time in another part of the girls' department looking at bracelets, hair bands, and purses.

As Lydia has grown, she has gradually clarified to us her interests. Last year, for instance, Lydia did not seem to care where we brought her for shopping as long as she had the opportunity to go with us. This year is different. Within a store, she likes certain departments and does not like others, and even within a particular part of the store, she enjoys exploring a niche within that department. For example, she was not interested in clothes today, but she was fascinated by clothing accessories.

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While holding a purse with her left hand, Lydia points to a set of bracelets that she wants me to get for her so she can look at them and try them.

Note: All of these pictures were taken on November 15, 2008 at the Target in Northgate Mall in Seattle, WA.

Photos: Tiny Tots Concert 2

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Lydia is handing her ticket to a Benaroyl Hall ticket collector.

One reason for the ongoing popularity of the Tiny Tots concerts, which are geared to children who are 5 years of age or younger, is the affordability of the tickets. A ticket for an individual (adult or child) costs just $ 7.00. (Parking in the garage below Benaroyl Hall is $ 6.00.)

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Mom is holding Lydia's left hand as Lydia steps on this musical toy that produces a specific note depending on which key is activated by one's foot.

Outside Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall where the Tiny Tots concerts occur is a lobby that has activities for the children before the concert. These include large xylophones, the musical toy, and a table where children can color. In addition, a few musicians also allow the children to examine and to hold their instruments.

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Dad and Lydia are sitting in the second row of the Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall a few minutes before the concert begins as mom snaps this picture.

Since this is Lydia's second year of attending the Tiny Tots concerts, she is much more able and interested in following Lisa's and Linda's directions as they move to the songs.

Note: All of these pictures were taken on November 15, 2008 at Benaroyl Hall in Seattle, WA where the Tiny Tots concerts are held each year. Today's concert, "Sing Down the Silk Road", is the second of five in the 2008 - 2009 series, and it had a distinctive Asian theme as both Lisa and Linda, music educators and the cofounders of Let Your Music Shine, dressed in traditional Chinese silk outfits for the performance.

Photos: Tiny Tots Concert 1

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Mom and Lydia are ascending the stairs to reach the Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall where the Tiny Tots concerts are held.

(Hanging from the ceiling is a Dale Chihuly chandelier creation that is made of glass.)

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These twin sisters, Lisa and Linda, are the music educators who are the creative people behind Let Your Music Shine and the Tiny Tots Concerts for the Seattle Symphony.

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Mom and Lydia are walking towards the elevators that will take them to the parking garage after the concert concluded.


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The sea of parents, grandparents, and their children at Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall

Note: All of these pictures were taken on November 15, 2008 at Benaroyl Hall in Seattle, WA before and after the "Sing Down the Silk Road" concert, the second of the five Tiny Tots concerts for the 2008 - 2009 season. Lisa and Linda, music educators and the founders of Let Your Music Shine, are the creators of this popular concert series, which is age-appropriate for toddlers and preschool-aged children.

Photos: Play Date with Aries

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Aries Chen (who is about 5 and a half years of age) presents his finished Curious George puzzle that he and Lydia just created while Lydia is still laughing heartily about the combination Curious George's clothes.

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Aries is assembling another Curious George puzzle while Lydia observes.

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Aries and Lydia are running in the living room around the obstacles of the coffee table, baskets of toys, and the two pink plastic stools. (Orion, Aries' older brother, is quietly reading a Harry Potter book while sitting on the red sofa on the right of the picture.)

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Lydia and Aries are writing on the same page in a coloring book.

Living room

Note: All of these photos were taken on November 14, 2008 at our home when Feng, Iwen, Ories, and Aries Chen came to our home for dinner.

Photos: Old Country Buffet Hugs

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Lydia, mom, grandma Florence Crane, and grandpa Al Crane are exiting the restaurant.

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Grandpa Al hugs Lydia while SiowFong hugs grandma Florence.

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Grandma Florence hugs Lydia.

Note: All of these pictures were taken on November 9, 2008 after the Cranes treated us to lunch at the Old Country Buffet restaurant in Lynnwood, WA.

Photos: Old Country Buffet, Tipping

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Lydia presents our tip to Lin, our server, while grandpa Al Crane smiles as he observes the action.

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Lydia is handing the tip to Lin.

When we eat at this restaurant, Lin often speaks to Lydia in Mandarin.

Note: Both of these pictures were taken during lunch on November 9, 2008 at the Old Country Buffet restaurant in Lynnwood, WA.

Photos: Old Country Buffet, Yummie

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Mom and Lydia are enjoying a nice buffet lunch.

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Delicious would be a good word to describe Lydia's assessment of her food.

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Another spoonful

Note: All of these pictures were taken on November 9, 2008 during lunch at the Old Country Buffet restaurant in Lynnwood, WA.

Photos: Old Country Buffet, Cranes

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Lydia, grandpa Al Crane, and grandma Florence Crane

The Cranes treated us to an American lunch at the Old Country Buffet, their favorite restaurant, after church today.

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Lydia is enjoying her chocolate milk while making eye contact with grandpa Al.


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Lydia and Grandma Florence


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Lydia is feeding grandpa Al.

Note: All of these pictures were taken during lunch on November 9, 2008 at the Old Country Buffet restaurant in Lynnwood, WA.

Photos: Adoption Gathering 2

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Children love to play, and when the four families meet, play time is the highlight experience for the kids.

(left to right)

(foreground): Leila Bhagwandin and Colton Rothaus

(background): Lydia and Mina Rothaus (who's pushing the shopping cart)

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While Jerry Cochran and Sarah Bhagwandin converse on the couch, the children are playing. Leila Bhagwandin is at the coffee table. Chelsya Cochran and Colton Rothaus are raising their hands. Meanwhile Lydia is pulling on the jump rope that is held by Doug Rothaus (who is not in the picture).

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More play time

Note: All of these pictures were taken in the living room of our home on November 8, 2008 when the four families of our adoption group met for lunch.

Photos: Adoption Gathering

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Hot dogs in crescent buns (SiowFong's creation for the kids)

Because this was the largest number of people we had ever invited to our home for a meal, we had to set up a separate card table in the kitchen for the four oldest children in the group.

Kitchen

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This was the main table where ten people, the adults and the youngest children, sat. The lunch menu consisted of crock pot roast beef, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, two salads (the Cochrans and the Rothaus brought these), chips (courtesy of the Bhagwandins), steamed rice, fruit cocktail (fresh grapes and canned peaches), and ice cream.

Dining room

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New Hope Group 07-05

(from left to right)
(first row, seated on pink stools): Mina Rothaus, Leila Bhagwandin, Lydia, and Chelsya Cochran
(second row): Taylor Rothaus, Brenda Rothaus, Sarah Bhagwandin, SiowFong, Nella Cochran, Brenden Cochran
(third row): Colton Rothaus, Doug Rothaus, Tom, Jerry Cochran

Upper landing

Missing from the photo are Bryon Bhagwandin and Sam Bhagwandin as both of them are in Austin, Texas.

This was the third time that the four families have gathered for a meal this year.

Note: All of these pictures were taken on November 8, 2008 in our home when the four families of New Hope Group 07-05 met for lunch.

Photos: Lydia Budding Photographer

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Lydia, Operation Christmas Child green and red shoeboxes, and plastic stools

I set up the four pink plastic stools and the four green plastic stools this morning in the upper landing area of our home in preparation for the group photo of the four families in our adoption group who are coming to our home for lunch later today. I asked Lydia to sit on one of the stools for this test shot. When I was ready to take the picture, she said that she wanted to take it, so I gave her a PocketWizard Plus II transceiver to do just that.

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Lydia and her beloved Tigers

Lydia's favorite is the one sitting on a pink stool to her right. The newest one is Christmas Tiger, the largest one that is atop a green stool.

Note: Lydia took both of these pictures were taken on November 8, 2008 in the upper landing area of our home.