Counting Blessings

I really like these two pictures; they capture some of the sweet moments that Ming Ming enjoyed with Papou immensely. Basically, when Mamie and Papou are around, Ming Ming wakes up early either to read with Mamie (in French) or solicit Papou to read with her (in English). The first few days when Papou arrived, Ming Ming picked up this rather thick Berenstain Bears book (Jessica loaned her that book) and read it to Papou. She is in the reading stage in which she likes reading to an adult, she got most of the words right, but needs help from time to time. This is a bit tedious for me because of her reading speed. With Papou it is just prefect. Sometime Ming Ming would translate a word in French to Papou, sometimes Papou would explain a word to Ming Ming, and sometimes they would argue over a word and papou would look it up in the dictionary. As the stories are mostly about the silly things that little bear and papa bear do, I heard them laughing out loud all the time, with a sense of intimacy or complicity that you can only envy.  

 and papou is always there for silly things!

and for a game of memory or jeu des sept familles in which he would cheat so badly that it is not fun when he does not (which never happens).

and for taking Ming Ming out... (Mamie is always there too, but she is behind the camera) 

in the busy holiday season, I also squeezed in time to take MM to catch the last showing of 2013's most acclaimed Japanese anime - the Tale of Princess Kaguya (which recounts the traditional Japanese folk tale of the bamboo cutter and the moon child).

Taking advantage of the last few days before school started again, we finally finished Harry Potter Book 4 - The Goblet of Fire. It was quite an intensive experience for Ming Ming. for a few days she did not want to stay in her room or go to the bathroom alone, because "the Harry Potter people is everywhere in this house" and "I am afraid I will suddenly see lord Voldemort."

X'mas present from Xiao Tie and Li Zheng

from Selina Yiyi!

Ming Ming retelling a story that she just read with Mamie

MM: Santa had been here last night!

the three kids waiting patiently to open their present

Thomas got books, and a cape to dress up, among other things

Alex's cape made by Tatieting

MM got a big lego set

Alex's favorite: a plane

MM also got mosaic art 

Antoine and I got a photo display device

Silk Scarf for Slyvie 

a linen dress for Mamie made by Ting

MM also got lots of books and two sets of audio cds for the series of "Story of the World: Ancient Times and the Middle Ages"

the non-yet-born baby brother also got a present from the Canadian Santa!

Christmas Eve at Chicago

The Canadians arrived the night before. After spending two days in NYC, they were not in the best of forms. Alex fell sick the next day, and so one by one all the cadouxs got sick ... fever, cough, sore throat; MM was diagnosed of influenza A; mamiecath was still nursing her cough and sore throat right before their depart for France on Jan 10; Antoine finally went to the doctor's the day before he got back to work. Miraculously, the non-cadoux - papou, Sylvie, and me - did not catch the virus! 

Between going to pharmacies and taking care of the ill, we still managed to have some fun and memorable family time together.  

MM singing in the Children's Choir at Rockefeller Chapel during the mid-night mass. well, it started at 4pm and really catered to the needs of young families: no speeches, lots of singing, lots of participation by the neighborhood children. 

selfies while waiting for the service to start

Mamie and Papou were there too.

returned home for X'mas dinner: Antoine and Papou worked hard to open these oysters.  

Thomas, Nico, and Alexandre

this piece of pork shoulder was roasted in the oven for 7 hours, extremely delicious. and it went really well with the slightly tart flavor of the mustard greens, carrot and green apple slices. 

Chocolate cake with strawberry mousse

Chicago Christmas Market

Ming Ming watching a puppet show on the street

 

Christkindlmarket Chicago

too crowded at the kindle market, we ended up joining Elaine and her two kids in a nearby McDonald's for ice-cream

Pre-Christmas celebrations

Mamie and Papou arrived just the night before, just in time for MM's X'mas performance at the Lycee.

the three first-grade/CP (classe preparatoire) classes singing holiday songs in French.

MM's writing and drawing about his dad being a good swimmer, a good singer, and a giant.

celebration in her classroom

Ming Ming and Papou ... waiting for Antoine to buy a new phone

Greenwood Commune's Christmas dinner and recital

MM and Avi collaborating "We wish you a merry X'mas"

Kaius playing Jingle Bell

MM playing Bach's Minute 2

 Liz and Nourit playing the piano together

Oscar playing holiday songs

the party went on with a lot of Christmas songs: Liz on the piano and Max, Mike and Keven on guitars and bass, all squeezing to look at the song book here.