CNY at the Library

One of the local libraries hosted a Chinese New Year program as part of their children's outreach. Anna and several of her friends participated. There were stories, musical instruments, art projects, and snacks centered around the theme of Chinese New Year or Spring Festival. Thanks, Julie, for sharing the photos!

Mapping

As I checked e-mail yesterday evening, Anna was lying on the floor beside me coloring. The item she was coloring was laid on some newspaper so she wouldn't get marker on the floor. After a short while, she set the item aside and began to look at one of the newspaper ads, which contained a map of new developments in the metro area. She got up, put the newspaper on her table and began drawing and narrating her own map on the newspaper. Anna made lots of marks showing where we live, where Grandpa and Grandma live, where various friends live, where the grocery store is located, where she goes to school, and where we go to church. She talked about the cities and the roads that connected everyone. She drew a pond and a lake, and even pointed to the top of the "map" and stated that Santa lived up at the north pole. I was just fascinated to watch and listen and then grabbed the camera to take a few quick pictures.

You'll notice that where Anna labeled herself on the map is right in the center of the universe. How telling is that?

Bike Riding

Grandpa and Grandma got Anna a really neat balance bicycle a while back, but we couldn't find a good place to walk/ride until just recently. Balance bikes are recommended for ages 2-5. They are made without pedals in order to emphasize learning to balance on two wheels and steer. You sit down and push it with your feet kind of like a scooter. Once you get good at balancing, you then go straight to a regular bike (no training wheels).

Anna was not a big fan at first....she loved pedaling her outgrown tricycle, wanted a cute girly bike with training wheels like her friends (peer pressure starts EARLY!), and she REALLY didn't like to wear the helmet. [I have to say that the peer pressure actually helped with the helmet...we have been riding with a couple of friends and they HAVE HELMETS, TOO! Now, the helmet is just part of the process and is not a big deal. Whew!]

The turning point was finding a long enough stretch of smooth, gently sloping downhill. Once Anna discovered that she could GO FAST with this bike, her interest really took off. Instead of walking beside her as she walks the bike, we now have to RUN to catch up while she builds up speed and coasts!

I have to also mention that Grandpa is a cyclist.....so his interest in this is pretty keen! He doesn't mind running beside a laughing four-year-old who is squealing with delight at going fast on a two-wheeled bike.

Anna's Camera Part 4

The flash on the camera no longer works, but that did not deter Anna from taking pictures of the cat sleeping and then showing them to her baby dolls.

Anna's Camera Part 3

Anna's Camera Part 2

Anna took her camera to the zoo to take pictures. Somehow, the camera's secret combination of buttons got pressed the wrong way and either deleted all the pictures or took movies instead. We are not sure. We do know that we came home with no pictures on the camera, despite several picture-taking sessions.

Despite the disappointment, Anna continued to attempt a variety of photos. Here is the latest set....Mommy talking on the phone and Mommy's foot.

I have to say I'm impressed with her persistence about this camera. I gave up on the camera a while back...it is much more complicated than any of the grown-up models I have used.

Happy New Year!

We celebrated the new year by taking a trip to the zoo with friends on New Year's morning!
































A little nostalgia crept over me as I remembered those first few zoo trips with Anna's good friend, Jenna, and meeting up at Xenia's house afterward. Here are some "now and then" pictures.

January 2009 (4 years old)
















March 2006 (18 mos. old)
















January 2009 (4 years old)































March 2006 (18 mos. old)
















January 2009 (4 years old)
















March 2006 (18 mos. old)
















January 2009 (4 years old)
















December 2006 (2 years old)