Mr. Sock

Mr. Sock is Maggie's first sock gnome.  That's right, there are others.  Maggie and her friends make sock gnomes.  All the time.  Out of any old pair of socks.  They are adorable and Natalie even sells hers at a store in Silver Lake for $25 apiece.  Anyway, the original sock gnome pictured here, came with us to Chicago at Thanksgiving and is pictured amongst a soap display at a store on Michigan Avenue, enjoying tea at the American Girl store, and finally back home with Maggie's teacher Danica.

Let it snow

We splurged and got a guy to make us snow.  It was awesome!   A bunch of neighborhood kids came over and played in the snow all day!

All dressed up and no where to go

What do you do when it's the day before Thanksgiving and when you call at noon to find out if your 4 pm flight to Wisconsin is on time they tell you that it was cancelled.  Months ago.  "Didn't you get the email we sent?"  Guess not.  So ... many stressful hours and phone calls to airlines later, Tony managed to get us booked on a redeye that left at midnight. So ... now it was 2 pm, our suitcases were packed, we were ready to go.  We decided to go to Islands.  No one was particularly hungry until we sat down and realized we were famished.  I guess it was the stress and all.  So we ate and ate and then ate some more.  Tony took this picture and I think it reflects the sort of aimless way we were all feeling.  All dressed up and no where to go.  

Tree

Meet Tree.  He's a 3 foot tall tree I bought at Urban Outfitters a few years ago.  Decorating Tree (that's his name) has become a family tradition and a Sally obsession.   Nobody likes Christmas more than Sally. Specifically decorating for Christmas, with ornaments she makes.  She draws pictures of snowmen, snowflakes, santa, etc., puts a ribbon on them and then puts them on Tree.  Each day Tree's branches get fuller and Tree gets more beautiful.  We also get a regular tree, like from a tree lot, and we have regular decorations for it, like from a store.  But I always end up thinking Tree is way more beautiful because he was decorated with way more love.  

Maggie's birthday

We had the first of many birthday celebrations for Maggie the day before we left for Wisconsin.  We had a cake, it was sweet, just the four of us, and we gave Maggie her presents.  She got a Dwight stress ball, some new headphones, these really cool juggling sticks Tony found and ... the new camera she's been coveting. The picture of me is the first picture she took with her new camera -- 

Bake Off

So ... because we're a competitive group, all the writer's at Grey's decided to have a bake-off and see who makes the best dessert.  We ordered hats and aprons, I got a huge trophy for the winner(who I THOUGHT was gonna be me) and we recruited judges from all the departments - a couple of the actors, an editor, script supervisor etc. (actually, in the weeks preceding the bake off, people were coming to us, begging to be judges).  OH MY God, it was hilarious and cut throat and devastating because I didn't win.  I made the Red Cake - my mom's famous red velvet cake.  3 layers, totally beautiful and delicious.  I decorated it with flowers, I had my eyes on the prize.  But one judge felt it was 'too sweet' and another thinks red velvet is 'too trendy'.  At least those were the comments they made on the score sheet.  Can you tell I'm bitter?  This is a picture of me with Stacy.  She made her chocolate fudge pie, that is amazing, I'll give her that .... oh, and I also had to give her the trophy.  Cause she won.  

Thanksgiving in Wisconsin

We spent Thanksgiving in Wisconsin this year with (almost) all the cousins in attendance.  We had a VERY busy schedule - Thanksgiving dinner, movies, a trip to Winke's, Elmo Live and a trip to Chicago to go to tea at the American Girl Store.  Luckily there was plenty of time to just hang out.  I'll post more pictures later but here's a picture of Sally hanging out with some of her cousins.  There's Sophie(being held by Kate, I think), Payton is sticking out her tongue and Elizabeth is on the bed with me.  I'm holding Sally's new American Girl doll, Felicity.  She's a gift from Grandma and Grandpa, and Sally LOVES her!  

LOVE

Maggie and Sally are both animal lovers, but it comes out in very different ways.  Ever since she was little, Maggie wanted to learn everything she could about nature and animals.  She watched nature shows and read books on animals, accumulating facts and developing a healthy respect for them.  She became a vegetarian, I think, out of her respect.  Sally, on the other hand, dotes on her animals, she's always wanting them around to hold, to pet, to play with.  Her devotion never wavers and the animals, in turn, love her back.  They know they can always get a treat out of her.  Our routine lately is that if Sally wakes up before 6 am she has to play in her room.  So this morning she wrangled both Holly and Fern into the room with her and I heard her playing and talking to them for about an hour.  Her devotion, unfortunately, doesn't stop at her pets.  She's forever catching bugs outside and bringing them up to her room to live.  She's got shoeboxes that she's made into roly poly homes and caterpillars making cacoons in a butterfly garden we bought her.  It's always hard to convince her to let them go back to live outside, she thinks they'll be so much 'warmer and cozier' in her room.  

The Piano

Here's a few pictures of Sally "playing" her new piano.  It's a beautiful piano and it looks good in our house, but it feels a little funny to have a piano around when no one can play it.  Now don't get me wrong, we all "play" it, but I don't think Tony's rendition of Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater counts as music.  So, we need to find a teacher for Sally.  This is on my list as soon as this episode we're writing is done, which should be mid- December.  Can't wait.  Til then, the main function of the piano is to put pictures on.  

truly extraordinary

Maggie's birthday is November 30, which is coming up and has inspired me to think about that day 12 years ago when she came into the world early, two months to be exact, and tiny, just 4 pounds 12 ounces.  With such a difficult labor, and then such a surprise entrance to the world, we were all a bit anxious ... was she going to be okay?  Um ... have you met Maggie?  She's better than okay, she's truly extraordinary.  And I don't say that lightly.  She is my daughter so of course I think she's gorgeous and smart and funny and all those good things, but she is more than that.  Mature beyond her years.  Deep.  As her teacher said to me in the parent teacher conference the other day, Maggie doesn't always speak up in class, but when she does, everyone listens because you know she has something to say.   

guitar recital

Maggie had her first recital last Sunday and she was great. She played Twinkle, but with such poise and soul, it made me want her to learn the basics fast so she can move onto the music she was meant to play.  She has such a beautiful voice and the heart of a poet, I hope she'll write and play her own music someday.  Anyway, when she does we can all look back and say it began in some random lecture hall at Cal Tech on 3 hours of sleep(she had a sleepover Saturday night with Mia and Madeline and they stayed up all night and watched the sunrise. I was asleep upstairs and mostly oblivious although I came down and yelled at them at 4 am which they apparently ignored.   As she explained to me the next day, they just wanted to see if they could do it.  They did. )

pretty in pink

I snuck back into Sally's room tonight after she was asleep to get a picture of all the competing pinks.  It's like an animal blending into her natural environment.  The only thing that isn't pink is her sweet little pillow that used to be white but is now gray and falling apart.  Oh how she loves her pillow and he's hanging in there god bless him(Sally has made it quite clear that pillow is a him).  

Guitar hero

Maggie started guitar lessons this fall and is loving it.  We didn't escape suzuki completely as that is the teaching method her guitar teacher uses, but since Maggie already knows the songs on violin, she's just blowing through them on guitar.  She has her first recital on Sunday.  Also, we just got Sally's piano yesterday (I'll post pictures later) and now we just need to find her a teacher.  She told me she prefers a girl with long hair.  Can you imagine me calling around, "Um, there's just one other question I have ... no it's not about your fees ... no it's not about your experience ...it's about your hair."  Hee hee.

Yes we can and Yes they did!

Tony took Maggie and Sally to Cleveland to volunteer for Obama. They went the Sunday before election day and stayed until Wednesday. They were there, in the battleground state of Ohio, to see history being made. Sally spent the time with her grandparents and cousins, but Maggie and Tony spent most of their time going door to door, leafletting houses and making sure people got out to vote. Maggie was a trooper and I'm so proud of her hard work. Here's a picture of them at the rally downtown where Springstein played and Obama spoke. It started to rain and my California girls were woefully unprepared for weather, but the rain didn't dampen their spirits or enthusiasm.

A year ago ...

A year ago we went on strike.  It was a weird, uncertain time.  We were told to vacate our offices and we didn't know when we'd be back.  It turned out to be about 3-4 months.  It was also a strange time for us because Tony had just had his heart surgery on October 8 and was still recuperating.  The strike actually helped him - we had to picket for 3 hours a day so Tony used his picketing as physical therapy, he'd walk in circles, holding his sign, making his heart stronger.  

Funny Faces

Funny faces are big with us.  About a year ago Maggie took a picture of herself making this funny face.  She sent it to a bunch of people, including my dad, who then sent back his own funny face. Sally is lately into making funny faces when she gets her picture taken.  Tony and I ... well are faces are always funny.

The first time I saw your face ...

Daddy and I got a call from US Asian Affairs that we had been matched with a baby - you!  They told me your name, Fu Xinpei and that you were from Chongching. The next day, Daddy and I drove to Monterey Park and picked up the manilla envelope that had 3 pictures of you inside.  We were so nervous and excited to open the envelope.  These were two of the pictures.  We were so happy and couldn't stop staring at you.  You looked so healthy and so, so beautiful.  I especially like the picture with the red background and your sweet little mouth.  We started to love you that day and haven't stopped.  AsI tell you all the time, the day we met you and the day we had Maggie were the two most amazing days of my life.  

Hawaii on my mind

It's getting cold here and that always makes me a little bit happy and a little bit sad.  I like that it reminds me of the midwest in the fall, but I miss my hot and sunny days.  So, I started thinking about Hawaii.  We're going back there for a vacation in May, to Maui.  We took a vacation there a year and a half ago and had the best time.  We stayed at the Kea Lani and the girls alternated between the pool and the beach.  Maggie went snorkeling with Tony and Madeline Falacci(who also happened to be there with her parents on vacation), Sally fed the Koi in the Koi pond every morning. 

The Pumpkin Patch

Yesterday we went to a pumpkin patch.  Besides buying pumpkins, we rode a train and Tony and Maggie went in the corn maze where they managed to get lost.  After about an hour they found a group who seemed to know where they were and made it out.  We had lemonade and roasted corn while they recovered from their adventure.  While they were busy getting lost, Sally and I did the kiddie maze, climbed the giant stack of hay bales and jumped in a huge pumpkin bouncer.  

The Singing Chicken

Today we celebrated Tony's birthday at work and I hired a singing chicken telegram.  Cluck cluck.  It was pretty funny in that humiliating "oh my God is that really a grown man wearing a chicken suit" kind of way.  Tony was a good sport and Mr. Chicken didn't overstay his welcome, he waddled out of there in about ten minutes.  

Glasses

Sally always steals my glasses.  Always.  She looks so cute, doesn't she?

The Office

So, it's official - I'm the best mom ever.  I arranged for Maggie to visit the set of her favorite show, The Office and meet most of her favorite characters, including Dwight.  Oh My God!!!!  We were like a couple of star struck geeks.  My friend Jenna set it up. She works with me on Grey's, and her husband Justin is a writer on the Office.  He was so sweet to Maggie, introducing her to everyone and showing her all of the sets.  Maggie even got to sit in Michael's chair.  Dwight was especially kind to Maggie and chatted with her.  When he met her he said, "What are, 12?  When I was 12 I had invented a talking robot, what have you done with your life?"  It was hilarious.  

meeting Chloe

After our China girl reunion this year, we hightailed it down the road about 5 minutes and had the pleasure of meeting our newest niece/cousin, Chloe. A real peanut, Chloe is gorgeous and sweet.  Maggie got to hold her and Sally regressed and fell asleep in my arms!  She was so tired from her weekend of fun, she just conked out.   

like my crib?

Just going through old photos, I found these and wanted to post the story behind them.  When we came back from China a few friends pitched in and got Sally this beautiful water table. It's a table with two big bowls in it and it was all hand made and designed and it was perfect for her to play with water and sand ... and it also looked to me like a huge chip and dip table.  Like that a giant would use.  So as a thank you note to our friends, I put chips in one of the bowls and juice in the other and I took a picture of Tony and I 'relaxing' with our great new table, while the girls were upstairs, and the joke of the picture was that we had trapped them in the crtib so we could use the table.  The card was a hit, but what was really a hit was what happened as a result of the photo session.  The girls were still in the process of 'getting to know' one another and really become sisters and Maggie getting into Sally's crib delighted Sally and made her feel so special, like her big sister and her were just hanging together.  It was a little breakthrough in a year of little breakthroughs, each one allowing for the next.  

style

This was last year, you had just turned 11 and I took you to get a hair cut.  They blew it out, you are soooo gorgeous I just had to take a picture before the hair got, well, messy again.  

catch a catch a by the toe

Sally- At 5 you are an amazingly verbal girl, always talking, using big words to express your big thoughts. There are some very cute mispronounciations that I wanted to write down before I forget them forever. In eeney meeny miney mo, instead of saying catch a tiger by the toe you say catch a catch a by the toe. You call the abominable snowman the bombaloo snowman. You loved the movie Kung Fu Panda but you call it Comfort Panda. You call vacation bucation. There are so many more and I'll add to this as I think of them. One other cute thing while it's on my mind - this week we went out to dinner in old town and there was an art exhibition by Yoko Ono of these Wish Trees where everyone writes a wish on these tags and then you tie your tag to the tree. It's quite beautiful. Well, I had to transcribe your wish which was - I wish for a stuffed animal which is a bear. And lots of candy. I hung it right next to the person who was wishing for world peace,it takes all kinds of wishes ... This morning you met your "Buddy class" at school, they a class that you are matched up with and you do special things with them and each person gets an actual"Buddy" from the class. Last year your buddy was this sweet boy named Anthony. You call him your guppy. Instead of buddy you say, "Mommy, there's Anthony. He's my guppy!"

Speaking of favorite pictures

Here's maggie, probably about 7 years old. I love this picture.