10 years later....

This is our family member who we are leaving behind before we head out across the world.  She's in good hands as a friend is staying here, but we will miss our Mochi!!!

Annual "Up A Tree" photo

 Technically, it's "Near a Tree," but here goes....

Breakfast with the Easter Bunny

making our way back

After dozens of thoughts to do so without follow-through, here I am making a new post.  And posting some photos that were sitting in Drafts from a year and a half ago!  I'm not going to attempt to fill in all the experiences, vacations, and photos from my time away.  Just gonna start with this post and see where it goes.  Above is Bea, creeping up on 11-years old.  When I look at this photo I snapped moments ago, I can see the changes in her face from the last posts.  She is growing up and changing at lightning speed.  And I love the person she is becoming.

 We had her parent conference yesterday and someday she'll yell at me for sharing this, for she is still incredibly private, humble, and modest, but here's a quote from her report card:  "Beatrice is a true joy to have in class.  This semester she became an active member of our conversations on social justice issues, impressing everyone with her vast knowledge of history and facts.  She has an innate ability to feel empathy toward all people and see the good within.  Her positive presence and outlook on learning are very impressive and make her a joy to have in class."  Those are the highlights. Empathy, social justice, positive, hard-working.  I work with kids this age every day.  These aren't qualities that are easy to instill,  indeed they are counter-culture, and I think they're getting rarer by the moment.  My girl.  I am so proud.

She is a voracious reader. She had a long and wonderful obsession with all things Harry Potter. Same goes with Hamilton. She is continuing with aikido and piano.  She ran cross-country this fall.  She is starting to learn to cook and crochet. She is an artist, lego builder, minecraft architect. Her creativity and imagination is downright scary. She is funny, usually laughing or smiling. She's a jokester, takes everything in stride. She likes to call me "Caca boudin," thanks to a visit from Anthony's French cousin's son, 5-year old Bastien this past fall. She's a crazy good game player.  Her smile is incredible. She is still so innocent. Her hair is almost down the length of her back.  She's thinking of cutting it.  :(

Since my last post we lost our dear Sula.  It was May 26 2018 and very sudden.  Her loss was almost overwhelming to us all.  There is no replacing her.  Yet our house was just so empty that we knew we needed another beating heart.  Enter Mochi, our newest family member who is now 8 months old. Yes, she enjoys a good game of may jong.

We are in the midst of planning a big trip this summer.  We are headed to Asia for a month, including ten days in and around Hanoi.  I can. not. wait to share this experience with Bea.  I know she is unsure about how she will feel to go back to the place where our family began TEN short and fast and life-changing years ago.  Landing there and seeing a sea of faces so similar to her own will no doubt trigger a million thoughts, questions, and feelings.  We will do it together, exploring this beautiful culture, eating the food, meeting people, traveling out into the countryside, sweating together, showing her some of the sights we loved in 2009, and discovering new places together. And I'm guessing many nights she will sleep by my side, likely needing a little extra comfort, like she continues to do many moments.  Lolo and Lola are coming too, and we are excited that Lolo will join her on a trip of discovery of his parents' past. I have a dream, which Bea set the seeds of, that she will take over this blog, writing what she wants to remember and posting photos.  Maybe Asia will be the start of that.  Who knows?

We look back at this blog often, and I am so very grateful to read things that I had completely forgotten.  Some of the best are things she said.  These little nuggets from childhood are like holding water in your hands.  Life gets busy, so very busy, too busy and it's so hard to remember every little thing.  Here's a good quote from recently, out of the blue, "So Mom, Jesus was a Capricorn, right?"

Okay, I'm getting obsessive and need to start small.  Below are a few favorite pics from the past year.  Until next time.....