Big Weekend

This past weekend we saw a lot of action. On Saturday, we went to Orange County to meet up with my parents and my brother and nieces, who were visiting from Berkeley. Stella and Ruby are 10 and 8, and they had a blast with their new cousin. I was touched by how attentive they are with Jarrah, and how they always ask me if it's okay before giving her a cookie or tossing her in the jacuzzi. ;) And Jarrah, for her part, adored them. The cutest part of the day was seeing the three of them soaking in their private, sand-fortified "kiddie pool" at the beach, where they dug holes and built walls for over an hour in perfect summer harmony. It was only Jarrah's third trip to the beach, but every time she loves it more. She's impervious to the icy water, thrusting her belly towards each wave and doing a little end zone dance of delight until the receding water drags her off her feet. Really one of the loveliest days in a while.

On Sunday, we attended our first FCC (Families with Children from China, a community organization with chapters in many cities) event with an actual child. For over a year, we have observed Chinese New Year and the Moon Festival and whatnot as a "waiting family," and don't get me wrong, it was always a warm and welcoming experience. But actually marching in the "Parade of Provinces" behind the Chongqing sign with our sweet little girl waving her Chinese flag was something else. The venue, Poinsettia Park in Carlsbad, was exactly the same as last year, and I was amused by my shift in perspective: as soon as we arrived, Jarrah was off like a shot for the playground. What's more, I knew this is exactly what she would do. My amusement stems from the fact that last year I wouldn't have described the park as even having a playground, since it totally escaped my notice.

Later that afternoon, I got the bold and ambitious idea to wash both David's and my cars by hand, and Jarrah thought this was a fine plan indeed. At first, she just wanted to dunk her arms into the suds, but after some careful study, she decided that she would join me in scrubbing the dirt off David's car. She, however, decided to use the wheel brush, but not on the wheels. Ouch--poor car. For a one-year-old, she was surprisingly adept at this sort of heavy labor, which is leading me to all kinds of sinister ideas.