Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year is always a sweet time for our family. Alex is half Chinese, half Vietnamese and I'm Chinese, so our kids are Chinese and Vietnamese. Lunar New Year is the grandest, most anticipated holiday in our cultures. We had dinner at my parents' place the night before the Lunar New Year, where we were spoiled with the tastiest homemade Chinese feast. My mom made heaping platters of all my favorite foods. It was so thoughtful, causing my brother and me to reminisce about our childhood. Food has such a powerful way of evoking nostalgia. The kids got treated to puzzles, coloring books, and toys. They have such fun at PohPoh and GongGong's house, which gladdens my heart. Thankful to have spent time with my parents and brother celebrating.

The next day, we had dinner at Alex's mom's place, where she labored all day to cook up a Vietnamese feast. I love homemade Vietnamese fare, and am grateful for my kind in-laws with whom we get to share life. Alex and I don't speak Chinese or Vietnamese to our kids, so they'll hear it here and there from their grandparents. I wish I intentionally spoke it more, though I suppose it's never too late to start. Right now, all the kids really know how to say in Chinese are names for each of their grandparents, names of dim sum dishes, and names for one another: Serene as JieJie ("big sister"), Valor as GohGoh ("big brother"), and Reverie as MeiMei ("little sister").