Adayla had too long of a break from school......and random pics

Little Grandma and Grandpa sent her this shirt, she wears it anytime she sees it in her closet, which is about every other day (it's nice to have Ayi do laundry everyday, otherwise she would only see the shirt once a week!).

Adayla enjoyed her 3 weeks off way too much and has decided she doesn't want to go to school. So we take her anyway and she whines the whole time while we get her ready to go. Anyways, Tim went to pick her up from school and had a chance to talk with her teacher. What she said surprised us....

Adayla is very pleasant at school and does as she is told (not the shocking part). She understands Chinese and they can tell by her actions that she understands, BUT she now will not speak Chinese at school. She will only answer yes and okay using Chinese words, but that is it. We were shocked.....she speaks Chinese with our helper lady, taxi drivers, and with everyone we meet who she thinks can't speak English. She is a buster, she knows exactly what she is doing.

(Adayla's newest class, she started piano lessons last week and loved it! It is so cute to see her sitting on the piano)

Later that day, I told the helper lady that Adayla wouldn't speak Chinese at school and she just laughed. She knows what Adayla is capable of. Before dinner, she picked up Adayla and asked her why she didn't speak Chinese at school. Adayla responded in English (which she never does with Ayi) that she just doesn't want to.


We had a little chat with her and told her that we can do some special things if she started using Chinese at school. Well that was a week ago and Tim talked to the teacher again and was thrilled to hear that Adayla has been using Chinese when in class. She is a Buster!!

(Adayla found a headband vendor on the street and picked out her favorite. She now wears this almost everyday. She loved looking at herself in the mirror, we couldn't stop giggling)

However it hasn't solved our battle of getting her to Kindergarten without any fuss. These are some of her excuses (which I think she is way too young to be using):

I am sick, I don't think I can go to school tomorrow.
I will just have to eat breakfast really, really slow so I won't be able to go.
Mom I think i will just stay home and play with you today.
my favorite:
In fact last night she told Tim....Dad, in two weeks when I am big like you, I won't need to go to school anymore. I will just have class with you and Jane (our Chinese tutor).

Adayla enters "the why phase." Almost all of Adayla's questions start with why? It doesn't matter if she knows the answer or not, after we speak to her, she asks why.

Mom: We can't eat it yet, it is too hot.
Adayla: Why?
Mom: Because it just came out of the oven and it is hot.
Adayla: Why?

Mom: Lets go get in the taxi?
Adayla: Why?
Mom: So we can go home and eat lunch.
Adayla: Why do we need to eat lunch?

The why's are never ending! And the problem with a bilingual child is when you tell her not to ask "why" she responds with asking "为什么- weishenme", Chinese for why... argh!

Anyways this goes on and on all day. Most times I will ask her what she thinks, give her the obvious answer, or tell her because I said so, but occasionally I have had it and get a little grumpy with her. But then I remember and it is good that she is so inquisitive. It makes Josie a bit more crazy than me, so I told Jos to give Little Grandma's brothers and sisters a call to see if they remember Lucas as a child, right??

(They spend hours riding the tricyle together and they take turns driving.)

We love her and all her personality that her little brain comes with.

She is getting very excited about this new little baby. She has been asking me when she sees other babies if they came out of their mommies tummys. She asks where the baby is going to sleep when it comes to our house. She had been telling everybody that my tummy had her little brother in it, but last week she decided it was a little girl. Either way she will be a loving big sister to the new one that will join us here....maybe soon!

Next Up......My small friend, Tally!