Welcome!

My niece joined the family on July 12th, 2010. This special young lady's mother is my younger sister, which in classic Chinese culture makes me her Jiu Jiu (舅舅) -- thus the title of this blog. Here I intend to semi-regularly post reflections, thoughts, stories, and assorted whathaveyous pertaining to our trip to China, adoption in general, and (mostly) watching my niece grow up. Since the web is a very public place, I will attempt to maintain my family's privacy while telling the story... but I invite you to follow the blog and come along for the adventure!

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Gong Xi Fa Cai!

Happy New Year of the Horse, everybody!

Sorry for the gap in postings; in between life in general, work in general, and this absofreakinglutely ridiculous weather, I haven't been able to sit & post until now.  (Dude, don't forget to mention that you've been at work since Wednesday afternoon and won't make it home until midday Friday...)

In any case, celestial dandruff or not, we've been enjoying our new year.  Of the three new year celebrations the Pipsqueak's family celebrates, this one is always the longest; different weekend events stretch the celebration out over several weeks -- literally a different new year celebration every weekend for the entire month!

One special CNY event last Saturday featured Miri's class from the CCACC school performing a ribbon dance at one of the big local malls that hosts a big week-long CNY event every year. I'd love to post photos but... well, I had weekend manager duty and by the time it was clear what time the Pipsqueak's class would be onstage, there was no way (short of teleportation) that I could get there on time. To say I was unhappy about missing my niece's first "real" public performance is something of an understatement -- but AJ and our folks got some nice photos & video, and a family friend has reassured me he has very good video that I'll be able to see soon. (I'll also have another chance to see the performance at the CCACC CNY banquet in a couple of weeks.)

The next CNY event for the family was the annual celebratory lunch that our group of adoption friends holds every year. (The very nice lady who organizes the event somehow manages to herd all the cats with seemingly effortless grace year after year, I have no idea how but she pulls it off each time.) The restaurant where we've met for the past several years didn't have a special CNY event this year, so we tried a new venue that worked out very well. (We had to laugh when, as the families were still gathering, the manager politely asked us to keep it to a low roar, and then the lion dance was so loud we were all covering our ears... but I digress...)  Our "usual" spot always had a dragon, and then a lion, sometimes two -- so almost from the moment we got into AJ's van the Pipsqueak was asking if there would be two lions this year. Mom explained that we didn't know but that it was likely there would be only one, so when we were joined by two, and then three of the beasts, Miri turned to her and said, "See, Grandma? I told you there would be two!"

We'll be attending the big FCC CNY event this coming weekend (weather & road conditions permitting), and then the CCACC CNY banquet the next weekend, and I'll try to post some photos... In the meantime, here are a few quick views of the herd (pride?) of lions at our CNY luncheon last weekend...


And, just to show how hard-working those performers really are, here's the jester (who actually did the Bump with one of the moms in our group!) as he made his exit...



So, as I forlornly watch still more of that white flaky stuff falling onto the walkway that I've helped clear several times (starting at 5:30 in the morning!), I wish you all a Happy New Year of the Horse!



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