March is “Music In School” Month, and Maddy performed one of her piano pieces today in school:

Music in School Performance

Madison turns 6 1/2 years old today.  We went out and celebrated in our favorite Korean Restaurant and she got their big shaved ice for dessert (which she shared with all of us).

Happy Half Birthday to you, my sweet girl!

Livy started P3 (the 4 yr olds) class this week.  She walked into her new class, full of confidence packed in that little petite body.  The child even got a new backpack to replace her school tote. 

Here she is carrying the backpack as big as she is, and sporting her new short do.  Our baby is all grown up.

First grade has been a signaficant milestone for Maddy when it comes to reading.   She has really changed from this timid, afraid to sound out new words child to a confident and almost fluent reader.  Her latest book is Amelia Bedelia, stories of a silly housekeeper who takes every request ‘literally’.   It is wonderful to watch the girl enjoy the book rather than labor in reading.

Little girl has been going to Little Gym’s tap/ballet/gymnastics combo class this past quarter.  She never really liked the tap dancing part, and made it very clear by not moving a single muscle and kept an unamused look during the tap dancing performance.  Of course, she totally turned a different child during ballet and gymnastics.  I loved her ballet segment.  She was as cute as a button!!

To Joe’s disappointment, both girls have inherited more of my private, introverted personalities.  The trait is even more obvious with Livy, who simply ignores people she does not care to associate at any given minute (I would at least mustard a “hi” and possibly a small talk given years of practices).  Big gatherings drain us.
We had a wonderful fellowship last night:  A sharing from a Godly, wise mom with many laughters followed by a yummy takeout dinner at church with a whole group.. not to mention a good practice of the Chinese song the fellowship has decided to sing for Chinese New Year Celebration.  After all of that, I simply wanted to be left alone.
The girls and I made our Starbucks run this morning before church.  They picked out their choice of pastries (Maddy has routinely chosen a blueberry muffin and Livy a piece of pumpkin bread), and I got my usual cup of regular coffee. 
We soaked up each other’s words and smiles.  Livy offered her bread to me (and I kindly declined as usual).  Maddy commented with the same phrase “Mommy, you’re coffee kind of girl”.  We enjoyed the simple quietness; watched other Starbucks fans around us; smelled the freshly brewed coffee and the yummy pumpkin bread.  And off we went to church 10 minutes later happy and refreshed.

For introverts like us, there is something therapeutic about really being present for each other!!