Maddie's World

Xin means new, Nian means year, and Hao means good. Happy Chinese New Year to one and all!! Sheira and I thought long and hard about what to do for Chinese New Year. Originally we thought about going into Chinatown in NYC but after talking to some friends of ours it was obvious that being packed in way too tight with lots of loud noises might not be the best place for us yet alone Maddie. So to celebrate it this year we went to Chinatown in NYC the night before the craziness began with GaGa and Uncle Seth. We did manage to have lots of fun shopping and eating at an apparently well known and crazy busy restaurant - Great N.Y. Noodle Town 28 Bowery, New York, NY, 212-349-0923. It was worth going to and seeing what Maddie was willing to scarf down. She might be a little surprised to know exactly what she ate that day.

For those who would like to know more about Chinese New Year I am adding some links I came across.

http://chineseculture.about.com/library/weekly/aa010900a.htm?once=true&
http://chineseculture.about.com/library/weekly/topicsub1.htm
http://www.chinasprout.com/shop
http://www.123chinesenewyear.com/
http://www.theholidayspot.com/chinese_new_year/

I think this year Maddie really appreciated the giving and receiving part of the holiday season. She was really good about saying "thank you" to everyone and knew without saying it that presents were not going to be given to her.

The best was watching her in action the past couple days with her cousins Zachary and Haley. Maddie showed a real interest and care for Zachary, which was really a pleasure to watch. Of course every cry from "Baby Zachy" meant that "he needs his daddy." Today was a blast watching Maddie lead Haley all over the house to play with different toys. Considering Maddie can have a tough time sharing this made it all the more impressive.

It was fun having Sheira's family over and catching up on things, taking notes on parenting, etc. I think Sheira and I are in agreement that having people over is not the reason we bought a house nor is it fun to prepare or tend to while our guests are here. IF we do this again catering it is the way to go. I have a feeling we set a precedent by having the family over for Chanukah but mayyyybe if we don't say anything we won't have to repeat it. Shhhhhh....

Just a "way-too-early-in-the-morning" update...

Maddie seems to have developed this occasional habit of waking up early in the morning (sometimes 2am, sometimes 4am, 5am, you get my drift), and then screaming like someone set her on fire. This morning she woke up, looked in the computer room and did not see me (daddy) there where she expected me to be. She proceeded to run and scream in our room. Sheira took her into the bathroom figuring that was coming soon (she was right). When asked why she was freaking out her answer was, "daddy's not in the computer room!" She repeated this several times and would not calm down until I got up to show her I was still here.

Thankfully she is back in bed, with the assurance I would be in the computer room for a few minutes and then go back to sleep. We even told her I would take her to school in the morning. 5 minutes later and all is still quiet in her room.

This is all the "fun" of parenthood....

P.S. - This is a picture of her in one of her happy moods and NOT indicative of what we saw tonight.

As I reflect on the year since last Thanksgiving I realize how much I am thankful for.

• The opportunities life gives me to be a better person, a better husband, and a better father
• Even though it drives me crazy some times, I am thankful for my job and the people with whom I get to work each day
• That I am not Michael Richards
• That Maddie is a good kid even with her "terrible two" moments she shows how kind and compassionate she can be when someone is sad or having a bad day
• Thankful for the food, shelter, and clothing that I am lucky to have
• My family
• Sheira's family
• Thankful for how amazing Sheira has been and is. I know those of you who still may be reading this know her longer and differently. I can tell you that she is such an amazing human being and in turn makes me better in all aspects of my life. I've probably said it before but it's still worth saying: I am so lucky that she is in my life and how blessed I am to be her best friend, husband, and mother to Madeline
• And just about everything else that I have and don't have

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!!!

We thought it would be fun to take Maddie to the Big Apple Circus. Couldn't think of anything that she wouldn't like there. Sheira mentioned to Maddie a couple days ago there would be clowns. To our knowledge she's never even seen a clown before. Maddie's response, "Ooh Mommy...I'm scared of clowns." She was reassured up and down that we would keep her safe and that clowns are funny and won't hurt her at the circus.

First clown she sees was pretty innocent. Dressed in a black outfit with a hat and a little makeup. So far so good. Then Grandma Clown came. From a distance she was o.k. and a little amusing to Maddie. Once "she" came towards the audience - to say she might be a little traumatized by the experience might be an understatement. We tried hanging around but it got a bit too much for her.

Lesson learned: 2 1/2 years old might be too young for the circus. We'll try again when she's maybe...7.

Sheira did one of the smartest things by getting season passes to Sesame Place. It's never *that* crowded and not too big where you get lost trying to see everything. We're also an hour away so we don't feel bad if we only stay a few hours and then go home. Maddie loves seeing Elmo, Cookie Monster, and Grover. She's ok with Zoe and doesn't seem to like Big Bird (except for her own little one).