The Zhao Family

Here are some random photos of us doing some interesting and crazy things in January.


Somehow, they actually do get along once in a while...



Her bling blings!






You think she's well fed?


Reading....


Reading....


More reading...the way mom reads to the kids...


No more reading...the way dad reads to the kids...laptop and ipod..hehehe


Brennan took out tooth #4 all by himself again! This one took less than 5 seconds and he snapped it out.




Clayton's masterpiece!

As a family tradition always go to my parent's house to have the first meal of the year. In almost all cases, the first meal would be at midnight which means we bring our kids to my parents house early, let them eat light early and make them go to bed early. Then around 11:30pm, we'll wake them up and get them ready to have the first meal as a family unit. And in that first meal, which consists of 7-9 dishes of all kinds of veggies/grains each representing a good blessing such as bak choi(bok choy) which relates to 'faat choih' meaning having great fortune. Etc. We must eat or try all of the dishes although some aren't as tasty as others. We also have to make sure our first bowl of rice is completely finished and cleaned and to add more rice to the bowl which represents more abundance of food.

The best part of the first meal as a family is after eating we get our Red Envelopes or Hong Bao which has money in it! I used to get it but since after marriage and kids, all the Hong Baos go to the kids.And they love it know they are getting a treat and now the boys are old enough, they know they get money and they can buy things with it like candy...hehehe

The pictures below are of 'opening' the New Year and having a feast at my parents house. My dad and mom will go all out with all kind of delicious foods, whether cooked or some bought, we have more dishes than people! It was just super delicious.














Clayton's Chinese class celebrated Chinese New Year too! In his class they made dragon faces and paraded all around the school. It was great! and he made an awesome dragon too!

For her birthday, she wanted to go to Chuck E. Cheeses'. That whole week was rather warm, around high 40's for the middle of Winter, and of course the night before snowed and sleeted. That one inch of snow mixed with sleet made the roads a little treacherous to drive but we went! and did everyone had a blast!!



A picture with the Chuck E Cheese!!


What a horse ride with Charlotte!!




Aunt got great exercises from holding two boys up....



The Jones came join the party!


Mommy accompanied FF on a ride.




They even got to play in a maze.....


hm......FF supposed to sit down on this one...


She loved all the rides!



Boys got very intense playing this shooting game.



FF's favorite game, she probably spent 20+ coins and went more than 20+ on this.


Later, family gathering at home! Uncle Yuan tried to get a kiss...


Grandma is so happy to hold FF.




Thanks for coming everyone!

On New Year's day we decided to to go the Arts Museum bracing the cold weather. It turned out to be pretty educational (except for every single guard watch out kids and keep screaming out loud, "Don't touch that". I think they radioed to each other that we're there with three wilds kids because all the guards were hawking our kids)











This maybe what FF got her idea for what she did below. She expressed it right onto a soft suede canvas! almost just like the pros (except we use it to sit on it as well) See Abbey's post on Facebook below.




Listen to the audio, it's great! (kinda)

Between Thanksgiving and Christmas is always busy for us and we tend to put Holiday oriented photos first so the beginning of the New Year we don't have much to post. This is a great catch up time of things we didn't post (yet)








David brought his mini hamster and the kids had a great time.


Brennan pulled his own teeth. It took him three days totally about an hour to pulling it with his own fingers. So proud of him.




She 'tries' to clip her own nails...she still needs help


I. am. in. trouble.




Over the Winter break, Brennan went to a Karate clinic and won a couple certificates and also moved up to Green belt now too!








Clayton is very deep thought-ed with his own ideas and ways to express himself and us too.


And lastly mom gave FF a very stylish haircut so it won't bother her face as much. What do you think?