Olivia’s pre-school class hosted a Thanksgiving party for both the kids and parents.  The usual sign up list of party foods to volunteer to bring went up outside the classroom.  I would usually sign up for something but this year with the baby and seeing paper napkins and plates already taken (these are always the first things to taken off the list), I passed but planned to attend with Ee-ee Bet to the party.

Olivia sat at a table next to Diego, across from Charles, and diagonal from Mia.  Charles’ mom, Joanna, came to the party so it was nice to meet her.

Mia is currently Mimi’s favorite friend.  It use to be Melissa, now it’s Mia, in a couple weeks  it will probably be someone else.

I had Bet take pictures of Mimi’s art around the classroom.

I (heart) my Mimi!

Our families are close and live within an hour of us so our holidays are always multi-day and multi-home.  I love Thanksgiving because it is time spent with my family and close friends.  It’s a time to remember all that you have to be thankful for.  And even though you should be thankful more then once a year, life is busy and you forget, so it’s nice to have a time to reflect and remember.  I am thankful for…all the help from my parents and family taking care of my kids and keeping me sane, my grumpy husband for providing for our family, my two girls and how they have blessed my life, how different my life was a year ago.

Our Thanksgiving celebration started out in Long Island at Melissa’s (Jeff’s sister) future sister-in-law, Katie’s, house.  Katie and her husband (Joe) have two wonderful kids, Kira and Joey.  Though they have only met Mimi once, they embraced her immediately and played with her like she lived down the block.

This was one of the first toys the kids played with.  Not the most non-violent…but super fun.

Mimi doesn’t have toys like this at home so she was excited to give it a try.

Mimi loved this guitar.  She is obsessed with this YouTube video of a little boy playing a ukulele and wants to learn how to play one also.

We ate Thanksgiving dinner at Aunt Martha and Uncle Davy’s house in Long Island.  It can be a hard trip out to the Island on holidays because of traffic.  It’s suppose to be a 45 minute trip that took us two hours.  Good things the girls slept the whole way.

Matty with the baby.  He really likes to hold her and talk to her.  He will be a good dad.

Group shot.  Why are Bet and James so close?

May and my mom.  My mom is in the middle of making green bean casserole.  The can she is holding is Campbell’s mushroom soup.

Aunt Alice with the baby.  Look at those chubby cheeks (on the baby)!

Kimbie and the baby.  Moy Moy’s (little sister in Chinese) hair is looking crazy.

My mom and the baby.  My mom is the best mom.  Not only to me, but to my kids.  She is someone I am most thankful for.

It’s always fun to play games on Thanksgiving.  Can you guess who is under the table?

Mimi and Artie!

Mimi loves to be a silly goose.

She cracks everyone up.  Funny stories and laughing are always a big part of Thanksgiving.

Here is what is left of the turkey…only white meat.  We are a true Chinese family.

The day after Thanksgiving, my mom cooked a Thanksgiving dinner for her side of the family.  Kimbie and Mimi are making crusts for the pies for dessert.

Gung (maternal grandfather in Chinese) doesn’t leave home much anymore except when my mom invites him to her house.  He use to cook all the time for us but hasn’t in a long time.  He came out of retirement and chopped the lobster.  This was so great to watch.  I just learned how to chop a lobster and was going to do one, but decided not to embarrass myself in front of Gung.

His chopping is so precise.  It comes from cooking and being a head chef for many years.  In China he cooked for a very wealthy family.  When he came to America, he was a head chef of one of the top restaurants in Chinatown.

Some of the courses for dinner.

And of course we have to have lobster on Thanksgiving.  Would you expect anything less from a Chinese family?

We ate like kings and we drank like kings.  It started out with Ruinart.

Then moved to 2004 Cristal.

And ended with 2003 Mouton Rothschild.  This bottle is valued at over $900.  It was delicious.

We also celebrated Jennie’s birthday because it was just a couple days away.  She was turning 25 and felt old…Ha!

We call this Mimi’s skeleton smile.  This is one of our hello kitty candles we use for all our birthday cakes. Happy Birthday Jennie!