Jenna and Jared went on their first Daddy-Daughter Dance! This dance was hosted by the Hoffman Estates Park District, and we've been wanting to do this for a long time! The dance was held at the Poplar Creek Country Club. Jenna was so excited, and she kept counting down the days weeks before! I bought her a gorgeous peach dress from Janie & Jack, and when she put it on for the first time, she didn't want to take it off. She danced and twirled, and was in her own little world! It was fun to see how excited she was to get all dressed up, but even more excited that she got to go on a "fancy" date with her daddy.
The song "Cinderella" by Steven Curtis Chapman came to mind, and prior to going to the dance, Jared and Jenna had a brief moment when they danced to this song in our living room. It was cute because Jenna wanted me to announce her entrance to Jared. I did so, and when she walked out of her room, she was beaming! And she went straight to her daddy who affirmed how lovely she was! Oh my heart! I can just see this scene replay itself on her wedding day! (sniff! sniff!)
Jared said that Jenna had a lot of fun that night! When she went to bed that night, she was still smiling from ear-to-ear, and wanted to wear her "princess dress" again the next day!
Another fun thing that happened in February was the Jenna lost her first tooth! She's been waiting for this to happen so that I could take her to Build-A-Bear, like I did with Joshua when he lost his first tooth. She lost her tooth at Sarena's house (and she lost her 2nd tooth at Mimi and Papa's house! So, we're just hoping that we'll be around when she loses her 3rd one!).
In keeping with tradition, I took Jenna on a Mommy-Daughter date on a Thursday afternoon. We went to Build-A-Bear at Woodfield Mall, and she got to pick out her bear. She also got to put her tooth into the stuffing of the bear. She picked out an outfit (my Little Ponies, of course!), and she got to name her bear, "Sparkles". I love this tradition, and I'm glad I'll get to do it one more time with Becca!
After getting her bear, we went to McDonald's for lunch. It was so fun to spend time talking and just being together. I love everything about all our Mommy-Daughter time!
We also celebrated Chinese New Year in February! It's crazy to think that just last year, Joshua, Jenna and I were in Singapore celebrating CNY with my family! In keeping with tradition, the kids doned their tradition Chinese outfits, which my mother sends to them every year. Aren't they just cute? We gave the kids red packets, and had a yummy meal of Chinese food!
Chinese new Year really is about time with family. Traditionally, it would be new year's eve night that most Chinese families would host a "reunion dinner" with family members. There are typical traditional dishes during this meal, but I have no idea how to make them, nor get my hands on any of the ingredients!
I try to do the best I can to celebrate my Chinese heritage, especially during the season of Chinese New Year. Even if it's for a day, I do want my kids to embrace this part of their heritage, and with each year, hopefully, they'll learn a little bit more about the Chinese history and hear stories about their own ancestors (what little I know of!). It's such a colorful and beautiful heritage, and I just wish I knew more! Perhaps as the children get older, we can research and learn more about our precious history together!
Since Chinese New Year is about family, we invited Jared's parents and my cousin, Ivor, and their kids, over for dinner. It was a wonderful night of being together, reconnecting with my cousin and second-cousins. My heart was full, and I praise God for the opportunity to celebrate, even if it's just a small slice of the real thing!
