ElMi logs

We left early to go to Bellevue square for snowflake lane. We came in and Mimi went straight for a christmas tree with decorations. She was so excited about the "圣诞球。" She said 球儿 loudly and cutely with a long curl of the tongue for 儿, and almost sounded like 取儿。 When I got a video she wasn't pronouncing it as hard. We headed for Kikuza ramen. Godiva was on the way. Ella was holding my hand and walking when she spotted it. She stood still, let out a loud "ahhhhh", said "我要这个东西", "我要吃这个圣诞东西"。 The girls looked longingly for a while, but responded to calls to move forward by ba ba and me. On the rest of the walk, Ella said "我不要圣诞面条。我已经吃饱了。我只能喝水了。" I got a water out and tried to offer to her, she chuckled and accepted it, hugged it and walked to the restaurant. The girls ate well. Lao lao reported their last meal was at noon where they each ate two chicken drumsticks. After eating a bunch of noodle, Mimi worked on lao lao's soup

On the car ride I practiced good morning Ms Haleemah/Punitha, this is my happy face. I suddenly realized to add practicing good bye ma ma ba ba. Ella heard and and grabbed my arm, held it by her chest, said "不要一个人被留在幼儿园。" We talked about what they'd do at daycare, singing, circle time, outside time. She seemed ok, we practiced again, I said good bye mama baba 下午见。 Ella said "明天见mama." She seemed ok. At the daycare, Ella came in the door, waved "good morning Ms Punitha". Ms Punitha bend down and Ella gave her a big hug. She sat down, wiggled her foot and threw one boot away, swung the other and couldn't get it off, started whining for "脱下来。" I helped her. She extended an arm to her cubby, whined "要新鞋。" I put on the indoor crocs. She whined "要檫鼻涕。" Ms Punitha gave me a piece of paper towel, I wiped her nose, it was a little moist, I put the towel down to prepare for crackers. Ba ba criticized me for being dirty, I got an

I was in the bathroom, Ella walked in, said "Mimi扔积木打了我的头。" I went with her to see Miim, when we went to the playroom, Mimi was laying on the floor under the window questioned by ba ba. Mimi said "没有。姐姐太吵了。" We were not sure if she really meant Ella was too noisy, or maybe a mispronunciation of 臭。Ella went and rode a bunny, she asked me if it was Eloise bunny, I said indeed it was. She said "我不要Eloise兔。" She came off, walked with good swinging arms to Amelia bunny and rode it, with stern face. Mimi ran over and air slapped her, said "不可以摇Amelia兔。Amelia兔会哭的。" Mimi made a pull at Ella's hair, I intercepted her, asked if she'd like to ride Eloise bunny. Mimi ran to Eloise bunny, slapped it hard a few times. Ella came and the girls tried to pull each other's hair while I intercepted. Mimi suddenly extended her arm, said "打架。" Ella accepted and extended her arm, said "打架。" Then they both said "和好。" Mimi said &

I invited the girls to shower with me in the morning. They requested the qtips to play with. I gave it to them and showered. They played in the bathroom, making unknown things with the qtips and very spirited. When I came out, they were throwing the qtips under the sink cupboard, yelled "把他放在旁边。" Neither would answer me what they were putting on the side. Mimi wanted the turtle during bath. Ella got some fish. After bath when I was sitting outside, I heard Mimi say "我的乌龟被姐姐拿走了。" I gave Ella the poof fish in exchange for turtle. Ella accepted the poof fish, handed turtle back to Mimi, said "乌龟给你。我不小心抢走的。" Ella chased me with a mat, wanted to put it on me, said "今天有点儿太冷了。妈妈给你穿上。" I ignored her and walked around, she chased me around telling me it was cold, always 有点儿太冷了。 We went to Lily's for dinner. We put on Moana, the girls were glued. Ella said a few funny comments. Like when Maui turned into a hawk and flew away, she said "小女孩的爸

I was washing the girls water cups when Ella came and said "妈妈我也要洗。" I said she could go wash in the bathroom after I washed it clean. I washed the cup, then tentatively walked to the bathroom, Ella was sitting on the ladder that we had left by the sink after hand wash, in the dark. I stared at her, he said "妈妈我在等。" She helped me rinse the cup. I turned off the water. She stayed and pretend rinsed everything under the faucet. We left for botanical garden lights. Ella requested to take the fortune cookie book with her in the car, I let her. We went to the library, Mimi was awake, peeking at Ella's book. When I came back Mimi was asleep. Ella continued to flip book. I got a bubble tea. When I came out, Ella was flipping book. Somewhere around Microsoft Ella asked "我们去哪里呀" We kept quiet. Ella asked loudly "妈妈我们去哪里呀?" I answered we were going to the garden. Thinking maybe she was thinking of daycare, because Ella usually ask this question aroun

We went to the Aquarium, the girls walked in and looked at the tank, despite our calls to come back. Luckily Qiben came soon after and we all went in. The girls walked straight ahead, maybe wanting to explore everything. We called them back to look at each tank. Ella sat on the ledge of the touch pool and directed me to touch things. And refused to touch for herself. She got close to the water and held back. I touched a fish, it didn't swim away. Xu guo qing reminded me the sign said no touching of fish. It was fur seal feeding time and Qiben went ahead. By the bathroom there was a felt board. Mimi found an eel there and happily played with it, calling it "海蛇。" She liked it so much we stayed and played there for a while, then went to see the fur seal feeding, caught the last bit of it, the girls were very intrigued and confused when the seals ate fish. The girls went to the jelly fish ring, tried to climb the circle, then slid down. Happily played with sliding for a

I woke early 3 days in a row from stuffed nose. The girls started whining at 8am. I went in and found two girls half sitting up on bed looking at me. The blanket Ella gave me yesterday was still by her bed. I tucked the girls in, then laid by Ella's bed, put the blanket on. The girls were excited by the 小毛妈。 Ella repeatedly sat up and pet me with squashed face and super fast strikes with super flat palm. Mimi walked around me, repeated "踩小毛妈。" Luckily she didn't step on me, just walked on the blanket around me. Ella also gave me infinite kisses. Ba ba came in and the girls took the girls downstairs. I laid for 10 more minutes and went down to clean up. The girls were eating in the kitchen. I loaded some toys in the laundry room to prepare for visit to E's. Ella looked at me and said "今天我们不去幼儿园。" I agreed and informed her 大大后天 will be daycare. She said "今天不是大大后天。" I agreed. I gave the girls 米粒儿老师 while changing diaper. I then put the ipad on

We gave the girls Kevin and Kyle snowmen in the morning. When we picked them up, Kevin had two snowballs left, Kyle was still full. The girls said 小朋友把小雪怪的衣服拿走了。 Then Mimi Ella did. We never found out why. Ella laid at the doorway between the kitchen and the playroom, belly up eating cookie. Ba ba carried Mimi to change diaper, while they were almost there Mimi said sweetly "ba ba 不要踩到姐姐了哟。" Ba ba gave Ella a few stomps. I got the toothbrush for the girls. I took Mimi's toothbrush, but ba ba was tickle changing Mimi, so I went to Ella and gave her a few stomps. We had some chats about 欺负 Ella. I came back and saw Mimi had came down, I laid her on blake tu, she said calmly "爸爸已经刷了我很多牙了。" Ba ba confirmed Mimi was brushed. I apologized and lifted her up. She went away. I was brushing in the bathroom when I heard Mimi cry "wahhhh 我的泥巴。" When I finished rinsing and came out she had cried for a bit, and now on the ground on her belly kicking her feet. By

In the morning I woke up to the girls coming in the bathroom to let me know they were 孙悟空 and 唐三藏。 I wanted to take a shower and ba ba agreed to look after the girls. Ella followed me to the bathroom stating "想看妈妈洗澡。" we got in the bathroom and i found i didn't bring panties. I left her in the room and went to get panties. When i came back I picked up a mimi who also stated "要和你一起去。" we came in the bathroom and found ella rolling on the may, saying she "在睡觉。" I started shower. Ella immediately opened the shower door, threw in a cup, said it was 茶 for me. I closed the door behind her. Mimi immediately opened the door, came with a plastic sausage in a cup, said "妈妈你喝茶吧。" and held the cup there. I asked if the sausage was straw, mimi said "是你的茶。" I took a sip. Ella opened the shower door from the shower side. She braved the splash to offer me tea pot. I asked her to go around to the other side and left the door open the whole shower. T

Today is potluck breakfast at daycare, I've been reminding the girls since yesterday. Ella seemed OK in the morning and went to the car easily. I left her to climb into the carseat while I went back in the house to pack my bag. When I came back to the car, she was sitting in the car seat nicely, so I buckled her in. Mimi was a lump of distress and ba ba force buckled her. I put on peppa and only showed to Ella, Mimi quickly calmed down and asked cutely to watch peppa. After an episode, I let the girls repeat after me that we're going to daycare to share cakes. And we'll eat with happy face. Mimi said the whole sentence nicely, and said "Hi Haleemah this is my happy face" in English cutely, with her cheek poking squity eyes no smile. Ella said broken words, then asked excitedly "我要看佩奇。" We got to the daycare parking lot and Mimi started crying. Ella was fine. I offered her a cake to bring into the daycare to share, she gave me her bunny, then took the

We went to grand plaza in Issaquah for a santa event. When we arrived there was no one. We went to a nearby Mod for food. The girls loved the pizza and ate a lot. When we finished eating the plaza was full of people. Ella ran all the way up the hill from Mod to the theater, while laughing and saying things along the lines of Ella自己跑。 I had to hold her back from running into the street.   The girls got bell bracelets and each a bag of assorted candy. We graciously agreed to protect them until they can be returned to their "主人" at home, one piece per day. Santa soon arrived on a fire truck, we lifted the girls, Ella yelled happily "圣诞姥爷！(which I reminded her should have been 老人) 还有他的可爱的鹿。" There was a deer picture on the truck too.  The girls each got a cupcake, and we ate it by the stairs by the cinema, away from the crowd. Afterwards I attempted to take some pictures by the fire truck, then Ella asked to see Santa. We headed to the tree, where the Santa pic

In the morning I came out of the bedroom door. Immediately heard the girls yell ma ma. When I got to the stairs. Two little people with bibs came and called for ma ma. With ba ba chasing behind asking them to return bibs. I cleaned up and we headed to kids quest. When I buckled Ella in, Mimi screamed "月亮代表我的心", letter by letter, but definitely scream with no tune. Ella joined in half way, also scream no tune. The girls then recited a rhyme I never heard. Then they sang random songs on the ride. Including Mimi singing a twinkle twinkle little star, with all the lyrics replaced by repeating ba ba ma ma. I picked up some Midori bread on the way. We did a loop through kids quest parking, park parking, street parking, almost to proper down town when ba ba decided to drop us off at kidsquest and go find parking himself. He drove to kidsquest and two spots opened up, we took one. We want to the farm room first. The girls picked a few things her and there. Didn't grasp the bu

When we got into the door in the daycare, Mimi came to us with two huge wooden blocks, gave us each, said "这是我给你们的礼物。" We accepted, then asked her to put the gift away for us. I don't remember seeing her with the blocks when we headed for the door, but heard Ms Haleemah asked Mimi to leave the blocks, then turned to see her gave the blocks to Ms Hallemah. In the car Ella said "我们不喜欢老师。" We asked which teacher, the girls said "Ms Haleemah. 和 Ms Punitha." We asked why, Ella said "应为我们喜欢爸爸妈妈。" I asked if she still played well at daycare by herself. She said "我在幼儿园很不开心。" We got to Microsoft cafe. By the door, they both asked "水坑呢。" The drain seem fixed. There was a pond by the garbage by the cafe door, the girls waded through happily. In the cafe, I gave them each an egg. Mimi peeled perfectly. Ella split her egg into 10 pieces. Mimi took a bite and rejected the egg, asked for fish. I helped Ella peel the pieces, she slowl

In the morning car ride we practiced happy face, since Ms Punitha asked the girls each time when they parted. The first time I asked if I could see a happy face, Mimi gave me a squinted eye and squinted mouth, Ella said "ha ha ha." I asked the girls to add pointing their cheeks while laughing. Ella did it and smiled, so cute. Mimi pushed her fingers deep in her cheecks, squinted her eyes, tightened her mouth, never smiled, but it was super cute. We picked up the girls from daycare. Ella was climbing onto the car seat, she stopped standing at the edge of the seat, said "我要摸海豹。" Mimi said "海豹会笑咪咪的咬你。" They had a long conversation about Ella wanted to touch hai bao, and hai bao would bite different parts of Ella. When Ella sat on the chair, Mimi let Ella pet hai bao's tail, they spend some time requesting and petting hai bao. When we got to building 36, the puddle by the door had returned. Mimi followed ba ba and walked around. Ella stood at the edge

In the morning I heard lao lao and the girls from their bedroom. After I cleaned up, I found two girls with bananas in hand, wild hair, chomping and tumbling around the kitchen island. We had some chats about not going to daycare. Mimi pulled on the banana and said "我的香蕉出不来了。" I helped her peel the skin, it was a young banana with thick skin. She ate a little, then said "我要不甜的饼干。" While pointing on the counter. Mimi had been asking us shyly "要甜的东西" yesterday, while ba ba and I promised sweets after milk the next day. I lifted her up, she looked and said "没了。" She was possibly looking for some salty crackers that we had. She looked a little more and grabbed a yue bing bag, spilling the two yue bing wedges, excitedly said "月饼！月饼是我的！" I put her down, put the yue bing box with the wedges on the kitchen counter, and put away the other yue bing in the cabinet keep in the back. I informed them after milk they can eat yue bing. The girls whined

In the morning I came down the stairs and wanted to pee, Mimi ran to me and said "妈妈我要包。" I said we finished all the bread, thinking about the newtown bread. She said "还有！还有！你过来看。" And bounce away pointing to the counter by the fridge. I walked over, Mimi excitedly bounced and pointed, said "看！看！" It was the loaf I got for Ira. I gave her a piece, she was happy with it. Meanwhile Ella was being changed by lao lao, also said she wanted bao bao, lao lao asked her to wait. I headed to the bathroom, just after I got there, Ella came and knocked. I opened the door, Ella sweetly said "我要吃包包。" I said please lead me to where bao bao was. She walked towards the kitchen, got bouncier and bouncier while she walked, waddling left and right with slight up feet, and flapped her arms. We got into the kitchen and Mimi stuck her half piece of bread in Ella's face, said "姐姐！给你！" Ella leaned back with CERN face, said "这不是我的ee." Mimi continue

In the night Mimi cried sadly. I went to the room. Ba ba was already there, seemed he hadn't gone to sleep yet. I petted Mimi and ba ba informed me he'd got it. So I left. I heard Mimi cry for mama. Asked to wipe booger. Ba ba came in our room and got some tissue paper, then I heard Mimi cry about wanting mama to wipe her. After a while she went quiet. Ba ba later reported that it was midnight when Mimi cried. And the coffee lao ye offered him kept him awake till 2am. In the morning I heard Ella cry. I went into the room, she was sitting off the side of the mat. Comforter on the floor beside her. Pillow on the ground in front of the mat. Bunny by her butt. Mimi horizontal in the middle of the mat. I tucked Mimi in. I asked if Ella wanted to go back to bed. Ella sniffled softly "要擦小脸袋儿。" I got her a piece of tissue. She wiped her left eye and then right eye and then left eye and then right eye, with quick wiping strokes and switched between the eyes quickly, like a x

In the morning I heard Ella cry. She was sitting on bed crying. I pet her back. She said "要插鼻涕。" I got paper and noticed it was a little after 7. I wiped, and she asked again. And I wiped again. She had been doing this thing where she sucked in really hard when I put tissue by her nose, and when I demonstrated blowing, she would say "哼！" but don't blow hard enough. Suddenly Mimi popped up and said "我要盖被。" I put blanket on her, Ella crawled down and I tucked her in. They laid motionless and I went back to bed. Sometime later I heard boinginginging sound of the girls playing with the door stopper. And wild laughs. I opened the door. Ba ba came up and informed me lao lao and lao ye were waiting for them. I intermittently heard the girls wild and lao ye talking to them from downstairs, but kept going back to sleep. Finally I woke up and listened to lao lao and lao ye teaching them Chinese characters from downstairs. I got up and cleaned up, and came do

In my sleep I heard Mimi cry. I went into their room. The girls were both up, Mimi was whining, Ella seemed to be looking at her. I tried to comfort Mimi with some success. The girls loudly repeated my statement that people were asleep, lao lao was asleep, lao ye was asleep, ba ba was asleep, dog was asleep. I explained that dog was not asleep. Mimi said she wanted to see dog. I opened the door, Frank was of course looking at us through the crack of the James and my bedroom door, and swiftly came into the girls room. Ella rioted and whined, tried to slap at all things in her radius, I sent Frank away. Mimi wanted to go downstairs, I promised to get my glass, check the time, and see if it was OK. It was a little after 6:30am. When I left the girls' room yesterday it was a little 11:30 and Ella was still awake. I remembered they always slept late and woke up early at lao lao's. And felt silly the first thing I looked forward to for the trip was sleeping in. I went back to the gir