Dim Sum for the Girls

Today, Lyra and I went for Dim Sum. An early celebration of the Chinese New Year (Gong Hai Fat Choi). We went with a family that just moved here from Florida. Grace joined Lyra's class after the Christmas break. Lyra came home on that first Tuesday back and said, "I have a new friend I want to invite to my birthday. Her name is Grace." We have to call her new-Grace to differentiate from neighbor-Grace next door.

I asked Lyra how she had become friends so quickly with Grace. She said, "Well, when she came to school she didn't know anyone. So, when I was in the toilet I saw her and I said, 'Do you want to be my friend?' and she said she would." That was one of my proudest moments as a parent - to hear her be so empathetic.

Several weeks ago, she asked me "Mama, do I have any gifts?" I asked her if she meant like "talents" and she said yes. "Of course you do, you have many gifts." And ever since then I've been trying to help her see what talents and gifts she has. I pointed out to her - you have a terrific gift of being able to see how other people feel. That's a terribly important gift.


Grace, her sister, Mae, and mother, Liza joined us at the China Club for Dim Sum. Their dad is also out of town for a couple weeks. So all us girls had fun stuffing ourselves on little steamed buns and dumplings. Lyra ate about a half-dozen dumplings. They're always her favorite.

Tomorrow is a school day. It's a make up day on a Saturday to help recover from the extra holidays we had earlier in the school year. I'm going to have my hair done and go to yoga while she's in school.