Gong Xi Fa Cai!...which in spite of the literal translation of a prosperous new year, I am convinced it means watch Mom get sick while Caleb chews on chicken feet. More to follow...

Even though we have celebrated Chinese New Year since Ben joined our family from China, this year was the first for Caleb to celebrate Chinese New Year in the United States. I was afraid of disappointing him since he is used to quite the celebrations in China. Alyssa and Taylor were asking what it must be like for him to not have the big holiday like it is celebrated in China, and I suggested it would probably be the same as if they went to a small village in China at Christmas time and wanted a Nativity program, Christmas carolers, Santa Claus at the stores, etc....it just wouldn't happen. This year is also special for Caleb, because it is the year of the pig, which is the sign he was born under. Although I don't believe in horoscopes, he has been very excited to tell us repeatedly that this year is his year.

Since the Chinese Association in our town had their celebration priced at $125.00/ticket and it would have cost my family $875.00 for one evening, we decided to boycott their function and go to a larger city two hours away where my sister lives. Heck, for $875.00 we could do Disneyland! Admittedly, $75.00 of the ticket price was tax deductible since that part was considered a fund raiser, but the price was still ridiculously high at $50.00/ticket.

On Friday, I took the three younger kids with me to the school where my sister teaches because dancers from Taipei, Taiwan were performing there for free. They were amazing to watch and we got some beautiful shots, but the cord to upload the photos seems to be missing right now, so please check back for photos soon. I thought that Caleb would want to speak to the performers when it was over, especially since some them were young kids his age, but he became very shy and withdrawn and I had to practically drag him over to even say hello.

After the school performance, we went to the Chinese Cultural Center where they have fun rides for children, a Children's Pavilion where kids can do paper folding, a performance stage with different groups performing all day, a variety of booths selling Asian artwork, clothes, trinkets, Chinese yo-yo's, etc., and of course booths selling Chinese food! The kids had a blast and were exhausted by the end of the day.

We were able to go into a large Asian market there and pick up some snacks that Caleb liked that our own Asian markets don't carry. They also had a snack for sale that I sure wouldn't consider a snack...cooked chicken feet. They also sold a variety of other "delicacies", such as packaged pork uterus. I can't imagine myself going to the grocery store and complaining to the butcher that he has been out of pork uterus all week, but I guess someone eats it or they wouldn't sell it. Maybe since I am peri-menopausal I should try some and see if it helps in the hormone department, but I fear I would find out that I had to eat the pork ovaries instead, and I'm just not going there!

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