(3) No Title

3.1

Gettingout of the car at the Korean store parking lot, we saw many orientalpeople. Olivia was watching one fashionably dressed Korean womanwalking ahead of us when she said to me: “Mommy, I like Chinese girls better than the American girls.” It is not surprising that she could not tell the difference between Chinese and Korean.

“Oh, really? Why?”

“Because they are prettier.” Hmm, here is something new I have not heard of.

“You think so?”

“Yeah, and I am not pretty because I am an American not Chinese.” she said with an upset voice.

Itis amazing how girls at her age already start to pay so much attentionto their looks while the boys can care less. Even though my husbanddoes not want me to talk about her looks, I hugged her and said: “Olivia,not all the Chinese girls are pretty and not all the American girls arenot pretty. You are a pretty girl. You will always be to mommy nomatter what.”

3.2

Onthe way back home from daycare, the sun started to go down. Evan lookedoutside the window at the beautiful sunset and said to me: “Mommy, the sun is tired. He is going home. He is going to see 外公 (grandfather) and 外婆 (grandmother) in China.”

3.3

Mybest friend in California finally was able to cut and sent me some DVDsof the volleyball games we played at the Northern California ChineseAthletic Meeting last summer (our first high school team reunion after18 years).

After dinner, daddy asked the kids: “Do you guys want to see mommy on TV?” “On TV?”Olivia immediately asked with that disbelieve and envy look on herface. Her eyes were so big. She thought her mommy was really going tobe on a TV show and being on TV is like her dream.

Tomy surprise, not knowing anything about volleyball, the kids werereally excited to watch the game, especially Olivia. Whenever I was onthe screen, they would point at me and scream “Mommy, mommy!” After she saw me making a good save, Olivia said to me: “Mommy, you are so good, you should play at the Olympics.” Honey, you have not seen how the Olympic players play, I wish I were that goodJ.

(4)Sweet Brother

I know I was the one to blame when Olivia came back from Evan’s best friend Matthew’sbirthday party all crying and upset because she did not get a goodybag. Thinking she would not be interested in playing with a bunch ofthree year olds, I did not include her when I RSVP’ed to Matthew’s invitation. Apparently I underestimated Chuck E. Cheese’s temptation to a six year old.

She felt so wronged and complained to me: “Whenever Evan goes to my friend’s birthday parties, he always get a goody bag and this is the first time I went to his friend’s birthday party and I did not get one. It is unfair!” Then she ran upstairs to her room and continued crying.

After I finished changing Evan, I said to him: “Mommy needs to go upstairs to take a look at Olivia, she is very upset.” Evan said: “I will give her a hug and kiss, she will feel better.” “Okay.” Then we both went to her room.

Oliviawas still lying on her bed bawling. I sat on her bed and held her in myarms and told her that it was my fault that she did not get a goody bagand it was no big deal not getting one as they were all baby goodies,would not be much fun for her anyway. While I was consoling her, Evanclimbed up on her bed, kneed down besides us and gave her a hug and akiss and said: “Via, I love you.” Olivia was still crying, so I hugged her tighter and used one hand rubbed her back saying: “Don’t cry, it is okay, it is okay.” Evan saw it, he started to use one hand stroking the top of Olivia’s head. He kept on doing it for a couple of seconds and then turned to her face: “It is okay, Via. I love you.” It was just so cute.