Hula Madness

Mimi is naturally very athletic. She tries any kind of sport and is very good at it.

Hula hooping is no exception. She was at her friend Robbie's and she picked up the hula hoop and well she has Hula Madness.
Through the course of the afternoon she has mastered the Hula with 2 hoops.

Selling Detroit

Detroit and Aunt julie

I found this spot with Aunt Julie's Facebook.
I know that Aunt Julie and I would agree on our reverence for our great city and how this spot is both uplifting and sad at the same time.

We remain hopeful.

more mimi pictures

animal prints and bridges

I thought,as a mom.that I would make our trip to Charlevoix into an experience, one that was scientific and Michiganite.
My brilliant thought was that she would take pictures and make a book.

Here are her photos. Mimi will write about her experiences.

Charlevoix is fun

We got home from Charlevoix last night and I uploaded the 200 pictures Mimi and I had taken during our stay.

Many of them were taken by Mimi , so they will need a little sorting.

Mimi had a great time. She learned to play checkers from Aunt Muggins. She learned to play Uno and the proper way to build a campfire from Uncle Tony.
She made 2.00 beating Tony at cards and thumb wrestling.
To say she was doted on is an understatement.
She photographed deer on the beach just feet away from her. She studied animal tracks and learned about the difference between lake life and ocean life.

She stalked Muggins dear cat Jefferson, she rode around in a mint 1932 Ford roadster. She got to drink orange pop everyday.
She took a jaunt to the upper peninsula and photographed the Mackinac bridge.
I just hope she talks about it in class during headline news.

We are in CHarlevoix

Check us out @ www.mimiandjiejie.Tumblr.com

You never forget ,it's like learning to ride a bike

Mimi learned to ride on two wheels.

As Auntie Julie always says,Mimi has a great center, a wonderful sense of balance.

Terry took the training wheels off. He then set about in the typical fashion running behind her with his hand on the back of her tiny bike seat.

Mimi really wanted to do it on her own so she would balance put her foot on the highest pedal and move forward a few feet.

I have to admit I was breathless, watching this kid take off to fly. I would squeal or take one of those loud weezy breaths.

She would reprimand me for destroying her concentration.

Two hours later, she was free. A woman and man walked by and the woman stopped and looked at Mimi and said"a bike is the best gift you can give a child"

I would have to agree. There is this wonderful sense of being able to go anywhere when you watch Mimi ride.

The world is her oyster.

All I can think is first the bike then the car.

The princess and the Frog

Day at the zoo

Auntie Suzanne has been visiting and yesterday was so gorgeous that we decided to head next door to the zoo.

The animals were frolicking with the joy of Spring.

I don't post pictures of my mum that often and boy is she beautiful. Always dressed impeccably with perfect lips and great hair.

Yesterday was no exception.

We walked by the polar bear fountain and she reminisced about the days when she would go with her grandma, and they would be able to ride elephants and see monkeys riding bikes in little clothes.

The zoo has a different take on animals now, thank goodness.

A polar bear in residence was recently rescued from a circus in Puerto Rico.

Aunt Suzanne, mom and I were observing her up on the replica of a frozen tundra.

She would take 2 steps forward and 2 steps back in the exact same spot over and over.

We watched her for over 20 minutes. We thought she was ill or frightened so mom found a volunteer and expressed her concerns.

The volunteer told her she has been in a small cage for most of her life(she is now 20).

Something, no one has figured out what, will trigger her into this rocking pattern and she is simply unable to move out of this position.

She has acres of land to roam about, but to her ,she is in a tiny cage unable to wander.

We are so fortunate to have our zoo next door and the wonderful people that treat the animals with compassion and dignity.
I think that Mimi and I will visit this great lady from Puerto Rico more often to see how she is progressing.

I would have more photos but.of course my battery went dead....... wahhhhhhh

The Day of Your Birth

Yesterday was Mimi's official Date of Birth.The day was filled with plenty of activity.
Mimi rose early from excitement. picked out one of her favorite dresses and put on the tiny wrist-let corsage grandma got for her.

Mimi took delicious Oreo cookie mini cupcakes to school and received her official Burton Elementary blue birthday ribbon,a birthday card from the principal, a crown and a choice from the class treasure chest.

I picked her up from school, we skipped tennis class and went home to prepare for lunch with Aunt Cindy.

Aunt Cindy arrived in all of her sparkly glamour with gifts and excitement.

We then had a visit from our lovely mail lady Linda(who Mimi has called Glinda for years).

Glinda brought flowers and a gift.
We went and had a great visit and lunch with Aunt Cindy and daddy.

We came home and there was a special birthday package delivered from Aunt Julie and Uncle Dan in Florida.

Aunt Suzanne arrived for dinner.

Aunt Suzanne, Grandma and I visited while daddy and Mimi went to practice riding her bike without training wheels.
Mimi and daddy worked on her school science project.

On to dinner, a cake with candles, a birthday song.
It was then time for me, I mean Mimi to go to bed.
What a day.

Where is that little girl I carried?

Happy Birthday Mimi Ting Tings style

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veN2gyCEj8s

Mimi loves this song done by the "Ting Tings" on Yo Gabba Gabba.
It, of course has it's eighties incarnation, by altered images.
Listening and dancing to music is awesommmmmmmmme

Jamie Oliver's TED Prize wish: Teach every child about food | Video on TED.com

Jamie Oliver's TED Prize wish: Teach every child about food | Video on TED.com

I have been a huge fan of Jamie Oliver's for ages.

I had started out cooking as a teenager with the more is more philosophy. I was under the impression that great cooking involved complicated steps, exotic ingredients and a lot of tools.

When Jiej was a tiny baby, I worked nights at a local Williams Sonoma.

I would hawk items like an antler horn egg spoon and an electric tortilla press.

In my later years,I discovered Jamie and minimalist approach to cooking.

Honestly, I own all of his books(over ten years), and there is not a day where I don't use something from him in my cooking.


I have learned a ton. The most valuable, was that me cooking at home was far better and more satisfying than going out.

I am in the process of trying to make Mimi eat anything more than noodles, scrambled eggs and rice.
Jie Jie has an amazing palate and in many ways is a far better cook than I.
Jamie Oliver won a Ted Prize and deservedly so.
Despite the reality show drama and the overt commercialism,he has changed the way a society views food, and their part in preparing it.

Every Picture Tells A Story Don't It?

And now the rest of the story.
Just before the kids were about to dance under the disco ball, the clouds became dark and the rain began.

We moved the party into the house and the kids were a bit crazy.

From that moment on the rest of the party was a bit of a blur to me.
I was trying to keep things from getting too crazy. The next thing I knew presents were being opened, cupcakes and brownies inhaled.
Then everyone rocked out with the gear from their goodie bags.

Great Lakes Hot Dogs

Paulina's dad was generous enough to cater Mimi's party. He set up a tent with his hot dog cart, custom made hot dogs(including veggie dogs)potato chips and drinks.

The cart was open for service through the whole party and the guests ate their rock star fare through the whole party.

Hey everyone free food at the Anderson's house.

Blitzkrieg Mimi

I just fell upon this while editing some photos and video.... someone call child services!

Musical Chairs

Never in my life have I seen such diplomatic musical chairs.
JieJie and Bob were responsible for this activity and they were shocked at the good manners.

We called all of the kids that were "out" little rock rebels.
Time and again when it came down to the last chair and two kids, party guests deferred to Mimi.
She won several rounds without the typical squeeze two people in a chair situation.
There would also be a general cheer from the crowd congratulating Mimi on her victory.