In early December we invited some of the teachers and teaching assistants to our home to make Christmas cookies.    Ms. Wen (called Wen Laoshi) was one that came.  She asked if her husband could come too.  I said, “Sure!”  When they arrived he was so excited and told me he had never made cookies before.    I am always amazed when I hear that someone has NEVER made cookies, much less using cookie cutters and sprinkles.    What a treat to join in their excitement.   I also invited a teaching assistant that I’ve been working with in my cooking class at school.  Her name is Ding Laoshi.    This is her first year as a teaching assistant and she very much enjoys working at our school and learning lots from the other teachers and staff there.  She was very interested in asking me questions about parenting and being a wife and mother.

I was so proud of Michael. He showed up a little late, because he was at school taking the SAT exam. As soon as he arrived he joined in the conversation, speaking only in Mandarin! He impresses me with his language skills and his boldness in speaking, even if he is not sure he’s using correct pronunciation and tones.

The girls had fun with their Art Teaching Assistant, Natalie.  She is one of the youngest TA’s on our staff, so she’s a little closer to my girls’ ages and shares some of the same tastes in music, movies, etc.  After everyone had to go, Natalie stayed and watched “The Ultimate Gift” (a gift sent over from MeMaw).

The finished cookies!!!