Year 2

This has been a very productive Year 2 for C-bao in preschool. While her school's approach is definitely play-based, we've noticed our little one making significant progress both socially as well as in specific cognitive and academic areas (such as sums and subtraction through 20, which C-Pop regularly tests her on).

She has also started to find her voice, and now has a steady group of friends who she hangs out with (though, troublingly, still mostly boys!).

One activity she has hugely enjoyed is hands on cooking. Here she makes a grubby little pizza with three friends.

She also has progressed a ton in terms of physical strength and agility. Her climbing and particularly her monkey bars -- an area her sister has always excelled at which in turn has inspired C-bao's determination -- have been highlights.

Cleats

Lace them up! C-bao has started her first soccer session.

C-Mum made sure the little one looked the part, replete with headband, high socks, shin guards and cleats.

While C-bao was a bit slow to warm to the activity, before we knew it she had jumped in and was following the ball around with enthusiasm.

In fact she would have made some good progress downfield in the below video if, um, her own sister K-bao hadn't played such zealous defense.

Costco

C-bao enjoys going to Costco, largely for the free samples and the opportunity to clown around.

Here she is trying to determine whose breath smells worse, hers or her sister's. (Answer: Both equally bad)

Pixie Dust

Following C-bao's summer trip to Taiwan, grandparents C-Grandmum and C-Grandpop made a trip to San Francisco this fall. As usual, little C-bao was showered with that special pixie dust that is found nowhere else in the universe: a grandparent's love.

In response, C-bao felt compelled to create a little message for her C-Grandfolks.  "How do you spell 'love'?" she whispered to C-Pop morning. Then she ran into the study and reappeared with the below sign.

Not to be outdone, C-Grandpop got in his fair share of hugs and kisses as well.

Food Trucks

While picking up sister K-bao from soccer the other day, C-bao stopped by the food trucks by the Presidio.

Pre-food excitement

Unfortunately, while she was quite excited at the prospect of the food she saw, the actual taste left her very disappointed. 

Snap

C-bao has been introduced, at a very young age, to Snapchat. Yes, the always trendy Aunt Christina (a.k.a. Xiao Ah-Yi) showed up the other night and introduced the nifty face swapping features of the popular Millennial app. Needless to say, the girls were very entertained.

Service Please

O to be young, carefree, and have your hair dried gently blow-dried while you leisurely read a picture book! Such is the blessed existence our young C-bao enjoys.

In fact she is so used to her pampering that following her shower (after which she naturally raises her arms to be dried off and carried to her room), she goes immediately to pick out a couple of books and then wordlessly plops herself in C-pop's lap, with no further direction needed.

Hot

If there's one thing Taiwan is justly famous for, it is the overbearing heat. Along with the 100% humidity, walking around outside feels like wearing a wet blanket.

The upside of course is that C-bao got to wear cool shades and cute tank top outfits pretty much the whole time.

To escape the heat for the first few days the clan had a few dips in the swimming pool. Even C-Mum made an unlikely appearance, and splashed around in the kiddy pool for about five minutes.

Vigorous swimming in turn inevitably led to some very sound naps.

Cool Relatives

While in Taipei, C-bao got to hang out with her musician Aunt and Uncle, The Lighters, quite a bit. Xiao Goo-Goo and Shu-Shu distinguish themselves by being quite a bit cooler than her parents.

Here she is trying to keep up with Aunt Catherine and sister K-bao's yoga moves.

Here she is feeling alternatively sassy and safe in her auntie's arms.

As for Uncle James, several years ago in Taipei it was a victory for her uncle even to have the little one consent to being held.

My, how the tables have turned. Now it is C-bao seeking out her uncle's attention at every turn.

Foodie

One of the most beautiful things about Taiwan is the food. C-bao, being an epicurean of the first degree, loved just about every meal. Her daily diet consisted of:

...Red bean dumplings...

...ice cream...

...waffles with cream...

...freshly baked pastries...

...beef noodle soup...

...more ice cream (or sorbet, in this case)...

...leek dumplings...

...sun cakes...

You get the picture. 

Summer Sprints

Near C-bao's Taipei home is National Taiwan Normal University, also known as Shi-Da. The university has a nice track, and despite the summer heat, C-Pop took C-bao out for a few runs to work on her speed game.

C-bao was a great sport about it, and in fact pranced around like she owned the place. "No. 1, clearly," she appears to be indicating in the video.

Our girl not only tried some proper sprints, she also insisted on being timed. Check out on the effort on this sprint.

Afterwards, to demonstrate that she still had energy to spare, she sang her special gibberish song.

Summer Vaca

C-bao just returned from visiting her parents' homeland, Taiwan, over the past month. Her last visit was some three years ago, as documented in these pages. This was yet another eventful trip, and worth a number of posts.

This time, however, C-bao could actually walk, which, to put it mildly, made a difference. What hasn't changed since 2013 was the below Eva Air cardboard cutout, which C-bao didn't recognize but her sister posed next to several years ago.

C-bao actually enjoyed the long trip, largely due to the various amenities along the way, from the red bean dumplings to the ugly airline socks.

The C-fam arrived near midnight, and didn't settle down until close to 3 a.m. local time. Jet lag kicked in however a few hours later, and C-bao and her sister K-bao were bouncing off the walls by 6. The below family picture was taken at the hotel the morning after arrival.

The rest of the day was spent swimming, eating with family and taking in the sights of Taipei 101, one of the world's tallest buildings.

And, of course, ice cream with C-Grandmum!