"When the moon is full, mankind is one!"
In China and throughout many Asian countries people celebrate the Harvest Moon on the 15th day of the eighth month of their lunar calendar. The date in the Western calendar changes yearly. This year, it falls early October.
The Harvest Moon or Mid-Autumn Festival (Zhong Qiu Jie) is a day of family reunions much like a Western Thanksgiving. Chinese people believe that on that day, the moon is the roundest and brightest signaling a time of completeness and abundance. During the Mid-Autumn Festival, children are delighted to stay up past midnight, parading multi-colored lanterns into the wee hours as families take to the streets or city parks to moon-gaze.
On the 2nd of the month, Alayna turned 15 months. We celebrated with a pediatrician’s appointment. Good news, she is growing, albeit just a little. She measured 29.5 inches tall and 20 lbs 4 oz. in weight. That puts our little peanut in the 10th percentile on height and 20th on weight. Still rolling up those 12 month clothes! She still is working on those teeth; we are up to eight.
We are all still anxiously awaiting for Alayna to start saying a few more words. She is great at non-verbally letting us know what she wants, but still not chatting with us. It’ll happen soon enough.
This month also brought a little more aggressive Alayna. If she doesn’t like something, she has taken to hitting. If she toddles by you and just feels like it, she has taken to hitting. If she is tired, she has taken to hitting. And if you are her sister, you get the largest brunt of it. Now, if you tell her no-no she throws herself backwards on the floor and has a nice little tantrum. The drama is sometimes amusing, the noise...not so much. We keep telling ourselves this too will pass.
Family update…
Autumn is in full swing in Michigan; unfortunately we had a lot of cold and rain. We did not venture to the local park for the Moon Festival celebration, as it was cold and rainy. We did do Chinese food at home and even tried moon cakes. They are beautiful, but not sure any of us were fired up about a desert whose main ingredient was red bean paste.Mid-month I had a work function at the cider mill. It was Alayna’s first time, and she did really well. It was a bit cold out, but she was able to overcome that with some cider and warm donuts. Yum! She also took her first wagon ride through he pumpkin patch.
The girls had a few occasions to wear their Halloween costumes this season. Amelia had a party at school, and they took the dressed up kids to the infirmary to sing to the sick nuns and also over to the hospice building next to the school. I am sure the kids were a bright spot to many of these folks. Amelia and Alayna also went to a church party with Grandma, Grandpa and Aunt Carolyn. They loved the decorations, and the food wasn’t bad either.
Halloween night was a little chilly and Alayna’s stint trick or treating was short lived. She came home and helped mommy pass out candy. Amelia was out for awhile, came home, and said she was done. She dumped her bag on the floor, and I think the light bulb went on. She scooped it all back up and told daddy she had to go get more. I don’t think she had previously really connected how easy it was to get lots of candy.
The 31st is also daddy’s birthday. After trick or treating, Grandma and Grandpa came over to help us celebrate. Grandpa’s birthday is the 27th, so we got to sing to both. We had pizza and then shared in a birthday cake that Amelia had made. It was nice to have Halloween on a Saturday night, so there was plenty of time to enjoy the evening without worrying about work or school the next day.
***Amelia says the funniest things. She was trying to put the words in order to say “Happy Halloween Birthday Daddy”. She started with Happy Birthday Halloween Daddy and then switched the four words around several times before coming up with Happy Halloween Birthday, Daddy. Once she got it right, she clapped her hands and then told me to write it down because, “Mommy, you forget things unless you write them down.” I couldn’t argue with that…grin.
Until next month…
The Moon Cakes were not a hit, but they are pretty.
Nick and his friend Gabi going to CC's Homecoming. They looked so nice that night.
Alayna was vaccinated in both legs at her doctor's visit. She cried for a few seconds and then was just fine.
Amelia Modeling
Gotta love a sugar donut at the cider mill!
More Posing
Pretty when Serious
Alayna loves to read. She goes to the bookcase and brings a stack over several times throughout the day for me to read to her. I love it!
Alayna and Aunt Carolyn at the church party
 "Look at mommy, Alayna." |
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 At the Pumpkin Patch |
My "ponies" have Halloween bats on them!
Amelia loved Grandma's Halloween witch...in 1/2 her big bird costume
