Cinema and more!

B has gotten out to two movies in two days with some new friends! A friend of a friend is here on vacation (she was an au pair in New York for two years) visiting her boyfriend (hoping to move here). There is another friend of a friend who was an au pair in Texas for some teenagers who decided they were too old for an au pair (duh!) and so she was transferred to Minnesota to care for twins around little t's age. B spent Christmas day the day after with these friends. They went to Minnehaha Falls, Como Zoo, a Chinese/Korean buffet and then to see a movie. She informed me that the popcorn in Thailand is sweet, very different than the popcorn here in America. And she ended up with a very large bottle of water! She was surprised by how expensive the movie was and also that there were not assigned seats in the theater as there are in Thailand. Monday afternoon she went out to the movies again and then to a Thai restaurant in downtown Minneapolis called Kindee which means "It's good" although she said it wasn't very good - her cooking is better! - and there were all American workers there. She also went to see Santa and ran into a couple and their young baby from Laos. She got so excited she started speaking Laos and they mistook her for a girl from Laos. She had to explain that she is from Thailand but very near Laos which is why she knows some of the language. We are very happy she is getting out with some people her own age, in addition to the au pair meetings that she attends once a month. She might spend New Year's Eve with them as well at a party which would be a lot more fun than just sitting around home with us! Who knows, maybe she'll meet a cute American boy to kiss at midnight. :-)

Christmas in America

We had fun exposing B to Christmas in America this year. She got spoiled with all kinds of goodies - nut rolls (her favorite), Minnesota shirt, sweatshirt and ornament, Vikings shirt, Victoria Secret "Love Pink" sweatshirt, snow globe, lottery tickets and more. She was even able to surprise us all with photo collages she made for us. Each of the boys got one which we hung in their rooms and T and I got a framed one that we put on a shelf in the living room. She is so sweet and thoughtful, we just love her! I think she had fun coming to our respective families' homes for the holiday. I know our nephew C is totally smitten with her. He just smiles and lights up and runs to her for hugs. It is the cutest thing. Little t is the same way when he sees her - always a smile on his face.

Snow globe

Minnesota shirt in her favorite color

With little man and the bear in underwear

Mall of America

Everyone keeps asking me if we've brought our au pair to the Mall of America yet. We hadn't for the longest time (something you usually want to avoid this time of year) but on Saturday night I decided to make a quick run there so I could buy some new clothes for myself. I wanted it to be a quick trip since it was late and stores would be closing - I figured I had about an hour to make my rounds - so I was going to go alone. However, J found out I was going and begged to come along because he just "loves the Mall of America!" so I asked B if she wanted to come along so they could just wander around and have fun while I did my shopping. After quickly making some apple fritters (I had promised J) we were in the car and on the way by 8pm. I had some success and they had fun. We didn't get home until almost 11pm and then it was time for bed. This momma was wiped out from her power shopping!

We have a winner!

We were playing Rainbow Foods' scratch-off Vikings game last week. You could only scratch three spots and if the symbols all matched you won whatever prize was featured on that ticket. T, B and I took turns scratching. On the very last one B got three matching symbols! None of us has ever won. We were laughing so hard she had tears coming out of her eyes. She told us she never wins anything except for she once won a bike in Thailand that was worth $100 and only spent 33 cents! She scratched off to see what prize she won...two new tickets. What a let down. I'll get the additional tickets next time I'm there and we'll see if we can win something better.

Holiday Au Pair Party

Last Sunday B attended her monthly au pair meeting with her group. It was a holiday party. I think the group was smaller than normal because a couple girls have gone back to their home countries. January will bring two new girls to their group, from Mexico and Switzerland. The au pairs (I can't exclusively say girls as they have one boy in their group) we asked to bring a wrapped present for a gift exchange game. B brought a cute gray with white polka dots skirt and a brown belt, both from Thailand. They got to open the gifts and you could steal from one another. Two girls fought over the gift she brought! The au pairs also brought food or treats from their home countries to share and B ended up bringing a bunch home to share with us. Yum.

The holidays are here!

Saturday night we brought B out with my family for our annual holiday tradition: dinner and a musical. We had a lot of time to kill in between dinner and the show so we stopped by Macy's 8th floor holiday exhibit. It wasn't as big or as cool as I remember it being when I was a child. I was there maybe eight or nine years ago when my niece E was a little one and I think it was even better back then! J said it was the same this year as the last three years so he was not into it at all. I think B enjoyed looking at the display. I wish we could've caught the holidazzle parade but it was just ending as we were going into the exhibit. We'll have to try to get down there another time. A time when I'm dressed warm enough and wearing more comfortable shoes than I was on Saturday!

1st Thanksgiving

B got to experience her first Thanksgiving in America yesterday. We brought her to my in-laws for lunch and football (watching, not playing). She seemed to enjoy the day. We did find out that in Thailand people keep turkeys as pets like cats and dogs and that worried us a little but she was a trooper and ate some anyway! She took photos of all the food so she could show her family and friends and document her trip. I also enjoy taking photos of food sometimes so that's not weird to me at all! Our littlest nephew C warmed up to her right away which is not at all like him to do so that was cute. We drank too much coke and ate too much pie and cake but it's a holiday so it's okay, right?