Dancing

It's been about a year since Sophie started her dance class. And it seems to have paid off. Well, she can only do a few moves, but she loves to perform. 

Tip toe, tip toe

Dancing with Ariel the Little Mermaid

Backpack Backpack!

Backpack and Map are two very interesting characters on Dora the Explorer. Backpack can contain everything, and Map can give directions to everything and everyone. When Sophie first saw Dora, she didn't really know what to make of them. But now she can sing along to them while watching the show.

Sophie wearing Backpack while holding Kai Lan

"I'm the Map. I'm the Map"

Putting on Make-Up

Sophie is just growing up so fast. She is now playing with Vân's make-up, and she enjoys it a lot. She loves putting on lipstick all over her mouth and pretends to curl her eyelashes. And once in a while, she wants me to call her Princess Sophie Belle (from Beauty and the Beast).

I'm curling my eyelashes, mommy.

This is "not-food."

Ramen noodles

We love ramen noodles, but we never thought about making them ourselves. But the pasta machine changed that. Vân wanted to try it out, so she spent the whole day cooking. She pretty much made everything - except the fish cake. It was delicious.

Bamboo, fish cake, mushroom and seaweed

Roasted pork and pork cheeks

Noodles

The final product!

Gallery Opening

Sophie makes a lot of art at school. And we don't want to throw her art away or put them into storage boxes. So we put the pieces that we like the most up on the wall in the living room. We're calling it Sophie's gallery. Have a look!

Beet It!

Beet became a part of our regular diet when we were in Paris. We had it almost everyday. But it is impossible to find roasted beet in Seattle, so we have to do it ourselves. It is easy to roast a beet, but we don't want to turn on the oven for an hour to roast just one or two beets. So Vân has been trying some new ways to add beet back into our diet. Red Velvet cupcakes with natural coloring from beet, and beet pasta.

Red Velvet cupcakes with beet coloring

Beet pasta

Beet pasta with sausage and chard

Sophie helping Vân roll out the pasta

New Year's Resolutions

It is a little late to announce our New Year's resolutions, but it is something worth posting about. We want to get in shape, but we have different goals. Vân wants to do a lap around Green Lake, and I four laps -- almost a half-marathon. We both are half way there. Sophie is just happy tagging along, as long as I push her in the BOB stroller.

It's cold!

I want to get out!