KUNG-HSI FA-TS'AI!

Happy Chinese New Year!  Since it lands this year on the same day as Valentine's Day, we're going to have a Chinese New Year/Valentine dinner.  Instead of our traditional Feburary 14 heart-shaped pizza and chocolate, we're having Chinese dumplings, wonton soup, and lo mein - long noodles for long life.  Plus something Valentines-y and chocolate at the end.

Since Chinese New Year celebrates the new lunar year and the coming of spring with family, food, and gifts, we've invited the grandparents to our little New Year/Valentine dinner.  And since the grandparents love reading to the children, and the children love the stories (or is it the attention they love?), we've gathered a couple of books for them to read while we take the take-out out of the bags.

Our favorite of the books is Ruby's Wish, by Shirin Yim Bridges.  Ruby's Wish tells the story of a young girl growing up in old, traditional China whose only wish is to go to university, a privelege reserved for boys.  Inspired by Bridges' grandmother's life, the story is a wonderful lesson in Chinese culture and history, appreciating our educational opportunities, and determination.

Happy Valentine's Day, and Kung-Hsi Fa-Ts'ai!