Strong Island Visit

This weekend we went out to LI...where I grew up...to visit my sister Stephanie, my Great Aunt Gina, and my high school friend Janet. Steph had back surgery recently and had not met Hsin yet, so it was REALLY great to finally have them meet, as well as both of Hsin's cousins, Tara and Thomas.

On the way out on Friday, we made a stop off to see my Great Aunt Gina. Hsin was so thrilled to just NOT be in the car anymore, she was entertained playing on the floor of the big lobby at Gina's nursing home with nothing other than a burp cloth to play with :-)

Here is a pic of all three of us together.

We then met Steph, her husband Tom, kids Thomas and Tara, and Steph's sister and brother in law for dinner. Hsin amazed everyone with how much she can eat. I swear she eats as much as an adult and I DON'T know where she puts it and why she doesn't gain weight. She ate an adult serving of mashed potatoes, 3 pieces of cauliflauer, a whole dinner role, half a hotdog and about 6 french fries. She shoveled the mashed potatoes in her mouth like someone would take them away if she didn't eat them quick enough, and it was so cute...she was "dipping" her french fries in the mashed potato bowl the way I was dipping mine in ketchup! Too cute!

We then headed to the hotel to test out all three sleeping in one room with Hsin NOT in bed with us. Paul and I were joking that we were having flashbacks (not good ones) to Taiwan...all of us in a hotel room together. We were a little scared. BUT...we had ordered the Port-a-Wall. A 6 foot by 6 foot privacy wall that goes up in a flash and collapses down to the size of a camp chair. That thing was the best $50 I ever spent! We could put Hsin down and she didn't know we were on the other side of the wall! FAB-U-LOUS! Anyone that needs to share a room with a little person and doesn't want them to know you are right there in the room with them...GET THIS WALL. It is called PORT-A-WALL...Google it. You won't be disappointed I swear!

Saturday we hung out at Steph's house and played with the kids. We went to the playground for a little bit before lunch and Hsin wanted NOTHING to do with the sweings or the slide...although Daddy did take her down it once. NOT a fan.

Tara and Thomas are the sweetest kids and LOVED Hsin. I love the fact that they both say Hsin's name better than most adults. Leave it to kids to not over think things and just roll with it.

Pauly, Hsin and I did make a quick detour to the outlets...they have a Dooney & Bourke one and I LOVE LOVE LOVE their bags. Yup...got me a red and brown bag that doubles as a diaper bag (ya know...no COOL bags for a few years) that is FAB-U -LOUS. I already used it today! And at the outlets since it was chilly, Hsin got to use the snuggly that came with her stroller for the first time. We were so glad it still fit over her feet. It is my favorite part of that stroller! Doesn't she look comfy!This morning we played in the hotel for a little bit, and met my high school friend Janet for breakfast (killer breakfast buffet at our hotel). Janet even brought Hsin a little stuffed pig by the same company as Shiu and she LOVED him. She played with him on the ride home. We named him "Seymour Swine Flu".
My last comment from the weekend is in regards to Baby Einstein. So apparently you can return the videos because someone was complaining that it didn't make their kid a genious. Well I don't know about you...but that sure as heck is not the reason I bought the videos. I bought them because for the last 45 minutes of our 4+hour trip today it was the only thing that kept Hsin from screaming...she never took her eyes off the screen. Educational, Scheducational. SHE DIDN'T SCREAM! In my book that is a freaking HOME RUN! Worth every bit of whatever the heck it cost me. Is she smarter? Who knows and who cares. Am I sane...yup! (I also fed her french fries from Nathan's IN THE CAR, WHILE I WAS DRIVING...not healthy, totally greasy and dirty...but again with the no screaming!)