Gung Hay Fat Choy

Romi never fails to continue to amaze, entertain and delight his parents. Fortunately, we were able to share the wealth at the end of the year with Nana and Papa, who came to stay for a week. Romi absolutely loved having his grandparents around and found a reliable playmate in Nana. He soon discovered that he could literally lead her around by a finger, and found many an occasion to drag her into the living room to play. It was a wonderful visit...we can't wait to make it permanent!

Romi and Nana playing on the couch

Romi's bag of tricks is rapidly expanding. He knows a plethora of body parents, can pick out his loved ones by name (including the dog and himself) and can do a pretty credible "moo" when asked what sound a cow makes. He likes to clink glasses when we eat, clears his plate, and still loves doing the dishes. He's getting smarter about holding on to what is his and has taken to putting valuable cookies in his mouth and not his hands to avoid them being stolen by Miriam. Depending on the circumstance, Romi remains either as cautious or as brazen as ever. He's still a pretty careful kid, watching his keppie (head) when crawling around, checking things out, and taking his own time to warm up to strangers. But when it comes to slides or swings, he's a crazy man. He recently had the opportunity to show of his daring-do at Ellis' birthday party at Pump It Up, where he went down the big slide the first time with Abba but quickly abandoned him on the second trip, independently turning around and racing down, hair waving in the wind, smiling all the way.

Our day out in Phoenix with the Ellentucks and Hoffmans

One of my favorite Romi stories of late is a few weeks ago we were on a walk, Romialicious in the stroller on a beautiful warm desert day. He fell asleep in his stroller and I continued on, enjoying the exercise, until Romi clapped three times in his sleep and woke himself up.

As of late, Romi hasn't been feeling all that well, and his mood and behavior have reflected that. Lucky for us, Grandma headed into town and he was mid-cry when he spotted her walking into the house. He was instantly transformed into a smiling, content little man, just thrilled to see her. We celebrated Chinese New Year with Grandma and our Cleveland cousins in Scottsdale. Not only was it a lovely visit, but Romi got the traditional long noodles, and oranges to ear and a red envelope to mark the occasion. A great way to start the year of the tiger!