@onelittleyuan

What is one thing you want to share about the Lunar New Year? 

I didn’t learn this until much later in my adulthood and wish this was more widely taught! Lunar New Year is not just a Chinese holiday. It is celebrated by several Asian communities and countries including Korea, Vietnam, Mongolia, and Tibet. It is important and inclusive to call it Lunar New Year when referring to the holiday in general.

What are your favorite family traditions around this holiday?

My husband’s side of the family loves to come together to share a meal every Lunar New Year. Some years we will hand-make dumplings together with other traditional dishes. Other years we keep it simple and gather around for hot pot. We also started a new “tradition” of finishing our meal with seasonal ice cream from our local ice cream shop. They have unique asian-inspired flavors like roasted milk tea or lychee!

What is a real life mama moment you have had recently? 

At the start of the year I went back to work and my oldest started daycare for the first time ever. I knew in my head that there would be an adjustment period for him to get used to going to school and saying goodbye at drop-off, but MAN those first few days were hard on my mama heart! I would think about him all day at work, wondering if he was still crying, how he was doing, if he was scared, etc. This morning, 3 weeks later, he had no tears at drop-off and smiled when he saw his teacher.

What is something that has surprised you about your babes?

Last summer, we brought my newborn home for the first time and my oldest immediately embraced him. I was so relieved that he was not jealous or felt like he was being replaced. Instead he has been so gentle and loves to hold and kiss his baby brother.