Little He's Second "First Steps"

We all have had moments where we have had to start all over again, but little He -- she really is a trooper!

Little He recently came to us in October, after her second surgery.  She has a curved vertebral column, which means she must have several surgeries to fix her spine. She had been able to walk before her surgery, but after her surgery, her backbone needed time to recover. This meant she had to lay flat for over a month with very limited mobility. Then, step-by-step, she could learn to sit again, and then learn to stand.

And this week she reached the biggest milestone – she took her first steps again!  We are so proud of her determination and perseverance.  Way to go He.

You can see the concentration in her eyes.  She is not yet very stable, but her movements will get smoother as the weeks go on. The turtle shell-like thing she’s wearing helps to keep her back nice and straight.

The best part about our photo session was that she was so interested in the camera.  She first wanted to see all the photos we had taken. Then she wanted to be the photographer!

So we held the camera for her, helped her aim it at her first subject, and then she pushed the button. There were a couple false starts…

But she got the hang of it. Look at her final photos of her friends in the baby room…not too bad!

Maybe she’s a future photographer.  We’ll have to continue her lessons!

A Visit From Down Under

For the last couple of weeks, we've had some students from Melbourne, Australia visiting with us. On one of their days here, they paid a particularly special visit to our school. Something happens when you bring these students and our own little school students together...

First of all, recess has never been more fun.

And everyone wanted a ride on the guys' shoulders!

But of course, there was fun to be had in the classroom as well.

Just another awesome day at school.

Food, Laughs, and Support at the Fairmont Holiday Charity Dinner

Last Friday, over a hundred people came out for "The Chef & The Brewer" Holiday Charity Dinner & Silent Auction at The Cut steakhouse and restaurant in the Fairmont Beijing Hotel. The event was an awesome collaboration between The Fairmont Beijing Hotel, Chef Andreas Block at the Cut, Great Leap Brewery (Beijing's first craft brewery, founded by American Carl Setzer), and Little Flower.

We also enlisted the help of some amazing local volunteers who assisted in donating and finding auction items, selling tickets, and planning the event.

It was an amazing six-course meal, each course expertly paired with one of Great Leap's signature beers. The Christmas music was at full blast, and it seemed like the holiday season was already in full swing.

Everyone was able to enjoy food, drinks, and great conversation.

They even had a chance to get a head start on their Christmas shopping at our silent auction.

Little Emma, a precocious seven-year-old from Beijing, even donated some of her amazing artwork to the auction to help other kids in need.

It was also a great night for all the foodies out there. Chef Andreas and Brewmaster Carl Setzer even introduced their thinking behind the food and beer pairings during each course.

The event was a huge success! The proceeds from the dinner and the auction will support Little Flower. To everyone in attendance, as well as all the amazing people who helped to organize the event and all the businesses and individuals who participated in the auction: Thank you!

Getting to Know our Toddlers: What Do We Do After Naptime?

All toddlers nap, but ours especially love to nap. Many of our kids’ mornings start at 5:30-6:00 AM!

After waking up from their after-lunch nap, they one by one slowly start filtering out onto the play mat. Today, little Min came out first, while most of her friends were still sleeping. Don’t you just love her double pin straight ponytails? You can see her wondering, Where is everybody? 

Chen came out next to have his bottle.  Chen is a darling boy who just moved to the toddler room a few days ago.  Congratulations Chen! He is working on getting adjusted to the new rhythm.

Xin wakes up next.  Here she is awake and her expression reminds us of how we are when we first wake up…do I really have to get up, or can I just sleep for five more minutes?!

She’s got her red shoes all ready to go. Now it’s time to go out and find Min.

Oh, and here she is!  But, where has Min gone now? And where are all her other friends?

There she is!

Wait, who's there? Min and Wan look toward the door.

Everyone's come to the play room!

Back in the toddler room, little Hong in the stripes is still sleeping so blissfully. In fact, we still have three little ones fast asleep. Hong, Jie and Wei need more sleep than others due to their medical conditions.

Back at the play mat, playtime is really getting going.  These precocious and bright toddlers are so engaged in the nannies' game.

And here's a sign we’re really having fun: we’re engaging in pretend play! This type of play is a key sign of good progress in psychological development. Xin loves using the phone and Chen gives a concert on the drums.

Ah…the joys of being a kid.