Angela
I was greeted so warmly by Cici when I got home this evening. She had joined Ping this morning before we left for school in chastising me for working too much. That was quite a surprise because she is always so sleepy in the morning. She heard Ping talking to me, though, and came to join us. Papa, she said, you really can't work so many hours each day. Cici really cares about you and worries about you, Ping told me later at the office. Hmm, Cici has been showing me that more and more as we have grown closer to each other.
It was no surprise, then, that she couldn't wait to talk with me when I got home. Papa, I got an A on my history final exam, she told me excitedly. I offered and she accepted a high five as we shared her excitement. I know how hard she worked for that grade. I was in the trenches with her from the beginning, helping when I could, always encouraging her and praising her. Did you tell Mama, I asked? I told her, but it didn't really mean anything to her, she said. So I waited to tell you before I celebrated. I am so proud of you, I told her.
Then she pulled out her next surprise to share with me. Angela Solomon, Student of the Month, December 2009, the certificate read. This time it was much different than the previous time that she was student of the month. She downplayed the honor the first time, hardly wanting to acknowledge that it happened. This time she received it with great pride and wanted to share the moment with me. Do you realize that in 13 months of school, you have been student of the month two times, I asked? You should be really proud, and you should recognize how highly regarded you are by your teachers to receive such an honor.
Will you ride bikes with Mama and me this evening, I asked Cici? Yes, she said, nodding her head with a big smile. More and more she enjoys doing things with us. She often goes snack shopping with me, or we will go get a mocha frappuccino and share it. She seems to value my comments about clothing, shoes, purses, and accessories when we are shopping, and she is very actively involved in choosing things for me.
Ping and I often share time talking about how lucky we are to have Cici as a daughter. It has been quite an experience watching her confidence grow as her command of the English language has gotten better and better. She still needs my help sometimes, like last night with her English homework, but she quickly understands the assignment and does the work herself. This little girl is going to be a formidable competitor for the top spot in her class, I believe.
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