kung hay fat choy

kung hay fat choy

today was the Chinese New Year's celebration
so... as a matter of something to do lisa proposed a trip down to chinatown
the boys were not excited about anything
they had refused anything and everything that was presented to them thus far on this day other than television
so... I played father knows best

I did not offer them
I told them that we were going to chinatown
they were give the choice to walk to the subway, ride their bikes to the subway, or get in the car and drive to chinatown
to my pleasure they selected Option B: Ride Bikes to the Subway

their friend from down the block went home and we got ready for an adventure
bikes were pulled out of the garage
a u-lock and a long cable lock were tucked in my bag
the boys got on their bicycles
while lisa and I walked... jogged... and ran along side the boys
we made our way through the neighborhood alleys and sidewalks to the Columbia Heights Metro
locked the bikes to a light post and then went underground to catch the subway

escalators and subway trains offer excitement to the children
these things also offer the worst case scenario fears to parents of small children
just as lisa and I had issued commands every step on the way on the bicycle with our stop at the corner, ride to the right, do not run over the people on the sidewalk
the subway station also has its long list of parental commands- no running... stay away from the edge near the tracks... no not even set foot on the raised section by the edge... I said no running... stop being so wild... etc... etc... etc...

just a few stops down the line and we were at the Chinatown/Gallery Place station
we were stuck in a cattle call filled with people going to a Capital's hockey game
when we got to the sidewalk we could see that the streets were blocked off for the parade
we went to what has become our favorite restaurant in chinatown and ordered some food
our timing could not have been more perfect
a Chinese Boxing Team was making the rounds with their Chinese Lion costume
the drums were loud and the lion's dance was wonderful
everyone stopped from their meals to watch the young martial artists work their way through the restaurant into the kitchen then back through the restaurant onto the street again
the boys were almost as excited as I was

after we ate there was some time to kill before the parade started
the wind picked up and the temperature dropped
the boys had not been dressed for this
when we left out several hours earlier the mid day sun had things much warmer
snap pops killed some time
but nearly four year old grant decided to express the behavior that is dubbed the terrible twos
his fit was such there was no real rationalizing with him
he wanted me to buy this... he wanted me to buy that
not buying such things made me a stupid head
not buying these things got me kicked in the shins
so I carried him away from the approaching parade back down underground to catch the subway

his mood improved before we got to the Columbia Heights metro station
just in time to put his helmet back on his head and ride his bike the final miles home
I raced ahead of the kids
clearing the way and taking photos

we arrived home and then asked ourselves....
how are we going to entertain the boys?