Meet our ayi...

Sun Xia (Susan) has been with us now for 1 1/2 months. She has a 7 year old daughter and has previously worked for a Canadian expat family and her last employer was an Expo family from Nepal. Her english is very limited, but is very good compared to some other ayi's I hear about.

She is really great with Rilynn and Brady. She spends more time with Brady as Rilynn is in school, which is nice because he gets his mandarin exposure from her while Rilynn gets hers in school. She wants to learn more english and she also wants to teach Brady mandarin, so hearing them speak to each other is quite entertaining. Every evening when she leaves she yells to Brady, "Ming Tian Jian" (which means- See you tomorrow) and everyday Brady yells "Min tin tin".. LOL, he's trying!! It's really cute :)

One night we were struggling with the new chopsticks I had bought for the kids, so Brady yells out for Susan. She comes over to help them and then says, "no good".. Next day she shows up with a Thomas the Train training chopsticks :) She wouldn't let me pay her, only said "gift for children".. It was really nice!

She also has been bringing in some food for Brady and I to try. She says, "Chinese food" and then we eat, not really knowing what it is.. LOL.. I am probably the pickiest eater ever so this is good and bad for me :) At least it's forcing me to try new foods, but have yet found something that I've liked! We had some sort of bread with a bright purple filling, thought maybe fruity? Nope, a violet potato as her translator said.. Yeah very blah!! I tried offering her some of my Mac and Cheese with a grilled cheese sandwich, but she declined :) "Chinese people no eat cheese!" LOL.. I could not live without my cheese!! Eeeeeekkk..

However, last week she was soooo awesome!! After last Friday I really felt that she is now becoming a part of our family and truly cares about us and the kids, which is wonderful!

Chad didn't get home until Saturday and Rilynn was up all night Thursday with the flu. She was still sick all day Friday and I was exhausted. Susan made a phone call and next I know she comes over with a bowl of olive oil and rubs it on Rilynn's inside arms and on her tummy, which she told me was to help the nausea. She sat next to her and rubbed her feet and arms. She boiled some water for her to drink (hot water supposed to help?). It was so great to see her being so caring! She usually works from 11:30-4:30, so when it was quiet at 4:30 I figured she had left for the day. Next I know she comes back and heads to the kitchen to make Rilynn some rice soup. Rilynn wasn't feeling it, but Brady ate a whole bowl full!! Next I know it's 7:30 and she had stayed while I got the kids ready for bed. Then she tells me, "You, go shower".. LOL.. Thanks, but no thanks, I'm good :) I pretty much told her to leave and go home or who knows how long she would have stayed! She then even told me to call her tomorrow if I needed her, which was Saturday. Thankfully Chad came home on Saturday afternoon because next I ended up with the flu and then Brady.. It was a rough weekend!!

Chinese New Year is coming up on Feb 3, which is custom to give your ayi a bonus. The bonus is usually a one month salary, has to end in an even number (8 is best), and to be given in a red envelope. We also need to give our driver one too.. Thankfully, I have the internet for all the help related to their customs!

Our ayi, Sun Xia (aka Susan)