author-slash-illustrator

So, I received the official hardcover of the Year of the Rat! With my second novel and a third one on its way, I feel like I can honestly call myself an author/illustrator, instead of "just" an illustrator. This is much like Fabio in the movie Zoolander:

"Yes! Yes! With this 'slash' award, it means that you consider me the best actor/model, and not the other way around. "

family

So we finished off our thanksgiving holiday with a Lin-Mckneally get-together. After all that has happened, I feel as if Luke and Ranida have become kind of part of my family. I have gotten to know Luke's family fairly well and he & Ranida have gotten to know mine so we thought it was time that our families met each other. And I admit I really wanted to go over so I could show off the mural to my parents. I think I am a bit too proud of it...I really must get over it.

But that's hard to do when the families stroke my mural-ego. While there, the Mckneally clan insisted that I get the honor of marking Maia's first height on the growth chart tree. Maia was not that happy about it.


But everyone else was. I particularly was glad that she was in this picture because then officially I am not the shortest one.


So altogether the Lin-Mckneally get-together was quite a success. Hey, and you know what? Kappy, my 4-month year old nephew is pretty cute too. Maybe in 20 years or so Kappy and Maia can get together and then we can really be family.

merry thanksgiving!

Thanks giving was surprisingly balmy at Chez Grace, so with my parents in town, Ki-Ki and I decided to take advantage of the good weather by going for a bike ride. This took some doing, as my dad has not been on a bike for over 40 years and my mom absolutely refused to even mount.

ButI guess riding a bike is like "riding a bike." My Dad certainly proved that, by whizzing on the bike path proudly showing his one-handed technique.

We even made it to Spy Pond, took some father-daughter bonding photos,

and sister-bonding photos.

After which we returned home, where my mom (despite our protests) spent the afternoon slaving away on our traditional Thanksgiving dinner: Chinese rice noodles, stir fried vegetables, tea eggs, and the obligatory roasted turkey. The laboring was really unnecessary as all the food could have been prepared quickly as soon as we returned. Well, all except for the the turkey. She insisted on cooking that with hours of oven time-- "American-Style." She felt to do otherwise would be unpatriotic. Personally, I think the pilgrims wouldn't have minded if she had gone on the bike ride instead.

bundle of cuteness

So, I returned from NYC just in time to welcome the birth of Maia Meiyan McKneally! Yes, the baby that I have helped prepare for has arrived.

I had the distinct honor of being the family's first visitor, arriving at Maia's 22nd hour of life outside the womb.

This is me holding the baby. She is so adorable I entertain thoughts of stealing her away. Which I decide against, considering the parents do know where I live. Notice the firm grasp Ranida keeps on me and the baby, just in case.

Anyway, stealing the baby would make all the rooms I helped prepare a waste. And I can't have that. Because right now I'm thinking it was all worth it.

the best thing about being an author and visiting NYC