Dear Mia,

You've come a long way my little stink bug fat face. From the little thing that slept all day to this overly excited 2 year old who hates to hold hands when crossing the street.

I guess being a mom who ate fairly healthily through my pregnancy, breast fed you, made you vegan until you were about 8 months old, gave you soy milk instead of regular milk because you might have been lactose intolerant, fed you with glass bottles because plastic can emit synthetic estrogens (which can cause premature puberty), and played classical music while you slept made you into a very liberal minded, free spirited, modern hippie... like me....

And in fact, you have been quite annoying lately.

You are very nosey, like to learn, like to explore and very independent. I know some old school people look at you as if you are weird because most people expect girls to be loving & quiet & subservient. You are the complete opposite... Well, sometimes you give me kisses to get my attention or tuck me in at night, which is loving, but still. You crazy! Besides! I never wanted to raise a slave, or porcelain doll, or trophy wife. MAMA DON’T RAISE NO PUNKS!!!

That is why you will not listen to your Granny and become a singer... Not until I see potential, you go to college (and major in something worth while. not "art history" or some other stupidity like that), and have a job. Then you can try to become a singer.

Other than that, you will be playing an instrument! The cello, violin, piano, oboe, flute, harp. I don't know which one I want to hear being practiced horribly for the first few months.... I like the cello. The violin & flute are too whiny. I say lessons start when you're 5 or 6.

I also want you to do gymnastics or ballet. Or both. This will happen soon since you don't have to learn how to read music (or read at all).

I also want to teach you another language. Spanish will be easy since I already know it, and you'll probably be familiar with Lao if you go around your grandparents more (you just need to learn how to write & read it). Thanh can teach you Vietnamese. I've been teaching myself, but it's an everyday process & I do lessons like once or twice a week...

All I know so far is: Anh (Ba, Ong, Chi) co khoe khong? Cam on, toi khoe, con ahn (ba, chi, ong)?

That's about it and a couple words...

Ahhh. So much to do, so much potential, so little time. And people say American parents let their kids do whatever. Sorry, Mia, but you will have structure & you will succeed.

Move over Tiger Mom. Here comes Black Dragon Mom!!!

Love, Mommy