Gifts on a rainy day / 下雨天的禮物

是無限的想像力！

Is endless IMAGINATION!

Happy Big Bear 

Big Bear loves rainy days, 

when there are traffic jams,

when he can sleep on the trams.

Big Bear has honey in his bag; 

not to hear his teachers nag,

Big Bear decides to skip school

because he wants to try the cool 

picnic in the rain 

with his honey mixed with the rain 

還有來自倫敦超級酷的禮物！

And this super cool gift from London! 

戴著它，下雨天也閃亮無比！

I feel my rainy days are extremely shiny when I wear it! 

38

昨天舅舅和我說，現在部落格縮水了，如果用好聽的說法是：我學會安靜。其實是因為想要專心做繪本，時間分配的架構有些改變。

In the family gathering yesterday, my uncle said I do not tend to spend so much time as before on my blog. Well, to put it beautifully, I'd say that I've learned to be quiet. But in fact, it's because I want to devote as much time as I can to making picture books. 

        今年國曆和農曆生日重疊，還是放假的中秋節，生日當天不用上班就已經很幸福，而且今天之前已經收到很多動人的祝福和禮物，所以沒有什麼大心願，只希望能夠待在書桌前認真畫圖，晚上邊運動邊賞月。

   This year my birthday on the solar and lunar calendars fall on the same day. I've got a fantastic gift of not having to go to work on my birthday, which is the mid-autumn festival. Besides, I've received a lot of wonderful best wishes and gifts. I'd be really greedy to ask for more. I want nothing more than spending the whole day writing and drawing. The evening will be reserved for a romantic walk under the moonlight. 

        只要可以一直畫圖，無論是什麼挑戰，我都可以找到答案，這就是最好的禮物了。

   As long as I can draw, I can make sense of anything. That is the best gift I can ever get in the world. 

Simple and Sincere / 又單純又真心

37歲了，被問到要什麼生日禮物，我真的是想不出來。只要有孩子陪伴的日子都好。

   I turned 37 today. Asked what I'd like as birthday gifts, I couldn't think of anything I want. I guess as long as I am accompanied by children, my days will be full of light. 

        於是我們一如往常地在書房畫圖、嘻嘻哈哈。

   So as usual we draw and play in the study. 

        一起讀霸王龍的故事讀到三個人都眼眶泛淚。

   We read the dinosaurs' stories until our eyes are brimmed with tears. 

        然後男孩們那麼簡單但深刻的祝福，讓我有預感接下來的一年都會如此美好。

   Then the boys' simple and sincere best wishes make me believe that my following year will be so wonderful as today. 

        就是出外的下午茶會也很簡單，但我們吃得杯盤狼藉，就知道有多盡興。

   Even the birthday afternoon tea party is very low-key. However, see what a lovely time we have had by looking at the almost-empty plates. 

        不論走到哪裡都有孩子的陪伴，我差點要相信自己是孩子王了。

   Wherever I go, I have the fabulous company of children. Well, I come near to believing that I enjoy high popularity among kids. 

        又老了一歲，心境卻像盛開的玫瑰，眼前見到的風景越來越美。

   Though I am one year older, I feel like a rose in bloom inside. What I see in front of my eyes is more and more beautiful. 

Love of the Teacher / 老師的愛心

Good Friend / 好朋友

對於三十幾歲的單身女性而言，女朋友真的很重要啊！還好我的身邊有個美麗的小天使！

For a single woman in her thirties like me, having girl friends MATTERS! Luckily, I am always accompanied by a beautiful angel. 

好朋友小蕙的生日要到了，我要獻上充滿溫暖的禮物！

My good friend Hui's birthday is around the corner, and here are the gifts I made with heartfelt gratitude and warmth!

New Year's Eve / 除夕

除夕打掃完了要做什麼呢？藉由家裡很多小朋友的名義，我買了一堆繪本，每個人會得到不同的故事作為新年禮物，還會附上一張新年新希望的小卡，這就是阿姨除夕的手作課。

What do you do after the yearly clean-up on Chinese New Year's Eve? I went on a shopping spree and bought the picture books in the name of the numerous children at home. Every kid will get a picture book as his/her New Year's gift with a hand-made card attached. Well, that's the art class for me on this special day. 

這個小妹妹還沒出生，不過她會和春天一起來，五味太郎的顏色應該很適合等待誕生的小寶貝吧！

The little girl, whom the card is meant for, is still in her mom's stomach, but she will arrive with spring. Taro Gomi's color schemes should be a fantastic gift for a newborn baby. 

我們家的阿楷前一陣子被我嚇得一愣一愣的，我說要打電話請大野狼來和他算帳，他先故作鎮靜回家問阿公大野狼是否真的存在，阿公告訴他大野狼不會打電話，他理直氣壯跑來和我解釋，等我第二次再拿起電話筒，阿楷整個大哭起來，很傷心地解釋不是故意不乖的。

I freaked Kai out a while ago in the episode of the big bad wolf. When he didn't behave himself, I threatened to call the wolf. He acted really calm at first, running home to his grandpa, who told him that the big bad wolf doesn't exist. He came back to me trying to prove me wrong. When I picked up the receiver one more time, he burst into tears, explaining he hadn't meant to hurt his god grandmother. 

這本書會讓阿楷知道大野狼並不可怕。

This book will show to Kai that the wolf isn't scary at all. 

我非常喜歡劉旭恭先生這本書，要送給雙胞胎裡的哥哥塵塵。

I love this book Orange Horse written by Mr. Liu She-gong. It is a gift for the elder brother in the twins in our family. 

身為獨生子應該有小小一的孤單吧？這是要送給宥宥，我們有大有小陪著他！

The book Little 1 illustrated by Paul Rand reminds me of the only child Wright. We do have tons of young and old people to keep him company! 

這本故事書裡的餓鬼是小方的新年新目標，我們最近在進行「小巨人增重計劃」，吃飯前後都要量體重，並且設定每餐吃完之後要增加的重量，瘦瘦的兩兄弟很當一回事，我也玩得很高興！

The starving ghosts in the story The Funny Little Woman set new goals for Von. We have been carrying out our new year plan--Little Giants Want to Gain Weight! Before and after every meal, Von and Kai fight to measure their weight. I am the coach that decides how much weight they have to gain after eating. Silly as it sounds, the boys take the project seriously, and I am having the time of my life!