canada's newest little citizen

Lilah wasn't quite so sure what all the pomp and circumstance was about today. I opened the mail this afternoon to find her Certificate of Canadian Citizenship.

'Welcome to the Canadian Family', ...Miss Lilah Grace Xiao Tong!

She did enjoy celebrating with an ice-lolly we found in the freezer! And a quick call to Baba sealed the deal on a celebratory supper out at Mekong tonight!

It was emotional for me. I guess I never really thought about it a lot, but it was. She gave up so much to gain this. It's bittersweet.

I don't remember being emotional at all when Colin and I became Canadian Citizens almost five years ago. Maybe that had to do with the fact that we had to pass a written test. You know, nerves took over when I had to revise for questions like: 'from whom are the métis descended?' or 'who was the first leader of a responsible government in 1849?' or 'when did the canadian charter of rights and freedoms become part of the canadian constitution?'.

Really? Do all Canadians know this stuff?

And more to the point, does she look like someone that cares? Or does she look like she's thinking, "Yum, this is a great lolly! Wish I could be a new Canadian every day"? Oh and she told me that the colour of the lolly was the same as her dress. Did I mention she's astute?

[ more pictures here ]