I hear the piddle paddle of little feat on our bedroom’s faux marble floor. Elisa is gleefully chasing Yang as Yang makes her way to the restroom. Moments later, Yang is back to sleep but the piddle paddle continues. I lift my head up and see Elisa’s smiling face looking at me. I say Qù wán 去玩 (go play) to Elisa and she smiles, nods her head up and down, and grunts “ummm”.

I drag myself up and tell Elisa she needs shoes on before we go out. She trots out of the room while I make my way to the bathroom. While I’m brushing my teeth, Elisa returns with her faux write crocs on. I then tell her “diaper change” and she walks over to her bed, flips off her crocs, climbs up on the bed and lies on her back. She giggles as I change her diaper and then put on her shorts. Shoes back on, we are heading out the door when I say “stroller” and she climbs into her seat. Down the elevator we go, out into the Hairun apartment complex open area, past the playground where three other toddlers are already playing, each with their own ayi. It is 6:40am. We head to Starbucks at Lido square and I got my coffee and we walk inside the lobby. Elisa immediately aims for the Baskin Robbins stand which is closed. Elisa doesn’t think being closed is a reason for them not to serve her ice cream, that is is somehow my cruelty to withhold if for her. I distract her and then we are into the german deli where she picks out a chocolate muffin to eat. She always picks the chocolate muffin. We sit and I watch her eat it, thinking she will be full pretty soon. She manages pretty well and I’m left with a couple of small bits.

We head back to our apartment complex and they playground where there is now only one toddler remaining. Elisa goes for the swing, which I lift her up onto, and push. She giggles as she goes back and forth. As she comes back to my hands she starts to lean her head back to look up at my face, which causes her to giggle even more. Some time passes and my coffee is gone and then our ayi arrives. I leave Elisa and head upstairs where Lydia greets me with a simple “happy father’s day” and then she is gone.