so your heart can be happy too

One thing I really miss about America is going shopping.  Not just shopping, but shopping in places where there are cute things.  Cute things that I would buy. Cute things that I would buy that would fit me.  

But since I'm not in America, I have the next best thing.  Every so often, the postman rings my doorbell and I open it up to receive...shopping.  

A big huge box of shopping.  

It's almost like going to the outlet malls, buying a bunch of stuff, and sending it to myself.  Oh wait, that's what it is!  But it's my parents doing it all.  My dad, the shopper who could give any woman shopper a run for her money, and my mom, who somehow manages to keep up with him, sent me a big box of shopping recently.  

There was cute stuff for everyone in there, but Abby got especially lucky with lots of new clothes.  So I got a few pictures in her new clothes - mostly so in ten years, I can remember that it's her because she's the only kid pictured in these clothes.  

And here's some of her pictures, so your heart can be happy too:

The truth is, I'm not a fab picture taker. I often have one child clinging to me, therefore disrupting my balance.  I'm not patient enough to get the lighting right.  Most definetely not patient enough to figure out all those buttons on my camera...but I sure am thankful for a great camera.  It forces me, compels me to take pictures of my kids.  And I sure like those kids.  

preschool activity - a very original title, I know.

Just for the record, Emma is out of preschool for the month of may - and maybe longer - due to the hand, foot and mouth thing going around our area.  One scare of HFM is enough for me!  So since Emma and Samantha both are at home every day now, we've started using the Five in a Row curriculum (can you call it a curriculum??) to give us some daily activities and structure.  It's been fun times so far.  

I've been surprised that even though she was only going to school three hours a day, three days a week, it's taking some getting used to having her back at home all the time. I think samantha enjoyed her "own time" and emma really enjoyed playing with other friends.  

In the past, emma would always ask me, "Mommy, can I stay home today?"  But last night after bedtime prayers, she asked me "When do I get to go back to school?"  (That was right after the "You and daddy are going to buy me a dog soon, right?" question...)

Anyway, here are some pictures of happier days.  A few Sundays ago, there was a little athletic event at school.  All the parents came, water bottles in tote for their little ones.  Then there was us, toting our kids who toted their own water bottles.  There had been some organization and preparation for the event ahead of time - one day from school, emma was sent home with a sheet of paper listing the events and activities that would take place.  Josh sat down right away and started translating it, so emma would be prepared for everything.  I nearly cried at his thoughtfulness.  

Then he discovered that Emma would need some help doing the "baton relay".  She had no idea what it was.  It's not like we run through our living room passing the baton or anything.  But - now we do! We had a little practice session so that emma would be ready.  She also kept humming this truly annoying little melody that stuck in my head for days, and then I realized it was part of a presentation for the event, so I decided I'd sacrifice my sanity and keep encouraging her to sing it.  

Ok, that's enough background.  On to the pictures, because they are really funny.  

Here's all the little kiddos, sitting in kiddie chairs next to a parent.  Kids were divided into 4 teams - red, green, blue, and yellow.  Emma was on the green team and proudly wore her shiny green emblem on her jacket until it got too hot and then took off her jacket.  Green team, see ya.  Samantha wanted to be near the action, so one of the teachers (identified by the smashing hot pink jackets pulled a chair over to the side for her.  

Socializing before everything gets started...
All lined up in their little rows...totally blending in.  You'd have thought we were born there...

Um, yeah. I'm not kidding.  I took a moment to pause my regularly-scheduled picture taking to get this little guys' hair.  I wish I could say he was an exception, but...

Let's have some team spirit!
When did she get all grown up?  Can someone please stop this???

Oooh, oooh, here come the baton relay pics.  I'm going to post a blow-by-blow in pictures since you weren't there to experience it live.  Emma grabs the baton from red-jacket-boy...
...and grabs it tight so she won't drop it...
...then, does she run?  No.  Does Emma ever run? No. She prances.  I'm not kidding you, she pranced the entire length of her leg.  You can see air under her feet.  She's prancing.  It's a wonder I got any pictures because I was laughing so hard.  And clapping.  And feeling so super proud of my happy daughter.  
...still prancing, about to turn the corner...
...she can feel the wind in her face, the rush of adreneline, the cheers of the crowd...or something like that...

When I uploaded my photos after the event, this picture broke my heart even though the actual moment lasted no longer than a second.  As she was nearing the end, she got to a spot where she wasn't sure what to do - lots of people were yelling, we weren't anywhere near her team, and even though she had been doing so great, she hesitated and cast this vulnerable look over to her daddy.  Am I going the right way?  Is this right?  A nod and clap from daddy proved to be all the encouragment she needed, but every time I see this picture - ten or twelve times later - my tummy still flips a little.  
...a few more jumps and she passed the baton to another.  Whew!  
Next was some bizarre activity that involved the parent cutting newspaper in such a way that it could be hung over the child.  Apparantly, josh's paper skills were unsatisfactory because Emma's BFF's mom felt the need to loan her paper to them.   Hmmm....
One big hit of the afternoon was the adult tug-of-war game.  I was nervous for josh to do it, because sometimes he has various ailments that don't need any extra help ailing.  His knees and joints and back are doing just fine hurting by themselves, thank you very much.  But he's a guy, and he's big and all the other moms and dads were clamoring to get him on their team. And then they were clamoring to get him in front, where all the action is.  
I'm sure you're surprised to hear that their team won...  

There was also an activity where the parents carry the kid on their back and the kid pulls off three "peaches" from this "tree" and then they run back.  I was amazed at the level of parental cheating.  But we didn't.  It was too fun to cheat - why cheat?  

Are there things we don't like about emma's school? Oh yeah.  When she came home and asked me why the older boys in the class down the hall say mean things to her, did I want to pull her out of that school as fast as I can eat a piece of chocolate cake?  You'd better believe it.  But, there are so many good things about it.  She really likes going, likes her friends, likes being social.  Here's her best bud and her:
bff, emma, and her other "boy" friend -what's with all this kissing anyway?  (Isn't it interesting seeing mantha in the background watching emma?)

Bang that gong, mantha!  This activity is over!!!

confessions of a food junkie

I really like to eat.  I'll eat anything, but I'll really impress you with my eating skills if you plate something with chocolate, a cheesy sauce, or something fried in front of me.  

I also really like eating out.  What's not to love about leaving the dishes for someone else to clean up (not to mention all the food your kids left on the floor)?  

Unfortunately, eating out in this country isn't all that great.  Pizza Hut and McD's are the only two western options - and they're currently out of rotation due to burnout.  I'm certainly not opposed to local food (in fact, I really like it sometimes!) but it's the whole idea of "eating out" that is so...unpalatable.  

Here is a restaurant review that could probably generically be used for many restaurants around here - Smoky. Crowded.  Loud.  Drunk men.  Drunk men watching blond-haired girls eat.  People who are more interested in watching how you eat your food than with them eating theirs.  Dirty floors.  Squatties that don't flush, with poo still in there when your kids are ready to use the bathroom for the first of six times.  Not exactly appetizing, even when the food is great. 

These problems can be minimized with the use of a private room - a concept that hasn't quite caught on in America.  Many restaurants have rooms, with one table seating 6-8 people, where our family can eat without signing autographs or posing for 326 camera-phone wielding college students.  

But...due to my love of eating, I'd been wanting to check out a new restaurant.

It's at the bottom floor of a supermarket I only go to occasionally, because they are one of two supermarkets that carry chocolate donuts.  Thank you, chocolate donuts.  I love you forever.  

Anyway...back to the story.  Week by week, donuts safely in my killing-the-earth plastic bag,  I watched the construction and remodeling of the restaurant.  I'd see the progress, bit by bit, and I felt strangely maternal towards it...maybe because I'd watched it grow up.  

A couple of weeks ago, I decided it was time.  Brace yourselves, children and husband.  We are eating out.  

My loose translation of the name of the restaurant was: Tang Dynasty Train Station.  Yep, the whole restaurant is train-themed.  Wait til you see the pics.  It rocked.  

Right from the start, the restaurant was different.   As soon as we sat down at our booth, they handed my kids toys.  (and not just my kids, either!  Every little child had a toy.)  Kid-friendly checkmark #1.  Usually restaurants are terribly unequipped to handle children.  

Then, they handed us aprons - big ones for mommies and daddies, little ones for cute kiddos.  This was a hot-pot restaurant (a big pot of water and seasonings, and then you add your veggies and meat yourself) and I guess they figured that sometimes you get dirty.  Everyone in my family was digging the aprons.  Except Abby, who was not really in the mood for hotpot.  

The most way-coolest part about this restaurant is that all the booths and tables are arranged around sets of train tracks.  Little trains go by every few minutes, carrying options of things to throw into your pot.  Bowls of green veggies, tofu strips, noodles, potatoes, and all sorts of other great stuff are just waiting for you to grab them up.  My children were entranced.  Captivated.  They could have watched the trains all day and into the night and even slept there.  Well, except for Abby.  She wants to stay with me.  ;) 


Nearly an hour into our very relaxing lunch, we notice across the restaurant the "noodle man".  He was doing interpretive dance/hip-hop with a strip of dough, and after a few minutes it ended up like noodles and he gently dropped into the pot of a nearby customer.  Good thing they had aprons.  We even ordered some hip-hop noodles too, just so we could video it.  
Every table is situated right next to the train tracks, giving close up views to children of all ages.  One other fabulous factor about this restaurant is that the booths had very high backs and the restaurant was spacious, so we were (gasp!) hardly noticed by anyone.  We enjoyed our lunch in relative anonymity.  It was unusual and very nice.  
My kids were so distracted and consumed with noodle man/train tracks/ free toy that I left them all at the table for a long time while I walked around and took pictures.  Also unusual.  I never linger at restaurants.  

At the end of our meal, we grabbed hot towels from the lady whose only job is to make rounds around the place handing out hot towels, and wiped off hands and faces.   It was a perfectly clean ending to a very nice meal.

I have decided that even though the actual food at the restaurant was only very average, our entire eating experience was so unbelievable, we will be going back soon and often.  And if you come visit us, we'll take you too!

Choo-choo!!

coming soon to an airport near you...

brought to you by the letter E...

...as in Emma.

Last week brought one of those days that's one in a million.  Or at least, once or twice every year.  One of those special days where the sky is blue, the air is clear, you close your eyes, take a deep breath...and don't end up coughing up a lung.  Seriously, it was a beautiful day.  We were already out - from a trip to the pet market (more to come) - so we stopped by a nearby park to kill some time and enjoy the day.

Emma was especially in the mood to pose, and asked us often to take her picture.  

She started her requests as soon as we entered the park:
That's blue sky, folks.  You can see a lot of skyline there.  That's unusual.  
Whoa...I live in this city?!  This part of the park was newly landscaped.  Nice, huh?
Mommy, will you take my picture on the bridge?
Hey, I'm going to climb up on this rock and you take my picture, ok?
Hey Josh, quick! Take a picture of me and mantha!
Emma: Wait for me! I want to take one too!!
Can I climb on this rock and take a picture too?
The picture taking requests calmed down a little bit when we found some toys to play on.  Samantha climbed up high ("as high as the trees!" she told us)

Cool!  Let's take another picture!

Look at these pretty purple flowers! Can we take a picture by them?

An impromptu game of hide and seek developed when we found a quiet place on the back side of the park.  Those girls found a great hiding place!  Too bad samantha was wearing yellow pants...

I'm a good tree climber, huh?!  Mommy....will you take my picture??