Spreading holiday cheer!

It took two days, but mom and Ellie finally finished all of their Christmas baking. Danny even helped which was shocking, but I think he just wanted them to finish quickly so he could go shopping!!

We even attempted to do a gingerbread house. I've decided next year we will just do it from scratch. Our expectations are too high when we look at the box and it never turns out the way they show it!! Therefore, if we do it ourselves, we can't compare it to anything. Regardless, I think the kids house turned out just perfect!

Christmas - Kimler Style

A little dancing, singing, eating and santa were all we needed for a proper Kimler style Christmas party! The party was actually a celebration of life for my grandma and grandpa who we miss so much! Christmas was always their favorite time of year, and many of my memories from childhood center around our crazy Christmas gatherings! This year I loved every minute of being with my aunts, uncles, and cousins - it is rare that we are all together in one place at the same time! My mom and aunts organized a balloon launch to honor grandma and grandpa, they did all of the food, and they organized a santa to come for the kids. As you can tell from the picture, Coop wasn't really too sure what to think of Santa! By Christmas morning he came around to liking the idea of Santa thanks to all of the goodies he received!!

My cousin Lance brought all of his DJ equipment so he played music the entire party! Eensie and Coop were in rare form on the dance floor. El was too busy playing with the "best cousin in the world", Gracie! Those two cannot get enough of each other!!







Thank you to my wonderful mom and aunts for a great night! I know grandma and grandpa were smiling down on us and most likely having a good laugh!!

Strike!!

We got to participate in Eensie's newest favorite pastime, not once, but twice while we were with my mom and dad! The kids loved the bumper bowling, but still seemed to get quite a few gutter balls. I really can't talk - I'm pretty sure they beat me at every game - bowling is just not my thing. On the other hand, Danny and my dad were both attempting a 200 game - they were close, but not quite there!!

Eens is already talking about his plans this summer to bowl multiple times a week! The bowling alley is about 5 minutes from my parents, so he may get his wish!! I'm sure my dad and grandpa will try to convince him that golfing is a bit more fun in the summer!

Walking in a Winter Wonderland!

Our little dog walker El, thought just maybe we would end up with a white Christmas! Unfortunately, by Christmas day we had seen more rain than white stuff, but that didn't dampen our spirits! When we got to Libertyville we got to enjoy a whole year's worth of snow! I think I'm ready for some dry Tianjin air now!

On a side note, I think El was petitioning to get a puppy the entire time we were at my mom's! She walked Jenny everyday, she loved on her, and she fed her. I cannot believe how responsible she was, so just maybe a little puppy will be in her future!

Festival of Lights

These were some of the kids favorite light displays at the Peoria Festival of Lights! It was so much fun being close to all of the Christmas traditions that I did when I was little! When I get sad about being away from family, I have to remind myself that we probably spend more quality time together now than we have in the past. When we lived in Bettendorf, we would visit our families for a day or two max, but now we get to stay for extended periods of time!! We just hope we don't wear out our welcome!!

Reunited...

And we all love it!! We miss our Jenni so, so much!! She continues to be excellent with the kids, even though she is now 11 years old! Thank you Rob and Steph - we can tell by her belly that she is very loved!!!

It wouldn't be a visit without a little Chuck E!

Cooper's most favorite place in the world just happens to be Chuck E Cheese, so about a month before we leave for the US we start getting asked when he can go to Chuck E! This year he told his entire nursery class and all of his teachers that he was going to Chuck E Cheese - they were most likely not very impressed because none of them are from the US!!

Right away we planned our trip so we wouldn't have to hear about it for days on end! This time, we were a little bit smarter...we decided that instead of eating the nasty pizza (we only have so many nights in the US to enjoy our favorite restaurants), we would go out to eat and then just go and play at Chuck E! The plan worked perfectly, the kids were thrilled they got to spend the whole time playing games and mom, dad, and I were thrilled we didn't have to partake in the pizza!!

Home for the Holidays!

The kids and I arrived in the US last Friday and we couldn't be happier and more thankful to be here at this time of year!! I was even brave enough (or should I say crazy enough!) to bring the kids back by myself! The kids are pros at the plane ride, so there were no problems on the plane, this was to the delight of all of the business men traveling back home!! Actually, the nen were very helpful with letting me get on the plane first, situating all of my carry-ons for me, and then pushing my stroller while I got organized! The only problem was going through customs on both ends where they will not allow you to get a cart to put all of your carry-ons safely in one place. So, the kids were dropping things left and right and we were all a bit hot with our heavy coats on, but we eventually made it through!

It was all worth it when I saw my parents on the other side of the doors in the international terminal. I would do it all over again just to spend Christmas with our families!

We have really spent the past week just enjoying family and friends and also trying to finish up our Christmas shopping! I was able to do a lot of it on-line in China, but there are plenty of last minute gifts to be bought now that the kids realize there are so many toys available!!

Thanks to my dear sister-in-law Steph, we were able to get the kids their H1N1 shots without standing in line!! We kept going back and forth on whether we should get the shots, but in the end we decided to do it because of the travel we have planned over the next couple of months. Thankfully, the kids seem to be fine from the shots! We were also able to visit with our beloved pediatrician to discuss Coop's asthma diagnosis this fall in China. At this point, he does not think Cooper has asthma. His symptoms this fall did not fit the clinical definition of asthma, but of course this could all change. We appreciate his opinion and that he always takes the time to see us and visit with us! We really miss the medical care that is available in the states!

These are just a few snapshots from this past week with my family!! I cherish every moment I get to spend with them - it is never enough, but I am grateful for each and every hug!!

You know you're a true tai tai...

when your driver pulls up with brand new "Gucci" floor mats and a GPS system put in the new car!!

Ever since moving, we have been having quite the ordeal with drivers. Since we now must drive our ayi to our house (it is too far for her to bike), we have had to get a second car. That in and of itself was an interesting ordeal. Most expat families in China get a Buick G8 minivan. I guess we were spoiled in the US with our Honda Odyssey, because we have never liked the Buick - the drive is very bumpy and is not nearly as smooth as the Honda. When getting our new car, Danny aksed if we could please get a Honda. They were flabbergasted to say the least. They could not believe that we did not want an American car! In the end, I did get a new Honda Odyssey wagon, which we love and are very thankful for!

The driver situation has caused plenty of anxiety for me. Our first new driver was a woman. I was very excited because I thought that she would do great with the children and she would probably have more tolerance for my shopping expeditions. She was very sweet, but unfortunately it seemed as if she had never driven a car before and she did not know the streets of Tianjin at all. She has lived there all of her life, but I was giving her directions for the places she needed to take me to. She lasted for one week, when after she put the car in reverse in a busy intersection, Danny fired her.

Our second driver seemed nice enough. He came equipped to work with a GPS system that he used to get me to and from the shops and houses I needed to go to. He was the one who, on the second day, brought me the lovely (and extremely tacky!!) Gucci floor mats! He must have thought I really loved Gucci because of my purse! Too funny and now all of my friends are very jealous! But he was only temporary!

We now have a third driver who began this week while the kids and I are in the US! We were fortunate and got to hire him from our friends who went back to Ireland. My girlfriend was a good shopper, so I am sure he will have already explored all of the places that I like to frequent!!

Zai Jian Wode Pengyou...

Good-bye my friend! Last night, after two months of good-bye parties, we had our final girls night out for a very dear friend. I am having a really hard time knowing she is leaving on Saturday. She is the type of person who brings sunshine when the pollution is terrible, she is passionate about everything she does, and she has the energy of a child! I will truly miss her and her beautiful family.

I knew going into this experience that the worst part would be the good-byes, but I really thought the most painful would be those I had to do in the US. Don't get me wrong, those are still very painful, but I know I am going back to be with my loved ones as soon as possible. The good-byes on this side of the world are a bit more difficult when you know that oceans and not states will seperate you. I know we will visit this family in the future and they will visit us in the US, but it doesn't make the hurt go away.

Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born."
- Anais Nin

Our New House!! The first floor anyway!

For the past week and a half, I have been surrounded by boxes and boxes, but I can happily say that as of yesterday my house is box free (unless you count my ayi's random box of stuff on the third floor!!)! It took much longer than I anticipated to unpack and get settled. This was party due to the fact that I underestimated all of the "stuff" we have and also because this time of year is extremely busy! I am thankful that we will come back from the US in January to a house ready to be enjoyed!

The first floor is almost complete, the only thing I need to do is hang up pictures. We love the open floor plan, it is much better for our family! I also love the fact that the kids have a playroom on the first floor and my kitchen is wonderful! It is actually probably bigger than my kitchen was in the US! Danny loves his 60 inch flatscreen and his big, comfy sofa!! We have heated floors on all three levels which keeps the house nice and toasty - sometimes a little too hot! Our landlords are absolutely wonderful (so far anyway!). On our second night here, we had no hot water. Well, it turns out that our house is quite "green" so we run on solar to heat our water. This becomes a problem when the sun has been hiding for days at a time, so you end up with no hot water until the electricity kicks on at 5:00am. They taught us how to manually turn on the electricity to heat the water anytime we need it. You may think this is not a big deal, but here in China it is huge. Most owners are just thankful that their houses are rented and they don't go above and beyond to make sure the tenants are comfortable. These people genuinely seem to care if we are happy and comfortable - it is a welcome change to fighting over the silliest things at our old place!

You can see that all 5 of us can comfortably fit on the sofa!! Although the furniture is not completely my taste (even though I did help pick it out!), it is way better than the modern, uncomfortable look in our old house!The dining room table has plenty of room for dinner guests - hint, hint. We are all ready for visitors if there are any takers!!The fridge is direct from the US with an English manual and everything!! The English manual is reason enough for me to celebrate!! Actually all of the appliances except for the solar water heater have English manuals!
You can barely see my wonderful dishwasher!! Oh, I truly love modern appliances! The kids have been spoiled with a large screen tv in their playroom. Eens immediately figured out how to turn it to Nickolodeon!

Plenty of shelf space for all of the kids books and games!!

We asked for a futon like sofa so if our ayi stays over she will have a room on the first floor!

Overall, we love our new house! The only thing we miss are our wonderful neighbors!!

The Wait is Finally Over!!

Danny and I no longer have to listen to Coop ask if he can go to his best buddy's house!! On Sunday his friend's mommy invited Coop over to help them decorate the Christmas tree. It was a lovely afternoon and so fun to watch Coop bond with his friend. Even the nursery teachers are amazed at the strong bond the two of them have. For their age, it is very unusual, but I am cherishing every moment of it! They adore each other which means that Coop cannot wait to go to school every day. Every Sunday he asks if he has school, when I say no, he asks, "Can I go to Isaiah's house?". In the morning when we arrive Coop first looks to make sure that Isaiah's coat is in his locker, then he goes into the room and Isaiah runs over and gives him a race car. After this ritual, they check out each other's shirt color to determine what color of fireman they are that day! Their friendship is very simple and pure, pretty much what we all strive for even as adults!

Christmas Ball 2009

Last year at this time, Danny and I went on our first date night in China to the TICC Christmas Ball. We had a good time, but we did not really have too many strong connnections yet. What a difference a year can make. This past Saturday night we enjoyed a night of fun, food, and dancing with a large number of the expat community. It was fun to get dressed up with our heels on and go dancing. The only thing is, the music is always pretty bad at these events - they play things that were popular 10 years ago, but we are really beginning to embrace Bon Jovi's Now or Never song (not sure of the exact title!!). I could probably sing it in my sleep! It is also very interesting to watch which groups of expats like different types of music.

We sat at a wonderful table with our dear Brits, our new friends from America, and our dear Australian friends! We all had a good laugh at the expense of our individual quirks that derive from the countries we are from. Most of our non-American friends tease us that everything is "always bigger and better in America"! I used to think this, but over these past 18 months, I've realized that some things may be bigger, but not always better - I'm opening up my eyes a little! It's very interesting to view your country from the eyes of someone else!

It's still not normal!

I was beginning to think that I had lost that, "oh my gosh, I can't believe I am seeing this" feeling, but on Saturday night I got it back! Danny and I were on our way to the Christmas Ball (more to come on that in the next post) when we walked by the piano player at the Sheraton. I had to do a double take because she was up on stage, by herself mind you, with a mask on. Now I know the masks serve a couple of purposes...one is to protect yourself and others from germs and another one is to protect you from the cold wind on a freezing day. Obviously, neither of these reasons apply here because she was on stage by herself in the nice and cozy Sheraton lobby! I'm still baffled, but I guess to each his own!!

Starry, Starry Night

Last Thursday in the midst of our chaotic move, the kids had their winter show at school. It was nice to take a little break for the night and go to enjoy the Christmas spirit with the munchkins! They all did a wonderful job singing away with their Santa hats on! Coopie made it through the nursery segment, but pulled the big puppy eyes on his way up to the stage for the finale! Probably against my better judgement, he ended up on my lap with Danny giving me the "he is 3 years old and he should be up on stage with all of his friends" look...I guess I decided to pick my battles and not have a screaming child for everyone to stare at!

He is such a little monkey!!