Happy Birthday Sweet Boy!!

Last Thursday my sweet Eensie turned 6 years old!! I cannot believe how big he is, but he lets me know on a daily basis that he is still my baby!! He has been the sweetest little boy since his oh so easy delivery!! I went to work in the morning even though I suspected I was in labor! I was quickly asked to leave the building by my principal once he knew that Eensie's arrival was imminent! I went to the hospital and had just enough time to fill out the paperwork and get an epidural before Ethan arrived! I was even able to call school and have them announce his arrival over the intercom before the students left for the day! He also cooperated and arrived on his daddy's birthday!! This is just my Eens - sweet, caring, laid back, funny, and extremely loving!!

Eensie couldn't quite decide on a theme for his birthday party so we did a little bit of everything he likes! He had Batman decorations, an iTouch cake, water games, dry games, and even a little bit of soccer! He invited 12 of his closest friends to come over after school last Wednesday (we had an early out day!). When the children first arrived it was utter chaos...El's furniture flipped over, nerf guns firing away, and children screaming! I was a little worried, wondering how I would ever make it through two hours! I tried so hard not to use my "teacher voice", but I finally could resist no longer!! Once the food was served, the kids calmed down and then we headed outside to play games! Eens was bound determined to play the ball toss game! I divided the kids up and one group played the ball toss while the other group had to drop the clothespin into the bottle (much harder than I remember!)! I was so thankful that Ellie had asked one of her best friends to come and help - they each took over one game!! After everyone had a turn, we played the next game which was ice cube rescue. I filled a large bucket with water and put ice cubes into it. Four children at a time were given chopsticks and they had to try to get the ice out of the water! The kids really enjoyed this game - they were so serious! After that, we played splat, which was a simple water balloon game where the kids had to throw a water balloon, trace the "splat", write their name, and in the end we could see who threw the longest!! Finally, we played Wet Head (super cute game that I bought in Hong Kong) and pass the water balloon!! I did want the kids to have some free time, so towards the end of the party I set out an ice cream sundae "bar" and then they played! I'm pretty sure it was a successful party, as I have had a few of the children ask me if they can come back over and play some games!!

Eensie has already built all of the Legos that he received for his birthday and we have played the games he got over and over!! He loves his Playmobile Egyptian pyramid and playsets, they have provided several hours of entertainment for all three munchkins! His favorite gift was Lilo's teddy bear! He loves this mint green colored bear with all his heart. He was devastated yesterday when Coop "accidentally" threw it into the toilet (no worries, mommy gave it a really good bath!). I realize now that I probably should have bought an extra one, just in case!!

Happy 6th Birthday Eens!!! We love you!!

What must he be thinking???

I will never get used to how little privacy I have here! I know that the government keeps a close eye on us, and I'm okay with that because I'm not doing anything wrong! But I also have to deal with the watchful eyes of two drivers, an ayi, a gardener, and a landlady! They love to gossip and I am positive I give them plenty to talk about, whether it be my shopping habits (my driver actually enjoys going to Beijing because he is always challenged with how much he can fit in our car!!), who I am spending time with (the ayi always tells me if she likes the people I bring home for playdates), where I eat (driver is very interested because I usually give him food!), and anything else I do during the day!

Last week I had made an appointment at the spa that recently opened in the Westin. I figured after a weekend away with the girls, I would need some pampering on Monday morning. I rarely do anything on Monday morning, so I am sure that my driver thought it was very strange that I asked to be taken to a hotel straight away after drop off at the school. I was also by myself, which is uncommon!! My appointment was going to take 3 hours (yes, I was completely spoiled!!), so I told him to come back at 12:00. When he returned, he looked at me a little strange because my hair was greasy and pulled back into a ponytail (I had opted not to take a shower because I was going to be late meeting friends) and I told him how hungry I was!! It didn't click until I made him drive me to McDonald's and I gave him some food what he must be thinking!! He probably thought I was attempting to buy his silence!!!

Seriously, there is no such thing as privacy here!! All I wanted was a massage...

Watch out Hong Kong

This past weekend I got to get away with some girlfriends and enjoy the shopping and nightlife of Hong Kong!! Danny and I have taken the kids there two times and we love going because Disney is right there and it is very easy to get around. I was excited to go and see some parts of the city that I don't get to see when we have the munchkins! Hong Kong is like an adult's playground, with fantastic shopping, amazing food, and over the top hotels!

Imagine 6 ladies sitting on a plane anticipating two days of shopping and eating! We cannot be expected to be quiet, but apparently the gentleman sitting in front of me thought it was nap time! My two friends and I were not rude (well, we did make fun of the China Mobile guy I had to talk to multiple times trying to add roaming to my phone because he continued to tell me not to repeat my phone number!!) and we were not loud (maybe a little when we were giggling!), but we must have really annoyed him because about halfway through the 3 1/2 hour flight he turned around and told us..."1. Welcome to China, 2. Be Quiet, 3. Thank you very much". Then he proceeded to push the service button and asked to be moved to first class. We all thought this was absolutely hilarious and we should have said, "1. Welcome to ECONOMY, 2. It is 11:00am, not nap time, 3. Thank you very much!" He was eventually moved after asking several times, but in that short time he provided great laughs for us throughout the weekend!

We behaved for the most part throughout the rest of the weekend! We may have irritated the bar staff at the W when we insisted on snacks and had an impromptu karaoke session, but they put on a happy face!! Three out of the six of us ended up with overweight bags and we had to pay extra!! We also almost missed our flight to go home on Sunday, but thankfully we were saved be a delay so we actually got to sit down and eat! When I finally arrived home on Sunday I couldn't wait to hug my babies and Danny and spoil them with a few gifts. I bought Danny a very nice pair of sunglasses only to be completely disappointed when he told me they were ladies! Oops!! I am so thankful that Hong Kong is so civilized because when I called the store and told them the problem, they were willing to refund me my money if I send the glasses back!!

It was a wonderful weekend with fantastic friends!! I sure am going to miss them all this summer!!

Gardening Dilemma

Last month I wrote about how happy I was that I had hired a gardener to help me water my newly planted grass! As with almost everything in China, things have not worked out exactly as I had expected them too! I thought I would have grass in at least a month...

And this is what I have!!!
I also have some random cilantro
a little spinach scattered about
and a load of mint placed in random corners around the yard!
This is the front yard that has been sprinkled with many different seeds between last fall and this spring by our landlord. She told me there were many different veggies that would be growing! I assumed (wrong thing to do in China) that she planted them in some order - nope - anywhere and everywhere!!

I have now hired a new gardener (long story with the first one!!) who has agreed to plant more seed. However, if he continues like this, it is going to be a very long time until all the bare areas are full of grass!! I think he is trying to extend the timeframe that he needs to work daily for me! If he continues to plant grass, I have to continue having him water it everyday!! This could go on forever!! I guess he is extremely intelligent in some sick sort of way!!

As frustrated as I am with our grass situation, we do enjoy spending time on our deck!! El helped plant lots of flowers in pots so we could at least have some color while we patiently wait for our grass to grow!!

Ocean Expert

Last week Eens completed his ocean unit of inquiry with an ocean exhibition! The children were able to choose their culminating project to display at the exhibition. Eensie chose to make up a board game. He had actually made a board game about the ocean with jellyfish and oil spills before we even received the assignment - he really excels in this learning environment! His teachers guided him in adding a little more details and then he set off to make the "big" version of his game! He truly loved learning about the ocean and so many facts stuck with him.

The purpose of the units of inquiry are twofold. First, of course, they teach students about the subject matter. They do this through student inquiry, which helps the child become a critical thinker. Some students excel in this learning environment, while some find it difficult. Eensie loves to learn and discover, so he does well in this less structured environment! He has learned so much this year and I am extremely proud of him!!

My serious little boy!!! He made sure to tell everyone not to throw paper bags in the ocean because the turtle will think it is a jellyfish and eat it and die. Not sure where he found that information, but I'm pretty sure he won't forget it!

Yee Haw!

On Friday night, Danny and I went to an event sponsored by our local expat group. It was a country western dance to raise money for breast cancer awareness! Danny was very reluctant to go and he never did put on his cowboy hat that a dear friend looked very hard for, but we all ended up having a lot of fun! It was a smaller event than most of these parties we go to, so it was very nice to spend time with people that I don't get to chat with often!! There was a lot of dancing going on (not all to country music thank goodness) and a lot of goofiness! I did manage to get Danny home by 12:30 so our entire weekend was not spent trying to catch up on sleep!!

The only way Danny can stay sane at some of these events is to enjoy a little pijiu!

Do you think they know??

I'm an American!!

I often wonder when I go to Beijing to Jenny Lou's for groceries if they know by my purchases that I am an American! I am almost positive on Friday they must have suspected my origin before I even opened my mouth to speak! I bought 7 boxes of cereal because it was all on sale for a little over $2 - cheaper than I can get it in the US!! This is rare, so I checked all of the expiration dates and found nothing wrong with any of the packaging. I'm going to just think of it as my lucky day! I also found Tyson chicken nuggets in the freezer section! It is hard to admit, but I spent $10 a box for these! I guess the two things balanced the bill out!!

Just to give you an idea of how expensive import food shopping is, all of these groceries cost almost $200.

Little Ms. Over Achiever!

Ellie has recently become quite interested in succeeding in school. She has done well in the past, but that has come about through great deals of arguing over doing homework and practicing things she needs extra help with. Over this past month she has done her homework without much fuss and she has also asked me questions to make sure it is accurate - it hasn't just been a rush to finish it! She also became very interested in the solar system unit they were studying. I told her that I made a paper mache planet when I was younger so she set to work to make her own of Jupiter. She even printed pictures off of the internet to use on a poster and to help her paint her planet correctly! This was all extra work that she chose to do! I was so proud of her and she was very proud of herself!! I hope she realizes that if she just puts a little extra effort forward she can achieve great things!!

Furniture in the making!

It seems like this time of year must inspire me to buy furniture! Last year I bought several lovely reproduced pieces and an antique table. This year I don't have much space in the house because our landlords have provided us with so much furniture! I did make a trip to CLMa recently which is where I like to buy my furniture. It is a bit more expensive than some of the other furniture outlets, but the gentleman who owns it gives us a discount and the quality of the pieces is excellent!! I only bought an antique chest on this visit. The chest was used about 100 years ago when a woman was married. The chest contained all of her embroidery and clothing that she would take to her in-laws home. Inside the chest is the original paper lining. I was going to have them replace it, but I decided against that because I didn't want to take away from the integrity of the piece!

While we were in the factory, we got to have a good look at the craftsmanship that goes into the reproduced pieces. The detail that goes into some of the pieces is exquisite.

This gentleman is painstakingly weaving the seat of this chair.
This woman is using the white paper design and copying it swirl by swirl!

While I was there, I thought about how much my grandpa Kimler would have loved to visit here. He would have enjoyed watching the furniture being made from start to finish. I'm sure the many afternoons I spent "working"(really finding a mattress far from grandma and having a nap) at my grandparent's furniture store when I was younger helped establish my love of quality furniture!

Happy Mother's Day!!

Happy mother's day to my mom, my sister, my mother-in-law, my wonderful friends, and all of those expecting mommies!! I hope everyone had a beautiful day! I feel so blessed to be surrounded by such wonderful moms! I know I never have to look far for an ear to listen or advice if I need it on raising my lovely munchkins! I have some of the best role models on mothering and I am forever grateful for them!

We celebrated my special day by going to Beijing for the weekend (I'm assuming this is a huge surprise for most of you!)! On Saturday we shopped and in the evening shared a lovely Italian meal with our dear friends. Then, off went my wonderful husband (until 4:30am) to enjoy the nightlife in Beijing, while Karen and I were content to get foot massages and share a bottle of wine!! The children must have realized it was our special day because they were so good!! On Sunday we took the boys to get their hair cut (Eens is blond again!) and then we went to enjoy a lovely brunch at The Orchard (new favorite restaurant in Beijing!)! This place is quite a little gem, nestled in a suburb of Beijing! They grow their own salad and herbs on site to use in their dishes. They also have orchards of pear and apple trees. There is a lovely lake that you can take a walk around after your meal. And best of all, the food is delicious! Even Danny was impressed and that is rare!

When I was growing up, I always dreamed of being a mommy! I love my three free spirits from the bottom of my heart and I am so thankful my dreams came true!!

Be Fit Your Way in May!!

On my final day of subbing, the elementary students participated in sports activities all afternoon! It was a great way to end the week and we thankfully had beautiful weather! Our PE teacher organized the event and boy, the kids worked hard! Each grade level started out by running 400 meters around the track in front of everyone. Then we split up into grade levels and rotated through the events. The little kindy kids had one event and then they had to go back and run another 400 meters - many of them were dragging, but they were having a great time and they all tried their best!! I was extremely proud of Eens because he didn't choose to come in last like he did last year!! He didn't come in first, but he didn't come in last!!

Here is Eensie doing the ball toss! I think grandpa will probably have to work with him on throwing a ball this summer!

Ellie is our little track star!! I imagine her long legs will serve her well as she grows up!! I don't think she actually won her second race, but she was neck in neck with one of her best friends! Her form is great and I could definitely see her running the 800 meters like her mommy!!

El is in red on the inside lane of the track!! I think I have several pictures of myself at this exact spot on the track taken by my Grandpa Kimler right after the gun went off!!

And Coopie got to participate in the afternoon by playing in the bounce houses!! That was enough organized activity for him, although if they would have allowed him to run the 400, there is no doubt in my mind that he would have given it his all!!

A Most Interesting Lunch

A couple of weeks ago I went to lunch with some friends at a hot pot restaurant! I believe the English translation was something like drain pot submarine!! It is a chain restaurant that has 4 different locations in Tianjin. Danny had been to a different location previously and he always raved about the customer service! He was definitely right about the customer service - they take it to the extreme!!

If you have to wait for your table, you can do it while you enjoy a manicure!

Then, I had my iphone sitting on the table beside me, so they came over and put it in a little baggie so it wouldn't get any food on it.

Next, they brought us all aprons to wear during the meal!!

The food came immediately. We chose one spicy broth and also a mushroom broth to put our veggies and meat in! I had the tiniest of tastes of the spicy hot pot and could hardly breathe, it was too hot! I stuck with the mushroom broth and the veggies!

Finally, towards the end of our meal we were entertained by the noodle man. He did a little kung fu movement while he made the noodles - it was very entertaining!!

I would definitely go back and eat here again! As you know, this is not always the case with many new restaurants I try here! I believe that the entertainment value of the whole meal was worth my burning mouth and throat!! Plus, it's always important to be surrounded by wonderful friends!!

It's been a long two weeks!!

The past two weeks have been rather hectic and busy at the St Martin household. I spent the first week teaching kindergarten in Eensie’s class and this past week I have played catch up! I also managed to sneak in a pity party or two for myself!!

Eensie’s teachers went away two weeks ago to a reading conference in Chicago. I was asked to substitute teach for the week they were gone. I was quite hesitant because Eens is always a little monkey when I drop him off and pick him up. I didn’t know if I could effectively teach the rest of the children while dealing with Eens. After a few chats with the teachers and the principal, I decided to do it! It turned out to be a great week. Eensie was so well behaved, I was thankful and impressed! The rest of the children, whom I know quite well outside of school, were also fantastic! I’m sure I have my mommy friends to thank for possibly bribing their children for my benefit!!

We started off on Monday with a lovely pirate book. I thought I would impress the boys with my love for pirates. It turns out I actually ended up impressing them even more with the topless mermaid in one of the pictures. I learned straight away that I should preview everything before I dive right in!!!

I counted myself lucky that I only had one case of blood! One of the children got a little over excited for reading groups and knocked another one in the mouth with the book basket!! I feel very fortunate that I only had that one incident considering every time I had them standing nicely, the second I turned my back they somehow ended up in a pile on the floor!!

I struggled a bit with the non-English speakers. I have no training in teaching ESL, so I really didn’t have any strategies for those children who were learning to speak English. As a teacher it is easy to get frustrated when they don't follow directions, but I kept telling myself to imagine sitting in a classroom and the teacher only spoke Chinese. I would understand every few words, but not enough to really get the message.

After working for the entire week, I was exhausted, but excited that I survived! I'm sure the kids were very excited that their favorite teachers were back on Monday!!!

Last week I spent time trying to get myself organized again!! I have so much respect for working moms - I worked for one week and everything at home got turned upside down! I also allowed myself a couple of pity parties during the week, which unfortunately my dear, sweet sister had to deal with!! I was just anxious about going home for the summer! Of course we want to come back, but it is a bit difficult to keep everyone happy when you are not in your own home! It is also hard for the kids and I to be away from Danny - we are so used to spending all of our time together, so it throws us all a bit when we are apart for long periods of time. I know that is a good thing that we are so close knit, but it doesn't help in this situation! Danny is trying to make it easier on me and he will stay a little longer this summer because of Steph's wedding in July! I know in my heart it will all work out and there will be tears when we have to come back after a great summer, but right now the planning is clouding my frame of mind!!

It could be anywhere!

We have been spending a lot of time outside these past few weeks as our long winter finally turned briefly into spring and then quickly into summer! We are all trying to get used to not having all of our close friends outside enjoying the weather with us. Ellie and Coop insist on racing their bikes around a ready made track on our street and Eens is content kicking the soccer ball!! We're patiently waiting for our grass to grow (yes, it has been almost 21 days and it is scarce, but you can see it!) so we can play in the backyard!!

Last Friday while we were walking to the park I took some pictures of our new surroundings! Maybe I am completely out of touch, but it looks like these houses could be anywhere in America. The only difference is, only about 60% of them are occupied!! There are also the dramatic features in many yards, such as the naked woman fountain, the life sized zebra, and waterfalls or ponds in almost every yard!! Other than that, I feel right at home!!

I mean, who wouldn't want a zebra in their front yard (crazy people!!)!
And of course, the same people with the zebra have the boobie lady (as the boys say)! Seriously, I thought we lived in a kid friendly neighborhood!!
This is the main street that our little mini street is off of. At both ends there are guard gates and there are many speed bumps, so the cars usually go slow. But, since there are so many empty houses, there really aren't that many cars!
This is not our exact cul de sac, but we live at the end of a street just like this! The house on the left usually has chickens and roosters scattered about! I love getting woken up bright and early by the rooster!
This is the built in race track! Coop and El can go round and round!!

Our final destination on this beautiful day was to the park that is nearby! It appears to be fairly safe and the kids love to play on the exercise equipment!!