Soccer Saturday!

I have to say, I am completely impressed with Eensie’s soccer ability!! I went to watch him this past Saturday and he was a totally different kid out on the field from last spring! His skills are very good - he can dribble and steal the ball consistently and most importantly, his attitude is amazing. He tries his hardest and always keeps his temper in check. I love that he smiles so much when he is playing and I love most of all when he looks over at Danny or I when he knows he made a great play and just beams. I’m sure Danny would say that he needs to get more aggressive, and he probably will as his confidence continues to grow, but I am so happy he is enjoying himself, being a good sport, and improving, all at the same time!!

At the moment Tilly is the only girl brave enough to take on the boys!! She is tough and definitely is a good teammate for Eens and the rest of the team!

Before and After

Yesterday Ellie decided she wanted bangs, or a fringe as some people call them!! I was not very supportive of this, but she no longer lets me put her hair up, so she did need some sort of “style”! We both decided to get our hair cut together after we dropped Danny off at the airport. (We turned this into an entire weekend getaway in Beijing!) It took until the very last minute until I agreed to let her go ahead and do it. She is extremely happy with the end result. I’m still having a hard time with it because she looks so grown up! She will be nine soon and I guess I have to start letting her make some decisions - hair can always grow back!!

Swimming in the River!

Last Monday Karen and I decided to photograph scenes from one of the many rivers in Tianjin. We realize that the seasons will be changing soon and we wanted to take advantage of the beautiful weather we have been having!

We decided that being photogs would be easiest on a full stomach so our first stop was the newly renovated Astor Hotel. The original Astor hotel was built in the 1800’s by an English gentleman. It is a beautiful hotel and has been closed since we have been living in Tianjin. I was excited to try the restaurant and have a look around. The menu looked very good and had a sandwich that sounded perfect for a hot afternoon - mozzarella and tomato with a pesto mayonnaise on ciabatta. Unfortunately, when the sandwich arrived, they had replaced the mozz with goat cheese. Had they told me when I ordered that they did not have mozz, I would have ordered something else, but it is acceptable here to substitute without asking!! There was no way my stomach could handle a large chunk of goat cheese, so we spent the next 20 minutes explaining to the waiter and finally the chef why it is not acceptable to substitute a completely different cheese into a sandwich! The chef was very kind and did find us an acceptable cheese to put in our new sandwiches!!

We put this experience aside and went off to look for a small museum that Karen knew had been located in the hotel before renovations. We went to the front desk, which seemed the logical choice to ask if it was still there. The woman behind the desk probably needs some customer service tips. We tried to explain to her in a number of different ways that we wanted to look at the pictures from the museum/old hotel/famous residents/etc... In the end she asked if we wanted her to find us a photographer!! In the end, it’s probably better not to ask! We did find the museum, which was located less than 100 yards away from the front desk, however, it was not open to the public yet! Right beside the museum was the oldest elevator in Tianjin - very interesting find for the day!!

We finally left the hotel and walked across the street to the river. We had both seen many swimmers in the water on previous occasions and we wanted to capture it! I was so excited to use my new “big” camera to get some great shots, but doesn’t it figure, I pulled it out, turned it on, and the battery was dead!! Oh well!! I still had my “little” Cannon! We found the spot where the swimmers go, but they were all finishing for the day. I got this great photo of a man having his wash in the dirty water - he was not real happy I was taking his picture.

Then, we met a nice man who spoke flawless English. He explained to us that the government does not really allow people to swim in the river for many obvious reasons (pollution), but they do not stop it either. We asked him why he preferred to swim in the river and not in a proper pool and he told us that he swam every day regardless of how cold it is! He enjoys it and at first he thought it might make him sick, but he has been doing it for almost a year and has been fine!

Although I don’t plan on jumping into the river anytime soon, to each his own!!

Help or No Help??

That is the ultimate question I have been asking myself ever since we have arrived back in Tianjin! Those of you sitting among piles of laundry waiting to be folded and floors waiting to be mopped are probably thinking I have completely lost my mind (not possible - it has been gone for a while now!!)! I always used to beg and plead Danny for more housecleaning help in the US and now I’m just not sure what I need or want!!

On one hand, I love having someone empty the dishwasher, walk Mei at 12:00, go to the market, and iron our clothes. Those are the things I really dislike doing. It is also nice to have the floors and bathrooms cleaned multiple times a week - Tianjin is so dusty that film builds up rather quickly on everything! I also like the fact that we are helping a local resident make ends meet.

However, our new house is much easier to take care of. It is bigger, but it is newer so the dust doesn’t get through the windows as it did before! We also have a central vac which allows me to vacuum in very little time. I have been cooking almost all meals recently because the kids have had enough Northern Chinese food to last a lifetime!! And, for those of you who know me well, I actually love to clean - I’m a neat freak and feel accomplished when I have cleaned the entire house! And, probably the biggest challenge for me right now is the lack of privacy.

As I have been pondering this over and over, as of Thursday, I have been given the opportunity to see for myself how life would be with no help!! My ayi’s husband has been in the hospital awaiting surgery to have a stint put in. In most public hospitals in China, a family member must be present at all times to take care of the patient. They must get the meals and tell the nurse when a drip runs out. The nurse administers all of the medications, but it is very important for someone to be there watching over everything. (After our experience in the hospital with Coop I cannot even imagine this. You are already completely stressed out because someone you love is sick and needing care, but to have to also stress over making a mistake or forgetting to get the nurse for something...I am definitely thankful for the hospital care in the US!) I digress!! I am sure that regardless of having to be a part-time nurse, my ayi would still want to be with her husband while he is in the hospital - I completely support this, so we have given her an indefinite leave. Of course, this comes when Danny is in the US, so not the most convenient time, but it never is!!

I plan on having my ayi return to work gradually and then maybe working part-time instead of full-time. Maybe that will be a happy compromise for everyone - I can have a bit more privacy and she can have some more time with her husband as he recovers!!

Maybe They Have Known All Along!!

I'm not sure why my dear husband was even looking at this article, but it was waiting for me when I popped open my computer tonight! I looked at the title and was sucked in!! Are they serious? I don't know and I don't care, I still prefer a "normal" toilet!! It's a funny read, but not for those who don't appreciate a little toilet humor and details!!

Don't Just Sit There

Enjoy!!

It's Football Season!!

Of course, you do know I mean soccer!! Yesterday Eensie started his second season of club soccer at school. They practice every Saturday until the end of November (brrr)! They do have a few weeks off here and there due to all of the Chinese holidays. Eens was a bit apprehensive about playing this year, which shocked me because last year he loved it. When I dug a little deeper, the issue that arose was that he didn't want to walk to the field (which is about a ten minute walk), he wanted our driver to pick him up!! Oh, he so takes after his mother! We worked that out easily and he went off happily with his daddy!

Danny said the practice went great. They spend about 30 - 45 minutes on drill work and then they play a match. This year Ethan's class is paired with the kindy, which makes him feel like the old pro! He is very gentle when he plays in the match, but Danny thinks his skills are definitely improving from last year! They went out to practice today, only to be attacked by mosquitoes!! I'm so happy that Eens has something that only he does - he gets all the attention and praise!

However, that does not mean that Cooper doesn't try to take away some of that attention! Like any well meaning younger brother, Coop completely stole the limelight when we went to Lucy's birthday party and he wore Eensie's shin guard socks. He didn't care that they were sweaty and he didn't care that he didn't play soccer that morning. He only cared that he looked cool!! Eens was thankfully a good sport about it and just ignored him! I can only imagine how tough Coop will be when he is old enough to get on the field!

Full Speed Ahead!

School has been in session for 3 weeks now and we are busier than ever!! I have a hard time keeping up with the kids activities, but I am so happy that they are involved!

El has chosen to take part in homework club and choir at school. She also is taking piano and having a Chinese lesson at home. She is most excited that in November she will get to take horseback riding lessons after school. The school just started offering it, but there were too many students for this session, so she will start next session!

Eens is in pet club (he is one of just a few boys, but he loves it so much!) and Chinese club at school. I was a bit shocked when he chose Chinese club, but I found out why from his dear friend Soph! Apparently he has shared with her that he is really only trying to figure out how to ask ayi for candy in Chinese. After he has learned that, he plans on quitting - what a little schemer!! He is also starting piano this year at home. Our teacher will start him out with just 15 minute sessions and gradually increase the time as he progresses! He also takes Chinese at home after Ellie. And, starting Saturday, he will begin playing soccer again. He is one busy boy, but all the activity is great for him!

Coopie loves me and wants to spend all of his time away from school with mommy and talk about roller coasters and water slides!! I love the hugs and the games he plays. I don't always care for the constant, "mommy, mommy, mommy", but he's getting bigger and bigger, so I try and enjoy every minute that he actually wants to play with me!! He just asked me tonight, "Next time you cook, can you teach me?" Maybe I have a future chef on my hands, although I'm not sure where he would work considering my specialty is grilled cheese and tomato soup out of a can!!

Danny is working quite a bit and will spend most of this month traveling. We have been so blessed because he has traveled very little during this assignment, unfortunately I think that is over now!! I am so thankful for all of the wonderful friends I have that constantly call and check on me or invite me over when he is gone. It could be much worse, so I am not going to complain!!

I have been trying to stay "checked in" to living in China. I knew I would be like this because I have very few patient bones in my body. As much as I want to enjoy every minute of this year, I find myself constantly wondering what is going to happen next?! I have an obsession with realtor.com even though it is not even realistic to look at this point. I'm trying to allow myself to only look on Sunday (it can be my guilty pleasure instead of the big Sunday paper!)! I also have not been constantly on the go this year like I was last year. I'm realizing that as you get close to the end of your assignment your priorities change. I find myself wanting to spend time with my closest friends all the time, when I know I should branch out just a little, but it's hard! I'm sure there are some wonderful new families here and I haven't had the opportunity to meet them. I'm going to try harder! I am involved with the PFO this year and I am thrilled to be giving back to the school. Our committee is full of some amazing women and I do look forward to getting to know them better! Unfortunately I do not think I will be able to substitute teach at the school. China or possibly Tianjin (not sure which) is now requiring that everyone working at the school must have a work permit. This is quite a process and I would no longer be under Danny's work permit. This is probably not a great big deal, but it could be if there ever needed to be an evacuation or something like that. I think it is best to keep the whole family on the same visa and I also don't want to deal with the taxes in the US. I'm hoping I can volunteer at the school in place of this! I know I will be back to my old self once I get my head out of the clouds!!