Happy Earth Day!!

Today the kids celebrated Earth Day at school. I am always so impressed with the extent that the school goes to to make the kids appreciate and respect their environment. Last year, shortly after school started, Ellie gave me a very hard time for running the water while she was brushing her teeth! Eens is insistent on not using plastic bottles and instead loves his water bottles (he's very proud of his new extra large one he just got!). And Coop is constantly reminding everyone to put the rubbish in the bin and the recycling in the correct place! These attitudes come from daily reminders from their teachers and watching those around them take care of the world! Sustainability is an ongoing conversation that happens between everyone at the school, so they really took advantage of today to celebrate all of the kids hard work to keep the school as "green" as possible, and as a learning experience about ways the kids can take action and improve things within their "mini" world and the "big" world!!

This is just a little clip of the nursery through 5th grade singing one of my favorites at their Earth Day assembly...

I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing

I love listening to their sweet little voices! You can see the top of Eensie's hair, but that's about it of my sweeties!!

Tubby Talk!!

Last night Eens and Coop were taking a bath together and I overheard this conversation between the two of them...

Eens said, "Cooper would you like a massage?"

Cooper replied, "Okay, I love a massage."

Eens assured him, "The sign says no touching privates here!"

I'm terribly concerned - what in the world kind of massage parlor is my son running out of the tub?? And probably more disturbing, where did his sign idea come from??!! giggle...giggle...giggle

Colors of Spring!

Yesterday I spent the morning at the local flower market finally buying some flowers for outside! It is one of the dirtiest places I visit in Tianjin, but I love it!! I don't love the spit dodging or the nasty water that fills some of the roads, but I love all of the colors and the ease of buying tons of flowers for very little money! We filled the back end of my Odyssey yesterday, and I think between the three of us we spent about $60 (that included 3 indoor orchids, which were about $10 a piece!). I brought all of mine home and was so happy when the gardener turned up and planted them all!!

After school Coopie wanted to take pictures of some of the beautiful blooming trees around our house! We have really noticed the changing seasons this year because spring was so late. We kept waiting and waiting, and finally the trees are all blooming, the grass is for the most part green, and the roses are all coming up!

Mei Mei and Ellie - true love!!

Ellie adores Mei Mei! From the moment she gets up to the minute she goes to bed with the pup, she is with her. She almost cries every morning when she has to put her in the crate so I can take the kids to school - it is quite emotional for her!! When she gets home after school, the first thing she does is put on Mei's leash and take her for a walk. She also trains her and can now successfully get her to sit and fetch without even using treats!! As much as Ellie loves Mei Mei, Mei Mei loves her right back! She would much rather be in the arms of loving Ellie than rambunctious Eens who thinks her neck is her waist!! Yesterday El was working with Mei and she finally let me take some pictures...

One trip to the ER and a new gardener!

When Danny is away, things tend to happen. They are sometimes good things and they are sometimes bad things! During this trip I tried really hard to keep things as normal as possible for the kids. On Saturday we went to our new favorite restaurant on "trash mountain" (I'll take pictures and put them in a post soon!). The gentleman who gets me all my meat and does catering for me just opened this restaurant a couple of months ago. It is nice to go there because I totally trust what he is serving. I'm very skeptical at most restaurants, but here I can try anything on the menu and I know it is good quality! He also makes the most amazing hot chocolate - it actually tastes like he melted a candy bar and served it - I don't care how warm it is outside, I can't go there and not have one!!

So, while Danny was away, I still planned to take the kids and meet friends there to eat lunch! We also brought along the scooters so they could ride around at the park afterwards. Lunch for me was pretty much a complete disaster as my children somehow left their manners and listening abilities somewhere between the car and the restaurant! Saying they were not well behaved is a huge understatement. By the time we finished eating, I was on edge, but still thought it was a good idea for them to be outside. We scooted down to a park for a little play! While we were there, Eens and Coop were on the merry go round. During there spinning, Coop decided it would be a good idea to let go, proceeding to fly right off the horse onto the ground! My neighbor picked him up and brought him to me, of course I didn't see anything. He was wailing and he looked really off. He was holding his head with two hands and seemed to be in a lot of pain. He didn't seem to be feeling better even after some mommy love, so I thought it best to go to the SOS and have him checked out. Being all alone, without a car, 30 minutes from your doctor's office is not a good thing if you have a child who is ill. Luckily my neighbor was with me and she watched the other two as they whisked us back to the emergency room (first time there and was pleasantly surprised!). They checked all of his vitals and his blood pressure a few times to make sure there were no sudden changes. He seemed to perk up after some juice and he looked more like my Coop!! I'm not sure if it was a necessity to take him in, but it put my mind at rest, although I still checked on him bunches of times throughout the night!!

Yesterday we had plans to spend a good part of the day with our dear friends (they are so good to take me in when Danny is gone!!)! The air quality was poor, but the day was actually gorgeous. The kids went to a birthday party first and then we all went back to Rego and played and ordered McDonald's for lunch!! It was a great way to spend our day and Coop only fell down about 5 times, but thankfully he didn't hit his head again!!

When we returned home, I had to water our grass for the second time that day because it was so warm. As I was watering it, I decided that I really didn't want to do it anymore. I was only on day 2 of 14 days of watering. I had them plant the grass on Friday because it looked like we would be getting some rain this week, but now it is all out of the forecast!! My ayi had told me Friday that she thought it was too dirty to water the grass, so I was stuck doing it (who's the boss here??!!!)! Anyway, I can be quite resourceful when needed so I called the property manager and within an hour I had a new gardener! I am very pleased with this arrangement because he can come every day and water my grass, take care of my trees and flowers, and keep my deck and furniture clean. All of these services will be about $15 a week for all 7 days!! As always, when I told my sister this, she asked, "How are you ever going to come back to the US?"!! Danny of course had a good giggle, but the last thing he wants to do is water the entire yard with a hand sprayer!!

Reunited!!

Danny returned home last night and we couldn't be happier!! He had a good visit with his mom and she was thankfully released from the hospital on Thursday!! I'm sure she will recover faster being at home - hospitals are just not fun!

While Danny was in the states he was able to do some shopping! Of course I sent him with three huge bags to fill while he was there! I had already done some online shopping in anticipation of Danny's parents visit later this month (this will not be happening due to the surgery). So, I had filled up a good portion of one of the bedrooms already! I also thought I was very clever because instead of sending Danny to the grocery store with a list and him only finding half of it, I went on peapod delivery service and ordered everything I needed online and had it sent to his parents! Plus, his parents had already shopped for Eensie's upcoming birthday!! I'm not sure how, but my dear husband was able to pack a huge Playmobil Egyptian Pyramid and several accessories, a huge Lego set, 4 bags of groceries, 6 new pairs of shoes, loads of new clothes, and books in the bags!! He also surprised me with a new docking station for my Iphone and the new DS (it has a bigger screen which is much better for me!)! He is a very good shopper - he makes me proud!!

As excited as I was to see the three full bags, I was more excited to see Danny. I never do well when I know he is across the ocean, but of course, I was happy he was with his mom!! I am so thankful we are all together again!!

DisneySea

At Tokyo Disney, there are two parks, one is Disneyland and the other is DisneySea. We were skeptical about DisneySea because we thought it was more geared for the older kids and adults, like Epcot in Orlando. We only spent one day there, but in the end, we wish we would have spent more time! The park is broken up into seven themes, Port Discovery, American Waterfront, Mediterranean Harbor, Lost River Delta, Arabian Coast, Mermaid Lagoon, and Mysterious Island. All rides and food go along with the themed areas and there were so many rides it was unbelievable!! My favorite area was the Mermaid Lagoon because you were inside and it seemed like you were in the ocean - all the kiddie rides were based on The Little Mermaid and there was a great play area for the kids to run free!! El, Eens, and Danny loved the Indiana Jones ride - even Eens who later refused to go on a mini Flounder roller coaster!! Poor Coop was heart broken when he wasn't tall enough to go on it with the others!! Instead, he got some good quality mommy time!!

Coop waiting for his turn on the Flounder coaster!!Watching the volcano erupt towards sundown!!The boys strategizing what to do next!!One final ride and Eens wouldn't go on it!! He is such a funny boy!!If you ever get the chance to go to Tokyo, I would highly recommend it! We absolutely loved it and even Danny is so happy that I "made" him go!!! TokyoDisney was fantastic and we know that because the kids are still pretending they are on the rides here at home!!

Shibuya - the world's busiest pedestrian crossing!!

Despite pleas from others not to go into downtown Tokyo with three children, we went anyway!! It was actually very easy - the train lines were easy to follow and there were many helpful people making sure we were going the right way!! It helped that the sidewalks were without massive holes and were fairly even so pushing the stroller was no problem! We ventured to downtown Tokyo to an area called Shibuya which is a lot like Times Square in New York City. The crosswalk in the picture below is supposed to be the world's busiest pedestrian crossing!! It was fun to walk around with the kids and window shop (most things we liked were so expensive, especially since we know we can get them in the US for a lot less in two months!!). We even made a quick stop at a Denny's for a little lunch. The menu was completely different than our Western menu, but the kids happily ate pancakes, I got french toast, and Danny ate some delicious Japanese entree!!

Let the street crossing begin!!! There were hundreds of people crossing with us both times - it was very orderly!!

Proper Parade Behavior!!!

One of the things that fascinated Danny and I the most during our trip to Japan was how respectful the Japanese appear to be of others' personal space!! Of course, we really value that after living in China where it is not uncommon to find someone pushing you out of line or a stranger's hand all over your child. The first day we were in Disney we witnessed what I would have to say was the most well behaved people I have ever seen watching a parade!! Danny and I just stood back in awe and had to take a picture.

You see, they sit cross legged on little mats, they fold down their strollers so everyone can see, and they don't push and shove to get to the front!!! It was truly amazing!!

Tokyo Disneyland

As I mentioned in my last post, we were extremely excited to go to Tokyo Disney this past week!! We just couldn't pass up the opportunity while we are in China - the flight was only 3 hours! We also knew it was cherry blossom season, so we were hoping to catch a glimpse of the trees in full bloom! It turned out to be one of my favorite holidays that we have taken. The people were extremely helpful and polite. There was no cutting in line or spitting. Toilets were lovely (this has become a criteria for vacation sites!) and most even had heated seats! The air was fresh and clean! The food was yummy (although a bit expensive!)! And there was so much to do!! We were warned before we left that very few people speak English, but we had no trouble at all, probably because we were at Disney and we are becoming pros at "invented" sign language! I even had one very sweet girl who was working at the monorail tell me that Cooper didn't need a ticket and she refunded my money right then and there even though I had bought the ticket the day before! This was all conveyed through "invented" sign language!!

We had originally planned to go to Disney for only two days, but when we arrived we couldn't wait, so we bought three day tickets. The first day there started out warm, but by nightfall we were freezing. We kept riding the rides though because it wasn't busy and we didn't have to wait in lines. We had read stories about wait times of over 2 hours for popular rides and we knew that we weren't patient enough to do that, so we took advantage of the few people braving the weather!! It also helped that the Japanese school year started right about the time we went, so most of the children were in school!

Right when you walk through the gates, you walk into a covered Main Street. It was great, especially when it got cold later at night!This was one of the many cherry blossom trees located throughout the park!Can you tell which one was excited to go on the roller coaster - hint, hint - it was definitely not Eens!!

The boys and I took the train while El and Danny were on Big Thunder Mountain! They both loved it!! Now if we can only convince their daddy to take a train to travel in China!!

Our all American little girl with her foot long hot dog!!Why can't they ever smile at the same time?? Someone always has their tongue out!!

Throughout the park there were eggs decorated as the different characters for the Easter celebration!

One of Coop's favorite rides - the "rocket ships" as he called it!!
Danny eating a pizza spring roll - it may sound strange, but it was good!!
The little monkeys were finally trapped!!
One of El's favorite rides, Roger Rabbit Spinning Cars.

The characters walked freely through the park and they even rode some of the rides! It was fun to watch them!!

Four Disney Parks down, one to go!! Paris here we come (although I'm not sure when!!!)!

The Hard Part of Being on the Other Side of the World

This past week the kids were on spring break (it must seem that our kids are never in school, but they really do go and learn a tremendous amount!!) so Danny and I decided to take them to Tokyo, Japan. We both really wanted to go to Japan and since Tokyo Disney is there, it was an easy decision.

Danny had told me early on that his international cell phone would not work in Japan and we didn't think to leave any of our trip plans with our parents - we seem to be on the go so much, that we just don't do that anymore. We knew we could access our e-mail, so we went on our merry way. On Friday morning we were checking our e-mails simultaneously and read an e-mail from Danny's dad that his mom had had emergency surgery. Thankfully for Skype we were able to contact Danny's brother and eventually his dad. They gave us all the information they could and reassured us that his mom was going to be fine. When you are on the other side of the world when something like this happens, you feel utterly helpless. All we wanted at that moment was to go home and be with his mom and see for ourselves that she was doing as well as could be expected, but we couldn't. And of course, we believed his family, but we have found from both sides of our family, that sometimes we are not given the full story because we are so far away and they don't want to worry us.

When Danny and I made the decision to come overseas we came knowing our priority was family. This priority has not changed, so today Danny got on a plane to go and see his mom and dad. I am so thankful to have a husband who knows what is important in life. He makes me so proud and I know his mom is secretly tickled that he is coming!!

As far as I know, his mom is doing well, but still in the hospital. We are hopeful that she will be released in the next day or two. I'm sure Danny will feel so much better when he can give her a big hug and help with anything they need! (Mom S. - the kids and I are sending big hugs to you too!!) Now we just have to pray for her recovery so she can be prepared for the craziness this summer!!

Singing in the Rain!!

In hopes that we can get some rainfall soon - I think it has been 3 weeks and counting with no precipitation, I thought I would share a part of the children's assembly at school!! Click on the link below...

Singing in the Rain

Birthdays are not so bad!!

I never make a big deal over my own birthday - when it is the kids' birthday or Danny's I like to spoil them rotten, but for my own, I prefer a nice quiet affair!! I lucked out this year and my big day fell over spring break, so almost everyone was gone except a couple of very dear friends! The kids and I went to the People's Park with them in the morning to enjoy a beautiful day and then had a nice leisurely lunch where the mommies played on our i-phones and the kids played in the playroom - we were all happy!!

Just had to post this picture - you never know what you will see walking through a local park!!

Later in the day, the kids and I met Danny at the new Italian restuarant, Prego, at the Westin! All I can say is that I think it was the best food we have eaten since we have been in China!! Who knew you could get excellent quality Italian food in Tianjin!! We only had one spill and one minor meltdown - I think good behavior was part of my gift from the kids! And, thanks to our very good friend, I even got a special cake!! It was the perfect end to a wonderful day!

The cards, gifts, and messages from all of my loved ones also made it even more special - thank you for thinking of me!!

Happy Easter!!

I can't believe we have spent yet another holiday away from our family in the US! You would think that it gets easier, but really the only easy thing is that we are sleeping when our family is together, so we can pretend it doesn't happen! I know it is sad, but never as I was growing up did I imagine being apart from my family for so many holidays.

I try to make the holidays as fun for the kids as I can, so when Eensie requested homemade Swedish pancakes with Nutella for our Easter morning breakfast, I attempted to honor his request and was pleasantly surprised at how well they turned out! This may be a new Easter morning tradition, but when we get back to the US we'll have to go to the late church service because they take a bit of time to make!!

We did really make the best of our situation, and our Easter turned into a wonderful celebration with dear friends!! Danny and I attempted our first uncooked ham (it was a 10 pounder!) and it was a huge success! My "meat man" kept warning me not to cook it too long or it would dry out and then my mom kept telling me to make sure I cooked it enough so it didn't make people sick! It came out just right at the correct temperature and very juicy! Nobody has gotten sick and it is now Wednesday, so I will declare it a success! We asked everyone to bring a dish that they would typically eat in their home countries for Easter, so everyone had a taste of home! There was sooooo much food and it was all delicious! I think we all ate leftovers for the past two days!! The only disappointment was my lemon pudding cake! I did not set it flat in the fridge and it kind of fell apart!! Oh well, it still tasted good!! Notice the chopstick holding it together - so thankful for clever friends!!

We were fortunate with beautiful weather, so we were able to do our egg hunt outside! Most of the kids had never seen plastic eggs - can you imagine?!! They usually use real hard boiled eggs and hide those! We let the littlest children start first and then the oldest finished so they could find the really hard ones! I loved watching the kids get so excited when they found special eggs!!

We all really enjoyed ourselves and were once again reminded of how fortunate we are to have found such beautiful friendships on the other side of the world!

Our attempt at a family picture - it took a bit of bribery, but at least we are all looking!!