11/30/08
73:
We enjoyed Thanksgiving yesterday (Saturday.) Since the school is "International", not "American" they don't celebrate strictly American holidays. In fact - Christmas is grouped in with other "Winter Holidays" which is actually fine with me because at least they acknowledge it instead of trying to make The December break only about snowflakes. It gives a nice to learn about the other celebrations while being given the opportunity to enjoy Christmas without being afraid of a reprimand for saying such a Christian word.
Anyway ... this year it worked out quite well to have Thanksgiving Saturday because it made Thursday ThanksforDanny day...the second time since he was born that his birthday was on Thanksgiving Day. Still a regular school and work day. His choice for dinner was the ever-popular MaiDongLau (McDonald's) and it was a perfect day for it -- we were the only westerners there on Thanksgiving night. (For our little portion of the night, anyway.) His party will be this Saturday since last Saturday was not only Thanksgiving, but the party of another friend. Lots of boys coming our way. We've got a slight Star Wars theme going, but stopped short of inviting the kids to dress as though it were a convention. I figure two light sabers in a house of 15 boys ages 3.5 - 9 is just plenty.
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11/16/08
73:
I lie to my doctors. Ok - not so much my doctors as the nurses who take all the info for the doctor. And it isn't so much lying as answering with less than full-disclosure and in a way that gives the information they're really looking for without a load of unimportant nonsense to wade through. Maybe it isn't lying really, but, after 35 years of being relatively healthy and more or less learning to speak English, answering the way the common, unattached, not so lucky individual might think to answer seems to be the way to go. For example: The nurse asks if there is anything in my family history. Well - of course there is!! We have an interesting and varied history. We've had people cross the plains...not to mention oceans and cultures. We've had people live overseas for numerous reasons. We've got doctors, teachers, lawyers, moms, chefs, researchers, military personnel, people in the film industry, engineers, artists, tour guides, you name it. But, oh - the nurse is just asking about MEDICAL history ... of my immediate family. Many common, unattached, not so lucky folks don't even know the professions (or the names and medical histories) of their cousins, second cousins, great-grandparents, etc....they may not even know that they have some of them. So I just tell the nurse "no." I don't think that she really cares today that one grandfather was diabetic. That there's heart disease at old ages, that one aunt had a hideously placed blood clot, that there's Alzheimer?s or gestational diabetes or C-Dif or that a sister had high blood pressure in grade-school. I don't think that she even cares that I had mono in high school or a broken collar bone at birth or that I've been rejected at the blood bank for low iron. I don't tell them that my kids have mild PKU - most of the medical staff don't realize that you can have such a mild form and it just makes them unsure of what to do next. (Nothing special.) I'm most likely not going to have any of those things show up at my check-up this week and I'm a responsible adult who will show up for my check-up at the next scheduled interval ... when I'll probably lie again if things look and feel normal. When we return to the States (and native English speaking nurses) I may get more forthcoming with my answers. As for now - NO, you don't need to go look up the translation for "my cousin has high cholesterol." There is no family history.
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11/9/08
73:
Ichobod ..... Not a good sleeper.
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11/2/08
73:
We enjoyed a fine night of trick-or-treating here on Saturday. Yes, yes. Halloween was Friday, but out compound always hosts the festivities on a Saturday. I hear that there's always a group in the good old USA that pushes for this, but I quite enjoy the spookiness of October 31 myself. Anyway. We invited some friends from across town to join us with their seven year old since the expat communities are pretty much the only crazies participating in this wonderful holiday and we enjoyed the haunted house (bloody and gore...but with the light on and not many creepy hosts until 5:30 so that the younger crowd can partake...sponsored (I think) by the Marines, which is fun) and merry making. Mr. 73 and Ichobod stayed home to answer the door while the three visitors and I (along with Danny and Thomas) made the rounds looking for lighted porches and photocopied bats indicating participating houses. Our homebodies estimate that we passed out to about 300 spooks, ghouls, super-heroes, etc. Out kids used their Aunt 75 bags and were quite pleased with their haul. I'm quite please too, since they felt that they had really made a super-duper collection with the bags only about 1/3 full. Hope you enjoy the posted picture of the adults' favorite collection of the night...can you make out the small print in the top right corner? "Funny Nipple Pop." Mmmmmm, delicious. Mr. 73 assures me that the real translation of the characters could be "Cool Mouth Candy," but you've got to love the words someone chose instead. Just let us know if any of you would like us to bring any sharp fanged, purple lips for your nipples this summer.
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10/26/08
73:
First of all - let me apologize for being a complete and total slacker. Since we have adopted my suggestion of having a designated day I've taken a dive right off the posting wagon. I renew my pledge to a weekly post and ask you to scroll down for back-posts over the coming weeks. I plan to get caught up...actually took some pics on outings planning to tell you about them. Anyway...
Today I'll just tell you how funny it is when mistakes turn good. This isn't actually any big deal ... just a recipe, mundane, really.
I took BLT dip (cream cheese, bacon, celery, tomato, and ranch dressing) with crackers as my contribution to the after meeting refreshments table at a meeting tonight. Mr.73 had a work engagement and left the house just as I was jumping in the shower to get ready for my departure. This is just to tell you that not only was I trying to get my dip ready, but also trying to get myself ready, the boys ready for a sitter, and the sitter informed about tonight's specifics when I was supposed to be ALREADY ready. Par for the course for any mom, really. Anyway ... about half way through the meeting I realized that my BLT dip - which was sitting on the refreshment table, supposedly ready to go - was completely and utterly lacking the bacon (the entire B of BLT). No big deal, but so funny that I got more "Oooohh, delicious!" comments tonight than almost ever before on this recipe. Hmmmm. LT dip, anyone?
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| 9/14/08
73:
Hmmmm - Yummy -- "Ctanulated Sugar"
I can see how it happened. Can I get an editing job, please?
Also worthy to note: An "institution pack" sugar bag is the 1 kilo size. That's about 2 lbs, folks.
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9/6/08
73:
School is in full swing. Danny (Kinder) gets on the bus at 7:50 and gets off at 3:55. Thomas and I ride to his pre-K in a neighboring compound for school to start at 9 and I pick him up at 12. It has been fun to have some time with just Ichobod. Also nice that pre-K only runs four days a week. (One of the only programs we could find for a three year old that wasn't M-F all day long) Teacher Maggie is moving back to the US next year so we'll have to decide whether to go full-day right away or start with 5-day half-day and add afternoons after Christmas like we did with Danny.
Danny LOVES his teacher, classroom, playground, school, all of it. With the exception of getting up in the morning, but actually, even that is getting better now that we've had an eight o'clock lights out for two weeks running. We all get Monday off for Mid-Autumn festival - Mr.73 included! Fortunately Monday has an odd date and we'll be able to drive our can which has an odd-number ending plate.
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8/31/08
73:
Argggh - Recipe called fro Ricotta. I broke down and used cottage cheese. (Everyone uses that instead because its so much cheaper, right?) Well - it worked out....the triple-cheese-stuffed-chicked breasts were passable .... and it is true that cottage cheese is "more affordable" even in China (a non-cheese eating population). So - luckily there was cottage cheese in stock - for the oh-so-easy-on-the-wallet price of $8.18. Hopefully someone like 85 put at least six hours into getting the cottage cheese shipment to China. That way I can feel like my money's at least going toward a worthy cause.
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8/24/08
73:
I've been thinking lately about how great it is to be three.
You can request hot dogs for lunch - - not to mention breakfast and dinner -- and although you may not get them, no one thinks you're crazy, just cute and opinionated. You can sleep in because you're not yet in school --- or work --- or school doesn't start until 9 or so. You get a special seat in the car that hardly ever gets called by anyone else. If you want a snuggle you can just crawl into the lap of the nearest loving adult and they'll usually LOVE that you chose THEM to cuddle you. Someone usually reminds you to go to the bathroom. If they don't and you have an accident, they take responsibility. You get an ovation when you poop. You can sing a song with all the wrong words, the wrong tune, and the wrong moves. People will be thrilled with your performance. You can fall asleep just about anywhere. You'll most likely be moved to a warm and comfy bed by one of those lovely grown-ups, but if you don't get moved (maybe the grown-ups fall asleep watching how adorable you are when you're asleep) you won't wake up with any sort of new aches and pains attributable to your wacky sleep set-up. On the other hand ... You think monsters are real, it turns out hot dogs are not an acceptable primary nutrition source, and the person making you shampoo your hair often forgets the washcloth to cover your eyes.
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| Photo: AP |
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| 8/17/08
73:
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I have the stubbed toe of a lifetime. At least I hope that it's only once in a lifetime. We were headed out the door on Thursday to attend an Olympic whitewater event (SO FUN!!) with friends, but Danny and his friend were hanging on the back patio apparently oblivious to all parents' calls to get in the van NOW. I came through the house in order to get their attention in a more face to face manner and accomplished this task. HOWEVER, it was raining (the event ended up postponed to the next day, but not until we had practically exited the vehicle at the venue ... hooray for mobile phone internet access for event updates) and I had to step with bare feet onto the back patio to help the little boys empty the big ball box of water so that they could get stuff put away and make their way to the van. When I stepped back onto the sunroom floor my left foot slid/flew right into the back of a desk. OUUUUCH!!!! Even if I'd been a curser I couldn't have said anything it was so excruciating. Past yelling. Past screaming. I gasped and grimaced and "ouch, ouch, ouched", but couldn't even really cry ... although ten minutes later it still hurt so bad that I was having a hard time not experiencing eye leakage. Today (and every day since then) pretty much my entire big toenail is dark purple including a bit of the cuticle and I'm sure it will be until it grows out or falls off. The whole thing is still swollen; makes my right big toe seem downright petite. I'd send a picture, but it probably would be gross and still fail to convey the real level of discomfort. I can't really walk on it - if it was winter I'd be in real trouble, but thank heavens for flip-flop season - and have now developed some sore leg muscles due to my adjusted gait. I keep thinking of Dad heating up a paper clip with a propane torch and burning a hole through his fingernail to relieve some pressure from a bad pounding. As a kid I couldn't believe he did that, but now I'm looking for the torch.
Speaking of the torch ... We were unable to obtain any of our own Oly tix, but have been lucky enough to enjoy extra tickets of friends and have enjoyed events that I never would have thought to try for. Mr. 73 and Danny enjoyed an evening of fencing with friends. Anything that can be imagined into a light saber is, of course, a big hit. On Friday afternoon all five of us ended up at the rescheduled canoe/kayak venue where we saw the medal heats of men's double and women's single slalom events. It was pretty neat. We got there just at the end of the men's single prelim heats as a Chinese guy was in the middle of his run and it was so fun to be in the midst of all of the Chinese people cheering him on. Can't even imagine how it would be to be there in real life when one of their countrymen wins a gold. Obviously, Go USA, but SO FUN to be here enjoying their moment in the sun, too.
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| 7/27/08
73:
We've got two weeks to go and we're pretty much done with our travel until the Long Flight. Sorry we've been away from internet access more than I expected. And, to be honest, the times that we've had it I haven't always remembered everything on my "next time I get to the internet" list. Anyway - my kids are troopers. I can't believe that they're still as pleasant as they have been ... especially after five weeks of touring around. They don't know which end is up. We visited our old town last weekend and I took the chance to drop the boys off and take a mom's night out with my friends. When we pulled into the babysitter's driveway Thomas asked "What happens at this place?" Didn't turn his head with the question or the answer. Didn't comment on how he liked the plan. No emotion. No anxiety. Just give me the facts about yet another destination.
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6/29/08
73:
Danny, Thomas, and Ichobod couldn't have been better travelers. They were quiet, well-behaved, and self-entertained. Plus cute, which always makes people more patient with the odd peek into the back seat. Ichobod and Thomas are adjusting to the 13 hour time change admirably. Danny hasn't' slept AT ALL either of the two nights that we've been here. We leave for Florida today and I'm sure that he will sleep for at least a portion of the traveling. He's been pretty pleasant for a kid who doesn't sleep at night. Of course, he DID take a big nap during HIS night...taking up a big piece of his afternoon. So - he's been awake all night. Ichobod and Thomas woke up around 3:00am. This will definitely make the 5:00 departure for the airport easier.
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6/22/08
73:
FIVE days until America!!! I can almost smell the clean.
We're down to the almost out of time stage for all of the things that were still too far off before. Like packing the carry-ons. I've been waiting on that because I don't want to have things already packed that we're going to use, but now I feel a little panicked that it isn't done. Not to worry. We'll be in AMERICA!!! If we don't have what we need, at least we have store that sells whatever it is. Deodorant, Clorox Wipes, hydrocortisone, Sour Cream, books, and all at my fingertips and available to purchase at one easy checkout. Amazing. I'll never complain about waiting in line at Wal-Mart again.
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| 6/15/08
73:
Danny is five. No one ever warned me about this stage. I know about babies discovering gravity, rolling off the bed before you're ready; and learning to use their tongues by using them to push everything out of their mouths...if they're supposed to eat it. If they're supposed to play with it, then count on the tongue to reel that choke-able in. I know about toilet training, 50 lb diaper bags, and hot dogs for every lunch, dinner, snack, and yes, breakfast for weeks on end inevitably followed by weeks of "Why did you get me a HOT DOG? I HATE hot dogs! I NEVER liked hot dogs!!!!" I know about finally getting my always-running-late behind almost there twenty minutes EARLY only to be thrown up on in the car. I know about being loved "300" and "one last" book/lowee/snack/kiss/hug/glass of water.
So here's the one I wasn't prepared for...."ForEVER?!?!?!?!" This is the new standard response to just about anything.
Me: "You don't get another book. You already had an extra and it is bedtime." 5-Year Old: "ForEVER?!?!?!"
Me: "No more Kool-Aid." Him: "ForEVER?!?!?!"
Me: "Turn off the Wii NOW or you will not get any playing time tomorrow." Him: "ForEVER?!?!?!"
Me: "That toy is in timeout. You may not use it to hit your brother." Him: "ForEVER?!?!?!"
Half the time I can't even figure out what he's referring to because a time designation wouldn't normally be attached to the thing I request. Put on your shoes. Forever. Go to the bathroom. Forever. Finish your dinner. Forever. Put your clothes in the laundry. Forever.
Me: "Get on your bike. We have to leave for school NOW." Danny: "ForEVER?!?!?!" Me: "YES, FOREVER!!!!"
I know that it is all part of learning about time and space and life and the world, but my GoodNESS!!! We've had a few discussions about what forEVER is and how it annoys people, namely MOMMY, when you ask it all the time. We've had a few laughs about things going on forever. I think he's actually getting the concept under his belt and I've only got him to thank for letting me in on the secret of what I'm in for in another two years, and probably again two years after that. Who knows, maybe they'll learn from each other. But you know, pretty soon we're going to be working on much harder concepts (No, you can't have the car keys. Yes, I would like to meet your girlfriend.) And I'm just glad that I get to have this great person to learn about the world with me....FOREVER!
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| 6/8/08
73:
Here's a quick Thomasism for you.
"Mommy. I'm thinking that we should go to the ice cream shop (McDonald's) 'cause I'm thinking that I want to have some ice cream. You know....ice cream in a pine cone with the circles and squares at the bottom. Ok. Let's go, Mommy."
The first time he asked for a "pine cone" it took us a few minutes to figure out what he really wanted. The description actually helped quite a bit since the bottom of yucky non-sugar cones is usually round and when you eat the ice cream you find those squarish compartments on the inside of the bottom of the cone. Can't wait for you to see how he talks with his hands and cocks his head to the side as if he is just now having a non-pre-meditated ice cream idea. Sometimes he even holds up one finger in an "a-ha!!!"
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| 6/1/08
73:
Things are coming to a close here. Some schools will be finished in two weeks...those kids have already had their final exams a la HHS...If you're already passing you don't have to take the thing. We've still got four weeks. British school and others on similar curriculum are also going through the end of June. It is pretty funny living in a place where EVERYONE is passing through. Lots of our friends are moving out...just about every street already has at least one relocation van. Our across-the-street neighbors are being packed out now and we are enjoying their toy deprived (all packed) kids at our toy rich house. I've realized that we need to start soaking in the great China stuff because this year has actually flown by and we've only got three to go. Book your tickets now!! We're almost done!!!!
(75, I actually tried to find some sort of trans-Pacific cruise for you so that you could avoid the plane cabin, but had no luck. Maybe a ship would be worse than an airplane...water is pretty creepy stuff sometimes. How can i feel more secure flying through the air than I do bobbing along on the water? Anyway - even if we did find a ship for you to avoid the flight the to-and-from would take longer than you would want to allocate to the whole trip anyway. We've found some delicious restaurants and we're not exactly living on top of people out here in the suburbs in case either of those are good selling points for you. The rest of you...get your butts over here! Hopefully prices will go down again after the Olympics are totally done. We'll see you in America soon ... plan for us to beg in person for you to visit.)
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5/19/08
73:
It's actually Monday, not Sunday.
One week ago today was the earthquake in Sichuan. Today at 2:28 pm we stopped our tennis match and went to a television where we watched images of people around China during three minutes of silence. Much of the television programming has been suspended for the next three days as a show of sympathy for those most affected by the disaster. As we watched the live broadcast we could hear the sirens nearby as well as the blaring of sirens and vehicle horns on the television. This for three minutes, then utter silence. It was horrible. Sad. Devastating. Lonely.
Yesterday at church the lady giving the opening prayer prayed for those hit by the recent cyclone and the earthquake. She asked for comfort to the parents who "lost their child." Someone later on pointed out that he had noticed her wording. In a nation of one-child families there seems to be an added dimension of grief and despair.
I keep thinking now of how fast it all happened and can't dwell on it because it would be crushing and all-encompassing. My still perfect, unblemished baby asleep in his bed just feet away could be lost to us. His loving, kind, older-brother delivered by two-minute bike ride to school could disappear. My funny, bright, his-very-own-person middle son could be getting his own glass of water and in an instant be lost for a lifetime. It is impossible to imagine, yet thousands are experiencing it now. I can only be more grateful for my three happy, healthy children. Grateful for our time together and the blessed opportunity that I have to be their mother. Grateful for each nap, bike ride, and glass of water that we share.
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5/11/08
73:
One reason to love living in China: $5.30 (US)
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5/4/08
73:
We went to the Old Summer Palace during the May 1st Holiday. Same place the boys and I went last October with a bunch of friends. Mr. 73 was out of town that trip, so this time was his first visit there. It was a pleasant day...not too hot. A bit polluted, but what else is new. I finally figured out about half-way through our day that part of the super thick air in some of our pics was actually a finger smudge on the camera lens. Some of it really WAS pollution, but we've read that most ex-pats aren't here long enough for the air to do lasting damage. Hopefully it is true.
The grounds are HUGE with lots of walking paths, bridges, and gardens. You can tell that there probably used to be a lot more water, too. Still some lakes. The boys love the place because there are old ruins from various building and they are allowed to climb on and explore just about everything. Stuff that would have fences and sings in the US is open for jungle gymning. We had a good time and I was finally able to get a split pants picture for you all. Split pants seem to be the Chinese answer to potty training. Why bother with pulling pants up and down when you could just leave a seam wide open from belt buckle to back belt loop? It always "cracks" us up when we see local kids dressed for winter in layer upon layer of padded, quilted, character adorned snow suits....with their bums showing through the split. Hmmm, of all the areas you would want to protect from the elements. During the winter it is cold enough that there was often a diaper instead of skin showing through the split, but now with the weather warming up the kids have lost a few layers and I think that the layer closest to the skin must have been the first to go. One Chinese friend explained that they don't think it is healthy for the kids to have the diaper on, especially once it does its job. We wholeheartedly agree that your skin takes a beating when sitting for any amount of time in a dirty or wet diaper, but we're wondering if maybe letting everything out to wherever is convenient in the public domain is maybe a little more unhealthy. Oh well. We knew where we were moving when we got on the plane. And hey, We've got Purell.
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| 5/1/08
73:
Happy May Day, everyone. Consider this to be flowers left on your doorstep.
We left our master bathroom window partially open yesterday and woke up in the middle of the night being eaten alive. We closed the window and plugged in all of our mosquito repellent cards from last summer. Why are mosquitoes allowed to exist? They should either be allowed to get our blood without leaving the giant, itching welt of a bite behind or be big enough to notice so that you can kill each and every one of them on the spot. Now I'm using hydrocortisone like it is lotion.
Ichobod's four month check-up was today. He can't be immunized for another lifetime (at eight months), but Danny and Thomas got their Japanese Encephalitis (incurable disease spread by mosquitoes) shots today. Hope that you're all sufficiently protected from the ravenous little beasts. (The bugs, not my kids.) There's no way you're going to avoid them this summer unless you live in Utah or Colorado or Montana or Texas or something. As of today we're coming next month!! Hooray!!!!)
PS - Crystal Gayle is apparently a fine example of a difference in pop culture knowledge associated with our ages that I never would have guessed. Hilarious.
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4/25/08
73:
So, one of the tasks this summer is to do school/church/play/random clothes and shoe shopping for each person in our household. Tons of clothes are made here, but I'm just not excited for bargaining in order to get the lower quality version retained in country when I could get the better or same version in the States on sale or clearance for cheaper than my final bargain price. Anyway, I've been taking mental notes and although I'll make individual trips with each child and have that child try things on as we go I want to have a general idea of what sized to start with. Danny is still wearing a few size 4 tops. Pants were size 5, but all of his new stuff (Easter, Christmas, and birthday) is size 6 and fits quite comfortably. I've been excites for 6x because I have fond memories of some favorite dresses being that size. Maybe for boys this size isn't such a big deal. I know it won't be for my guy since my understanding of 6x is that it exists because it is between size 6 and size 7 that most kids need the extra width long before they need the extra height. Hence the 6x in between stage. (even though when I looked up the size definition online there was one random person who explained the size as an adult XXXXXXL. Idiot.) I think that we'll be skipping that "no extra length necessary" step.
Interesting aside: although Danny is probably the tallest in his current class he's also the oldest. I think it is interesting that the kids closest to his size (actually quite close) are also the kids closest to his coloring/heritage/race. Hmmm. Maybe we really are Nordic giants.
PS: These are Buzz Lightyear pants. They have a matching jacket. ("My friends will think they're SO cool!!!")
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| 4/16/08
73:
We usually pick out clothes for school, church, anything to happen the next day before noon, the night before as part of the pajama routine. (Thanks 75!) The other day I forgot. Not to worry, Danny has been waking up a bit early in a self-motivated effort to get to school on time...or maybe to NOT have a crazy mom. Anyway, I was a little worried that the clothes picking out would put us way over budget on time but I was wrong. When your Buzz Lightyear sweatshirt is one of the choices presented then it is not at all difficult to decide quickly. Okay, Buzz and jeans on, cereal down the hatch, sandwich made, ayi onhand, Danny and I are off on bicycles. He pedaled off a few feet before I did, so I had the oh-so-lucky gift of watching my son sail smoothly down the road and I couldn't help but have a little pang of premature nostalgia.
I felt like I was twenty years down the road, watching the video of 5 year old Danny in my head. Feeling the chilly, perfect weather. Smelling the wet pavement. Seeing that perfect little boy and knowing that he will soon disappear. Not that Danny won't be around, but that the Danny of that day will change into the Danny of the next day and then the next and then the next. And one day some kid at school will tell him that something heretofore loved isn't cool, or that his favorite show is for babies, or that only little kids wear Disney shirts. Then, before I know it, he'll be off on his own. I tried right then to just soak up and savor the wobbly, but still confident bicycle push-off; the enthusiasm of his "Mom, look at me! I STOOD UP riding over the speed bump!!!!" The certainty that Buzz Lightyear is the coolest ever shirt to wear to school. ("All my friends will think I'm SO lucky!!")
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4/7/08
73:
Ichobod rocks. He gets super cranky in the late afternoon so I put him on his tummy in the main floor bassinet top of the pack and play, and he snoozes, snoozes, snoozes. Now, I know that you're supposed to put babies on their backs to sleep, but he does SO much better on his tummy! AND he actually likes tummy time! Anyway, when I go to bed around 12 or 1 I take him up with me, change his diaper, feed him, and put him in his crib. Then he snoozes, snoozes, snoozes until 6:30 or 7 am!!! He's the winningest of sleepers. Some nights he's not quite so perfect, but hey, some nights the bigs don't make it the whole time, either. May you all have babies that sleep so well.
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3/26/08
73:
Danny is on spring break right now and Mr. 73 is in the States (again.) He didn't have to be at the airport to leave until around 2 on Monday, so we went to the Blue Zoo in the morning. Basically a giant fish tank with a tunnel around the bottom so you can walk around "in" the tank. Half of the tunnel is regular floor, the other half is moving walkway. As you can see, we were one of the exhibits. Hilarious. You should have heard the uproar of excitement when we allowed Ichobod onto Danny's lap to be included in the photos. The locals were actually taking turns getting their pictures taken with our boys. Some had already done their photo, but when the baby got added, they got in line for another turn. So funny.
On the way home we stopped at a bread store to grab some lunch on the way to the airport. Mr. 73 brought out two kinds of Chinese style pig-in-a-blanket type hot dogs (actually pretty yummy) for the boys and asked if I wanted a sandwich. Suspicious of what the choices might be, I asked him "I don't know, do I?" He smiled and said "They have one that's tuna," more grinning, while he tried to act like what's coming is totally normal ... "then a layer of ham," what? tuna then ham .... wait, that might be okay "then a layer of corn." WHAT? Seriously? Corn? Wait again ... the odd meat pairing aside, this actually sounds like something that has delicious potential in an American casserole. Hmmmm, "okay, I'll try it." He had them warm it up and it was good. Like, good enough to have again. On purpose. Hooray!!!! I found a food that normal Chinese people eat that is yummy. I don't have to feel like they must have genetically altered (and faulty) taste buds anymore. Note that if you go to the bread store and discover that you're not hungry for a sandwich there's a handy alternative way to spend your lunch hour right next door.
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| 3/20/08
73:
Its hard to do even simple things like choose & buy toilet paper when you're illiterate. Here's the package from what I chose. I'm thinking its three-ply, but can't tell you anything else about why I chose it. Apparently it is in possession of at least three selling points, so I guess it must be good stuff. There are twelve rolls in the package and each roll must have 140 of something, 112mm of something and 100mm of something else...or maybe that's the numbers for the whole package together, I can choose toilet paper illiterately for four years. Can't imagine making my way through life in my home county without being able to read things as mundane as toilet paper packaging, not to mention billboards, bumper stickers, graffiti, and sidewalk adverts but I guess that people do it.
For now I'll try to become a better Chinese speaker...the characters are just too much, but I would like to help people learn to read when we move to English speaking again. (Do people who make it through high school without being able to read feel that our 26 letters and their combinations are as utterly and overwhelmingly impossible as I feel characters are?) Whether its story time for two-year olds, parent volunteer at elementary school, or library tutoring sessions for adults...people need the skills to know the merits of what they're using to wipe.
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3/14/08
73:
I got permission from my friend, H, to share a of her experience last weekend. I hope that those of you NOT living in China can have as good a laugh as we did here.
| This last weekend I attended a conference in Hong Kong.
I have done China, so I can do China with a Western flair, at least that is the impression I have of Hong Kong. I would be travelling with six-month old Baby T (read: stroller, diaper bag, luggage, junk…wailing baby), but still, shouldn’t be a problem.
I would arrive early, a day before the conference started, and didn’t have concrete plans but figured I could handle that with the amount of time available.
Beijing to Hong Kong is considered an international flight. Instead of paying that international air fare, I purchased a domestic ticket to Shenzhen, where I could then bus into H.K. I would be able to figure all that out once I arrived.
On a 3-hour layover in Shanghai I had to find a way to escape the grasping fingers reaching for Baby T in every aisle we walked through. I was thrilled to see a sing that had a baby bottle on it. Finally, some concession to Western culture. I opened the door to the Mother’s Lounge and had to step back, to allow some of the smoke to clear. As the room became visible I counted 15 airport employees sitting, standing, talking, texting, eating, and smoking in the tiny space. The looker at me and scattered, leaving only five of us in the room. One lady continued to eat her lunch on the changing table, staring at me as I began to cover another with paper towels. I am sure she was wondering what I was doing to her lunch table (please read: only the second changing table I have seen in China). I stayed only long enough to clean up Baby T. We booked it out of there.
Once in Shenzhen I found my luggage and booked a ticket for the bus to Hong Kong. Three different people looked at this ticket: the issuer, another standing directly to his side who tore it in half, then the third who walked me the ten steps to the waiting lounge.
I got on the bus, sat down, felt to soft cushions of the leather seats. Ooohh. Not what I’m used to. Add to that, PALM TREES out the window! It was beautiful.
We stopped at Immigration, no line. The bus driver even helped me with the bags. The Official flipped through my passport, then Baby T’s, then mine, then T’s again. “Where is his visa?” He doesn’t have one. I was going to get it in Hong Kong. The Official called over another Official. “No visa for the baby?” No. “Was the baby born in China?” Yes. Why does he need a visa? They asked if I spoke Chinese. No, not really. I heard them say “American” and several other words, then they got a few more Officials involved. “You must have a visa for the baby.” WHY?!?!? “You must have a visa to leave the country.”
This is where I got mad. But we aren’t leaving the county. Hong Kong and China are the same country now.” This got me stifled smiles. “Yes, but you still need a visa.” But I’m not leaving the country! Someone gave the typical explanation: One country, two systems. I’ve heard it a million times. I hoped I could change their minds. Yeah, nice, but it didn’t help. I was stranded in southern China with no cell phone, nowhere to go, and not a whole lot of money to do it with. What am I supposed to do? “Maybe you can go back to Beijing and get him a visa.” That won’t help. My conference starts tomorrow. I have to be in Hong Kong. They suggested I try to get a visa. It took a week just to get mine.
I was instructed to ask for an expedited visa. They said that might work. I asked for the address, which was provided with the added note that the office would have just closed for the day. “Do you have any friends you can stay with?” Yeah. Do I look like I have friends in a city I have never in my life been to, in a foreign country? I simply said Yes, in Beijing. The Immigration Officials suggested I find a hotel near the visa office so I could be there first thing in the morning. Thanks.
I got a taxi. At least that was something I could do without help. As crazy as it seemed, I actually felt at home when I got in the taxi. I could even communicate with the driver. He took me past the visa office, then on to a hotel resembling The Ritz. Too expensive. He dropped me in front of what looked like an office building, but had a sing in the window stating it was a hotel. It turned out to be decent.
I didn’t’ sleep well, afraid of missing my early visit to the visa office.
After waiting for an hour I was told Baby T could not get a visa because he didn’t have a birth certificate. The man told me he needed to be able to verify that he was my son. “You can go to Hong Kong, just not your baby.” Blank stare. He suggested I leave my baby with a friend here in Shenzhen. We already went through this at Immigration. But my mind was churning.
We have some friends in the States coming to visit in a few weeks. Their first stop is to be in Shenzhen to visit other friends of theirs. Several phone calls later “Linda,” a girl I have never met and am forever indebted to, sent her driver to pick me up. She arranged an escort to take me into Hong Kong and folded Baby T into her household of three children for the day.
Details of Hong Kong will be foregone, but lets just say Hong Kong is awesome! It is a beautiful, modern city with Asian flare, and everyone speaks English.
Exhausted by a long day, I drifted off to sleep on the 75 minute ride back to Shenzhen to pick up my baby.
It was weird to “come home” to Beijing, but it felt great and I love it. I really love Beijing. The rest of China, maybe not so much.
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| I don't care what the bureaucrats say; Hong Kong is TOTALLY part of China. |
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3/3/08
73:
The weather is pretty nice here. I'm wearing a pink t-shirt and had a brown sweater over the top of it, but got rid of the sweater for Ichobod's last meal. I was okay for awhile, but really, long sleeves are still a bit more comfy. Especially since I've got some windows open. I didn't want to go for the whole warm sweater again, but instead grabbed one of Mr. 73's old work oxfords from the hall closet upstairs. Its a gray and white striped button down. So, as I'm imagining adding this gray shirt to the pink one already on my body, what's the first thing that comes to mind? The eighties. Hometown Intermediate School gymnasium. Velcro, super-cool, I'm-so-glad-I'll-never-grow-out-of-'em, pink & gray Kangaroos. The zipper pocket was just big enough to hold maybe $1 in quarters. Maybe juts $.50 I can't remember. I was not a fan of Velcro shoes, but being Kangaroos made up for it. And they were the prettiest, coolest, most hip pair imaginable. I thought that I'd look them up and include a picture of this blast from the past, but instead found that they're still in business making new, updated, uber-cool, NON-Velcro, not-even-obviously-pocketed Kangaroos. Here's what might make me feel like a queen if sixth grade happened to me now instead of before. Its my shoes, but not quite so ninetyfied. Check them out for yourself ... casuals, flip-flops, running shoes, platform sandals, you name it. Choice. Awesome. Chawsome. |
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2/20/08
73:
I've been living in one actual nursing bra - now on its third child - that got left out of the maternity box because it was in the wash or something when I put the rest away in the attic when Thomas finished up two years ago. I save it for days I know that I'll be in not-so-easy public places during meal times. The rest of the days have been supported by sports bras with bands stretchy enough to lift up --- this usually means a lot more exposure so doesn't lend itself well to cold outdoor situations or places where there will be lots of paparazzi. Anyway - - Ichobod and I, on a diaper stocking-up trip, checked out the local Wal-Mart for the first time since our relocation and discovered that they had a lovely bra department. There is a lot of talk here about westerners having difficulty finding bras big enough for us, so I've been quite skeptical of finding a bra big enough for a westerner AND equipped with nursing flaps. Hallelujah!!! It really wasn't that tough. There were rows and rows of Wal-Mart style aisles with underwear and bras, but there was also an almost boutique type corner with an actual attendant ... dressed not in a blue or red vest, but a nice suit. I pointed at the hook and eye of my shoulder strap (I'd been to a parent meeting at Danny's school that morning, so was wearing the one and only real deal), then pointed at Ichobod and used two of my twenty or so Chinese words: "Ta chi" (sounds like chur) = "He eat" in English. She figured it out immediately, showed me exactly what I was looking for, measured me when I pantomimed that I didn't know my size (I know my size, but have no idea how it would translate metrically or even if they use the same sizing system), opened a drawer to retrieve the non-display model, provided a dressing room so that I could try the thing on, and stood watch over sleeping Ichobod while I tried it out. Hooray!!!! I paid a little more than I would have at home, but really not more that lots of people pay ... about $25 ... and can now go out in public two days in a row. Hooray for Wal-Mart!!!
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2/14/08
73:
We enjoyed Chinese New Year over the last week. Today is Danny's first day back at school, Mr. 73 returned to work yesterday. On Saturday we went to a Temple Fair at the Temple of Earth. I'm sure that there must have been performances, etc. going on, but we didn't see any of them. We pretty much just made our way through the throngs of people, enjoyed the "fake baby" (what other kind of baby would people possibly be willing to take outside when it was that little?) diagnoses pronounced upon Ichobod, bought hot dogs on sticks to the two big little boys, threw away fat (advertised as chicken) on a stick that we had bought ourselves, took a picture, and made our way home. I'm on the lookout for a good split pants picture of a Chinese toddler to share with you ... saw one there, but couldn't get a good shot. I think that its pretty funny that we get chastised for having our little bitty baby out in the cold - you can never be bundled enough - but we see Chinese kids wrapped up a la the little brother who can't bend his limbs in "Christmas Story" and then you see the little Chinese bum sticking out of the snowsuit split pants. I understand that its nice to potty train younger than I have and that diapers are expensive, it just seems like if you're going to bundle everything up that the bum and associated neighbors would receive similar treatment. Cracks us up every time we see one of those cracks hanging out.
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2/8/08
73:
Danny had apples for an after school snack the other day. They were tasty, but they reminded him of the apples that he had the previous week at his friend's house. "Oh, yeah" he said "we had apples at Wilma's house the other day and they had this red stuff on the side that was really yummy." Yep - I'd consider that a hearty recommendation to stop peeling the apples for him. I tried this and apparently the "red stuff" on the edges of our apples is not quite as delicious as at Wilma's house. The only reason I ever peeled fruit (or cut off sandwich crust) is that my kids would choke on it if I left it on. Once Danny's teeth were adept at preventing choking hazards from entering his throat we had Thomas to think about so I just kept peeling. Once the mouth was good at eating bread crust, the mouth's owner had clued in that the crust might be a little different and just eats everything but the crust - which would be fine except that I can cut off a tiny strip of crust leaving most of the sandwich to be consumed or I can let little kids eat "up to the crust" which is invariably still attached to about 3/4" of good, soft sandwich bread. Don't know why I'm really concerned about Danny getting enough healthy bread anyway ... the inerds of the sandwich are always peanut butter and chocolate, not the healthiest health kick we've ever been on. So - -- short story ... I hope that all of you have yummy apples and that your ayi's know the recipe for the delicious red stuff that goes on the outside of them.
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1/31/08
73:
I was sitting in the family room the other day, quietly feeding Ichobod when Thomas walked through doing his own thing. Danny was at school. DunSarah was upstairs cleaning or something. Thomas looked around at the stuff on the little round table in the family room and (not talking to me, just going about his business) says "phone, shet" and moves on. WHAT?!? I can honestly say that he's not heard anything like that in our house. If DunSarah uses any unsavory interjections or oral coping mechanisms, which I highly doubt, Thomas would be repeating some foreign lingo and I would probably have no idea. Well, I was glad that I didn't quickly correct the potty mouth because I realized seconds later as he went on with his agenda that he was actually taking note of where things were...you know more along the lines of where's the phone? I need the phone ... oh, there it is ... "phone, CHECK" next he may have said "jacket, check. keys, check. chocolate chips, check. okay - got everything we need, lets hit the road."
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1/18/08
73:
Okay - first of all you must all try the chocolate cake recipe on the Hershey's Cocoa container ... "Perfectly Chocolately Chocolate Cake" or something like that ... it is SO good! Moist, gooey, chocolately goodness. Especially if you don't have 75 in your neck of the woods. This recipe is DELICIOUS and super-uber easy. We had cupcakes made from this recipe at a friend's birthday party a few weeks ago and I've been meaning to try it out as an actual cake since then. This weekend I did. Usually when we have cake around here we end up throwing out the last few dried-out, unclaimed pieces but not this time. We've got one piece left and I'm contemplating going in to make another cake right now so that when the last piece is gone (probably in about 15 minutes) we'll have something on deck to take its place. I haven't tried the frosting recipe on the box - just used some milk chocolate pre-made stuff. Did I say DELICIOUS?!?!?!
Our big outing today was to the "wet market." I don't know why its called a wet market. It isn't wet. HOORAY for no bargaining. Ichobod stayed home with the ayi, Danny was at school, Thomas accompanied me. We were invited and driven by a friend who lives in the neighborhood. We bought a full paper-bag sized (but actually used a cloth, reusable bag) grocery sack full of carrots, mushrooms, celery, bananas, apples, and strawberries for about $5. Yummy! Now that I've been there with someone I'll be more willing to go back on my own. Of course, I need to actually start meal planning so that I'll have a shopping list for stuff like that. Better prices than our local grocery store, but definitely not close enough to visit without the car which means that we've got to plan ahead enough to have the driver come and get me. Usually the local store has decent enough prices that we don't really go anywhere else. (Not to mention the local place is the one catering to ex-pats so we're able to get things that we're more familiar with. Picking out the right rice is tough since there is a whole isle of it to choose from, but they also have a whole isle of cereals. The cereal section in the huge grocery store near Mr. 73's work where we sometimes shop is only about six cereal boxes wide, but does at least go from top to bottom. There are usually four to six choices there. We NEED a big cereal section ... since Danny only eats Trix we usually buy about four boxes at a time. They're small boxes so we go through two or three a week. We need a big cereal section to be able to re-stock. AND its nice to be able to find corn flakes every once in a while. American style Cheerios are even available at our local place, but are about $10 a box. We'll eat those during the summer.
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1/10/08
73:
Danny is now attending school all day (8:30-3:30.) The teacher called today around 1:15 to say that Danny was complaining of tiredness. She said that she wasn't suggesting I pick him up, but that she had promised to call me. Also noted to him that tomorrow is another big day and that he may want to be rested up for it. (I think that it is just another day ... no unusual plans or anything.) It sounded to me like she may have been leaning more toward the pick-him-up end of the scale than her just-calling-to-let-you-know words implied. Anyway, I'm wondering "since when do we let five-year-olds decide how long their school day (or anything else, for that matter) should be? The teacher also suggested that we choose one day a week for Danny to come home early like he used to. Keep in mind that tuition for half-days is upwards of $10,000 per year. Not that its all about money, but isn't that kind of like paying for college and then not showing up for class? We may do an early-out once a week or so. I DO think that pre-school is a little early to be gone all day ... all about preparing for international school next year. On the other hand we'll probably be back in the mid-west (where I read an article while subbing one day about how mad people were that kids weren't passing the standardized tests. As I prepared to mull over their suggestions for better preparing students for the testing I was shocked to read instead that the test should be altered so that it could be more easily passed!) for third grade, so does it really matter which school we get into here? Yes, I suppose it does as each thing we do lays a foundation for things to come. Recess at this pre-school is just BEFORE lunch and again just BEFORE pick-up - - why they have recess and don't just ask that kids be picked up 20 minutes earlier is beyond me, but I suppose that there's Montesorri research to back-up this scheduling decision. Social interaction on the playground is important, but couldn't it happen as a break in the day instead of a time-user while waiting for parents? Again, anyway .... I'm off to retrieve my oldest concoction of perfection personified. I'll get there near the beginning of recess so that if he really is uber tired he can skip out of the playground, not the classroom.
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| 12/27/07
73:
Ichobod is ten days old!!! Hooray! We're settling in nicely. Danny & Thomas are terrific as big brothers. Visiting in-laws are super helpful & pleasant to have around. Birth timing worked out perfectly for Mr. 73 to enjoy the entire holiday season at home (the office is open for business as usual since Christmas isn't really a big deal here. He still gets phone calls, but has been able to handle things from home since the day before the big arrival.) Recovery is a cinch so far and I fit into pants that I couldn't wear before the pregnancy weight loss hit last summer. Fitting into old shirts, however, is a different story. My boobs are figuring things out and the good news is that they no longer feel like giant pomelos are trying to burst through the skin. Boy, that engorgement is NOT FUN! I canNOT figure out what would possess a person to pay tons of money and go through the pain of elective surgery in order to have a bust this size, but I suppose that a silicon (or whatever) implant must be a completely different feeling than milk infusing every cell in order to disguise my normally applerific chest as a giant tropical fruit storage facility. Anyway, the dairy farm/fruit stand seems to be adjusting it's production and the customer is growing accustomed to the delivery method. Hopefully this combination of events will lead to a good enough nutritional foundation to counteract the poor air quality, etc into which we've introduced our perfect little newbie.
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12/14/07
73:
Arrgh. Mr. 73 left Wednesday and will be home late tonight (Thursday, as I'm writing) It is now 10:30pm and I've actually had some nesting instinct kick in. Just today I got the doors put on some shelving (we've been using the shelves for about two months now), the big crib set up (just the mattress and bedding to go), the pack & play set and ready (complete with the older brothers checking out how well a baby will fit into the bassinet portion by using multiple stuffed animals/dolls/whatever they could find), and a tall shelving unit put together and established in the storage/ayi room. So - - the storage shelves were the last project and they ran a bit into bedtime. We finally made it upstairs, complete with the promised ice cream to eat in the tub, and turned on the hot water. Waited for hot water. Waited. Waited. Hmmmm, still waiting. Maybe I'll try turning on the sinks and trying the other tub. Still waiting. Okay - I'll go down to get Danny's ice cream spoon since apparently I'm the only one who has location knowledge of said item even though I had already handed it over to him. Never mind - I'll find the spoon or get a new one. Got the spoon ... still no hot water. Call Customer Service at the clubhouse. By now the ice cream has been eaten, (by naked, ready to hop in the bath boys) I've given up on the bath for Danny, Thomas is almost done with his ice cream and in definite need of a bath but won't get one because even if we get hot water its just way too late by now to mess with everything involved in bathing. I clean up Thomas with baby wipes, get a diaper and pajamas on him, and the worker arrives. He checks things out and informs me (in charades plus Chinese) that we don't have a hot water problem, we have no gas. Okay. Customer Service has a solution. Just come to the clubhouse, buy a new gas card, load it with money, replace the batteries in the gas meter ("is it a special battery?" I ask. "No, just a regular size" Me: "Which size? There are many regular sizes?" CS: "Just the size 5" Me, thinking what the HECK is a size 5!?!: "Okay, I don't know what that means, so just bill us for the new batteries." When the worker replaces the batteries I discover that they are AA ... how hard is it to call them AA?), and get everything turned back on. I explain that I am home alone with two young children and will not leave them alone in the house to go buy gas. (new concept) They helpfully offer to come collect the 500 kuai (about $60) so that I won't have to leave my children alone in the house. (Hallelujah!, and actual customer service) So, I'm awfully glad that they ended up doing all of this themselves because the customer service guy (the worker didn't feel comfortable taking the money ... good for him for watching his back) has now been back three times and still can't get the card to work 1.75 hours after my initial call. They are now sending the worker back to install a whole new gas meter. I feel a little bad that it is nearly 11pm and some guy is going to be in my freezing back yard installing a gas meter, but I suppose it will be nice to have hot water, a working stove, and heat in the house over night. I'm more a fan of the monthly gas bill, myself but that's just not the way things work here ... maybe a bit like 75 having to keep an eye of the lovely oil tank in the basement? Anyway - just another Chinese lesson at the end of the day. The first few months that I was here I remember being part of a discussion about here vs home countries and one girl commented that you just can't compare the two. They are totally different and always will be. If you're always thinking about how much better some or another works in the old place, you'll never be able to enjoy the new. If you can get past the pollution, spitting, smoking, public restroom facilities, food, traffic, paparazzi, language, and trick gas meters then you'll have discovered a wonderful, enjoyable, entertaining, enriching, stimulating, nurturing new experience.
Just like anything, anywhere when its new.
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73
12/6/07
I've been waiting to set up baby stuff because we've still had quite a few weeks to go. Suddenly we've only got 1.5!!! Hooray!!! AND HOW did THAT happen? The pack & play is upstairs and ready to have the magic switch flipped that will transform it from a small, storable item to sleeping, changing, and storage quarters for an entire human being. Might set that up a few days early just to be sure every magical part is functioning after its trans-pacific voyage. Clothing needs to come out and be washed. I'm a little hesitant to do this because I'm afraid that our Asian water will turn it all dingy, but that's what we'll be using so I may as well get used to it. I read an article a few months ago where the writer talked about some of the benefits of going "home" to visit family in Europe vs. coming "home" to China to be in their own space and routine. One of the perks to the non-China home was that the jeans that she bought here and thought were one color turned out to be a much brighter, cleaner looking color after a wash or two overseas. Hmmmmm. Yep ... made me think of my white bra that is now a silvery-gray color. This didn't happen over time. It took one wash. Anyway - - - I'm excited for the new, clean clothes that I'll get in 3.5 years or so AND for the washing facilities that will be part of my own humble home. I love having all of my laundry done and put away by someone else, but part of that is due in part to the quality of the machinery and water supply here. I can just let go of the responsibility of keeping us in clean clothes, and happily embrace our Tide scent and bright colors when we return each summer. We use Tide here, but its just not the same. Anyway, our clothes ARE clean and have probably experienced the joy of being ironed more in the last six months than in their whole previous lifetimes. So, this week: sort and wash tiny clothing, set up crib, test-drive pack & play, finish Christmas set-up, get over the worst cold of my life (the only one ever to include multiple, doctor visits), and show up at the OBs office looking ready to deliver so that she'll not only agree to our date, but write it down on her calendar (last week she agreed, but didn't actually schedule.) So - put in your requests for how you receive the news. I'm not promising phone calls, but just in case there are options, you should let me know your off-limits phone hours.
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| 2007 11 22
73:
Happy Thanksgiving to all you Americans! We're not really going to mention it here. Danny has school, Mr. 73 is working out of town - will return Friday, Thomas doesn't care. To tell the truth ... none of us are all that into turkey. We're thankful, mind you, but why have your non-favorite meal just because? Plus turkey's not all that easy to find and is pretty expensive when discovered, so we may as well make our own menu....probably a nicer than usual chicken dish along with a tasty side or two on Saturday or Sunday. Might even try an apple pie. (NO pumpkin, please! And for sure NO pineapple stuffing!!!) We've been quite lucky thus far in our married life not to have had me in charge of the Thanksgiving menu. The one year we stayed at our own home was the year that Danny was born. We enjoyed turkey and potatoes in the hospital. Every other year we've been at Mom & Dad's. I don't think that I've ever even purchased turkey except as lunch meat. Anyway -- I DO hope that each of you enjoy the day and following long weekend. That your plates are filled on Thanksgiving day with your favorite traditional holiday tastes and that you've got leftovers for just the right amount of extra days. Mostly that you've each got nearby something that you're most grateful for. We're grateful for you!!!
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11/12/07
73:
Thomas is a real Chinaman. Every time we offer take-out or restaurant choices his preference is "I want to eat rice in a bowl with a spoon." I guess that he's still a bit non-Chinese. He tells us this preference in English and doesn't ask for chopsticks.
He's actually pretty specific in most of his food requests. Yesterday he was hunting for something in the snack cupboard (usually his objective is chocolate.) When I asked if I could help him find something he cocked his head to the side, placed his finger on the side of his chin and thought for a moment before replying "I'm a little bit hungry .... so I'm lookin' for somethin' that will be yummy for my mouth and my teeth and my tongue. I need to eat sometin' that will be very, very soft in my tummy." He thought a minute more, then popped his head up and moved his finger away from his face in an a-ha sort of move announcing "Maybe you coud help me find some chocolate! That would be yummy for my mouth and my teeth and my tongue and my mouth!" Nice try. I offered carrots and he actually went for it. Hooray!
In other weekend outing news: We took the boys for their first outing at a big market ... looking for dress shoes mostly, but knowing that some sort of nice-ish brown casual sneaker type would probably be the closest we could find. (We were right -- apparently little boys here just never need dress shoes.) Anyway...warned both boys to stay holding hands and not to try anything on unless Daddy or Mommy told them to. Danny was in awe of the whole place ... five foot wide aisles lined with little booths that were just packed with shoes. The salespeople stand in a little spot inside their counter reaching out with samples and yelling at you "Baby shoes!! You try these baby shoes!!!" These comments were directed at almost 5 year old Danny ... most of the Asians think that he's closer to 7 so I'm not sure when you lose your baby status here. He thought that the whole experience was pretty fun and funny. We did find shoes for both boys and they still liked them on Sunday morning enough that it made the whole dressing process much easier than usual when shoes-on time arrived. 75 - I wouldn't dream of taking you into this crowded place, the rest of you are welcome to a tour anytime. There IS a nice little roof garden (that we can get to by bypassing the crowded areas where I got to hang out alone while Mr. 73 picked up a little something that he had previously ordered ... don't know what except that my Christmas so far is shaping up to be better than his.
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11/6/07
73:
Went to Danny's school this morning for a 30 minute session of him being my teacher and showing me how the "work" is accomplished in the classroom. I was excited about Montesorri at the sign-up, but have since come around to thinking that maybe I like just a bit more structure. I think that there are individual lessons and lessons for small groups, but lots of the day seems to be pretty much self-led by the students. Next year (hopefully) he'll have been accepted and will be attending the much more rigid international school.
BTW - exciting news on our street is that Danny's training wheels are off! About 1.5 weeks ago he got the hang of the balance gig enough that the training wheels hardly ever touched ground. They were about 2" higher than the real wheels --- enough that an adult would have had a back spasm from riding so crooked, leaning over onto one training wheel. It also took a lot more energy for him to pedal along than it would have had the bike been more upright. I got him to lurch toward the not-so-lopsided training wheel and from there he mastered the balance pretty well. About a week ago he tipped enough to knock the right training wheel loose so we just removed it and he been riding on two wheels ever since. The left training wheel was still attached and in service as a kickstand until today when it went rolling off into some stranger's driveway a la loose hubcap on the highway. Starting and stopping is still a bit rough, but that's mostly because the bike is still quite large for it's owner...his toes barely touch the ground. Anyway - the ride to school just got a lot faster!
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10/31/07
73:
So - we experienced Halloween a few days early ... our neighborhood had official Trick-or-Treating on Saturday. Our boys know that it wasn't the real day, but were totally fine since there WAS celebration. Some of the surrounding compounds had their trick-or-treating on the real day, but we figured once was good enough. We had a family come hang out for the evening. They live in an actual Chinese apartment and neighborhood, so when they left their place, Dad in a long-hair wig a la Mark Wahlberg in "Rockstar" (or any hair band for that matter), Mom carrying army-camo clad 2-month old, and 7, 5, & 4 year olds dressed in similar battle gear the locals got a real hoot out of them. Our own Danny dressed as Danny Phantom of Nickelodeon and Thomas was another story entirely. He came up with "I'm gonna be a (s)nowman" all by himself. I shopped for the makings, including aluminum wire ... not easy to explain the need for OR to find when you don't have a hardware or craft store in the fashion to which you are accustomed ... and made the requested costume. Thomas badgered lovingly until the thing was done and then REFUSED TO WEAR IT! Twerp. He went trick-or-treating as a boy wrapped in a blanket who won't wear his costume. I was a gypsy. Mr. 73 was a guy home from work for the weekend...aka:not dressed up. Anyway, the evening was a hit. The poor friends had a good time, but it took us forever to find them a cab at the end of the evening. They had about an hour drive home and didn't leave here until sometime after 10:30. All of the kids (except the baby - who sleeps regardless of official crash time) had a terrible time on Sunday. Danny finally gave up on Tuesday afternoon and napped for about 3.5 hours. So - our overwhelming impression of Halloween in an ex-pat community was pretty much the same as a well-run program in the States EXCEPT for this: All of the goblins, princesses, pirates, superheros, you-name-its who visited our door greeting us with a cheery "Trick-or-Treat", all uttered "Thank You", and some even included a "Happy Halloween." Quite a change from last year when most treat bags were just thrust upon our open door without any noise except the scurrying of feet and costumes as they jostled for prime front stoop space, received their loot, and raced for the next house. Hope you all enjoyed your celebrations!
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10/22/07
73:
I've finally busted out the maternity clothes. Mostly prompted by the receipt of a few more really cute outfits; with 8 or 9 weeks to go I figured that I may as well go ahead and get my use out of them. Little Ichobod hasn't yet forced my belly big enough to hold up some of the pants, but I'm sure that it will happen any day. Being so sick at the beginning really got me into a much smaller size, even in maternity clothes, than I would have been. Hopefully this means that I can continue my tradition of wearing NON-maternity clothes home from the hospital and thereafter.
Still no progress of the name front. After reading Aunt Genealogy latest monthly summary I was enticed by the name "Merrimak" but knew that it would never fly with Mr. 73. I was right. I knew all along that it was a totally goofy name, but loved it for the day. I actually think that it is amazing that more people don't end up with wacky, goofy, silly, dumb, ugly names chosen by their hormone goggled pregnant moms. Mr. 73 did finally say point blank to give up on "Ole." We'll let you all know if this poor kid ever has a real label.
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10/12/07
73:
Went to Ikea yesterday for a bit of shopping and taste of normal, non-bargaining, room to move around store. As I was walking about I had a little itch on my tummy and went to scratch it and MAN! His Tinyness must have been cramming his head or bum or something right out through the non-existent passage about three inches to the right of my belly button because it was ready to split right open when I touched it. Almost had to sit down for a minute it hurt so sharply. I used my whole palm and fingers to try to massage him into a less lopsided position so that I wouldn't be showing off my double belly button when next we meet... you know, one from my attachment to our own mother and one from where Mr. McGillicutty burst out. Overall I'm still pretty comfortable, but super excited to say only Ten Weeks to go!!!
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10/4/07
73:
This whole week is a holiday week here in the Center Kingdom. Apparently it started out as a one day "National Day" on October 1st, but a few years ago the Chinese government decided to boost the economy by promoting domestic travel and to do this they made National Day into a three day affair. Most people work on Saturday and Sunday before the holiday starts and by doing that they turn Monday - Wednesday off into Monday - Friday and have a lovely little bit of time off. We were warned by long-term ex-pats that there would be throngs of people pretty much everywhere we went and they were right. On Tuesday we went to a nice park surrounding the "Old Summer Palace" where we were able to boost our celebrity egos by having our images snapped approximately every 30 seconds. If we dared to stop along the way to admire a sight or take stock of our bearings we were requested to pose. Not just the kids, mind you. I was asked to be in shots as well. Poor Angelina and Brad. One of the little blonde girls in our group denied a photo request and the guy actually grabbed her wrist to pull her into a pose so that he could take the shot. She tried to get away from the stranger and ended up breaking free, but it took so much force that she tumbled onto the ground. Luckily one of the moms in the group had good enough Chinese to tell the guy to bugger-off. He just looked at her as if totally confused by our trained ape's lack of cooperation, but he did finally back off. And THAT was before we even made it into the park! Not to give you the wrong impression. Most people are very kind, if shutter-happy, and if we or our kids don't comply with a photo request they just leave us alone. We enjoyed finding our way through a big maze, lunching on shaded rocks, and exploring ruins to kids' heart's contents. Not to mention the cheap ice cream we enjoyed. (Available at nearly every stop conceivable anywhere in China.) We planned to spend about three hours, but ended up there for closer to five and a half then stopped for pizza just outside the park ... which was an experience to recount in another post...which may also include our latest McDonald's cultural experience...don't worry, by the time any of you get over here we'll have it all figured out & probably will have Mr. 73 with us which always lessens the language barrier considerably what with him speaking Chinese and me pretty much just not. Anyway - to close it all up, the Old Summer Palace is most definitely on our list of places warranting a return visit...and won't hold nearly the paparrazzi risk with a little avoidance of holiday weeks.
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| "You can take my picture, but I'm not going to cheese." |
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9/26/07
73:
Both boys are in bed.
Mr. 73 is out of town.
Its before midnight.
I'm going to have a milk-chocolate Magnum bar!
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9/17/07
73:
I remember Mom having some special lotion for her hands. Her fingers were so dry that the skin would catch on nylons and other things that were soft or delicate. I was so glad that MY skin wasn't like that. I didn't like lotion because of the greasy feeling that it would leave on my hands making turning doorknobs a tricky affair that felt gross, besides. I was also grateful to have a good color hair and not have to worry about picking some color that I thought was closer to what I claimed to have had in the past. Mom loved to eat tomatoes sprinkled with salt, not something that I have or will probably ever consider delicious, but she seldom had this treat because she said that although she loved to eat them, they tore up her tongue, leaving what felt like painful crevices. Again, how grateful I was that I had a mouth that didn't play such cruel jokes on me. There were the questionable fashion choices, music choices, film and media choices. The outdated ideas of what could be worn to school, how necessary slips and pantyhose were, and how well-done you needed to cook meat. Lets not even get started on how wise it may or may not have been for her to follow the advice of an ex-beauty queen who suggested that the best way to stay free of unwanted facial hair was to shave. All of the crazy things that I thought were just Mom's quirks that I was thankful not to have a part of.
Well. I had some delicious fried mozzarella in sauce from our local Italian joint last night and by the end of my portion my tongue felt like host to fifteen miniature Grand Canyons. My never-subjected-to-a-diet body has, in the last few years, been screaming for more controlled intake and more regular exercise. When I DO exercise I get aches and pains in parts that were heretofore appreciated for their compliance in this world of people with faulty parts. (I thought before that they were just unlucky or self-inflicted, but I realize now that they were probably just a few years older than I.) Blame it on pregnancy, but as a young adult I don't think it occurred to me that there could ever be a reason to down a whole Costco size bottle of Tums within one lifetime and I was wrong about that, too. I often don't like folding socks because my fingers don't slide so smoothly along as I straiten each pair for folding. I've lived long enough now to have what I think is a recent memory of certain items in my closet being in fashionable stores and magazines. I takes effort to adjust my memories and self-image to take into account that high school can't really be considered "recent" anymore. I've been known to listen to NPR (on purpose) and I admit to making an effort toward portraying Discovery and National Geographic channel shows as very entertaining to my children so that they will allow me to watch them in peace. It turns out that my face isn't as hair free as I thought, it just used to be younger (I'm still NOT shaving!!) and as far as the hair on the top of my head ... well. Let's just say that I'm glad that its still growing where it is supposed to be and not sprouting from my ears or elbows, although it IS giving up a little in the pigmentation department.
So. Thanks to Mom for going through it already. I'm at an age now that I can remember her being and it makes me realize that I'll probably be where she arrived today before I know it. Complete with hair dye, tweezers in every purse pocket, and shoes from the early 21st century in tow. |
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9/5/7
73:
Have just read over the summer entries kindly provided by 78 - hope that everyone is settling into a somewhat comfortable fall routine. Things here have cooled off a bit. Still have some cooling off to go. We've had a fairly decent time getting Danny to school - this involves a short bike ride each morning which is nice. He opted for the scooter one day, but decided after school that scootering takes too much energy. There was an alphabet lesson yesterday which seemed to be remembered. It had been nearly nine hours since pick-up when I had the chance (& remembered) to ask him which letters they worked on. He rattled them right off along with the sounds that they make. This helps me feel much more confident about the whole school than my initial scare of the teacher not having a lesson plan for the first day. And here's the funny kid comment of the week. Remember how much faster you could run with new sneakers? Well. There are PE uniforms involved at this school which they wear all day on gym days. Danny came home Tuesday (a PE day) and in response to my "How comfy was your uniform?" question responded: "It was good. The little tiny tag didn't bother until the very end and these uniforms MAKE YOU RUN FASTER!!!!!!" He was so excited and convinced. Maybe its true. Why else would world-class runners wear the ridiculous swim suite outfits and swimmers where the hilarious bodysuits?
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8/29/07
73:
Had the open house for Danny's school today...school starts tomorrow. I was hoping and planning to come away from it very excited, but to tell the truth it just seems like another Chinese bummer. Probably mostly because his old school rocked! This one is Montessori and will probably work out fine. He'll be there from 8:30am until about noon every day, which seems like a lot as he is only four and in the old place we would have done only two or three mornings a week. Ahh, well. Since Kindergarten will be an even longer day this should make for an easier transition. As Danny, Thomas and I were looking at a little basket of tiny items representing holidays throughout the year the lead teacher commented on what they were and mentioned, kind of in a thinking-out-loud sort of way, maybe we'll have a lesson about these tomorrow. WHAT?!? We're paying $10,000 a year for mornings only and you don't have a lesson plan for TOMORROW?!?!?! Give me a break. Mr. 73 reminded me to chill out and give them a chance. They'll probably be fine. They'll be fine. They'll be fine. They'll be fine.
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8/20/07
73:
Living in a place where most of the people are apparently lactose intolerant is an interesting experience. I know that at least one of you deals with this issue yourself, but when the whole race has the problem things get interesting. Not only have we encountered interesting (& nasty) versions of otherwise safe cheeses (take mozzarella, for instance), but it makes things a bit difficult when working with an ayi. She probably thinks that we're either crazy or superhuman (we know its the latter) for buying four jugs of milk at a time, so having cheese on the shopping list may not make matters any more confusing for her, but there are still some gaps in understanding. Today I asked her to make chicken enchiladas for our dinner. Not the real Mexican kind, just your run of the mill, cream of chicken soup, flour tortillas in a casserole dish variety. She has made this recipe for us before. I was playing upstairs with Thomas when the ayi came up and apologetically pointed out that the sour cream (used in the sauce along with milk and soup) had gone bad. It wasn't separated like sour cream usually gets, and didn't smell. The problem was that it was cottage cheese. Ummmm, yea. That's totally different stuff. Same style container. Same color. Both kept in the fridge. Not something anyone in a lactose tolerant environment would ever confuse past the age of two. I tried to show her that they were different items...even pointed out the lettering on the containers (who know if it looks any different to her with our crazy shaped alphabet that so conveniently consists of only 26 shapes) and she seemed to understand. Enough to use the real sour cream in our dinner, anyway. I wish that we could bring her to live in the States for a few months just for her to have the experience. Enjoy that dairy isle, girls.
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8/8/07
73:
I'm so tired. I shouldn't be awake right now, but Mr. 73 is out of town for the night so of course I've managed to stay up half the night getting more tired so as to sabotage my Thursday. We're having playdate here which at least eliminates being driven around feeling illiterate because I can't read any of the signs, billboards, building marquees, bumper stickers, buses, you name it. I hope that everyone is able to give their cabs directions to get here (our driver gave them a few written lines to show the cab drivers, so hopefully they'll be good) because if anyone calls and needs further directions I won't be much help. It'll be hick style in English only. You know: ÿou take the airport highway until you can see the Carrier air conditioning billboard (if its still there - I noticed it at the end of May) Exit there and turn right after the abandoned looking villas (that are a block or two off the road.) Turn left on the big street, then go through the light and turn left again at the construction of the big shopping area with construction walls advertising high-end shopping, massages, food, etc. Follow that road to the end and to the right as the road turns. Now turn into the residents only entrance to our compound and pretend that you live here. (They're white people getting rides ... they can probably just wave like they know what's going on.) Take the first right and if you don't know where our house is just ask one of the two or three guards stationed in the three blocks before you get here. Hey - maybe if the cabbies spoke English I could get the point across, but I'm afraid that won't be the case and we'd just have to hope that I could pantomime to the ayi to give directions to the cabbie in Chinese.
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8/2/07
73:
Singing in the van:
Danny: I went to visit the farm one day
I saw a dinosaur across the way
What do you think I heard it say...
RAAAHRRRRRR!!
Now its understood that Mom will start singing, too.
Mom: I went to visit the farm one day
I saw a .....
Danny & Thomas: DINOSAUR!
all: across the way
What do you think I heard it say ...
RAAAHRRRRRRR!!!
Mom: What animal did you see Thomas?
Thomas: A DINOsaur!!
All: I went to visit the farm one day
I saw a dinosaur across the way
What do you think I heard it say...
RAAAHRRRRRRRR!!!!
| Mom: Okay, Danny, what animal did you see?
Danny: A dinosaur.
All: I went to visit the farm one day
I saw a dinosaur across the way
What do you think I heard it say ...
RAAAHRRRRRRR!!!!
Mom: What did you see at the farm Thomas?
Thomas: A DINOsaur!!
All: I went to visit the farm one day
I saw a dinosaur across the way
What do you think I heard it say...
RAAAHRRRRRRRR!!!!
| Mom: Your turn, Danny, what animal did you see?
Danny: A dinosaur.
All: I went to visit the farm one day
I saw a dinosaur across the way
What do you think I heard it say ...
RAAAHRRRRRRR!!!!
Mom: What did you see at the farm, Thomas?
Thomas: Ummmmm, a lion!! (Oh, good - a new animal)
Danny: NO, I want a dinosaur!!!!!
Mom: This is Thomas' turn, you can choose dinosaur next time.
All: I went to visit the farm one day
I saw a lion across the way
What do you think I heard it say...
RAAAHRRRRRR!!! (not so different)
Danny: Okay, Dinosaur!
All: I went to visit the farm one day
I saw a dinosaur across the way
What do you think I heard it say...
RAAAHRRRRRR!!!!
Over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over
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7/27/07
73:
We've been playing Super Mario World at our house. Pretty hilarious. Danny asks to play it INSTEAD of Star Wars sometimes ... which is quite a coup.
Nice that July is coming to a close ... August is one month closer to a more defined schedule, school, and baby. ... and it will mean 4 months down, 44 to go. (Although I'm guessing that we'll be here longer than 48 months if only to finish the school year.)
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7/17/07
73:
I think that I'll come out of this China gig a slightly better cook. Not that I'll use much of it upon return. We had a beef stew casserole affair last week. It seemed pretty straightforward ingredient-wise ... except that its easier to get pork than beef here. So, no biggy. We just had pork stew casserole. With gravy mixed by us instead of the listed ingredient "one jar of gravy" and homemade biscuits instead of "one can refrigerator biscuits." Last night we had tacos and I made the tortillas from scratch. I may still do some of this stuff - the biscuits and tortillas were good. The gravy was just from a pack (how DO you make good beef gravy from ground pork that doesn't leave any drippings?) Anyway - I won't by any means rival 75, but will be able to make adjustments ... now if we could just get Danny (what I'll call Biggest) and Thomas (Littlest's new moniker) to eat more than PB&J and hot dogs ....
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7/6/07
73:
Remember encyclopedias? Those huge books that contained all sorts of information. Ask your parent a question and they would just tell you to look it up in the encyclopedia. Sometimes this led to interesting answers. I suppose that our parents knew when to send you in the direction of the bookshelf since they must have had questions themselves where they learned the ins and outs of what may be contained in the volumes of knowledge. Moving on to present day .... I'm trimming the boys' nails and I make a comment about how isn't interesting that fingernails seem to grow faster than toenails. "Hmmm," says Biggest. "Yea, why DO they grow faster?" Huh. Good question. I've thought about it before, but I guess that just seems like one of those non-encyclopedia answers that you live without knowing. Aha! But I live NOW. "I'll go look it up on the internet." I told him. So I type in "why do fingernails grow faster than toenails" kind of expecting to find an answer, but kind of not since even with the internet sometimes things aren't quite as easy as you think they're going to be. Well, what do you know ... lo and behold up pop a few links with my exact wording. Click the first option and I find a witty, informative, concise response to our specific question. Gotta love the internet. Encyclopediwhat?
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6/29/07
73:
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I thought that I was a pretty lax mom. Hmmmm. I've recently had a taste of international parenting. Our clubhouse outdoor pools have been open for a while now and we've been a few times and gosh darn it, my kids are NICE! They share their toys. (Usually without the other kids doing any more than swiping said toy.) They say excuse me and sorry when a frisbee thrown tube goes the direction of parents instead of the non-occupied water area the four-year-old was aiming for. They check to make sure no one is reserving a chair before putting their own things down. They don't splash others except in the course of normal pool activity. They greet peers with a friendly "Hi, my name is Tommy. Want to play?" I may not be an all-around home making goddess like 75, but my kids are nicer than the perfunctory please and thank you.
I've discovered that some of our neighbors may have recently moved from 75's neck of the woods. Or at least had a training camp from NeighborChildren. The moms were nice enough. Said goodbye when they left, etc. But I can't decide if I'm overly involved, an American, or what. They weren't even looking at their kids most of the time. There was another girl there who wasn't in the group and they were actually pushing her underwater and holding her at one point. (Her caretaker showed up and they left immediately. I had my back turned to this poor stranger because I was actively involved with Littlest at the time.) Don't get me wrong ... I know that my angels aren't the angels I sometimes imagine, but they are considerate. At least to others if not each other during daily wrestling matches. I also know that school starts in a few short months and Biggest will be attending daily with who knows which of these summertime animals. I may have a toy-swiping, water-splashing, head-pushing maniac on my hands BUT I'll stop chatting with my friends, get out of my chair, and put a stop to it if it happens. Then we'll pack up our things and leave because that kind of thing isn't allowed.
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6/18/07
73:
We had Chinese food for dinner last night. Surprise. Its was Mr. 73's mom's last dinner in town (she's been a Godsend for the last few weeks during the sickness and recovery) before returning to the land of yummy American food and Mr. 73 wanted to have good dinner for her. Its so tough for me to answer the question "Where do you want to eat?" I want to eat at Chili's. Or Riviera Maya. Or our old playgroup. So Chinese it was. Ok ... "What do you want to order?" Ummmm, crab rangoons. Or General's Chicken. Yeah, those aren't really Chinese, so they're not really an option. I ordered mushroom soup.
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6/8/07
73:
Here in Asia we're losing lots of Americans for the summer. Of the six families in our neighborhood that I can think of right off the top of my head NONE of them are sticking around for the summer. For most ex-pats it seems that summer is a time of reconnection with who you are. (Also of shopping in American stores for clothing that fits us and doesn't have goofy cartoon characters or funky designs.) We'll miss them for the summer, but believe me, I've got a list of my own going for our first trip home. I'm going to have chicken tacos at Chili's, Cheddar Cheese Chowder at Colonial, and huge American salads (didn't one of the Spice Girls miss these, too?) with Ranch dressing, lots of cheese and croutons at our hotel, or whatever home of yours we're visiting. Maybe some shoe and clothing shopping as well. Too bad, in fact, that we're not coming home this summer because somehow the packers/movers didn't understand that when I said "all the clothes go surface" that meant "ALL THE CLOTHES GO SURFACE." What they seemed to hear was that some clothes should come surface (slow shipment to Asia) and some clothes, namely maternity and size 3, should go to storage. That's right. They knew to ship all baby paraphernalia, but somehow didn't make the connection that a new baby might, at some point, mean a huge Mamma belly that doesn't fit into current clothing. Size 3 will be a little easier to deal with - although Littlest is currently wearing size 2 he's such a little guy (maybe only compared to Biggest, but little nonetheless in our experience) that he won't really need the next size until we've had time to find things here. I've been told that I can get Target to deliver here and even been offered an address that will get things here without foreign shipping costs so the maternity thing will work out, too. Even if I don't get belly specific stuff, I lost enough weight being morning sick that I'll fit into my old stuff for a while, even with an expanding condo on my gut. Also- -I can take photos of things to the tailors here and they'll just make the stuff. Anyway - In four years I'll be getting a bin or two of unused maternity clothes out of storage for whoever needs them next. There are some really cute skirts that may make the half-decade fashion transition (except for those of you in trendy NY) and lots of jeans, khakis and t-shirts that have a longer fashion life.
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5/23/2007
73:
Sorry I haven't been keeping up. I can't get onto the mail site and with Mr. 73 out of town or at work all day it is difficult to log onto his laptop through the firewall (which lets me on.) Missing you all as we just got the news of the May21 early morning departure. Wish we could all come for the June 2 farewell, but I'm afraid that I just feel too crummy to make the trip. Will see how the next week goes.
Speaking of feeling crummy - you all have the news of our December 21 new arrival. Hopefully he/she is getting everything that they need out of me because I'm certainly not in a state to provide top notch care myself. Have been throwing up everyday (was every two or three with Biggest and Littlest) up to five times a day. (Four so far today - I'm going to bed so as to avoid the final.) Went to the western style hospital Monday and was IV fluidized for about five hours. We'll have an ultrasound as a follow up Wednesday morning. They gave me some powder to dissolve in water and drink that is supposed to help me re-hydrate ... said that it was kind of like American Gatorade. IT IS NOT!! It tastes like I should have just skipped the prescription and dumped a bunch of salt in my water. Needless to say I tried and failed to drink it. Never had an ultrasound this early. Looking forward to seeing my little alien. Here's a link if you want to see what we should look like. Friday is my day to jump weeks so we'll be at 10 in a few days. http://www.babycenter.com/mybabycenter/109.html
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5/11/07
73:
Cheap domestic help is great. Our floors are clean. Our bathrooms are clean. Our stairway is dusted. All for just over a dollar an hour. I feel like crap lately (more about that another day) but my house is clean.
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5/3/07
73:
I know that the United States of America has one of the best public toilet set-ups in the world. Some of you may not think so and I would ask how many other places you've been. As you know, we've recently moved to the land of the squatters. Now, this is not in the least what we're used to but squatters (a porcelain hole in the floor which you squat over with your feet on either side) are really not that much of a problem. In fact during our park visit today Biggest needed the facilities and after he had finished using the "western style" stall I sent him out to Mr. 73 and removed myself to a squatter. These are usually more hygienic once you factor in the complete grossness of the public facilities. Let me back up a little. Start with leaving your house - remember to pack your own toilet paper and hand sanitizer because tp is not provided and if there is running water for hand washing you won't find soap, much less paper towels. An occasional electric air dryer or person handing out two to four squares of toilet paper for hand drying. (Why this would ever be considered more useful than just throwing the paper away is beyond me.) You may want to pack a clothespin for your nose, but that's up to you. Now, you may just want to plan your outings to fit into your window between bathroom breaks, (we know one lady who would hop the train home just for a restroom then train back to the city to finish her errands) but in the event of a longer trip you'll need to steel yourself, roll up your pantlegs (there is usually a lot of liquid on the floor - who knows whether it needs to be cleaned up or is the result of a big hose down,) check your pocket for the previously packed paper (leave your purse or bag with someone in the fresh air - there's not a reliably safe place to put it while you manage everything else in the stall), take a deep breath, and run in...hoping for an empty stall. If you prefer the hover method you can go for the possible western stall, but I'd rather spend my muscles getting all the urine out as fast as possible and getting out than spend my breath waiting for the grossest stall in the place to open up. Hitch up your rolled up pants, squat down, trying to avoid landing on the waste bin provided for spent paper (DON'T FLUSH IT!) and squat down to do your business. The squatting method also comes in handy as your clothing is closer to you nose thereby providing a barrier to the toilet stench. Now, once you're done GET OUT! Congratulations, you've emptied your bladder and had a "cultural experience" all in less than a minute. Hopefully your hand sanitizer hasn't been swiped by someone collecting recyclables who recognized a plastic bottle, but didn't care that it was still almost full (DARN THEM!) and you can feel fresh and free to enjoy the wonderful world. AND you, like me, can long for the good old pristine porta-potties of the county fair.
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4/25/07
73:
My kids monopolize the computer and I let them. This morning, luckily, Nick Jr is coming through for me by providing another source of continuous video input hence freeing up Mom's new computer for Mom.
We're settled in to our great apartment, but ready to move on. The space is great and probably bigger than most local families get, but we're not local families, are we? I'm pretty tired of having only breakable dishes, someone else's upholstered furniture, and pure white bedding that gets dragged into the living room since there are no other blankets available. We've actually been using Mr. 73's long sleeved shirts for blankets since I put the nix on the comforters making the trek, but they aren't exactly what we're really looking for in the snuggly blanket area.
Our house is ready and our move in date is Friday. The boys' bed was delivered yesterday (I don't know if we'll have assembly to do when we get there or not) and the parent mattress was purchased and should be delivered in time for us to sleep on it. Our agent thinks that the big mattress was ridiculously expensive, but we were willing to pay to not sleep on something advertised as a mattress and tested as a concrete slab. Our air shipment has arrived and is just waiting for Mr. 73's passport so that it can clear customs. (Hooray for a few different toys, not to mention PLASTIC drinkware!) Mr. 73 has been out of town (already) since Tuesday afternoon so it will be nice to have him back tonight for the move tomorrow ... & as our interpreter and wallet since pretty much everything here is cash based and I don't have much or any way to get any. Having him back means a possibility of something besides ramen, jam sandwiches, or our limited supply of brought-from-home EasyMac. (Thanks, btw, to Daughter(75)-Littlest isn't interested in Mac & Cheese, cheesy noodles, or macaroni unless you call it by it's proper name: "Macadoodle."
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4/5/07
73:
Let's see. Thursday was the second day that our packers over-ran the house. They were great. Very understanding and patient. We were NOT ready. I think that we're going to end up with things in our new place that could easily have made the storage or bin if gone through more specifically. Oh well. I'm still fairly certain that we won't open any boxes of actual random trash. Right now it is about 3:40am on Friday morning (we arrived on Wednesday afternoon at 3) and Biggest has been awake for nearly four hours. (His body thinks that it is the middle of the day.) He did surprisingly well staying awake yesterday...but only until about 4pm. Littlest, in the other hand, woke up around 2 or 3 am on Thursday, fell asleep again at 10:45am and pretty much slept until about 6pm. When we went to lunch he woke up a bit. Ate some rice, took a little nap on my shoulder. Had another bowl of rice. Took another little nap. etc. We shopped for furniture and a few groceries (we're in a two bedroom apartment for the next week or so) and Littlest always woke up as we were getting out of the van so that he could go into the store ... then fell asleep as soon as we were walking around. The furniture store was great. More of a furniture mall, really. We stopped at two mattress stores and he just slept on the first trial mattress at each place as we checked out all the rest. Too bad we couldn't have just left him on the comfy beds while we continued to look at dining tables, etc., but the stores were too not-connected to each other to do that. Don't worry - Biggest wasn't alone, he stayed in the van with the driver.
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3/24/07
73:
Just back from New Abode City and now we're on to the final lap. The trip went well until the very last day when Mr. 73 and I had a meltdown over paint colors for the new bedrooms. I brought a pound of paintchips for us to choose from and envisioned us calmly discussing the options while reviewing the multiple cards, brochures, and pamphlets laid out across the bed in our hotel room. This scenario was conceived after we had already missed the boat on choosing colors while in the actual house. On Location was my original plan, but we didn't arrive until after dark then used up most of our time giving a tour to some friends then the rest of our time taking notes on changes needed (other than paint) in each room. Mr. 73 said post-meltdown that he didn't think that I was interested in choosing colors at that time since I didn't initiate a specifically color oriented discussion at the site. Of course, he had the paint chips in HIS hands (which I had brought from the hotel, but he was carrying at the time) and I had previously stated that my priority for the evening would be having time in the house sans realtor to make these decisions, but alas, marital disconnect does happen. Is THIS the difference between men and women? We either miss our opportunity because we don't want to harp on previously discussed issues or gain the title "NAG!!" by reminding and sticking to our guns WAY more often than we think should be necessary. THEY are either free from nagging, hence burdened with household decisions they think we gave up via silence or are nagged incessantly about things they already know because we mentioned it once. Hmmmmm. We're are aware of our dilemma - at least aware that we have friction over stupid details - and are working toward a solution...just another thing on a list. Maybe we'll discuss it calmly over some fabric swatches for the couch.
3/9/07
73:
Painters finished today (they were here three days.) Mr. 73 leaves at dark thirty in the morning. House lists Tuesday. Boys and I leave Tuesday after school for the grandparents (& my dentist appt since I never fully given myself over to Indiana.) I leave Thursday for new Abode City househunt (& health check...& school hunt...& grocery browsing...& internet accessibility.) I think that maybe we'll make it. If not, they'll ship us there anyway and the company will buy our house. One vehicle gone, one to go. Now we just have to deal with the rest of the crap that we've purchased at one point or another.
2/21/07
73:
What a great couple of visits we've had. It was so nice to see 85 and have her all to ourselves for a bit over a day. I wish you all could have heard Littlest calling her name...it was hilarious and cute and perfect. And maybe at times a little bit from 83's professor's line of speech. Parental units arrived with Sibling the Youngest and it has been a great visit. All of us trying to be a little nostalgic tonight thinking that this may be the last time they ever visit Middwestville, but really, we all know that we'll see each other wherever we are. This big world of ours has become so small in so many ways that sometimes it is difficult to really grasp how far away we are from each other.
FYI: Mr. 73 found round trip fares to our new Abode City for under $700. Come one, come all, or just send mail when we get there. We're happy to see any form of any of you!
2/28/07
73:
Two friends came over each with their two kids today. One set of kids is about the same age setup as Biggest and Littlest. The others are about a year behind. Both families have at least one child with at least one therapist. Speech and occupational therapists, I think. I know that only two of us have had offspring at this point, but so far I think that we're doing pretty well as far as not needing therapy sessions for kids under 4 years old. These other families don't seem to be doing anything wrong, they just didn't luck out. I'm so in wondering awe at the greatness and power (not to mention motor skills and imaginations and all-around goodness) of the Four Cousins that it is hard for me to keep my mouth shut about Littlest latest run-on sentence or Cousin6's latest school escapade (complete with witty remarks and comebacks) or Biggest's loviness and acceptance of Littlest in all of his little-kidishness or Cousin4's remarkable ability to be a princess without disaffecting the masses. I have every expectation that all future cousins will be as spectacular and the the Four Cousins already in existence will grow up to be non-speech impaired, writing utensil capable, interesting and in-touch members of the world society.
2/16/07
73:
We met with two realtors today (this move thing is REALLY happening) and our next step is to pick our horse and run with it. On the first guy's side are that he was only given a few hours notice of our appointment (another guy in his office was supposed to meet us, but something came up) and the fact that I didn't notice his speaking style which probably means that it didn't have any huge mistakes. We all make mistake and have our own style, but some things should have been dealt with in toddlerhood. Poor, poor children of parents who don't know how to speak-will they ever find out where the party's AT? He made a big point of telling us that he wouldn't pull out a bunch of chart and graphs about his company's sales because it is the individual agent who really makes the deals. He is from the area and knows the area and will work to sell our house. After his intro and get-to-know-me chat he took a walk through and some pictures and went on his way. Nice guy. Could do a good job. The second guy is part of husband and wife team. He introduced himself and went directly on the house tour. He never referred to only himself as the agent, but referred instead to Gary & Mavis as if it was one entity. (We'll meet Mavis later if we go with second guy.) They are associated with a large and famous realty company (we'll call them Millennium) and will use all of Millennium's resources to sell our house. Meetings every week with the whole team of Milleniuim agents, all of whom are full time realtors. Multiple websites. Option for virtual tours. On and on with lots of charts and graphs. We'll probably go with charts and graphs. Hopefully an impressive selling of the agent will make a better showing, or at least more numerous showings, of the house. Gary & Mavis seem to be a little on the annoying salesman side, but that could be a good point in this whole endeavor. My biggest con is this: He calls himself a realUHtor.
2/6/07
73:
It is cold here ... finally. I need to start remembering to have gloves in the vehicles. The little boys have hats and jackets, but I end up running around with no extra layers usually. That's okay most of the time, but man - - - IT IS COLD! However, not cold enough to cancel stuff. Apparently I'm in the minority in that point of view. Biggest got a haircut tonight and we were chatting with the stylist or cosmetologist or whatever you call someone who cuts hair at a chain and she mentioned that there was a winter advisory probably going into effect tonight. A winter advisory? Don't people realize that it has been winter for a few months now and if they're just becoming advised then that's survival of the fittest when they can't leave their houses. So, school may be delayed 2 hours in the morning because it is so cold. Ummmm, didn't someone invent Gortex for that? Thinsulate? Down and wool? Didn't we show up for high school football games with blankets and hot chocolate and hats and gloves and scarves and more blankets on super freezing (not just cold) advisably wintery nights? Now I'm not saying that just because some walked up hill through slush that covered the tops of their moonboots that all posterity should suffer the same, but give me a break. A winter advisory?
1/31/07
73:
Things are going pretty well here. Mr. 73 has been away for about three weeks and we've got one more to go. On the way to school the other day Biggest commented "I think that Dad will be getting home on a day soon." "Ummmm, we've got about nine or ten days more until he gets home, Biggest" I responded. He was a little bummed out, but I think that it is amazing how he just figures that's what goes on and he might as well get on with stuff. We DID get the news that we are moving soon - March according to the paperwork, we think April according to real life - and Biggest seems to be getting used to the idea. I'm glad that we started prepping him months ago.
So here's a gripe for the day: People who toss cigarette butts anywhere that isn't an ashtray. You know, it IS trash. It IS disgusting. Do they see me tossing poopy diapers out my car window when Littlest is done with them? No. And I can tell you - Littlest has many fewer garbage butts than they do per day. AND his won't start fires or give him cancer. Offensive smell, yes. Something he'll be doing when he's 40 (not to mention 4), NO NO NO NO.
01/23/07
73:
It finally snowed here. We took a nice walk/bike ride on Saturday evening and woke up to snow on Sunday. Biggest was VERY excited and wanted to have a snow fight right away. "How do you play snow fight, anyway Mom?" he asked after talking for about 10 minutes about being able to do it. Littlest was excited also and kept commenting as we walked, holding hands, through the snow up past his ankles in the back yard "Pretty snow. Oooh, pretty snowing." He tripped later on while I was shoveling the driveway and ended up spending the rest of his allotted snow playing time in the van in the garage because he wanted nothing to do with the "Tode!! Tode sno!!!!" Fun anyway. And Biggest DID enjoy having a snow fight with the side of the shed. (I had explained that a snow fight is making snow balls and throwing them, but only with people who want to be targets and may throw back or with approved inanimate object as targets.)
Today most of the snow is already gone (I suppose this is why some people have been fooled into thinking that Indiana has an acceptable climate...they MUST be forgetting about the boiling spit that we call air during the summer) but it is still too wet to play at an outdoor park. Since our only indoor playground is at the gymnastics center where there are extremely limited hours for open gym and an entrance fee or the crappy mall (the ONLY stores are Sears, a bookstore, a pizza buffet and Subway -- a few of the big local companies have taken the most of the rest over for office space) which, although newly recarpeted, and better by far than nothing, boasts a best selling point of pretty much being the only gig in town we had hoped that the brand new McDonald's would include that much sought after fast food heaven that is a new PlayPlace, but of course it doesn't. (Probably due to our spectacularly enviable outdoor weather most of the year?) We went for lunch anyway and can I just ask what kid really cares about those crappy YuGiOh toys? Poor biggest was excited about the treat of having a toy and all, but come on. Those toys suck. In fact we traded in Littlest's toy for an under 3 prize (he IS only almost 2 after all) and the baby toy was WAY more fun (for all three of us) than some stupid plastic box that hardly ever works right and has the sole purpose of holding cards that nobody cares about. THESE are the toys that get pitched and never, ever, ever missed. Why can't we have Cars cars again. Or spy gear. Or those fun IZ things. Or dental floss or nail clippers for crying out loud. At least they would serve some purpose other than building the land fill. Kudos for McDonald's on this note though...Biggest chooses apple slices and juice just about every time. Hooray for those choices.
01/15/07
73:
Gymnastics starts today for Biggest. He hasn't been enrolled in a class for a year. This will be his first time in a non-Mommy-involved class. It is the reason we took a year off. He said before that he didn't want to go to class unless I went with him. Since there are plenty of other things going on and we're not trying to raise a gymnast that was fine with me and not even a little bit worth the fight of making him go if he stuck to his guns. (He DOES stick to his guns!) So, he's been asking for gymnastics for about five months now and can't understand why it took me so long to sign him up. "Why did we take a break Mommy? I --- want --- gymnastics!" Well. Fine with me, I'm excited to watch from the bleachers, although Littlest has been to play at the gymnastics center during open gym hours and will probably want to be in on the fun thereby requiring most of my energy involving him in the non-gymnastics toys in the bleacher area...hooray that there is a little something for him to do while we wait. Anyway, none of this is either here nor there, but since Mr 73 is "working far away" it helps give the boys (and me on those mind-body-brain numbing single parent type days) a countdown item toward his return. We have a lot of countdown days to go. |
01/05/07
73:
So, not to start out continuing the body function theme, but I'm starting out continuing the body function theme. Mostly because I'm a mom of small children and I'm pretty sure we're coming down with something. After spending most of the morning doing laundry I let the two boys square their eyes on a DVD while I took a shower (late in the day so as to include all clothing possible in aforementioned laundry.) After getting almost fully dressed in nice, clean, non-kid-breakfasted-diapered-stickied clothes (only socks to go) on I fulfilled a sweet request to "sit with us watch the rest of the show with us ... please, Mommy?" I came bearing apple slices for a snack and was just popping my last bite into my mouth when Littlest came over
from the opposite end of the couch ... I thought to climb up and snuggle. As he stood there waiting for me to get my bite all the way into my mouth and pick him up I discovered what was most likely the real reason for his move. He looked up at me with tired, sad, maybe a little confused eyes, opened his perfect mouth, and over the course of one wind-up and two additional whole mouth, foot long retchings out poured at least a full sippy's worth of curdled, chunky strawberry milk mixed with more chunks of what must have been chewed up apple (maybe not SO chewed up as he thought - hence the vomit attack) and the few bites he had eaten for lunch just before the shower. Yuck. At least I had covered us all with a lap blanket which was used as a throw-up bucket. Remarkably I only received a tiny speck on the bottom of my pant-leg and poor Littlest was able to walk into a clean-up area on his own. He got a bath this afternoon. To top of his mouth/stomach gush he pooped in the tub. I was hoping that it was just apple chunk sparking his gag, but there was more (not even close volumes) and looking back over the whole day he really hasn't had much appetite.
We should be in for a nice day tomorrow. The most amazing thing about the whole episode was this testimony of the power of the glowing, square box in the living room: After I had scrubbed the few drops that did hit the carpet as sicky Littlest was standing emptying his stomach onto the blanket between the TV and Biggest I warned Biggest not to stand or walk there for a little while and he tore his eyes away from the show - looking wide and questing into my face "Why not, Mom?" because he hadn't even noticed that any of it happened. That's one good show.
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