Two peas in a Huggies box

My children seem to really like each other so far, and we are truly thankful for that. We hope to help cultivate that love the best we can and avoid too much sibling rivalry.

They seem to enjoy playing together so far at least. :)

Here are some other little pics to enjoy as well. :)

Seemed fun!

Joel did it, so she did too.

They had such funny looks on their faces, but Olivia would only let me take one picture! :)

Olivia and Kanyon (our teammate) at his birthday party.

My friend and her 7 month old baby. So sweet!

On a side note, Steve left tonight to go to Beijing for a TONTO visit. He'll be there helping with computers until Saturday and will return home Sunday morning. Three days as a single mom, but the team is great at helping out! What a blessing!

明天见！See ya' tomorrow!

The day in a nutshell

Well, as promised, here are the bullet points of the day we had yesterday going to Changchun:

We got up around 7am to get Olivia ready for preschool. 
7:30 or so, Steve and Olivia head out the door and he takes her on his bike.
8:00 or so, Zhou Jie brings the tickets to us (both the one to get to CC and back to HB)
8:15 - Joel and I head out the door to get a taxi
      For some reason, Zhou jie decided to take him downstairs and wait for me in the lobby. Not sure why. 
8:30 - We get a taxi and head to the train station
9:05 - We are through security and waiting in line to get on the train
      The line was already ready and moving through the gate :) No waiting. 


This is a picture of the people waiting in line with us. It is a Monday morning and not a holiday. 







9:20 - We are on the train and meeting new friends.
9:32 - Train leaves the station right on time.

One lady we met said that Joel was wearing too many clothes that it would be easy for him to get too hot. So, I took off a layer. Then she immediately exclaimed in disgust that he wasn't wearing enough clothes and he could catch a cold! How can a mother win?
Anyway, you be the judge.

12:10 - arrive at new Changchun station (I've never been to this station before and thought I was in a
       different city. I was a little nervous until I got to the area of town I recognized.)
12:25 - Get out of the station (I went the wrong way out of the train car and ended up having to walk        
       back a ways to find the exit. I wish I could say that the signs were all in Chinese, but they were
       actually in English "Way Out" as well. 不好意思！Bu hao yisi! “How embarrassing!” )
I then took a taxi to Guilin lu where I could ask about the return ticket and which station I should go to on the way back. 13 kuai (another driver was going to charge me 30. I declined.)

1:00 - I shop at a foreign good's store for a minute.
1:20 - taxi to the dr's office
1:40 - We got started with checking his weight and length and whatnot

The doctor was really nice. She said that his lungs are not able to push air out of them because of a blockage. It is something like bronchitis and she gave me some good medicine to give him. The only major side effect is that it will increase his heart rate and cause him to be a little like someone who has had too much coffee. Hmmmm.

3'ish - After nursing Joel, we leave and I get a taxi away from the office
       I headed straight for the train station.
3:45 - arrive at the train station way too early, so I got some dinner and waited a bit.
4:00 - go inside the station and wait more
4:20 - Found a seat and made some friends (Joel fell asleep in sling)
4:42 - Train SHOULD be loading, but is late 15 minutes
         really late 25 minutes
5:15 - hurry up and rush through gate
        at one point, everyone stops. Then, just as suddenly as we stop, we all go again
5:20- get on the train and Joel wakes
         - nice people on train
         - give him his med's
Have you ever seen the movie Over the Hedge? Imagine the squirrel that drinks coffee.... YEAH! He was all over the place. Everyone liked playing with him, and it was fun to see him interact with the people on the train. 

7:30- we arrive in HB
7:55- get in a taxi and get the apartment

          Olivia was still awake. She didn't want to hug me because I stunk, and I didn't blame her.
          Gave Joel a bath; I took a shower.
8:30 - Meeting was cancelled
          Everyone finally goes to sleep.
9:30'ish- I go to bed.

That, my friends, is what it took to see a pediatrician.
明天见！ See ya' tomorrow!

Totally exhausted

Well, we made it to Changchun and back. It was a long long day, but everything from the beginning to the end went really smoothly. I will give more details tomorrow. I am thoroughly exhausted, and since both children are sleeping soundly, it is 9:13, and I have showered and no longer smell like the train, I too am hitting the hay.
I kept pretty good notes and even took some pictures - not many - and I will share it all with you tomorrow.

明天见！ See ya' tomorrow!

Goodnight (wan’an) 晚安 “late peace” I like the literal translation of that, don't you? :)

What does it take to see a pediatrician?

I heard that in the States, it is next to impossible to get your children plugged into the system of a new pediatrician. They are not always taking new patients or they aren't taking new patients until 4 months after you might be leaving the country, or some other difficulty like that.  This past summer we were able to get both our kids into a pediatrician's office. It was the first time either of them had been seen by an American doctor. That took months of work and research and in-laws setting up appointments months before we were ever even in the States.

So, here I am in need of a pediatrician for Joel now. Olivia had her time with the cough and hack and general yuckiness an now it is Joel's turn. He has had a nonstop fever the past couple of days, and his cough and breathing worry me, so we are making the trip to the doctor.

Now, it isn't so hard to get an appointment, but finding someone is not that easy. It is next to impossible to find a "good" doctor. In fact, I asked a friend if she knew someone, and her answer was, "What do you mean by 'good'."


I heard about someone who knew someone who took their child to see someone, and that friend has a student whose mother is a nurse and she said..... (made up for dramatic effect, but it isn't too far from reality.)

There is a German doctor in Changchun who takes patients twice a week only in the afternoon from 1:30-3:30. The nurse that works with her is a good friend of mine. She set up the appointment and I will be taking Joel there tomorrow.

I will wake and bundle both Joel and me for our trip. A friend who bought the tickets will bring them early in the morning.
I leave my apartment around 8 to arrive at the train station and make my 9:30 train.
I will arrive in Changchun at 12:10.
My 30 minute appointment is at 2, but it takes a bit of time to get out of the station and then 20 minutes give or take to taxi to the doctor's office.
I will piddle around in Changchun for a little bit and be back at the train station in time to catch my 4:45 train back to Harbin.
I will arrive in Harbin after 7pm.
By the time we get home, it will be closer to 8.

That isn't too bad. I remember when I had prenatal appointments in Beijing. We lived in Tonghua at the time and the train just to get to Beijing was 16 hours. Some of the appointments only lasted about five minutes！

It just isn't that easy, but it is somehow worth it to know that I can get care for my children that I trust.


Mafan is the Chinese word for today. "Mafan" in Chinese is 麻烦。It means troublesome or inconvenient. ex：It is 'mafan' to go all the way across town just to buy cheese.

So, tomorrow's post might be a little later than normal. Sorry for the mafan! :)

See ya' tomorrow! 明天见！

10 more to reach my goal...

Even though the dates may or reflect it, I have actually written a new blog post every day so far. Time zones can be tricky. :)

Right now, I am typing with one hand and holding a sick little boy with the other. He is sleeping, but he wakes every time he coughs... every single time. That makes for a rough night for everyone. It just isn't easy knowing what to do for them when they get sick. Being in China adds a certain element of unclarity, but I have a sneaky notion the question of how to care for these wee ones is on every parent's mind. If only they came with step by step instructions, right?

Well, although I enjoy writing this blog, I think I will stop here for now and make up for it tomorrow.
Thanks for reading.
Thank you in Chinese is 谢谢 and is pronounced xie xie (the x makes a kind of /sh/ sound and the ie is kind of like /yeah/ if that helps)。


明天见！ See ya‘ tomorrow！

Happy Thanksgiving.

I am thankful for:
T- time with students outside of class where we can talk more freely
H- help from teammates when I need a date with my hubby.
A- adorable children who keep me on my knees. :)
N- new ideas and ways to have fun with my children (Pinterest)
K- kindness from strangers when I am out and about
F- friends both near and far who show me great love and speak truth into my life
U- understanding husband who is patient with me even when I am not so patient
L- loving family who doesn't complain that their grand-babies, niece and nephew,
         cousins, etc. are all the way in China.

Happy Thanksgiving! 感恩节快乐！(gan'en jie kuai le)
明天见！ See ya' tomorrow!

sometimes it isn't easy...

One of the hard things about parenting is knowing what to do when my kids get sick. I'm no doctor, but I have to figure out what it takes people years and years of schooling to learn. I think it is even harder here in China where it isn't easy to just take them to the doctor and let him or her fix the problem. The last time I took Olivia to the hospital (there are no doctor's offices like in the States) we actually saw the "specialist". There were about 5 other strangers in the room and the doctor seemed more interested in practicing his English than helping my daughter. It wasn't pretty; I wasn't happy.

So, here we go again. Olivia has a cough, again. Joel has some issues too. We pray a lot and hope, and we try everything we can to help them. Then when it seems like life is out of control, they either get better or we finally hit the mark. We have also been blessed with different pediatric nurses in our lives. One is American, and we have called her for almost every problem we have ever had concerning our children.

There is a new friend, or rather an old friend who has come back into our lives, who also shares her insight with us. She is a German woman who lives in Changchun, and I knew her long before I was ever married. At that time, I didn't even know she was a nurse. Since having children, she has come in and out of our lives as we have moved around. Now, she works part time with a doctor who works in Changchun two days a week. I emailed her the other day and she showered me with ideas that we had never heard of before.

It seems when I feel I am at the end of one rope and knowing what to do, there is provided another to take its place and give me continued hope. For that, I am thankful.

明天见！ See ya' tomorrow!

Community

Our team is reading and talking through a book together. This week's topic is about community and this quote was in one of the questions. I thought I would just take a minute to blog my thoughts out about it. Read if you want; skip if you don't.

Eugene Peterson writes, "We are a community. We are not ourselves by ourselves. We are born into communities, we live in communities, we die in communities. Human beings are not solitary, self-sufficient creatures."

Now, before I came to China, I would have had all kinds of problems with the last part. What do you mean I am not self-sufficient? What do you mean I cannot be alone and be content. I am an introvert. Isn't that was introverts thrive on and what gets them energized? ...and so on it would go. There is an internal button that gets pushed when someone says I cannot do something by myself, but then in the end, I realize that is more than true.

We were never made to be alone. We were created to be in relationship with God and others. We were made to be in perfect unity with Him, but that didn't last past the first couple. Even still, we can have sweet community and relationship. It is when we embrace our brothers and sisters, show ourselves honestly and transparently, are willing to admit when we are wrong and be quick to forgive, share the hard stuff and embrace the messy-ness of our lives and that of others that we begin to realize how true that quote is above.

I think this lesson hit me the hardest my first year in China. In November of 2000, I fell of my bike and hurt my foot. It was so swollen that my toes looked like little balls on the end of my foot. It hurt to even think about it.

When it happened, I refused to leave my bike on the street - someone would steal it. I refused to take a taxi - that was mafan (trouble). I rode it home myself - that was stupid.  When I got home, I refused help to my second floor (stairs only) apartment - I could manage and needed to "walk it off". I wasn't allowed to refuse being carried on the back of one teammate to the fourth floor apartment of another teammate's apartment where I lived for about a week - that was humiliating. I refused the help of my teammates who wanted to cook meals for me - that was too much trouble and kind of embarrassing. I refused my team leaders help and offer of a cane to walk with - that was too conspicuous. All in all - that was ridiculous.

That word, ridiculous means, "deserving or inviting derision or mockery; absurd." Yes, all my actions were inviting others to think less of me. I was blessed with such a rich community of gracious and loving people! In spite of all my absurdity, they loved me and continued to pour out their help and service to me. One teammate even washed my hair. It humbled me to the core, and a seed of healthy community dependency and God dependency was planted in a garden that had only weeds of self-sufficiency.

So many times since that first year in China (2000-2001) God has blessed me with more great lessons that brought me back to the place where I realized the value of the godly community where I had been placed. We aren't "solitary, self-sufficient creatures" and it is grand when we stop trying to act like we are.

谢谢！(Xiexie) Thank you!
明天见！See ya' tomorrow!

What to say?

So many times, I hear students say, "What to say?" when they don't know... well, what to say. It is basically a direct translation of the Chinese. Sometimes I look at life around me and have to say to myself, "What to say?" There doesn't seem to be words that fit the feeling, situation, craziness of it all.

Not sure why I shared that except that today, I really don't know what to say. It has been a crazy mixed up day full of excitement。 I went with a friend and her husband to see their first ultrasound. I had a mixed up crazy lunch with babies of my own not knowing what they were eating or doing. I had a mixed up crazy afternoon... no wait, that was relaxing. I had a totally awesome relaxing afternoon doing crafts with the ladies on my team. Had a wonderful dinner that Hui and Gordon made (yummy)! And now I am off to the "crazy" part again as I try to bathe a screeching 10 month old, clean and bandage his little hand (story for another time) entertain an active yet coughing 3 year old and get everyone in bed all within the hour. Steve is in class, so I get to do it alone for added entertainment. :)

明天见！ See ya' tomorrow!

Our Team with its Mouth Full

One very special tradition my current team has had the past couple of years are team meals. Having meals together is not necessarily all that unique for ELIC teams, but we put a spin on it that gives it a specialness that is unsurpassed.

We take turns cooking for the whole team four nights out of every week. This means, Monday, Tuesday and Thursday nights, I do not have to do anything more than walk down the hall with plate in hand and enjoy a meal with my team. Wednesday nights, I cook for ten people and all the rest of my team needs to do is show up. Splendid in so many ways. We have had so many different kinds of meals, and it has inspired me to try to be more creative in my cooking. I LOVE it and am already trying to think of how we can sell this idea on future teams. Ha. Even if it ends with this group, it has been so much fun and I enjoy it and their fellowship more than I can say.

It is especially nice when Chinese friends are invited and we get to interact with those relationships as a team. I love that!

So, what's for dinner tonight? I think breakfast, right Jodi? Mmmm.

See ya' tomorrow!

Film Group

Tonight for the Film Group discussion, we talked about the movie Pay It Forward. The deadly thought we focused on was gluttony. It was amazing to hear what these three girls had to say in response to the questions.

One question was, "Some people think that temperance is a suppression of natural desires that deserve to be satisfied. What do you say?" A student said that "we might be born equal and have freedom, but that doesn't mean we get to do whatever we want when we want." Now, even though those rights are considered American (and not so much Chinese) I thought she stated it well. We don't get to give in to our desires. They all seemed to see the folly in that.

Another student seemed to believe that our mistakes and bad choices will lead to bad things even if there is not direct link. For example, if I have given in to gluttony and become a drunkard, even if I overcome this and my child gets hurt at school, his injury (or death) is my fault because of my earlier bad choices. The other two didn't agree, but I think that was showing some of a deeper belief that may have some roots in Chinese philosophy. Something to look into to later, I think.

Before they came tonight, life was crazy. Kids were not ready for bed, dinner was nothing short of thrown together, the kitchen was a war zone, wet clothes were in a basket practicing patience because I didn't have time to hang them, and life just felt out of control. Then I got to sit with them in the mess of life and talk about deeper things. They seemed so comfortable and I am growing in my affection for them and our time together. I look forward to next week as we discuss He's Just Not That Into You. Even though I'm not all that into that movie, I think it will bring out great ideas and thoughts about lust.

明天见！See ya' tomorrow!

Parent Lecture

How ironic that I gave a parent lecture. Just thinking about the double meaning there... I gave a lecture on parenting, but parents often give lectures to their kids. Anyway...

This afternoon, I gave a lecture to a group of Chinese college students on what parenting is like in America. It went really well. I had so much more information than I had time to talk about, and I felt like I was talking forever only to find out that I had only used up 1 hour of the 1 and a half hour time I was given.

The students asked good questions, and I think they got most of what I was trying to say. It was a lot of work, but it was fun. I'm glad it is over though.

As I was talking through the lecture with a teammate, I realized that my parenting style is not exactly American nor is it totally Chinese. I guess I am a third-culture parent (a little Chinese and a little American). Makes it all the more interesting when trying to distinguish between the two cultures.

They gave me a little gift, which I wish I had opened before leaving the building. It is a loop scarf that wraps around your neck twice. SO warm. It snowed today (winter is here at last) and it was a cold walk back from the teaching building. :)

I am so thankful for all the friends who contributed their thoughts and experiences to help make my lecture more complete. If only they could have heard the voices, seen the faces and watched it all in action!

(look at yesterday's post to see some fun pictures I added.)
明天见！ See ya' tomorrow！

Wholesale Deer

For our date today, Steve and I went to a wholesale market that serves grocery stores in the city. It took three buses to get there, but it was certainly worth it. There was a floor just for tea and drinks, another for seeds and nuts, one for chocolate and candy.... There was so much stuff! It was like being in ten different grocery stores all at the same time. There were counters dedicated to nothing but red dates (yummy)! The whole place was something to behold.

When we were walking through the ginseng section, we saw all kinds of strange things. There were sawed off deer antlers. Oh, and there was a mounted deer with sawed off antlers too, but there was a little slot where you could insert whatever size rack you so desired. Coming from a place where you actually kill the deer and mount the head with the original antlers attached, I was a little troubled.

I got the pictures off my phone, so you can see a bit for yourselves。

By the way, tomorrow is my big lecture. I'm rather nervous.

明天见！ See ya' tomorrow!

Parenting

I'm working on a lecture about parenting in America. I couldn't feel any less qualified to talk about this. Not only have my children been born and are being raised in China; but I have only been a parent in America for a few months of my entire time as a parent. I feel like I don't know what I am doing most of the time, and when I do feel like I have it together even a little bit, something happens like a bowl of baby food falls out of my hand and lands on my lap to remind me that I don't even have control of my own self much less these little people.

But maybe that is okay. Maybe I don't have to have it together or even feel like I am "in the know" about American trends to tell these students the facts. Maybe the bottom line is that none of us, Chinese or American, are "with it" all the time and that is alright.

Thankfully, I have had many friends share their insights and wisdom as well as their experiences with me so that I don't have to go on my own ideas and memory from growing up. As I put the powerpoint together, I am struck by how massive a job it is to be a parent. I'm not even scratching the surface, and I only have an hour and half to talk about it all.

Parenting really is the best thing I've ever done. I'm humbled on a regular basis by how little I know, how incompetent I am, and how much I need God.

A couple of years ago, I inherited (from a previous ELIC teacher who lived in the apartment) a hand mixer. The special thing about this mixer is that it was from America and therefore the input required 110 volts. China requires 220. So, when I plugged the mixer in the wall, it worked more like a jack-hammer than a mixer. I liken the parenting experience to that of the eggs that get whipped by my hand mixer in China. I am sure I would be growing if I didn't have a husband and children, but not to the same degree. I am thankful for the lessons I have learned.

If only I could convey the true source of how I make it as a parent! My prayer is that He will find a way into the lecture even if I cannot place them there so directly.

明天见！ See ya' tomorrow!

OH the people we meet (part 2)

One of the best parts of living in China is getting to know local people. It seems everywhere I have lived there has been a "veggie lady", "fruit lady ", "egg lady", tailor friend, "meat man" and even possibly a "water guy" with whom to build a small practical relationship. We even have a milk man who delivers milk to our door every morning.

It has been said about China that nothing is ever as it seems. When you hear something about this great nation, it is both true and not true. One aspect of this is the foreigner/ Chinese nationals relationships.

It is easy to make friends with Chinese people.
    Strangers may come up to you on the street or at the park or in a coffee shop or your front door or...(you get the idea) and say, "Can I make friends with you?" Sometimes this can be a bit awkward to us with an American background, but it is certainly friendly.
     There are people (like the above mentioned market street friends) who are so eager to talk to you and help you with your Chinese. There are genuine smiles on their faces when they see you often enough. You might even get a special discount from time to time (or at least an extra clove of garlic thrown in your bag). :)
   For those teaching in China, students are often wanting to spend time talking to you and getting to know you by coming over to your house or having a meal with you. They ALWAYS "welcome you to come to [their] hometown."
   There seems to be no end to their hospitality and desires to teach you everything from reciting a Tang Dynasty style poem to making jiaozi (Chinese dumplings).

But...
It is hard to make friends in China.
    Though they are friendly and truly may have warm feelings toward you, it is hard to really become deep and close with as many people that claim to want to be your friend. Sometimes relationships can feel more like a means to an end or like you are being used for your English speaking ability.
    When you do make a good friend, the relationship is harder to maintain if and when you, or they, move. There is always the impending return date back to North America or their graduation.
     Just as the list from the first question above can go on, this one can as well, but the overall feeling in spite of the difficulty is that the friends I have made in my 10+ years in China have been worth the effort. I have learned more, grown more, matured more, and had deeper and more significant relationships because of the difficulties not just in spite of them.

I can think back on my time in China and put faces to the reasons why I stay. Sometimes those relationships started out superficial and then blossomed into something rich and blessed. Other times, it started because of a mutual friend who connected us and we had an uncomfortable start, but in the end I couldn't imagine living here without those 朋友 （friends ＝pronounced pengyou）.
 
Sorry, I didn't meant to go on and on, but as I wrote this blog today, I was struck  by how much I appreciate the friendships I have made here. I am thankful to God for each one of them.

Thank you for reading.
明天见！ （ming tian jian）See ya' tomorrow!

Oh the people we meet.

It seems like no matter where I go in China, I am nothing if not conspicuous. If I could change something about myself for one hour, I would look Chinese and walk in a crowded market. What it must be like to have nobody stare while you walk down the street! I guess I have that feeling in America, but people don't usually stare unless there is a good reason.

I was walking somewhere one day and a Chinese lady was in front of me with bright hair. It was orange or yellow (not blond) or something like that. Did anyone even glance her way? Nope.

I'm not bitter. This is just life for me right now. I meet and talk to a lot of different people because I look so different and am obviously "not from around these parts" and need to be inspected. :)

Having children adds a whole new spin on the deal too. After Olivia was born, I was amazed by how many people knew her name. I seemed to blend into the role of "Mei hua's mama" (Olivia's mama). That could be explained by Tonghua being a small town and "of course" everyone knows the only foreign kid in the city.

Harbin though? I was going to the store alone the other day and had to take the bus. As I was getting on, a lady stopped and stared at me and actually stopped pushing her way onto the bus. That is a strange behavior. Nobody ever stops doing that; foreigners don't even do that. Once we got on the bus, she turned and said in Chinese, "Are you Ai hua's (Joel's) mother?" I said yes. Evidently, she is one of my best Chinese friend's sister-in-law and we met at the hospital when my friend had her baby. Small world, but still, I am Ai'hua's mama. :)

I don't mind. If I have to be known for something special, being known for my children is a wonderful thing. It just seems funny to me how someone loses their own social identity to a degree in China when they have a child; foreign or otherwise. :)

明天见！See ya' tomorrow!

Film Study Group

A couple of years ago, a teammate started a film group with a group of students where they watched films separately and then came together to discuss the deeper themes in the movies. The topic of each film centered around deadly thoughts and their remedies.

Last fall, I also started meeting with a couple students going through the same study. Joel's sweet, yet early, arrival put a rather abrupt ending to the group, and it was hard to get back into it the second semester.

This semester however, I have a better grip on my schedule and there were a couple of girls I knew who might want to participate. After asking them, they found two others who were interested after knowing what the film study is all about. I have been so excited about getting started!

Last night was our first meeting, and it was all that I hoped for and more. The girls were eager to talk, ask questions and dig deeper into the idea of anger or bitterness and the remedy of mildness and forgiveness. They were looking at things with fresh eyes and debating back and forth about what the best way to deal with this problem of anger might be. One interesting remedy they came up with for dealing with anger was to eat. I thought that was an interesting solution, though it might lead itself to gluttony, which ironically, is next week's theme. :)

What a joy it is to discuss these thoughts mostly in English with some Chinese thrown in for good measure!

明天见！ See ya' tomorrow！

Model U.N.

Every year there is a Model U.N. meeting where the Chinese students get together to discuss big issues acting as representatives from different countries. I imagine it is a good way for them to think about international issues from the perspective of different cultures and needs.

They always need foreigners to serve as the secretary typing every word spoken. Challenging, at best. Last year and this, Steve helped out a couple of days. Today, he spent the morning typing and listening. I'll let him speak for himself:

I should give you some details, but before boring you with the details that interested me, I should try to describe it for you.

Imagine a fancy, large room filled with stained cherry wood desks facing the front, a great view out the back of the room, and a table in front of everyone. The front table has 3 leaders (a 'dias') to guide a discussion, with a fancy view of the campus pictured behind them. I was the leader with a computer in front of him.

I typed everything I heard...or at least thought I heard. I wrote in short summaries, which helps the delegates know what was said when they don't understand the delegate speaking. The group guides the discussion with the chairman enforcing the rules of order.

The boring details: This morning the students were 'representing' 32 countries, which were often distinguished by the adjectives developed, developing, or underdeveloped. Besides the difficulty of distinguishing the first two with my ears, I had a number of different accents I encountered as they spoke. Their English abilities came from a wide range of backgrounds, including 3-4 schools in the area, many of the students being non-English majors.

After a quick lunch, there was a 'news briefing' which I led since my friend asked me to do it. I asked him for some ideas for questions so I wouldn't have to think of everything spontaneously. A reporter for the school newspaper was there to record the interview of the 3 delegates.

My friend also asked me to consider defending him as the chairman. So when one delegate said the chair should guide the delegates in a certain way, I reminded him that it was his job, along with the other delegates.

I wonder if this is really how it happens at the United Nations...

6 Years and Counting

Six years ago today, Steve and I said "I do." To help us celebrate, a teammate watched our children for the afternoon so we could go out on the town. The date started with a bus ride that took us about two miles past our intended destination - the Dragon Tower - and we ended up taking a taxi back. We planned to go up in the tower and see the city from above, but the overcast sky and ticket price seemed to make that less than a good deal. So we took a picture and left.

Our next stop was going to be a nearby Russian restaurant when we spotted a distribution place that sells a soda water we love to drink called "Dragon Water" and it was too tempting to pass up. We found out they buy back the empty glass bottles and even deliver if you buy at least 5 boxes. Not a bad deal. We bought two boxes today and carried them all over the city on our date.

So we went to the restaurant and enjoyed a nice meal alone (a rare treat). We planed to eat some carrot cake "Mai meile."Sold out. Tiramisu then. "Mai mei le." Cheese cake. "Mai mei le". No problem. Hamamas here we come!

We embarked on another taxi ride to one of the best little coffee and western food restaurants in Harbin. It started snowing. :) (Just a note: it snowed on our last anniversary too.) Hamamas was packed, as usual, but we got a nice seat, ate our carrot cake, drank our coffee and milkshake and enjoyed a few more minutes alone.

Then, we left, took another taxi home and came home to find that our children had behaved so sweetly and left our teammate with a smile. I believe they rise to the occasion when they have a chance to show how sweet they can be.

So, that topped off our date.

Thank you Steve for the past six wonderful years. I look forward to all this seventh year has in store and the fifty-some odd years that follow. 我爱死你了！

To everyone else,
明天见！See ya' tomorrow.

The Humbling Moments

I believe God allows us to experience things sometimes to serve as a preview of what's to come. Then, when things happen again to someone else, we are less motivated to be judgmental.

My preview came the other day after Olivia moved her furniture and climbed in the crib with Joel. Today, after coming home from our weekly date, Steve and I were greeted by the lady who watches our children on Friday afternoon with news that during "nap time", Olivia had once again moved furniture and climbed into the big cabinet. This time however, she had managed to get ahold of some medicine on a BIG no no shelf. That, along with some other forbid-ables, were on the floor.

If we had not had the preview the other day, my tendency might have been to be angry, but if that can happen on my watch, it can happen on hers as well. The point isn't Ai'yi (auntie) anyway. Our sweet little 2 year old has turned into a stealthy 3 year old and this calls for serious action. Her silent moments of compulsion are dangerous.

So, I humbly submit to the fact that I need help from above and others to know what to do and how to teach her in a way that will stick without her having to get seriously hurt to learn her lesson.  I must admit that the song, "Some people gotta learn the hard way..." comes to mind.  Sigh.

明天见！ See ya' tomorrow.

What's the big deal?

There is not much like a good cup of coffee. My preference these days is black, decaf no sugar, but that is be beauty of coffee. You can have it almost anyway you like. You can add flavors or sugar or cream or milk or nothing. You can buy flavored coffee, bold coffee, espresso, whole beans or ground. There's even instant, phew phew phew ... when that's the only option.

So, we heard rumors last semester that there was going to be a Starbuck's in Harbin. We all went on a march to see if it was true; but nothing. This past week, our teammates saw the actual sign where a Starbuck's is coming in the near future. Even those on the team who don't drink coffee seemed excited.

A group of us were talking about this when a Chinese friend said, "What's the big deal?"

So what is the big deal? It seems, from my experience, that there are levels to a city becoming "modern" in China. First, you get fake stuff like fake western restaurants that serve pizza with mayonaise on them. Second, you get KFC. After you pass the Kentucky test, you might a McDonald's and or Pizza Hut (but probably not at the same time). Along the way, there are some coffee shops that also sell green tea freezes of some kind.

It is only the truly modern among these cities that get the renown Starbuck's Coffee. When this happens, people who might have never even cared about Starbuck's in America find themselves saving the date that the shop will open and evaluating their budgets to decide how many coffee caramel frap's with whip cream and chocolate syrup they can have the first month it is open.

All that aside, some people really like the coffee. Not sure it will make into my heart, but I am happy for the city.
(Thank you Taylors for the picture.)
明天见！ See ya' tomorrow!

Sometimes silence isn't holy

oh my. While I sat on my balcony stool, the house was quiet. When Steve got home from class, he said the children's door was closed. I heard something and decided it would be best to go look. 

Before Joel's morning nap this morning, I rearranged their room so that Olivia's bed would not be next to the window. She has had a cough and I hoped this would help since pollution is associated with outdoor air. 

What I saw when I walked in this afternoon left me speechless. I should have taken a picture. Plastic shelves had been moved, the changing table was in the middle of the room, the large cabinet doors were wide open, a bottle of saline was on another plastic shelf, Olivia was standing in Joel's crib, Joel was laying on his back watching her and a musical toy was playing in his crib. Sheets and blankets were all out of the small shelving unit and either on her bed or on the floor. Who knows what else I will find in the days and months to come. 

One blessing is that we had a positive discipline experience and it didn't result in screaming or flailing but rather respectful and accepting behavior. I guess I should be thankful for that. 

明天见。

Aaah. Nap time.

Once again, I was wrong about the last nice day. I'm going to stop guessing now, really.

Nap time is a wonderful and precious time in my apartment. Everything that has been crazy stops and silence prevails. We have a small room attached to the kitchen that we call the "balcony" though I am not sure exactly what to call it. It is where we have shelves for "pantry" items, shelves for tools, racks and hooks for hanging laundry and even a small shelf for plants. It really isn't as big as it sounds! There is also this small stool that I use for reaching the high pole to hang my laundry, but it has another use too. I can go out there during nap time and have a quiet time of my own. I can read, look out the window, reflect, pray, dream a little and have a sweet peaceful time all to myself. I sometimes bring my cup of coffee and sit it down next to the plant hoping it won't get dirt in it. At times I have to dodge the hanging towel or sheet or pair of pants (I said it wasn't big) but it is my space. Even when Olivia doesn't actually sleep (I hear her bumping around now) I can sit and close everything out for just a little bit. Those times are precious to me, so I am going to go and get to it now.
I hope you have a time today that you can spend being still and knowing that He is God. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow.
明天见  See ya' tomorrow.

Preschool in China

Just to comment a bit about yesterday... I think the 'last warm day' is truly history.

Olivia goes to Chinese preschool two days a week. It is often a great mystery what she does there, though I am fairly confident she is enjoying herself. Now that she is three, she does not cry when she gets dropped off - a self-imposed decision on her part before her birthday.  The past two Thursdays when I picked her up, she had homework. I did not know if this was something she would be learning or already had learned. She did it easily thankfully. We figured out the first of the month is tuition day, but it is always unknown how much it will be and what hidden fees there might or might not be in there. There is this monthly videotaping that they do where the kids get recorded doing little tricks liking putting bean bags in buckets and walking holding hula hoops.

One day, glorious as it was, I had to take Olivia back in the afternoon for some class performance. When I got there, all the parents were huddled in the back of the classroom and little chairs were circled up in the front. We waited while all the 2-3 year old got themselves together. Olivia wasn't too thrilled with being in front of so many strangers. This was obviously not the set-up she was used to. Still, it was fun to see the other children and parents all together and realize that there is much fun going on and know that she enjoys herself.

Today I dropped her off and was told I had to pay 10 kuai (almost a dollar and a half) for something. I obediently stood in the long line of mama's and waited my turn. I got to the front and gave my money and found out they are doing some eye exam. Pity the one who has to make Olivia do whatever that takes! She will probably be fine, but who even knows what they will do?

It seems it is a constant mystery to me what happens to my daughter from 8-11:30 on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. I ask her and she says, "I don't know." Well, that makes two of us. Ha.

Sometimes I get little nuggets of insight where she will say something about what the "laoshi" (teacher) said or had them do, or I hear a little song that I know she didn't learn from home, or she might just say something outright (rarely) then I get more of a glimpse.

I guess as time goes on, she will be better able to communicate her thoughts on this other life she is living. Until then, I will keep asking and watching and hoping.

Thanks for reading.
明天见 [Mingtian jian]  See ya' tomorrow.

Last nice day before winter...

Here in the northeastern part of China, we are always hanging on to the 'last day' of nice weather. As the temperature drops slowly, rises a bit, drops again, rises again and then pummels to the point of no return until May, we savor each morsel of warm sunshine.

It gets kind of tricky though because you never really know when the real last day is going to be. You think, "Okay, time to settle in and pull out the down coat." then there is another "last day" around the corner. The problem is that when the last last day hits, I find myself still expecting another.

Why is that? Is there something in my nature, or human nature, that always expects there to be another good thing following the one we are in today? Do I really savor the blessing because I think it is the last or because I think I am entitled to it? Do I prefer the gift more than the Giver? Do I miss the blessing in the proverbial "cold days" or do I live my life for the 'last day' of nice weather and then pout until spring? I believe there is more for us to learn if we learn to appreciate the good along with all the other.

I believe there is great joy in the warm sunshine and being able to enjoy the outdoors without fifteen layers, but there is something quite unique and special about -30 degree weather too. Remind me of that in December. haha.

 明天见！［Ming tian jian］See ya' tomorrow!

30 Day Challenge

I am challenging myself to write something every day for the next 30 days. We have started and abandoned a couple of blogs, and my hope is that this challenge will help in establishing the habit so that this one will stick. :) Our hope is that this blog is encouraging to those who may read it and informative to those who want to know more about us. Any comments you have are greatly appreciated.