Happy Birthday Jake!

 

This is the best!!  I love this kid!

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAKE!

We survived our second birthday in China in as many weeks!  He's trying so hard to blow out the candles. We practiced all day -- I would sing "Happy Birthday" and then we would pretend to blow out candles.  Happy Birthday is too much for him to say, so he goes around smiling and singing "Oh Happy Day!"  I love it! 

 

Some awesome Chinese toys!

(Let's hope there's no lead paint in those!)

 

 

 

Si ge Haizi - Click!

One thing we weren't expecting upon moving here was the attention the family gets when we go somewhere.  Beijing sees a lot of foreigners so we're definitely not a novelty here especially in our little foreign suburb.  But when we travel into the city or to places where a Chinese tourist may come (like the amusement park, Great Wall etc..) or any city other than Beijing where foreigners aren't as common -- we have been chased down for one of these...

The kids were getting more attention here than the actual 2,000 year-old Banyan tree we all came to see.  At first the boys joked "we're famous," but now they just get annoyed :)

Jake gets the brunt of it -- and we all know how much he loves attention -- NOT

The first sentence I learned in Chinese was "yes, I have four kids."  I think it's hilarious when we're walking around the market or anywhere and people pass us whispering in shock "si ge haizi" (four children).  With the Chinese "one child policy" they don't see big families often.  Most of the time they tell me - four kids, much happiness -- or I admire you - or but you're sooo young -- or I wish I had brother or sister etc... I did have a 20 something year-old- girl ask me once "why you want four kids?"  I just laughed and said much happiness!  It's very expensive in China to have a child and if you have more than one you have to pay the government some kind of penalty fee.  So they think that when people have more than one kid that they must have a lot of money.  On the contrary!!  More kids=less money :)

 

 

And these are just a few pictures that I was quick enough getting MY camera out to take a picture of them taking pictures of us :)

 

We are learning though.  If we just keep moving then we're safer, people just stop and stare and point.  But when we stop for a minute that's when the crowds start forming.  I don't think I'll ever like or get used to this.

 

I was a little weirded out over the weekend when we took a trip out-of-town.  We were in the airport getting ready to board and a guy with a fancy camera came to take a picture of Jake and Keely.  He then started showing me the picture he just took then kept going and there were even more pictures from earlier - when we had just arrived at the airport.  Creepy.

 

 



Beijing's Hutong

Houhai 

Yangfang and Maoer Hutong

 

 

 

 

Another item on our "must do" list was to ride in a rickshaw around a "hutong."  This is a narrow alleyway through old courtyard homes.  Many people still live this way today.  Thousands of these used to exist but in Beijing's attempt to modernize the city they wiped out many of these homes.  Ironic at how now these are the places that everyone wants to see.

I learned that for feng shui reasons most hutong run east-west so that their main gates face south.  This guarantees sunshine and protection from negative principles gathering in the north.

 

Houhai Lake

This is happening a lot.  I thought I would just show a little of what our family experiences (especially Jake) -- but I'll save the rest for another post :)

This is how he is learning to walk around the city...poor kid!

Happy Birthday Luke!

We survived our first birthday in China!  Whew!  And yes, I was able to find cake mixes and frosting and candles - I even found a happy birthday banner to hang in the house!!  (Granted, these items were about 3X what I'd pay in the states - but hey- they have them!!)

So much fun!  Luke is an amazing young man -- despite my failing parenting skills he is turning into a fantastic kid that every parent would be proud of and dreams of having.  I can't believe he's 12!!!  Happy Birthday!!

*pleasegetmeacellphone-pleasegetmeacellphone-pleasegetmeacellphone*






Meet Speed Bump...

 

 

This is what the kids have lovingly nick-named "SPEED BUMP." 

And boy do you ever feel it when you go over an actual speed bump :)

 

 

It is China's version of the neighborhood cruising golf cart.  Many people actually use electric carts like this one for work - you often see them piled high with work materials, the grocery stores deliver groceries and we use it to cruise around the neighborhood!

We ride bikes and walk a lot but we knew we needed something for the short-distance places we needed to get to.  In China you don't need a drivers license to drive electric bikes, only gas-powered ones.   We have a van and a driver who can drive us anywhere we choose, but his hours are mostly 7-7 so things like getting to youth night or running to the plaza (food, shopping, atm) anytime after 7 is more difficult.  Enter - speed bump.  Bonus - we all fit!  I'm sure once winter hits we'll have to use our driver more than speed bump, but for now it works great!

*Funny side-note... when we were interviewing drivers our translator was describing previous work experience and said one had worked for -- Rob and I both thought she was saying -- "wolworths" and this is how the dialogue went...

us:  Wolworths?
translator: Yes, wolworth.
Rob and I thinking to ourselves...we didn't know wolworths had a driving company...
Rob:  where are they based?
translator:  It's the Swiss company wolworth.
Rob: could you spell it for me?
tanslator:  we-o-el-we-o
Rob:  Volvo?
translator: Yes, wolworth.

hahaha, we both had a good laugh when we got home, you can't write 'em better than that!

Welcome to ISB

 

I was surprised at the number of options there are here for international schools.  We found a couple we really liked but you have to apply and be "accepted."  I was a little worried at first because we were getting a late start at the game and these schools fill up fast!  Luckily things miraculously worked out and we got into the school we really wanted.

   The kids started school at the International School of Beijing.  It's an American based school and they have to take a Chinese language course every day.  It's Awesome to be at a school with such great cultural variety.  The kids have friends from Switzerland, Korea, Minnesota, Singapore and China!

Luke is in middle school and started a day earlier than the elementary.  His two main teachers are from Singapore and the USofA :)  He is on the school soccer team with an Argentine coach, and he is playing the saxophone in band.  They each get their own macbook and the electives they offer are amazing - he had about 30 things to choose from.  Right now he is in a "grill masters" class and loving it!  He was a little bummed that the only sport they don't play is American Football - but there are school badminton and table tennis teams!

 

 

Zak's teacher is the coolest guy from Minnesota.  He always lucks out with the cool teachers!  He has surprised me by wanting to learn to play the cello and wanting to take a candle-making after school class.  He is also playing soccer through a company whose coaches have really cool accents (British) so I told him the candle-making will have to wait until next session :)  I was most worried about Zak's adjustment to the move but he has taken off with flying colors.  He came home from school one day and said - "ask me what I don't like about living in China" so I asked him and he answered "Nothing!!"   He does ask about visiting Texas and Arizona when we return for home leaves though. 

 

 

 

 

Keely is just happy and loving and girly as ever!  Her teacher is from New Zealand so she's had to get used to the accent :)  She's excited to finally have homework this year!  She surprised me by wanting to play soccer!  And she's loving everything about it except for the uniforms that, she claims, look like a dress (they do drown her though!)  She's playing the piano and taking gymnastics and really takes care of her little brother when she's home!

 

 

Some of the walls throughout the school have fun, beautiful art work.

 

 

So far so good!  Let's see if they still love it in a month once the homework kicks in!!

 

 

 

 

Shijingshan

Amusement park fun!!

Our second weekend and last weekend before school started we decided to check out an amusement park.  It was fun to see how they tried to copy Disneyland - characters walking around, castles, there was even a ride like Thunder Mountain Railroad (albeit a small version!).

I was a little worried because the safety standards aren't quite like they are at home :) but I sucked it up and we had a great time!  This park wasn't real big on the Thrill-O-Meter but it gave us a good taste at living in a foreign country.  We even ate meat skewers and noodles from the street vendors and no one got sick!  We were all in spice shock, something we'll have to get used to I suppose! And the kids were wondering where the cotton candy was :)

 

This was a fun little water boat ride.  You get a rain poncho and then set sail.  Inside the boat you have water guns that you can shoot at people in other boats and they even hit me and Jake - innocent bystanders!  Doesn't that water look refreshing?!

 

We have been told that there is another amusement park that has the bigger rides and bigger lines.  There weren't any lines at this park which is a good thing when it's 95 degrees and 90% humidity!  Maybe we'll try the other one next time!