Monday, July 30, 2018

Sad Days, Fun Highlights


So, we took Fitz to the vet because he wasn't as playful as before and getting fat. Needless to say, we really didn't think it was a huge problem, maybe over eating. So, when the test results came back that he had FIP and was going to die, we were shocked.  I haven't seen this bright smile since the diagnosis came. Fitz indeed did die a week later.
 Our school books came in the mail! :) The kids love new books!!  Benjamin is excited that one of his books has him making some yummy looking food in the kitchen ;)
 Our neighbors gave us a pumpkin!  They said they HOPED it was enough for us to eat at a meal!! HAHA! I think it's PLENTY!
 This is where Fitz hung out for the next week.  His favorite spot in the beanbag...unless it was night time and then Benjamin slept on the pull out with him.
 These sweet puppies....patiently waiting for their water.
Regan spent the week in Hong Kong helping with a camp.  She always has so much fun working with kids. The leaders all went out one night to go squid fishing.  It was a first for her and she liked it.
 She caught some :)
 She came back to me from HK with Step throat and laryngitis.  It's been a week and her voice is not quite back to normal yet...talking is fine, but not able to sing yet...torture for her.

 This guy was selling buns out of the back of his motorbike.  People got so excited to buy them and were waving money in his face to buy more. crazy.
 Lauren had a 6 day dance class.  She loved every minute of it!  Only 11 kids got to take it from all the different classes.  At the end, we got to come and watch what she had learned.  The teacher asked them all to bring their performance outfits.
 Regan and Huang Laoshi
 It's really hard to get pictures with your phone of a ballet girl spinning and leaping across the room.

 Hudson had his first piano class!!!!!  He is so excited and has a really nice teacher.
 We went to Huitong Ancient Village to meet up with some friends.

 There were some really big trees filled with fruit!  The girls like this fruit.
 I have never seen this little statue before.  Too funny!

 Lauren and Tang Tang trying to pull Katherine
 A huge swing
 We were going to eat at a local restaurant, but it was closed....so McDonald's it was.  Benjamin enjoyed hanging out with Nic and it was good for him to get his mind off of his cat.
 Ok...now this is a first. Eyelashes on a car?!?!
 Wendy and Linda (two teachers at the University) and Regan and I had some smoothies at the coffee house.  It was good to get to know them.
 The kids found this cat that was a spitting image of Charlie...looks and personality.
 It's been super hot here...like 88-90 inside the house hot.  Thankfully, we live near the coast and there has been a breeze to help make it feel more bearable.  We went for a night walk around the island and had a great time!
 I ordered a water bottle for the dogs so that they can come on walks with us again.  I haven't been letting them go out for long because it's too hot and they need water, now we can take them their own bottle.
 Look who got his red and black belt!!!!  He was excited to show me when he got home!!
 Katherine and Scout...they have a special relationship indeed. There is no way Shadow would ever let her do this, but Scout loves her so much.  He might even be swaying her to be more of a dog person than a cat person ;)
 This is what our ENTIRE city looks like right now.  I'm not kidding!  EVERY street on both sides a complete mess.  I guess it's better than always being in a state of construction....let's just take a month and a million workers and get it all done at one time! ;)
 The sky has been pretty recently!  I love when we see blue skies!
 These two were playing with the bunny doll house.
We went out to eat with our neighbors.  I don't get a good group shot.  We were so busy eating after I took this one that I forgot to get another one :)  So, while there's been a lot of sad news this last week (Fitz being the saddest), we still did have some fun!

Tuesday, July 17, 2018

Snow in July

 Regan and Benjamin are back from camp.  They had a great time and have both talked nonstop for days about it.  Fitz missed Benjamin and Gracie was just glad to get to come back home after staying a week at the vet.
 The girls came with me to bring Gracie home (and to get Fitz his last shots)
 She looks so much better and was so happy to curl up next to Katherine.
 The day after the kids got back (and being exhausted from late nights and early mornings) Benjamin had his next belt test.  He did great and passed! Now he is a red and black belt!
 He was happy and sweaty! I don't think I have ever seen him sweat so much.  Between camp and this he was ready for a good night's sleep that night!
 The landlord finally agreed to fix PART of the floor in our schoolroom. Water had come in last year during the typhoon and it had gradually been getting worse and worse, to the point that when you stepped it made a loud pop and you sunk several inches into the floor!  It was quite the endeavor to move out all of our bookshelves, books, desks, etc...but I'm happy that the floor is not quite like it was before.
 Regan brought me a souvenir from Taiwan.  :)  Sweet girl.  Who knew they had things like this there
 The World Cup has been a huge deal here.  People ask me about it all the time and are shocked when I say that I haven't been watching it.
 I prefer watching this girl play soccer!  She had fun and we did, too. Although, we barely survived the bird sized mosquitoes out there!!
 There was an adult match afterward and one of the players asked for a picture with Katherine.  He then sent it to me.
 Now that it's summer and we are all back together, it was time for me and the kids to visit some friends!!
 Yoyo had this message waiting for us when we arrived. I think she only mentioned the girls because the younger girls were having a sleepover, too!
 Regan decided that she should act famous...haha!
 Then for the fun surprise...snow in July!!  There is a new place that has snow making machines inside and you can play in the snow as long as you want.  They had you put on leg warmers, snow boots, gloves, and jackets.
 helping her little brother who was not too sure about the idea of snow...he ended up loving it!
 group photos before we play

 and many happy kiddos!
 Lauren and Yoyo tried for a long time to build a snowman.  This was about as big as he got.  The snow was just not wet enough to pack well, but they had fun trying! You could still make good snowballs ;)
 This was Hudson's favorite spot to play....under the snow making machine.
 Winter was seeing how many "snow sandcastles" she could make.
 A great little toy for making the perfect snowball
 Xiao Jun trying to be nice to Regan in hopes that she won't be hit with a snowball :)
 I like this one. They had so much fun in the snow.
 Benjamin asked to be buried in it. The kids had fun trying to help him.
 Yes, I went sledding, too ;)
I survived :)
 Katherine and Lauren about to race
 Regan sledding
 Katherine got hit with a snowball.
 Watch out Hudson!  Boys will be boys.  Hudson though it was funny and got snow to throw back at his brother.
 Me and Xiao Jun
 getting her arsenal of snow ready
 my mini me is getting older
 Regan just nailed him with a snowball :)
 attempting to do snow angels
Benjamin trying to build an ice window
 After 3 hours it was time to leave and warm back up....and let the snow melt off Katherine's head :)
 The snow playground was inside an arcade.  Each of the kids had 20 tokens to spend on games.  Katherine hit the jackpot on her very first game!
 The place was mostly grabber nabber games, but this was a new one for me.  Yes, those are bouncy balls and LIVE TURTLES!  I really didn't think they would win anything because you rarely win at grabber nabber games, right?  Well, let's just say I will spare you a picture of ALL our new turtle friends, but the names I remember are Wave, Crush,  and Bing. There's a total of 12 so please forgive me that I can't remember them all. It was really the strangest thing ever.  We were rescuing them, right?


 Benjamin won a Batman in one of the games as well!
 Afterward we went to eat hot pot (a restaurant where you boil your food in the middle of the table)
 It was really good.  They didn't have a salad bar, but had a spice bar to flavor your food.  The kids enjoyed it and we had to order seconds of this meat because Benjamin loved it!

 squid and quail eggs
 Katherine loves shrimp.  She was so excited when they brought these out...and then we realized they they were still alive!  Benjamin's was running a hundred miles a minute in the air and he said, "Somebody take it! I don't want it!" I know they like things fresh here, but really, I'm ok if you kill the food before you bring it to me.
 Lauren talking to her turtle (at the dinner table) about what a good dancer he is.
 So, at this restaurant, not only did you eat there, but they did your nails there for free! The girls loved it....and the boys patiently waited :)

I was a little nervous about going home on the train because I didn't know if they would let the turtles on or not. Hudson made sure his had a seat by the window.
 The girls had a sleepover...
 took lots of pictures...
 ate out again...
 had a picnic...
blew bubbles at night...
 and eventually came home.  they were stuck in traffic for hours so they read many books.
and it was raining
 They made it back just in time for dinner.I'm not sure we can squeeze any more people around the table.
 Katherine loves Scout and he loves her.  She decided that he would look cut win her glasses.
Hudson is enjoying the responsibility of caring for his turtle. Ayi said that she loves all the animals and that she doesn't have to pay to go to a zoo or aquarium because she could see them all at our house. HAHA!
 We got books and school books in the mail this week!  Everyone is very excited about them!  This little kids book is super cute.  It's called Swirly and is about a kid from one country who grows up in a different country.  I recommend for any family with third culture kids or for anyone else who wants to understand how  a third culture kid feels. Super cute.
 It's time for some hair cuts again!

 After her haircut...she convinced them not to dry her hair all the way :)  I didn't get another picture because she went off to taekwondo class and then the next day she left for another camp (this time as a helper)
 I did get a picture of this girl afterward on the way home.  What is happening to my little girl?  She doesn't look so little anymore.  She still has a style all her own though :)
Katherine and Lauren were the ONLY two brave enough to try and swim.  The water was so cold!! It's been storming for days and the sun was still not out and pretty windy, but they didn't care.  They only lasted an hour before Lauren's lips turned blue and we decide that we should head back and warm up. :)