hot potato

Day two of cold rain.  Yesterday morning we picked up a friend and went to open gym at the local Gymnastics center.  It's a great spot to run around and get all the excess energy out, despite not-so-friendly weather.

Of course Julianna - the dress up queen - was dressed for the activity!

Days like these in China get sooooooo long for me and the kids.  Playing outside in the warm rain is one thing - it might be messy, but it works.  Playing outside in the cold rain is pretty much not an option.  I was very grateful to be living in America, complete with big house to run around in, attached garage with matching minivan, and many fun entertainment options right down the street. 

Like this spot - with gigantic playland :) - where we stopped for lunch. 

Sitting down to dinner last night Matt juggled hot potatoes as he served plates and asked the girls if they had ever played the game 'hot potato'.  Well, they hadn't (poor deprived little souls) so after baths the games began. 

Even Isaac likes to play organized things like this, though he doesn't quite follow all the action.  (When he plays duck duck goose he stands up and runs around the circle every time "goose" is called, regardless of who actually got named "goose".) 

The white bear in Julianna's lap is our potato and in Matt's version of the game, the person caught with the potato in their lap when the music stops gets tickled by the other players.  This, I might add, is where Isaac really excels. 

In his book, it doesn't matter where the potato landed, when the music stops it's time to wrestle.  Can you see Lydia?  

He puts in a fair amount of time on the bottom of the pile too :) 

And when Julianna said "hey, how come the music only stops when one of the children is holding the potato?"  Matt was caught red-handed (he runs the music)... and everybody tackled Daddy.

Good question Julianna :)