children's day.... LYDIA

Today the girls' school celebrates Children's Day.  In China, that means every class puts on a little performance. Singing, dancing, recitation, that kind of a thing.  Lydia's was this morning, Julianna's is in the afternoon (in other words, I will spend most of my day running back and forth between school and home with various combinations of children in tow!)

I do enjoy these days, more every year as I get better at understanding the way this culture handles events like this.  The front yard of the school was all decked out for the big day.

Technically only one parent was allowed to attend each performance, but Matt and I tend to get a little special treatment and got permission to have both of us attend because we have multiple kids at the school :) [This 'special treatment because we are foreigners' thing tends to go both ways - there are times that I LOVE it, and times that I HATE it.  This is one of those times that I was grateful to be different.]

Although they did let Matt in, he did not get a seat!  Which worked out great since Isaac wasn't really planning on spending a lot of time sitting anyways :)  The two of them hung out in the back near the play ground equipment.

All the girls in Lydia's class wore huge pink hair bows. 

Lydia concentrated so hard...

.... it was a joy to watch.

(Proud mama with her little girl after the show)

Now the kids are all out in the courtyard.  Julianna is teaching Lydia the moves from her class' dance.  Lydia is teaching Julianna one of her songs ("the hippo wants to drink water, he washes his face".... not really sure why the song goes like that, but hey I didn't write it!)

The plan is to put Isaac down for a late nap and leave him here sleeping with our helper.  Not at all sure how that will go, but I'm hopeful he'll sleep long and hard and be ok when he wakes up and finds mommy gone.  (He knows that's the plan, but I'm not entirely sure he's going to be happy with it when he wakes up.)

Lydia will go back with me to watch Julianna's class this afternoon.  Fun times :)

children's day.... JULIANNA

Pictures from Julianna's performance

A very full, very exciting day :)  Glad the girls enjoy it so much, and glad we only do it a few times each year!

six weeks of seedlings

A few days ago I took some updated photos of our garden.  

Six weeks ago we planted tomato seedlings that looked like this  - note the puny looking little plant near Lydia's hoe, and the just-trampled seedling beside her left foot....

Well apparently we got the trample-proof seedlings because now they look like this!  Almost as big as Lydia!  

Oh my I am SOOOOOO glad my kids don't grow as fast as these tomatoes!  No tomatoes yet, but they are starting to flower.  Is that part of the process?  It seems hopeful, those flowers, so I am encouraged that actual edible tomatoes might appear soon?!?!

The other staked vines are cucumber (near Lydia) and pumpkin (in the foreground).  We harvested, shared and ate our entire crop of little cabbage and planted round 2.....

So if you stop by in a month or so we'll serve you some for supper :)  

Isaac cooks

Four years ago we bought a small used toy kitchen from a friend of ours leaving China.  Julianna was 18 months old and Lydia was a large bump in the belly.  We stowed it away for six months and gave it to Julianna for her second birthday that December. 

And I never DREAMED that it would become the toy staple that it is.  I keep the bulk of our toys in a cabinet and we only pull out some at a time (because it cuts down on clutter and I hope it encourages more imaginative play).  But the little kitchen is one thing that I tend to leave out - if I don't, someone is sure to come asking for it.  I'll hear them deeply involved in some play-scenario, working on plot and details and one of them will come running out of the bedroom, "Mom, quick, we need the kitchen toys." 

This morning the girls were at school and Isaac worked so hard with this little kitchen.  He made me all kinds of tasty treats while I was a customer at his restaurant (be forewarned: his menu features an abundance of peanut butter). 

I do lots of laundry on Fridays (especially if the weather is nice) so in between switching loads, hanging stuff out in the courtyard (yay for summer sunshine!) and folding the dry clothing I was his #1 customer. 

Note that he makes all his bread from scratch :)

And uses only the "boy oven mitt" to get things from the oven.  He's had quite enough of pink and will quickly clarify that he does not intend to use the pink oven mitt for one single second.  He will serve me food on pink plates with pink utensils, but when the two of us sat down for a cup of coffee early this morning his first comment (as he removed the cups from the oven - interesting coffee brewing technique, huh?) was "the blue cup is mine and the pink cup is for you Mom". 

I know that one day (hopefully no time soon, but surely somewhere in our future) I will realize that no one plays with this sweet little kitchen anymore.  Hopefully by that time, my girls will be doing some real kitchen work themselves (and enjoying it just as much as they enjoy their play)!  And Isaac?  Well, I realize there is a chance he'll keep his passion for cooking.  But I'm not sure. 

After all, his interest in the kitchen eventually waned and he turned, once again, to his passion.  CARS! 

I really really like watching my kids play (and playing with them!)  They do the coolest things.  They come up with the neatest ideas.  And they have so much FUN :) 

It is so good for my heart to sit down on the floor and listen to this little boy talk about "the concrete mixer goes in the parking lot and this is where the bao an stays" [a 'bao an' is a security guard and almost all of Isaac's parking lots have a spot for the bao an - taking his cues from his environment and mixing two languages, because every parking lot here has its own security guard, but the only word he's ever heard used for that role is 'bao an']. 

I hope I never forget these days.....  (which is one of the reasons I am so faithful to write them down!)

receivers camp

Isaac brought the football to my birthday picnic Tuesday evening.  He really loves the football.  Actually, he loves all balls. 

Today after lunch I taught him to use our small broom to swat at balls I roll towards him.  Lucky he doesn't have the strength or coordination to do too much damage now, but I realize I might end up regretting that I taught him this particular move.  I had him hooked after he watched me zing one across the floor :) 

Anyways, back to football at the picnic.  In an attempt to help with the three kids and only one football disconnect Matt lined them up and called it "receivers camp". 

Get to the front of the line, catch, toss back to Daddy, and run around to the back of the line. 

With only three kiddos in camp, no one waits for too long. 

Honestly, not a single one of them showed a lot of promise :)  But it was a lot of fun - and they've got plenty of time to work on some skills. 

so today....

is my birthday :)

Woke up this morning to a pile of gifts from the kids.  A few years ago the girls scored big when they gave me a diet coke.  This year I got a few packs of candy (including one from Isaac that he immediately un-gifted  and confiscated as soon as I unwrapped it). 

I also got a pair of sparkly red flower shaped stud earrings from Julianna.  If you can imagine what your average ten year old girl might choose for her first set of earrings, you've got a pretty clear idea of what they looked like.  (look closely in the pic below)

The blurry shapes around the edges of the photo are my kids helping me open gifts. 

For dinner we went on a picnic.  I LOVE picnics, and our hot weather disappeared late last week (rain) so for a bit I thought we might have to cancel, but the sun started shining and we ate outside.  So fun.

Last night we celebrated with a big ole bunch of local friends grilling Chinese style in our courtyard.  Basically spicy kabobs with all kinds of meat and veggies.  Yum. 

I cannot believe another year has passed.  But then I think about all that has happened in the last year and it makes my heart and mind spin.  Oh that I would rest in Jesus this year... in a way that mirrors what I will fully experience in eternity. 

Lyds

All of a sudden Lydia really does seem almost-four (her birthday is coming up in August, and we talk about it ..... a LOT.  It's safe to say she's a tad bit excited.) 

She is so grown up, so fun, so capable, so spunky.  She is forever coming up with great ideas for me - "hey Mom , I know what, we should....."

(Dontcha think the color on her cheek adds to the artist look?)

She actually doesn't produce nearly as much art as her big sister.  I mean, that Julianna can churn out the art work.  I think Lydia is just too social - she sits up at the table with her bro and sis, craft supplies spread everywhere.  And while Isaac colors on his arm and Julianna creates masterpieces, Lydia socializes :)  

Listening to her talk could easily be a hobby.  And a very entertaining one too. 

Right now she and Julianna are at the kitchen table, sharing snack and making snakes out of napkins.  Good times. 

(edited... they just abandoned snack to come ask me to bake with them.  And then Julianna accused Lydia of hiding her sin.  "As iron sharpens iron", right?  I'm off......)

our first harvest

Time to eat!  Our first batch of little cabbage is ready for the wok!

It's hard for me to believe that anything managed to grow in this little plot of ground.  Isaac uses it as a pseudo-sandbox and the water play in the courtyard tends to leave it drenched.  Friends yesterday said we should try a rice paddy - then the flooded patch of dirt would be more appropriate! 

But stuff IS growing.  We picked the first fruits of our little cabbage Monday afternoon and sent each of our dinner guests home with a bag. We picked again today and took some to a friend. 

The bathing-suit clad harvesters are pretty serious about their work.  If it wasn't for supervisor Matt on the scene we'd be looking at guaranteed mayhem.  Isaac is still a tad zealous about the picking but (luckily) got distracted trying to fit his crops into the plastic bag and the patch has not been picked clean - yet! 

All in all, it's really a fun little family project and I'm amazed at how it holds the kids interest.  Julianna has learned to dig out weeds carefully so she gets rid of the whole root system.  Lydia planted fruit that is dropping off trees in our complex in anticipation of next year's harvest.  And Isaac, well he and his little shovel are quite a pair... toss in a bit of water and he is one happy (dirty) little boy.

We plan to pick the rest of the little cabbage this Friday and eat it up (and give the extra away)... then it's time to replant.  Our cucumber plant is flowering, our pumpkin plant is spreading (but no pumpkin yet) and the tomatoes crawl up their stakes.  Summertime!!!!

a little boy with two big sisters

The past few days my girls have really gotten into this for entertainment.....

The three of them have great times playing together - its fun for me to listen and enjoy them from a distance, some of the things they say are just hilarious.  And I'm amazed at how detailed their play is... lots of pretend and they tend to stay 'in character' while they debate the next steps.  Earlier today they were going on a trip and when they got to the airplane Julianna insisted they unload and gate check the stroller (full of Isaac's cars). 

From these pics you might conclude that Isaac is just a pawn for their games, but that's really far from the truth.  He is right in the thick of it, and I often hear him say stuff like "Girls, girls, stop that and listen to me."  In his role as little bro he runs a pretty tight ship. 

In some ways he is distinctly BOY.  He refuses to touch anything pink.... no sitting on pink stools, no coloring on pink paper, no eating out of a pink bowl.  He totes around Matt's football and (deliberately) pulverizes his sister's sidewalk chalk with his riding toys.  Every time he prays he thanks God for his cars.  

But as it turns out, he's not afraid of a little dress up.  Just between you and me, I think he agrees to it cause he's certain to be the center of everyone's attention when he struts out of the bedroom decked out in duds like this.  Plus he loves to have the girls doting on him - "you wanna wear this one, buddy?"  "here, let me help you find some shoes."

Matt is mortified.  I am highly amused.  So I take pictures (now whenever the girls get him into one of these get ups he comes looking for me and says "do you want to take a picture of me Mommy")

Today Julianna asked me, "Does he look like a girl to you?"

"Nope", I said confidently.  "He looks like a little boy with two big sisters." 

finishing a long week

Saturday night.  The week is almost over.  I'm grateful. 

I finished up the bedtime routine running solo for third night in a row - plenty of work and a good chunk of play for Matt this week.  I am thankful for these opportunities for him to play here as we start to develop friendships in our new city, but I'm also not a fan of long term solo parenting (though each night does get easier as we re-create our routine, just the four of us).

To "in humility count others more significant" than myself (Philippians 2)... how many times a day do I use these words to encourage my kids - and how much I need to hear them myself! 

This afternoon the four of us made "welcome home" posters for the door of our sweet neighbors who have been away for SIX LONG weeks!  Oh how I've missed the companionship of another stay at home mom! 

We finished up our artwork, traipsed over to their stairwell and spiffed up their doorway in anticipation of their evening arrival. 

The project kept us busy through most of the late afternoon.  Later I did a little weeding in our thriving garden while the kids played.  What is it about kids and water?  There must be some sort of magnetic attraction that results in wet, happy children every time the two get together :) 

Homemade pizza for dinner that ended in one very playful silly mess - I've realized that when Matt is away I am so desperately outnumbered by the silly crew at the table that I just sit back and watch the action.  Oh the giggles.  It feels a bit like a slumber party, but it happens every night (at least when I'm running solo - when Matt's around we manage to have a little more adult conversation!) 

So the end of a long week.  Much rambling around in my heart and head.  And this is all I manage to get on a computer screen. 

meeting the fatherless

Last Saturday morning we went to a local orphanage.  I wasn't sure what to expect - I didn't know how many kids were there, their ages, what the place would look like, what we could do to help, anything.  Our expat friend who visits pretty often said it would be no problem to take our kids, so we loaded up early in the morning, picked up five college students (all girls) and drove out.

Not easy to come up with a word to describe it.  Good?  Well, no, I mean, there is nothing good about orphan-hood.  It is FAR from God's intention of a family.  Hard?  Of course.  But the "worth it" kind of hard. 

I hope we go back.  Oh how we want to bring one of these fatherless into our family!  We talked with our kids a lot about orphans and God's heart for the fatherless and caring for the least of these in the week leading up to our trip.  I am grateful that even though they are exposed to some mature situations they can learn and know (appropriate levels) of suffering and see how dearly the Lord loves ALL people.

So there were about 50 kids there - all ages. Some were severely physically and mentally handicapped.  I think there were five caregivers.  Total.  FIVE!!!

The orphanage was in ok shape.  I wouldn't live there, but then again I belong to the wealthiest segment of the world's population and my idea of "acceptable" housing is luxurious compared to where half of the people in the world spend their days and nights! 

I loved the baby room (surprise surprise).  So did my kids.  Isaac so enjoyed playing with some of the littler boys - there were three or four that were all just a little younger than he was.  And some of the older kids were just precious too .... and sweet to play with Isaac.

All three of my kiddos love to hold babies.  Any baby that comes in our house is greeted with three clamoring sets of hands eager to be first to hold it :)  But Julianna is the only one who is really strong  enough and reliable enough to snuggle one all by herself for any extended period of time.  Check out this precious little girl cuddled in Julianna's arms.  Sound asleep. 

We brought supplies to make a craft and the children seemed to really enjoy it - though it was a smidge chaotic at times :)  One newer arrival (an older child) to the orphanage seemed to really struggle with this kind of group activity.... can you imagine?

I was proud of my girls who jumped in and colored at the table right along side the rest of them - it was without a doubt one of the more unique groups they have ever been a part of.  Disabled kids, rowdy kids, struggling kids.  And guess what?  They all like (and fight over) crayons! 

The next day was Mother's Day.  A sweet day to celebrate my children, dream of God adding to our family, and remember the sweet little ones who have no mother. 

And pray earnestly that God would set the lonely in families (Psalm 68:6). 

my Mother's Day gift

 

Matt and the kids made this last week.... even Isaac kept it a secret from me until this morning :)  I love it! 

water water water

Check out the latest addition to our courtyard...

With high temps hovering at 90 degrees (and only getting hotter) this little pool is a real treat!  Basically, it's a glorified excuse to play with water :)  Man oh man, water EVERYWHERE!  I had to pull the plug on watering the plants - our little garden was set to drown thanks to three over ambitious water-ers and a smidge too much access to a plentiful water source! 

We had lots of fun using empty shampoo bottles to squirt water drawings and smear sidewalk chalk creations.  The girls ended the day begging to play with the pool again tomorrow.  "oh yes, we'll play with this pool again - like maybe every day between now and September 1st!" 

Speaking of treats, our markets are overflowing with these sweet little apples right now, and they are so amazingly child-sized....  perfect snacks for my crew!

(Isaac just up from his nap and not-yet-in-his-swim-suit, determined to enjoy his apple along with the big sisters!)

When Matt got home this evening and saw the pool Isaac was quick to clarify: "Daddy, you can only play in the pool with your swimming suit on, not in your clothes".  Hmmm, guess Mommy must have said that phrase a time or two today?!?!

Matt is back out again (but it's so nice when he is able to join us for supper!) and I'm fighting a headache, hoping for an early retreat to bed myself.  We actually won't be playing in the pool tomorrow cause we have a full day planned - a trip to an orphanage in the morning and then birthday party in the afternoon.  The whole family is going to the orphanage with a group of students and I am not really sure what to expect.  We've packed up crafts, snacks, games and just before bed Julianna collected a huge pile of books to take along. 

I don't think it will be very appropriate to take photos, but I will definitely share some stories.

good night :)

yellow dragon creek

We spent the day at Yellow Dragon Creek, a local tourist destination.  It's basically a little town that has been re-constructed to look like it originally did 'in the old days'.  The town is built around a beautiful creek that empties into a bigger river.  This photo is looking across the river at fields (I think those are grape arbors) on the opposite bank. 

We went with a group of local friends (from Matt's work) and I was grateful for their help holding hands of little ones and navigating crowds.  Plus, they are just fun to be with :) 

I broke one of my standard survival rules - never leave home on a holiday - but it was a lot of fun despite the crowds.  There were definitely moments when we attracted a big flock of admirers.  Photo-taking cell phones mean that zillions of people all over the country are toting around digital pics of my kids.  Today was no different - check out this photo taking frenzy (all three kids are back in there somewhere). 

The highlight for the kids was definitely watching boat traffic on the river. 

In addition to old style pole boats there were speed boats zipping by and Isaac was entranced.  He has a love for speed that can only be explained by his genetic link to his Daddy :) 

We have three very proficient back seat drivers in our car these days.  Isaac's most common contribution.....  Can you please go faster?  Can you pass that police car in front of us?  Can you catch up to that dump truck?  Can you go faster through this tunnel?  Why are we stopping? 

[I am not making this up, today he was insistent that Matt pass a police car!  But passing a police car here is nothing like passing a police car in the States, mostly because the police force here is...... well, nothing like the police force in the States.  It wasn't even a 'real' police car anyways, just someone else who had installed flashing red and blue lights on top of their roof - a fairly common occurrence!]

Anyways, in addition to watching boat traffic and admiring ancient architecture (he he he) the kids got pretty pumped when Matt bought them each a bottle of orange juice. 

Despite consuming more sugar than I even want to think about two of the kids fell asleep on the walk back to the car!

Must have been a good day, huh?