two (too?) random

The girls have been staying late at school for rehearsals... long story but they are in this performance and have been practicing like crazy.... of course we only found out about the performance on Saturday and the first show is tomorrow and the big competition (city-wide) is next Tuesday, so they have some ground to cover in a small amount of time!  {yes, this is a GREAT glimpse into the way this culture works, and the way it tends to grate my last nerve! oh advance planning, we laugh in your little face around here; it's last minute or bust for us.}

[The performance is a pretty big deal, and I don't just say that cause they are my daughters, but when the school asked us about inviting the girls to participate we didn't realize just how big of a deal it was... but it's becoming more clear.  Anyways, they are loving it, except today's rehearsal kept them super late at school and they were tired and starving when I picked them up!  more on this tangent later....]

So earlier this week I had one long afternoon with no school pick up!  I must say this was a welcome change.  Just me and the three boys and nothing to do!!!  Isaac asked that we get a 'new' toy out of the wooden trunk in his room.  We keep some toys out and some toys put away, to maintain sanity (mine) and to maintain excitement (theirs).  

Pulling out a 'new' toy is a recipe for a fun.  This time we chose the barn/farm set and it was a huge hit.  Thank goodness we have three tractors/trailers. whew.  

[I put away the mini-kitchen and all the associated plastic pieces.  It'll show up again, another day, And in the meantime, I'll enjoy plastic fences and tractors, instead of plastic cakes and corn cobs.]

And to round out this random assortment of family news?  The street scene in front of our complex gates.  These concrete spheres (effectively) prevent cars from parking on the sidewalk at the entrance.  They're much cuter when decorated with children :)  

The stretch across the street is mostly restaurants, tea houses, and a few yet-to-be-determined-currently-under-renovation shops.   Behind them are another set of apartment high rises (you can glimpse one at the far right of the photo).  The driveway behind Lydia leads to our underground parking garage.  I was standing in the gate when I took the photo.