Medical testing and Grocery adventures

On Friday we had our medical exam for our residence permits. I heard horror stories over breakfast from the other women of how awful it was, but it really wasn't so bad. Sure, I was poked and prodded, but talk to any women who has been pregnant and she can tell you that you just kind of get used to that. It was actually very efficient. You go through a series of test - EKG, x-rays, blood work, eye test, dental, ultrasound, and the list goes on. But you are whisked through with surprising speed. I think that the one thing I will take away from this experience is how we can treat others who don't understand our language. You know how you see someone from another country who does not speak English or speak it well and there can be a tendency to make assumptions. Well, as someone who has been on the receiving end of said assumptions, I hope to never judge too quickly again. Because I was often treated like someone who isn't very bright just because I don't speak Chinese. One thing that I hope our time here does for our children is for them to realize that people are people no matter how different we may seem.

After our medical tests, we took the kids out for Chinese. I think that it will be a couple weeks before we do that again. Lesson learned: tired, grumpy kids do NOT want to try new foods. They did eat after some grumbling. Becca is definitely the most adventurous.

Then after lunch I went grocery shopping. Now I had been to a grocery store when we were here in January, so I thought that I was prepared. Yet another example of how living is different from visiting. I just wanted some basic food, you know, milk, bread, produce. Little did I realize that this takes 3 different stores to accomplish. First we went to Metro (a German owned store) that has a good offering of Chinese and Imported foods. But as I wandered the aisles, I soon began to realize that this could take me a LONG TIME. It is a huge store! Then I was figuring out what exactly things are. I mean what exactly is the difference between "High Calcium Milk" and "Vitamin Milk"? C'mon where was my 1%? I went for the "High Calcium Milk" because I was told that it has a better taste (more pleasing to foreigners). We shall see. The meat department was also an adventure. You could pick out your fish for dinner that night from a tank. And I am talking some funky fish! Then I was picking out some pork (no I didn't want the half of a pig that was hanging up) and yet again the labels were a bit confusing. I must confess though there is something very real about seeing the meat you will eat in carcass form. Talk about keeping it real. As opposed to the anesthetized meat you see in US grocery stores (that looks as if might never have come from an animal). I also bought a bag of rice - a 10 kg bag for 48RMB. Which is a 22 pound bag of rice for about $7! After Metro, we were off to the bakery (a different store) to buy bread. Then the fresh produce market (yet again a different store), which was my favorite. I am going to enjoy coming to this store, though lack of language will make it a bit of an adventure. 

After all this, we celebrated Josh's birthday with a taco dinner. What a full day! Okay, this doesn't exactly fit with the flow of the post, but I have to share something. We were leaving the apartment at one point and one of the women at the front desk said to me, "You are very fortunate (looking at the kids), two children and one son!" What an example of the value placed upon kids and extreme honor placed on sons!

Jet Lag (x5)

Jet lag is a funny thing. In the past, I have not really been too affected. I mean sure my body clock gets all out of whack. But it does not really affect how I function. Until this time. Maybe it was the added stress of traveling with the kids. Maybe it was all the craziness leading up to getting here. But this trip knocked me out flat. When we landed, I had the most horrible headache that really didn't go away until last night (which meant it lasted about 24 hours). In fact, the first night we all went to the club to grab a bite to eat and I had to leave all the kids in Andy's care because I was not functioning. And it has made me more short-tempered with the kids, which I don't like.  I feel like I am on the road to being myself though. I didn't really think that the kids were suffering any ill effects until last night at dinner when both Josh and Becca fell asleep eating (at 6PM) and Tori was asking for her bed. Ahh, jet lag rears its ugly head. We convinced the kids to eat a little something which was no small feat and got them home and in bed. And today (Friday) they were all up by 5:30AM. I had heard that it takes about a week to get kids on track. 

First Impressions

We have been here more than a full day and Andy and I were talking about our first impressions. I think that there is so much more to living in a culture verses visiting. We walked up to Pizza Hut yesterday for lunch (kiddos needing something they could recognize... I think this will be a real treat!). Just moving the 5 of us from one point to another is not simple. Then there are the stares that we attract. Now I knew that we would get watched, but I think that I was unprepared for the open gawking. It's funny but the older two attract stares (much like Andy and I do), but Tori is something else. She is our rock star. People see her and point, and smile, and then try to engage her somehow. Thankfully, she is very outgoing so she takes this all in stride. She also gets quite the reaction if she smiles, waves or responds with a "Ni hao!" (hello). I also really like the community that we are in. We went to breakfast yesterday (did I explain how breakfast is included in our club membership? Isn't that strange?) and also the pool. I met 3 women who offered their help in any way possible. I had heard that the expat community was welcoming and helpful but seeing it was something else. Lastly, I think that I underestimated how much I would take little conveniences for granted. We are living in an apartment and I have yet to get to the store. We have no milk, juice, or fruit. Thankfully, we packed quite a bit of snacks (granola bars and such) but you can imagine what it is like with the kids without these things. I am going to the store today. The store will also be quite an adventure. Becca had an observation yesterday after hanging out at the pool in the afternoon. She said, "Mom, I really think that I can make friends here." Isn't that encouraging? I think she was reassured by all the kids she saw in the neighborhood. I would include pictures, but our camera seems to have been lost in transit. I am sure that we will unpack more and find it! :-)

Just as a side note.... I cannot view my blog or any other on blogspot. I am trying figure a way to do so. And as you can see, I figured out a way to post, but forgive any errors or weirdness!

We are here!

We arrived yesterday afternoon into Shanghai. The flight was long (very long) but uneventful. The kids were amazing. Especially considering that there were NO movies on the flight. The airplane had this fancy "Personal movie system" that unfortunately wasn't working. The kids read, slept and played. In fact, Josh and Tori fell asleep even before takeoff on our long flight. Then all of us slept the last part of the flight. We were met at the airport and the drive to Suzhou took almost 3 hours (rush hour). By the time we got here, everyone was tired but I was miserable. My head ached so bad that I felt nauseous. It reminded me of my migraine days. Since I had been the pillow for the girls during the flight, I got very little sleep. Thankfully, I am feeling better today with just a lingering headache. 

Last Post

Can you believe it? We leave in the morning! This is my last post in the U.S. Next time you hear from me will be in China. Crazy thought! Over the last 24 hours I wondered if we would get here. So, the washer overflowed last night. Our carpets will take about 3 days to dry out. Then this morning our large garage door broke. All these things combined to put us off schedule. In fact we didn't get done packing until after 1AM last night. When we left our house, Becca took about 10 minutes to say goodbye to all the rooms. Andy, Becca and I sat in her empty room staring at the flowers and butterflies on the walls and had ourselves a good cry. We all agreed that this has been a great house and we were going to miss it. Then we got to the hotel near the airport and the kids were so excited they couldn't get to sleep. The window by their bed overlooks the airport. Tori called out to me. "Mommy, I need to get down!" (She was sleeping on a reclining chair near one of the beds) I wondered why she was bothered. She said, "I need to be down THERE (looking out the window)!" When I asked her why, she told me that she needed to be down there on the plane not in bed. We talked and I think that I clarified the confusion, but with a 2 year old one never knows!

When it rains,

.... the washing machine pours forth. Well, at least that what happened at the Wilcoxen abode tonight. I had started washing a load of clothes and Andy went in to the laundry room on the way to the garage and he yelled. I came running because I thought he was hurt. It turns out that the washing machine never stopped filling, in fact it kept filling until there was almost a couple of inches of standing water on the floor. So, now we have someone drying out our carpets and the vinyl is going to need to be replaced in the laundry room and entryway. As if our stress level wasn't high enough! Okay, here comes my optimistic attitude -- at least we were here and the whole house wasn't flooded! Can you see all those fans and the dehumidifier in the picture? There is even a fan back in one of the bedrooms!

Bittersweet

Today has been a good and a hard day. I am excited because Andy's visa arrived yesterday! HOORAY!!! I won't be flying solo with the kiddos on their first overseas flight. But today has been hard because I think that it is really sinking in that I am not going to live in this city anymore. I was able to spend time with two women who are really dear to me today. I had coffee this afternoon with Angie and really enjoyed being able to talk. It was so hard to leave! I feel like this is a relationship that is just starting with a woman that I would love to know better and I am leaving. Then Andy and I had dinner with Doug and Lori, great friends of ours. They were the couple that we knew when we first moved to Indy (our only Indy friends at first). We have been friends through the addition of kids, job changes, and just all the life stuff. More than that, they were our extended family here in Indy. So, dear friends, know that we will miss you. More than I can express. While I do enjoy change in life, change in relationships are hard! I am crying (yet again) as I write. Somehow it seems to be the theme for my day. I think that we have been rushing through with so much to do that I have not had time to stop and feel. Today my emotions caught up to me and somehow I can't seem to stop crying.  What an emotional roller coaster! I think I just need to go to bed....

Weighing In

We have no more furniture!  I am so excited! Now our house is a little crazy and I am definitely done cooking in our house. Because we have no more pots, pans, dishes, and even little food left. Now that is left is to pack and cart the remaining things off to Goodwill. Our clothes are mostly packed. In fact, we have been living out of suitcase for a while (because we sold the dressers). We have several large suitcases and were concerned if they would be overweight (checked bags can weigh up to 50 pounds). So, we borrowed a scale from our friends to double check.

This bag weighed in at 39 pounds. Hey, there's room for more things!

Josh's loft

Our furniture is disappearing at an alarming rate. Yesterday the friends who had bought Josh's loft came to pick it up. We were a little concerned with how he was going to take this. I mean this is our little buddy who didn't want to leave his Colts room. So it was with great trepidation that I watched them cart it all away. How would he do? But Josh was smiling and fine! Later that night as prayed before bed, Josh thanked God that he got to sleep in his sleeping bag on the floor. After we were done, Becca wanted to know why she couldn't sleep on the floor. Probably the hardest thing for me (as far as our stuff goes) has been thinking of selling the kids furniture. Not because I have sentimental attachment to it, but because I wanted to provide consistency for our kiddos. They are showing me time and again that their sense of well-being doesn't come from the things around them. Wow, aren't kids amazing?!

Visa?

Well, I think that we have good news on the visa front. Andy talked with the visa service center and was told that his visa has been approved (hooray) and that it should be here Thursday or Friday. Call me a skeptic, but until I see it with my own eyes, I am not quite ready to rejoice. All day I have been gearing myself up to fly solo with the kids. So there will be some serious celebrating on my part (as well as Andy's), once/if the visa comes. 

Visa Issues

Well, only one week to go! Can you believe it? It doesn't quite seem real to us, though granted it gets more real each day. Here we are a week away from our departure and Andy still does not have his visa. The kids and I have had our visas for quite some time. Now I have blogged in the past about the extensive medical tests and all the paperwork that was required for his. About a month ago, he was told that he needed additional medical testing (EKG and chest scan, just to name a few). Andy got the needed tests and the doctor filled out the appropriate form. Then a few weeks after that paperwork had been turned in, he was told that they needed his itinerary and flight information. Next he was told that because rules had changed he needed an invitation letter from the company in China. With each of these steps it has taken more time. Now we are at crunch time and Andy was told today that because they no longer offer the expedited service to make things go faster, it could take four to six (business) days.  Andy has looked into changing our flights if needed and wow is it expensive. So, now we are in wait mode. We will hopefully know more tomorrow.

Talking with Tori

Over the last couple of months, Tori has really been expressing herself. Her way of doing so is often hilarious. Some funny Tori-isms:

• While in the Ocean exhibit in the zoo: "I want to see the butterfish." (I was confused but quickly realized that she had her condiments mixed up and meant the JELLYFISH)
• Looking around our house with no furniture: "Where did all the couches go? Are they moving to China too? It's very silly in here, I fink" (though she wasn't a bit sad when I told her they weren't)
• My favorite thing that comes out funny because she can't say her "Ls": "Wizards at the zoo"  
• The other day she was taking her shoes off by herself (she wants to do everything by herself) and when asked if she needed help, she responded: "I've got it. No worries!"

Final Farewell

We had a very successful garage sale this weekend. Right now we have very little furniture left in our house that isn't spoken for (actually, only 3 pieces of furniture). Check out our living room in the photo! Last night Andy and I watched a movie sitting on the floor.

We also had our final farewell party here in Indy on Saturday. Thank you so much Cramers, Peabodys and Tomlinsons for hosting this. We had such a great time and we really appreciate all that you did! Thank you to all who came - we had a wonderful time hanging out with you all!

Only 8 days left. It is so surreal. In some ways, I am not sure that I am ready, but in other I can't wait...

Moving Sale Madness and Miscellaneous Mentions

I have not written much this week, not because nothing was happening, but because SO MUCH was going on. I am going to try and hit the highlights here. Yesterday we sent our shipment of boxes off on the slow boat. Or as Josh says, "so our stuff can meet up with us in China." Any guesses on how many boxes we sent? Anyone? We sent 30 boxes. Now I have no idea if that is a lot or very little. I hope that I packed what will be most helpful to us, but we shall see....   Today we had day one of our massive moving sale. It was so crazy! I think of the whole time from 8-2 there were only a couple of 5 minute stretches with no people. Whew! Tonight we went through the house and found a lot more to put out tomorrow. Because with getting everything ready for our ocean shipment to leave yesterday, there was little to no time to prepare for the garage sale. I have discovered a great deal about myself and we haven't even left yet. I've realized that I have very little attachment to stuff. Well, at least most stuff - the other day as we were sorting things to go on the boat or to give away/sell, I was in tears over a stuffed bunny. I look at this bunny and remember Becca in the hospital. One of my favorite pictures of her as a newborn has the bunny in it. But the bunny is big and not a favorite of Becca's, so I am letting it go. I also realize that I handle change better than I thought (well, so far anyway). In the midst of all the packing craziness, we have also had miscellaneous doctor's appointments. Yesterday was a flurry of activity. Here's all we did: finished packing, finished labeling and itemizing each box (for insurance), took all the boxes to the freight terminal, I had a root canal, got somewhat ready for the garage sale, cleaned the house because we had a showing, and friends brought us dessert. In fact, as we described the day to a friend of ours she laughed and said , "it sounds like you're making that up!"

Fun with Dry Ice

This weekend Dwight and Duease brought us one of our favorite things - Graeter's Ice Cream. This is possibly the best ice cream EVER (as my Cincy friends can attest). They brought it packed in dry ice. Almost as excited as he was about the ice cream, Andy was excited to show the kids what dry ice is and how it sublimes. (He just corrected me that he was MUCH more excited about the Graeter's!) Becca was intrigued by the process. She is one who likes to know how and why the world works. 

Also check out the growing gap as Becca continues to lose more teeth!

Mother's Day Surprise

We got home LATE last night (you know MIDNIGHT, which for us is quite late). This morning Andy and I were up before the kids - who slept until 8:30! Andy wanted to run to Kroger's because we were out of the jugs of water we use to make coffee (otherwise our coffee maker has issues). I told him that I was headed to the store later because all of Andy's family would be here in the afternoon. He was insistent. Maybe I was just tired but I didn't catch that something was up. I mean it didn't quite make sense, but I thought he really needed coffee. He came back almost 40 minutes later, and look at my surprise....

I love tulips! Becca and Josh made things for me in school. They are such dear ones!

More goodbyes and other news

Yesterday, my parents gave us a great going-away party. Thank you so much, Dad and Mom! It was a great time to see family and people who have been a part of my life for so long. Thanks to all of you who traveled so far to say good-bye to us! Definitely a relaxing time to hang out and catch up.      I am excited because Andy is home from his time of training in Northern Indiana. He is most likely off until we are in China. Now granted, "off" is a relative term - we are both going to be busy until we get on the plane in TWO WEEKS! Nonetheless, I am beyond excited to have him around to help. Maybe now I can get more than a couple boxes packed at a time? And the continuous string of showings have come to a close. We had showings every day last week from Sunday to Saturday (except on Monday). But people were kind and gave me Mother's Day off! :-)

The Siege Continues

So, maybe it is a conspiracy by all the local realtors to keep me from packing, but we have had MORE showings this week than any other so far!  There have been weeks in the past that we have had maybe one (usually on the weekend), but this week we have had 4 and another scheduled for tomorrow! So, no packing happened today. Maybe I'll tackle some tonight, but maybe not because our showing tomorrow is in the morning. [sigh] At least the house is already clean and the kids are headed to bed so it will still be clean in the morning!

TOO MANY SHOWINGS!?

Okay, this is probably not something to complain about (especially in this housing market), but these showings are wearing me out! In the 6 or so weeks that our house has been on the market, we have had 15+ showings.  Up until now, I have just been humored with it and not really stressed. I think the difference is that I have now moved into a packing mindset. Our ocean shipment leaves next week, so I have been packing like mad. Yesterday, Josh was feeling under the weather, so we were staying close to home. As Josh and Tori played, I packed. I had boxes and things everywhere and then got a call to schedule a showing that night. No big deal - I just moved all the boxes back into the garage and cleaned up the house. This morning I got all the packing things back out and packed a few more boxes and (you guessed it) I got another call to show the house this evening. In the words of Charlie Brown, "GOOD GRIEF!" Though I am still not stressed, I think more than anything I am annoyed.  I don't want to be cleaning right now.  I want to pack. Just as an aside.... did I mention that Andy is out of town all week? Oh well, such is life. :-) I am now off to finish one last box (maybe two) before I move all the packing supplies BACK into the garage!

Birthday suitcases

Becca got a rolling backpack/carry-on suitcase for her birthday from Grandma and Grandpa.  It is way cool and she is SO excited to have her own suitcase.  When she got it, Josh looked at it longingly and we knew that a suitcase was in his future as well!  While we were out shopping for luggage this weekend, Josh found this little carry-on in Colts blue.  Amazingly enough, it was also on clearance!  We knew that Josh had found his birthday suitcase.  He has taken it everywhere with him and is telling everyone about it.  One of the things he was most excited about was that his suitcase had "seatbelts" for his animals so they could be safe. On the way home from Cincinnati, he even fell asleep holding on to it!

Check out the "seatbelts"!

He wouldn't let it go, even in sleep!

Saying Goodbye

I feel like we are at the beginning of the end.  Andy's last day at his former job was Friday.  We took our last trip to Cincinnati before we leave.  We also had the first of our going away parties (in Cincinnati).  The Dumfords and Kershners gave us a great send off and we were able to connect with people - some of which we have not seen in years!  We then hung out with these dear friends on Saturday night and stayed up way too late, because we weren't ready to say goodbye. [Granted maybe we are just getting old that 12:30 is late!] Aren't goodbyes so hard?  I didn't think this was going to be as hard as it was.  I mean, we don't even live in Cincinnati anymore and don't see these friends on a daily, weekly (or even monthly) basis. But Becca and I both were in tears as we drove out of Cincinnati. I guess this will always be a bit of a home for us as we have so many people we care about here. As we were driving and Becca and I were talking about the things and people we are going to miss, my dear girl turned to me and to ask what I was going to miss most.  I shared with her that I was going to miss our friends, family and even our house. Becca then turned to me and said, "But Mommy, we can talk with these people on Skype and that will be almost like seeing them!"  How is it that my little girl (who had been crying at the start of our talk) was trying to cheer me up? I am amazed at her perspective on things so many times!