teaching again

Sometimes timing just amazes me. We (and by that I am really meaning me) just finished gathering our paperwork and sent it off to the US. About a month ago, Eton House (the international school where our older two attend) asked me if I would be willing to substitute for the rest of the year. I said possibly, as I was in the thick of gathering all of our documents. And last week, I talked with the principal again about what they needed and then I started on Monday. The very next day after I started working, we sent all of the documents to the US. Coincidence? I think not. I love when you can see the hand of God working even those small details out perfectly.

I am teaching a class of 4 year olds. And wow, after almost a week in, I have a couple observations. First off, I think when I did this before I had more energy. Or less kids of my own. But wait, could those things be related?

And secondly, 4 year olds are darn cute. A couple of the girls in my class are tiny which just multiplies their cute factor exponentially. I have a thing about not showing pics of other people's kids here without their permission or would show you just how cute they all are. One challenge that I have never dealt with on this big of a scale is not a single child in my class is a native English speaker. I have had one or two ESL students, but not an entire class. In fact here it is not called ESL as we call it in the States, instead they call it EAL for English as an Additional Language. Not second, ADDITIONAL. Humbling, don't you think? If you walk into my room, you are likely to hear Korean, Japanese, Chinese, English, German or any mixture of the above. Makes for an interesting class dynamic. But surprisingly, I have not really needed a translator yet. I wish we could all learn language like 4 year olds do. One of my girls is Japanese, and speaks well in both English and Chinese as well her native Japanese. 3 languages at 4 years old. My Chinese is okay, but by no means fluent. There you have it, me humbled by a 4 year old.

I hope to keep updating you as our journey with the adoption progresses. And just life things. But I have to frank, right now I am just happy to get my family fed and a decent amount of sleep each night. I am sure that I will find my groove, but I am not there yet. So in the meantime if I am silent for a while, assume that all is well. Because if it wasn't, then I would blog. But for now, I need to get sleep so I can keep up with my new little munchkins.

sunday snapshot: {harbin}

Finally, I am posting about our trip to Harbin. The only excuse for not doing it sooner is this last month has been an absolute whirlwind. We all traveled to Harbin. We returned and had our home study. Two days later Andy left for Korea. Days after he got back, I left for Japan. But now we are back into our normal routines.

We had talked about going to Harbin for quite some time. But what stopped us before was . . . the bitter COLD.

We wanted our kids to be just a bit older before having them outside in -15°F for hours at a time. But every year, there is an Ice and Snow Festival in Harbin. Harbin is one of the most northerly cities in China and sits close to the border of Russia. It was cold, but we had so much fun! I had such a hard time limiting the pictures to share with you. I narrowed it down, but be warned there are still a lot!

We are on a river that is frozen solid. In fact, we saw cars driving on it! There are many things that we enjoy about China, but one of them is that our kids get to do things that would never be deemed safe in the US. Here we are on a sled-like thing and are propelling ourselves with what were essentially ice picks. As I watched them use them to get the sled to move, thoughts of "you'll poke your eye out" kept flitting through my head.

Andy on a 3 person sled with Becca and Josh. They got theirs moving so fast that it tipped over. Somehow my sled was lacking in speed.

As I was cautiously picking my way across the ice, my two daredevils preferred to run on the ice.

Or run, then slide. Andy wanted me to be clear that he is sliding not falling. I, however, did not slide I just fell. But thankfully, I had on so many layers that it only hurt a bit.

Becca enjoyed sliding on her stomach.

After the river, we ate dinner and made our way to the Ice Festival. And like all things in China, it was big and contained lots of lights.

The kids had so many layers on. I was determined that they would not be cold. Or lose a finger to frostbite. So they had on lots of layers. Think of the kid getting dressed in the Christmas Story and that is similar to what our kids were wearing.

Cinderella's castle. The people in front give you an idea of how big each of these structures were. They were made with blocks of ice and illuminated with lights from within. It seriously felt like a magical winter wonderland.

Can you notice a difference between the last picture of the kids and this one? In the previous one, they were bundled and here they are ready to shed layers. The difference?

Because in the time between the two pictures, they were all constant movement. Running and sliding on the snow and ice. Running and going down slides. And even in the freezing winter wonderland, they got hot! Hmm, maybe too many layers?

We came back the next day to enjoy the slides in the daytime.

Becca's favorite was this tubing run. We have limited pictures of us on it because we were having too much fun to stop and take photos. You can see the ice buildings in the background.

I watched as they were fixing some lights that burned out. I heard that this entire festival was set up in less than 20 days. Amazing. Only in China.

Tori taking a break from the slides. She was adorable in all of her layers.

Andy in front of a Harbin beer (ice) bottle. Just to give you a perspective on just how tall all of these structures were.

Our favorite slides were the ones that we got to race down. The kids developed a method of going down the slides that was the fastest way possible.

Later that evening we met up with friends from Suzhou and went back to the river. There T fulfilled a lifelong dream. . . ice skating.

We then went to a second smaller ice festival. I saw smaller because it was smaller than the one of the previous day, but it was still huge. This is after all China, where everything is bigger.

Enjoying time with friends in the ice world.

On our final day, we went to a tiger park. It is not a zoo, instead the tigers are in HUGE enclosures and you board a bus that takes you through the park. The park is well-known for their breeding program.

Disclaimer: These next shots are graphic. And while this is a natural part of the animal world, some would say it is cruel. Be warned.

This jeep drove up with a chicken on top. Before too long, a tiger approached. And understandably, the chicken got nervous.

The tiger pounced.

And there was no more chicken. It was surprisingly fast. Which is just a reminder to me that while these animals are beautiful, they are first and foremost wild animals.

And yes, it was gruesome. But there are parts of life that are not alway pretty. I think that we can want to make things perfect for our kids viewing. Even in zoos, the animals during feeding time are given slabs of meat. While I understand that, nature isn't always so neat. So while it isn't my fave of things to see, I honestly don't mind my kids seeing this.

We once again packed so much in that it is hard to believe that it was only 3 days. And now, I am not sure that we will travel again in China until we go and pick up our son. Which many of you have asked about. And the predominant question: where are you in the process?

Which is a really good question.

I *think* that we have finished our paperwork. [whew!] My next comments are not to discount anyone's process, but there is just an added complexity when doing it here. Andy is paid in RMB. We have bank accounts in both the US and China. We were requesting documents from the US. And have mailed things countless times back and forth from China. And don't get me started on the pain of getting anything notarized. We are sending a big packet of papers to our agency this week. And then?

We wait. But each step is one step closer.

Click below to view other Sunday snapshots.

Japan

What does the thought of Japan conjure in your mind? I think of Mt. Fuji, the rush and vibrant scene of Tokyo, and the history of Kyoto. But of course I saw none of those things on this trip.

Instead I saw some of this.

And quite a bit of this.

I think I saw some of the best.

I drove near Tokyo but spent most of my week doing things like this.

 
John is quite a mimic these days. And after only a couple days, he had picked up some of my expressions. Soon he was saying things like:

"What's that?"

"Cars are everywhere." (though the everywhere came out more like everwr)

Then after a questions: "Huh. . . (pause) . . . I donknow."

Okay really, who is making the better face here?

 I basically tagged along with Amree and was extra hands for her. I greatly enjoyed the time with her. But one special thing for me was the cooking class. She attends a monthly cooking class that several of her Japanese friends put on. They taught us to make three different dishes -- a soup, a pork with rice, and pickled turnips.

Making the pickled turnips. They had a slight lemon flavour and were SO good.

Breading the pork.

Is it me, or am I looking really tall here?

In fact, I look like a GIANT. 

 Table set and ready to eat.

But I will leave you with some more cuteness.

I had such a great time hanging out with John. He is a riot and continually cracks me up. I call this his casual pockets look. In fact, the bruise on his forehead is a casualty of casual pockets. He was running with his hands in his pockets and you can guess the result.

Carrying Cada in the snugglie brought back so many memories of doing the same with my kiddos. I kept calling the snugglie her baby Ambien because if she was fussy all it took was a dose of the snugglie and she would be out.

The week flew by. And while I would have loved to stay longer, I was missing my own kids something fierce. So I am glad that I went. And now I am glad to back.

home repairs ( the china version) and other ramblings

This is going to be a post where I ramble. So consider yourself warned.

Our house, particularly our kitchen seems to be always in need of repairs. Water leaks. The workers come and repair it. A month later water leaks from another spot. Again it is repaired. Last night as I was doing dishes, the water pressure got less and less until I barely had any water. I knew another repair was in our future. When the worker came today, he said that it was a BIG problem. (which often they say, so I don't always believe them)

When the worker had gone to buy parts, I came into the kitchen to find:

Uh, yeah. I think that would be a big problem.

But it is all fixed. For now. We shall see how long it is before I have to call the repairman again. There are times when I am just ready to move. But after completing our home study, we are here until we pick up our son. We will just continue to deal with those little problems. When thinking of re-doing our home study, the continual home repairs pale by comparison.

And now, I am looking forward to next week. Tuesday I am going to Japan. Just me. I can count the number of times that I have gotten on an airplane by myself on one hand. Granted our kids are traveling pros, but still to do it completely solo is an exciting thought. Just me. I could read. Or crochet. Can I say it again? I am traveling just me (in case you missed it). I am going to help out with our new little niece. And her 18-month-old big brother. Andy's brother is traveling to the US next week, so my visit is timely.

We think that we have made a decision regarding schooling for next year. With Tori entering elementary school, we had the decision to make of where to send her. Do we send her to a Chinese school? The international school? Home school? And so, I began the process of researching a couple months ago. There is a Chinese school near us that offers part of the day in English that we thought might be a potential. But the more we thought about it, we wondered if it would be good to keep all of our kids together at the same school now that T would be in elementary school. There were things that I liked at the Chinese school, but there was also a lot that I didn't like. If Becca attended, she would have evening classes. And there would be a lot more pressure (pressure to achieve and get ahead, this is an inherent part of most Chinese schools). Not to mention that the teaching style is much different (more rote versus learner directed). And where does the international school factor into this? We really like the education at the international school, but we just kept balking at the price of the international school for all three. One year at the international school for one child is more expensive than a year at a private college in the US. Is that really a wise use of resources? Somehow we just kept coming back to the idea of homeschooling. After much debate, we are strongly leaning towards home schooling. And yes, there are concerns with that as well. Social interaction being a big one. But overall, it just seems like the best choice. There are some other homeschooling families in our city. And after looking at various curriculum options, I am excited about teaching our kids. Which is funny because I never imagined being a homeschooling parent.

So there are many changes in store for us next year. Adding a new little one. Schooling. But at the same time, I feel confident that our family and more importantly our kids will take this in stride. At least we are not moving to a different country, right? 

Home study

Last Thursday we had our home study. At first when I thought about it, I wasn't really too worried. But then I got to thinking more. Of course all that thinking just prompted more worries. Our home is just not like a typical American home. How, you ask? First off, construction-wise it is just not built like an American home and therefore has some quirkiness. In our damp climate, we battle mold year-round (and sometimes we do not win). Our house is mostly constructed out of concrete. With no insulation. This makes our home somewhat drafty. We know and are used to it (hence the many layers we wear). And then to top it all off, we have an ayi -- househelp. I have heard stories about families here whose ayi was included in the home study report and then US Immigration wanted a slew of paperwork on her. Background checks, medical tests, the list goes on. Doesn't that just sound daunting?

Add to the fact that we would be hosting the two women that were coming and this was not going to be your normal visit. They stayed at a hotel, but we were their guides. I met them at the airport in Shanghai and we had the opportunity to talk on the van ride home. We made arrangements that they would come to our house for lunch the next day and we would talk in the afternoon. 

While having them here for lunch was just practical, I think that it set the tone for the entire visit. It was such a relaxed affair. For most of the study, we were on the couches having coffee and tea and just talking. Yes, they asked their tons of questions. But the tone settling over the whole day was one of comfort. In fact, one of the women said that she had never been that relaxed doing a home study.

After all their questions were done, we had the opportunity to get some of ours answered. Our agency is wonderful and has been very helpful, but there are some real limitations when you are operating on opposite time zones. It was so good to sit and just talk with them. And while I know that there is a child, our son in the future, with the myriad of paperwork, it can seem so distant. But talking with them about potential issues just made him seem real. I was describing it to a friend via email the other day that it is like when you are pregnant, but nothing has really changed. But then one day, there is movement and that baby is truly real. That was the home study for me, movement. A step in the right direction. A step closer to our son.

And now, we wait some more. We finally figured out the medical test issue and will have our tests tomorrow. But I am seeing the light at the end of the tunnel as far as paperwork goes.

last day [bali day 8]

As we are getting ready for a short weekend jaunt this weekend, I need to finish the Bali story. Our last day in Bali, we took a boat out to an island that has a sea turtle sanctuary. On the way to the island, we stopped for some snorkeling. I must say that the snorkeling was disappointing. Especially compared to Tioman Island. But at least it gave the kids perspective on how amazing the snorkeling was there! Where we were at in Bali, the waves were huge and kept crashing over us and the current was really strong. In fact, T spent exactly 5 minutes in the water and she was done. But that is how it is when you plan these things, you just never know how it will turn out. But Turtle Island (the sea turtle sanctuary) more than made up for it.

Baby sea turtles. The sanctuary helps sick turtles and after a year or so, they are released back into the ocean.

Picking up a medium-size turtle. This one was about 8kg (or 17.5 lbs.).

So funny that Becca was making faces here. But as you will see, there is no need to doubt her bravery.

Given the opportunity to get in the tank with the bigger turtles, Becca was the first to jump at the chance.

These turtles are about 120kg (264.5 lbs.) and around 65 years old.

 T loved feeding them kelp.

 B was a little uncertain about this lizard. Can't say that I blame her!

 T would only touch it with some Daddy assistance.

Anyone questioning her bravery now?

She did NOT want the eagle on her shoulder.

Can you read his lips? He is saying, "Ow! That hurts!"

 But after the eagle was placed on his shoulder, he was ready to show a big smile.

The eagle was trying to nip at my sunglasses. I laugh every time I look at this pic.

Yeah, that is the girl that was cringing at a sea turtle. Holding a bat.

These are such crazy birds. I have no recollection of their name.

The boat ride back was fun through the big waves.

Then we got back in enough time to spend the afternoon at the hotel pool. We had brought our sinkers with us. Who knew that 4 rings could provides days of entertainment?!

T freaked out several hotel guest with her goggles. One lady kept saying, "they are just so weird."

Writing postcards to friends in the US. Something we try to do whenever we travel. One small way that helps our kids stay connected with friends in the US.

5 scoops of absolute yumminess. We each picked a flavour of gelato. I think we choose: cookies and cream, ferrar roche, carmel, chocolate chip and nutella.

Doesn't this day just keep on going? Our flight left Bali at 2 AM. Isn't that craziness? Tori didn't even make it to the check-in counter before she fell asleep. After we checked in, Andy carried her through immigration, and plopped her in her seat on the plane. Later when she woke up, she asked, "Have we taken off yet?" We had already been in the air for 5+ hours!

Of course, J has his kindle!

We had such a great trip. But are glad to back in the routine of life. I was glad to have the break of not even thinking about adoption paperwork for a whole week! But we are back in the thick of it and our home study is next week.