Blog Addresses

Hey Friends,
I switched my background and didn't save the names/links on this blog. If I don't have your blog listed under "Name Dropping", then can you paste it in the comments box, or email it to me (srcalton@yahoo.com)?? This includes you, Kim, my neighbor next door, who already knows way to much about me... LOL!!

Dry Body Surfing, a Motherly Instinct

Don't get me wrong, I do like hardwoods... the same way I like dogs. I love them in other people's homes, not so much in mine. Both need maintenance, and can get expensive when not handled with care.

Closest to an American home layout, we chose this one with hardwoods throughout. I think even the driveway would be wood if it made sense (instead, there's brick shaped granite tiles there. very interesting). I figured the hardwoods were a better alternative to the chinese layout options we found; where, I swear if I just opened one more door from the living room to the dining room, to the kitchen, to the laundry room to the Ayi room-- in the end I'd find a piece of cheese. Too many doors, or hardwoods.... we chose hardwoods.

At first the whole running-start into a sock-slide was fun. Then I saw how far I slid, and had to make a mental note. I either needed to be barefoot or wear shoes inside, both not culturally sound. I was a bit too clumsy for such nice floors.

So I wore rubber flip-flops, and only socks at night.

More on our layout (then on to the body surfing)...
We have one room on a split level above the garage. Perfect for guests as it has an internal full bath, but also because it sits upon the garage-- easily the most quiet room of the house. Hence, the reason why Tann was there to sleep at night.

One cold night he woke us, and I went running to get him. I had wrapped a blanket around me like a long robe and went flying down the half flight of stairs to his "quiet" room. Successfully made it there, picked him up, and wrapped him in the inside of my long robe. I made it, sock-footed, all the way to the top stair, and then the blanket got under my foot...

Ever been body surfing?

It's when you give way to the under current of the ocean and let your whole body surf. Only, safe, because you have a boogie board.

There we went, Tann and I sliding down each stair until we HIT the bottom. With any other flooring, we would have just fell once, and gotten back up. Instead, we were giving way to a Tom and Jerry episode, with my head clunking on each stair, rolling while in the process. I screamed the whole time, and of course the whole fam damily (including our Ayi) came to look. They all just stared. Wouldn't you. Here I was in too much pain to even stand, handing off Tanner's stiff little posture to Tim. Of course, he did not suffer a scratch.

I complained to Tim how the hardwoods kept me sliding, and how I felt totally out of control. I'd suffered HUGE (think tennis ball size) bruises on my sides, and the inside of my cheeks chewed up... I could barely walk.

When I'd finally made it back to bed, my guy says

"Actually, it was kind of cool". Typical male, right? No. He was referring to the fact that I was in control. Totally.

"Suzanne, you could've caught yourself on the first stair". Yes, there was a million little slats on the railing to choose from at any point of stopping. If Tanner was a basket of laundry, I'd have thrown it, and grabbed a slat. "But instead, a motherly instinct made you and protect Tanner, at the sacrifice of your own body".

A still moment filled the midnight room. Interesting, how I'd never even given that a thought. My body instinctively gave way to the precious cargo.

Tamra Devries, a friend here in China told a similar story about holding her son and loosing ground on some slick ice. She, with that motherly instinct that acted faster than her mind could. She still fell, but fell forward, onto her forehead. Her body knew she was slipping, but with her baby in arms, the instinct lunged her forward to sacrifice her very own head to keep from falling on her baby.

So here's to our midnight adventure, Tanner: I'd body surf for you any day. Because as a mother, you are the most important and protected limb on my body.

Reader Disgression is Advised

I was told I'd be surprised what I'd find in the boxes when a moving company packs up your house. Lisa even told me "If you leave garbage out, they will pack your garbage".

So here's a few surprises I found... Halloween candy (I know, horrible mom), US stamps, Games with missing pieces, and some other things that should've been given or thrown away. Just when you think you're ready for the movers, you get your shipment and realize how much JUNK should've just been tossed.

My neighbor mentioned she opened a box with tons of papers protecting a cereal box... with only 1/2 cup of cereal left in it.

We loved our moving company. They were covered head to toe in PG-13 tattoos. We cracked jokes and ate Taco Bell most of the time. We shot the breeze a bit more than we should've, and even nicked named them "Jimmy" and "Garthy". That was over 3 months ago... I'd almost forgotten these new friends until I unpacked our boxes here in China... where another moving company, "China Tigers", helped untissue each item, and set it outside of the boxes.

All of the sudden I notice a shiny silver square wrapper in the middle of the floor, just over an inch in size. Noooooo. Of course not. I thought I threw those away before the movers got here. I specifically remember taking them out of our night stand, and putting them in the garbage before "Jimmy" and "Garthy" came.

We move on to other boxes, and lo and behold, they had carefully divided them and placed one in diverse boxes. It was useless to race to each box and find which boxes had the "hidden prize" when 10 boxes were being opened at a time. By the 3rd find, I knew Jimmy and Garth had evenly dispersed the value pack among the boxes. I was totally embarrassed and flush red. I wish I hadn't already spoken chinese with the "China Tigers" moving team. Because then one finally said "No need to be embarrassed, we're all married". I was hoping they didn't catch on to what they were. But who was I fooling, what with the One Child law they would know more about what birth control looked like than I would. So I just saved my breath and didn't even try to explain why there was one in the Kitchen box, in the Garage box, in the linen closet box, or in the Laundry room box.

So here's to Jimmy and Garthy. Good one guys. You got us. We've been Punked.

That's the benefit of GMAC sending China Tigers, rather than having the Relief Society Women's Organization from Church.

The Whole Fam Damily

The week before Todd, Nate and Dulcey came, our family set out to preview the sites for them. Here we are in front of a famous Shanghai skyline.

Note: Tomorrow I'm meeting with my friend Tammy durring the boys' nap time and learning more about uploading all the photos/links/etc. In the meantime, this is what you get! :)

On the Boardwalk / Bund Tunnel

Here are family pictures of us walking the boardwalk together. Also, pictures of the Bund Laser Light show tunnel. I told Hunter he was actually driving the shuttle or "space ship" for all the passengers. He told them all he would protect them from the "evil emporer Zurg" (Buzz Lightyear), and to be safe and hold on. He also informed them he was experienced with flying space ships, and not to be afraid.

This worked great, b/c when we got off the Bund to the boardwalk, the boys got flooded with cameras (this happens in touristy areas), and I simply threw my hands up and said "that's what you get for driving the spaceship, everyone wants your picture!" He posed like a superhero! Love that these boys aren't afraid of all the crowds... at least not most of the time.

Genetic Happy Feet

At my brother's funeral, people noted how the guy was happy every day. Tim never got to meet "the Bear", so I've always tried to describe to Tim how fun he was to be around, and how he could make anyone laugh. At his funeral, many people noted Barry's distinct walk. He always had an extra bounce in his step, and so it was said "even his walk was a happy one".

When Barry wasn't laughing, he was planning for the next crack up. Many times, he'd take me to the canned food aisle in a grocery store, where he'd prey upon innocent shoppers bending over for the bottom shelved cans of vegetables. When they'd bend over, he'd make a loud fart noise. Every time, the person would bounce up immediately and look for the source of the noise. Then, Barry would shake his head at the person with a disgusted look on his face.

I miss The Bear terribly. Every time I laugh, I picture him laughing with me. I was over joyed with each pregnancy to hear I was having boys. So I've always looked for Barry's characteristics in my sons.

When Tann was about 9 months, I could see he was an instigator. He loved to laugh at an above average level. It has gotten him into trouble, too many times. Also he's only two, so his walk is a bit goofy too. I thought it was because I was comparing his two year-old walk to Hunter's four year-old walk.

Then the other day when I was picking up Tanner from his Baby Class (Monday and Tuesday mornings), the teacher held me after. She is from India, with a heavy accent and filled with love for these foreign kids.

Editor's note, I know you don't love this accent when you call 1-800-Hewlett-Packard, but you'll love it in her description of Tanner:

"Tanner has never cried here, it is rather unusual. He is a happy boy. But the really funny thing about him is his walk. He hops when he walks. Have you noticed that? He is so happy, even in his walk; it's like he's hopping. Sometimes he gets so happy, he can hardly walk straight, and just falls over in laughter. It's really interesting!" she said shaking her head, her flat lips then surrendering into a smile.

Long ago, I tried describing Barry's walk to Tim, how his heals never quite touched the floor. I don't think he got it. But now I can show it to him in Tanner. And while I miss my Bear, I'm so glad I have clear reminders of him in my little boys. I hope and pray they grow up to be so happy as their noble uncle Barry.

Maybe I'll take them to buy canned food today...

Toys! Toys! Toys!

Hunter slithered next to me in bed this morning. He was so wiggly but trying his darnedest to be still (it was just before 6 AM). Finally, he bursted:

Hunter: "Mommy, I'm so excited my toys are here! I really like you mommy! You are pretty! I really like you! I'm so glad I got a Mommy too!"

Then he went on to list all the toys he'd been missing, from his red bike (from the Limburg's) to his books from Grandma Susan and Grandma Calton.

He was just gushing. I was so excited, and repeated all the phrases intermittently:

Me: I like you too! I'm glad Mommy's toys are here too: my sewing machine, paints, fake house plants, clocks for the walls, hangers for the closets, games to play with you and tootsie Tanner, puzzels, balls, mommy's books, our beds, Daddy's Man chair, lamps, blankets, kitchen pans and spices, the scanner, family pictures for the walls...

Hunter: ya, and big starwars toys

Me: ya, and big starwars toys.

Trust Fund Babies

My neighbor next door in Colorado was a trust fund baby. She was young, single, and had spent more on her landscaping than we had on our family car. Her bright green grass was almost blinding in comparison to our camouflage patterned seedling grass. However, the grass is not always greener on the "wealthy" trust fund baby's side.

There are various trust fund babies out there. But the best of funds don't come in the way of physical property or financial means. They are small investments are made by mothers. They entrust their children with confidence, and teach them they are special.

"Mom told me it was a sign of royalty" my brother said of his 2nd toe being longer than his big toe. Todd had a "Peter-Pan-I-still-believe" like magic when sharing what his mother had ingrained in him.

Sandy Meecham is such a mother. Her 6 year-old, Jaden, has a golf ball sized tumor on his optic nerve (causing the family to move back to the states for Braille lessons), and was pronounced legally blind in the right eye. When I asked her how she was holding up, she told the whole story without the least bit of pessimism. She stated:

"People wonder how we're doing. We are living in the present. Yes, his condition could get worse, but we will handle it at that time. Right now, we are choosing not to let it get us down." I admired the effects of her optimism. Even more, I admired the influence she had on her son, Jaden. Read on...

We took the kids on a long walk around the canal. We stopped on the bridge, and were admiring the gold fish beneath in all their different sizes and colors. I wondered what Jaden could see, and I was careful to not tell kids to look for a certain color fish or anything that Jaden wouldn't be able to keep up with. Then, Jaden in his mother-sourced confidence states "Hunter, do you see the big fish over there??" I saw it, and he was trying to get Hunter to see it too. He then gave up on trying to help Hunter find it, and said "You just don't have a good eye like me".

He seemed almost gifted in his circumstance. He is his mother's trust fund baby, and will be able to draw on his parents eternal words of encouragement all his life. I hope Jaden passes on this wealth to his own posterity. And... just for the record, a lucky eye or royal feet are much cooler than golf-course-quality grass.

Christmas in April

Drumroll please.... THURSDAY OUR SHIPMENT COMES!!!

In the background, see that each room was bare except with one mattress on the floor with just sheets on it, and a throw blanket. The mattresses here are brick hard... we're so excited for our American ones!!



Here's the truck... can I get a hey over here?! I was jumping up an down!


This is the "after" picture of all the papers our stuff was packed with. Save a tree! Overload! We had about three piles this big; they managed to lay them flat to fit it all in one run.


This is Mr. HU, he works for maintenence. He is about 70 years old. You can tell he is from a rural part of China, b/c even my driver can't understand his Chinese. He loves loves loves his job, and is always smiling! We always go out of our way to say hello to him.

Hunter Unplugged

So I put my dudes in their car seats, and we're off to school.

Hunter didn't want to go to school today, his little sensitive heart was embarrassed after being caught in a fib over the book from yesterday's incident. He was whining to me about wanting to stay home. I told him he had to go, despite his pleas to stay home with me.

Then we pull up to the school, only for him to try a last ditch effort; looking at the driver he says...

"Wo you yi dian bu xiang yao women zai hui lai"...

I literally caught myself on the MV door. "WHAT?!!" Did he just say a whole long sentence in chinese?? He says it again to the new driver:

Hunter: "Wo you yi dian bu xiang yao women zai hui lai"
(english translation): "I kind of don't want us to come back here again.
Me: Say it again Hunter!! (4-year old whining never sounded so good)
Hunter: (repeats his plea to the driver to not make him go to school).

It was one of those priceless moments. He had said a sentence in Chinese that would take me weeks to learn 9 years ago. I am still floored just writing about it. My day went wonderful from there. Thanks Hunter... I'm so happy to be your mom! No fibs about it!

Lack of Patience.

I'd had a rotten day.

1. Found out our shipment of all our stuff (supposed to Feb.) was delayed...again.
2. GMAC fired Georgie the Driver b/c of some inconsistencies on his hours (he was reporting his working hours extending until 11pm some days).
3. The new driver talks more than I do. That can't be okay. He speaks perfect english, and insists on knowing EVERYTHING (and I mean everything) about what where and why concerning our personal lives. Then wants to have it all translated into english for him.
4. I pick up Hunter from school, and his teacher is having an out of body experience because he told a lie and said one of the teachers said he could read a book. She was clearly frustrated, and confronted me about it, in front of Hunter.

Then he says, for all to hear "I don't ever want to come back ever again". I felt like giving the teacher and Hunter a time out.

I tried to remember what I'd read that morning in my scriptures, searching for some kind of "deliverance" when I felt so consumed by junk.

I was most frustrated about the shipment being delayed for almost double the expected time. Before you think I'm shallow for wanting my household things to be shipped so bad, look at your day, and see how much you use things like hangers, your computer monitor, a dresser, crafts, hobbies, pictures, toys, clothes, books, etc. We've gone over 3 months in "camping" mode. I felt like I needed our supplies--I'd had it. It took everything I had to not email the shipping company and give them a piece of my mind (I promised Tim I wouldn't).

So I sat there in a moment of quiet reflection. Thinking of something inspiring from those scriptures to draw up some patience. Then I remembered, what I'd read. The story of Moroni writing an angry letter to Pohoran. I almost felt justified in just one little email. Heck, I could tell Tim I was inspired by my scriptures... he couldn't argue with that.

Well, if anything, at least Moroni knew what I was going through. Of course sometimes lack of church shoes doesn't always compare to lack of provisions to feed your troops in battle to secure the cause of liberty. But it's all the same, right?

Century Park

While Sandy and her kids were here, we tried to take them wherever they wanted to go. Since we'd never been to Century Park, we thought we'd give it a run.

They had all of these exhibits for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Tim jumped in and stood next to straw mannequins.


The Famiy bike ride. 4 Sets of pedals! I loved how landscaped the park was.

Tim and I in front of the water.


The Boys in Sandy's stroller (thanks Sandy!).

Lost in Translation

1. Everything isn't cheap here.
Tim and I had Haugen Daas Ice Cream one night, and forked out $25 US for it. Anything from the US is out of this world expensive. We want to get the boys one of those Little Tykes plastic play structures (with the slide and bridge-- $150 in the US). But it would almost be $1000 US here. But guess where it was probably originally manufactured? Hmmm...

2. We don't have a Nanny.
We do, however have a house keeper that also cooks. We don't need a Nanny, what would I do with myself all day?! China is much to exciting to not take my mini-action-figure boys with me... Side note: LOL, that's what I tell Hunter he is-- A Super Hero. I tell him that's why people here swarm around him in some public places. When he gets uncomfortable I simply say "Be kind Hunter, these guys have never seen Buzz Lightyear before". He replies with an "Oh", and smiles for all the pictures-- posing like he's going to fly "to infinity and beyond". However, when Buzz and Woody are napping, I run errands though while "Holly" (I named our "Ayi" after my sister) is home anyway. She seems to be okay with that.

3. It is not easier to adopt in China.
Depends on where you are in the process. There was one family who started in the US, and then got transferred for a job opportunity. Their wait was increased because of where they were. The Hauge Treaty went into effect on the 1st of April, and luckily back in the states, we'd turned in a certain document, that somehow kept us in the game, and now we can apply-- although I don't turn 30 until August. More on that whole thing later... we're so excited!!

Top of the Mornin' to ya

You never know what kids pick up on. When Hunter went through his "Parrot" phase (where they repeat any two-syllable word they hear as toddlers) I tried to be a more cautious parent. I was determined to change all of my favorite road rage words while he was in the car. I didn't think I was doing all that bad until one day, while taking him for a walk, he was pointing at every car and calling out "Bevis".

On the flip, there are pluses of those little eavesdroppers. Hunter goes to a bi-lingual Montessori (thank you GMAC) out here, and is on the waiting list for the all-chinese class. With him currently in the english class, all of his teachers have been greeting him in english, despite my chinese "Zao Shang Hao" (good morning in chinese) efforts.

The other day, when pulling up, Hunter got out and boldly greeted everyone with "Zao Shang Hao!" You should've seen their eyes pop. They all crouched down to his eye level and just adored him. I was surprised myself.

He also has been telling Tanner, a little too often, "Bu Xing!!" (chinese for "no").

He does have one advantage to being in the english class for now-- his classmates are chinese. On the playground, he has picked up on just enough to hold his own, for now anyway. He still gets confused and will say a whole sentence in jibberish adding "Mommy, do you know what I just said in chinese?"

I will try to post a video of a kid's song he's learned recently.

1-800-I LOVE YOU

'Member that song that used to go "I just called to say I love you"? When Barry, Holly and I were kids we'd say "I just called to say... boogie down your mushtasher". Didn't make much sense. Still doesn't, and that's why such immaturity brings out the deepest of gut laughs for kids.



With our old time friend Sandy Mecham in town, we decided to pack up the boys and her kids Jayden and Jacey to go to the Shanghai Aquarium.



After all that goes into getting 4 little ones packed, Tim was prepared to get a family annual pass while there. He'd filled out all of the application shy of our passport numbers. When the lady asked to write it down, as if we'd memorized them, Tim turned to me jokingly and asked "what were those passport numbers?" (in Chinese) As if blondie over here had memorized everybody's numbers. Catching on to the sarcasm, I replied quickly "Wasn't your's 1-800-I-LOVE-YOU". The lady didn't flinch, so Tim wrote it down. Not wanting to be left out on the fun, he was quick to write "1-800-URCUTE" for mine.

We were set and ready to go, except for making a scene with all the laughing. Just like immature brats trying to annoy their parents, we were guilty. Finally, one of the office ladies up looked at Tim and said "I LOVE YOU" in perfect English-- we were caught. Just for the record, I didn't play along and glare at her like a jealous wife. Instead, we let her join in on the fun, we got our annual passes and enjoyed a little inside joke between the three of us.

Now go boogie down your mustasher. Whatever that means to you.

Skoose Design

I googled Skoose Nursing Covers, and I found some free advertising. Not huge, but I don't pay for ANY advertising. So I get so excited to see people loving the product enough to post it in their top 10 finds for "Denver Women". So exciting!!! My little kitchen table business is moving.

I just had a little kitchen table idea, and people seemed to like it enough to buy it for their friends and family. And I still run it like it's from my kitchen table. So I was thrilled to be #8 of 8 in Colorado's #1 women's magazine. They even took fancy pictures.

http://www.denverwoman.com/0408/shopping.html

If you need a gender neutral/one-size-fits-all baby shower gift, see me: http://www.skoosedesign.com/.

Check out my Slide Show!

Here are some shots of Tanner with the neighbor's dogs. They are an old Shanghai couple. When the boys stop by, they just laugh and laugh at their reaction to the dogs. The wife has a very deep robust laugh, I fall over laughing each time I hear it. She can barely control herself. I didn't get pictures of the Husband this round. Hunter and Tanner call them "Ye Ye" and "Nai Nai", which is a very endearing chinese way of calling elders grandpa and grandma.

They gave the boys chopped carrots, celery pieces and cherry tomatoes. The dogs go nuts over them! Totally strange. And; if you talk to the dogs in english "come here" or "good boy" they won't even catch on to your body language. They only understand Chinese.

In fact, they have a trick they've taught the dogs. They sit just very still, only looking at their master's face while their food sits right under their chins. They absolutely refuse to delve into the anticipated meal until the master gives the okay-- in chinese, of course. Then they attack and devour the food.

We Got A Dog!

Seems everyone is getting a dog now days. Studies have shown their effect on the humans even down to reversing terminal illness. So we got one. Only he lives at the neighbors. They let us visit, whenever we want. It's a great way to have a pet. Many more dog pictures to come... These ones are from our walk around the river next to our house.

Invisible, this is a long one

My friend Sherrill Naylor sent me this email some time ago. I LOVE it. Hope you do too. It's about moms:

I'M INVISIBLE! It started to happen gradually.One day I was walking my son Jake to school. I was holding hishand and we were about to cross the street when the crossing guard saidto him, 'Who is that with you, young fella?''Nobody,' he shrugged.Nobody? The crossing guard and I laughed. My son is only 5, but as wecrossed the street I thought, 'Oh my goodness, nobody?'I would walk into a room and no one would notice. I would saysomething to my family - like 'Turn the TV down, please' - and nothingwould happen. Nobody would get up, or even make a move for the remote. Iwould stand there for a minute, and then I would say again, a littlelouder, 'Would someone turn the TV down?' Nothing.Just the other night my husband and I were out at a party. We'dbeen there for about three hours and I was ready to leave. I noticed hewas talking to a friend from work. So I walked over, and when there wasa break in the conversation, I whispered, 'I'm ready to go when youare.' He just kept right on talking.That's when I started to put all the pieces together. I don'tthink he can see me. I don't think anyone can see me.I'm invisible.It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, theway one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on thephone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you seeI'm on the phone?' Obviously not. No one can see if I'm on the phone, orcooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner,because no one can see me at all.I'm invisible.Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fixthis? Can you tie this? Can you open this?Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being.I'm a clock to ask, 'What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to answer,'What number is the Disney Channel?' I'm a car to order, 'Right around5:30, please.' I was certain that these were the hands that once heldbooks and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduatedsumma cum laude - but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter,never to be seen again.She's going... she's going... she's gone!One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating thereturn of a friend from England . Janice had just gotten back from afabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I wassitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. Itwas hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself as I looked down at myout-of-style dress; it was the only thing I could find that wasclean. My unwashed hair was pulled up in a banana clip and I was afraid Icould actually smell peanut butter in it. I was feeling prettypathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, andsaid, 'I brought you this.'It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe . I wasn't exactly sure whyshe'd given it to me until I read her inscription: 'To Charlotte, withadmiration for the greatness of what you are building when noone sees.'In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And Iwould discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths,after which I could pattern my work:No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have norecord of their names.These builders gave their whole lives for a work they wouldnever see finished.They made great sacrifices and expected no credit.The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that theeyes of God saw everything.A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came tovisit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carvinga tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man,'Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam thatwill covered by the roof? No one will ever see it.' And the workmanreplied, 'Because God sees.'I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. Itwas almost as if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you,Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around youdoes. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, nocupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. Youare building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it willbecome.'At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not adisease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the diseaseof my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubbornpride.I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a greatbuilder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never seefinished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writerof the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built inour lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice tothat degree.When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell thefriend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, 'My mom gets up at4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes aturkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table.'That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. Ijust want him to want to come home.And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, toadd, 'You're gonna love it there.'As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seenif we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the worldwill marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty thathas been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.

Where We Hang Our Hats

Here's the abode.

The guard outside of our street/residence

The little bridge over the little creek with Koi and Carp in it.

The landscaping is amazing!

During spring, as you walk the street, each part smells like a different spring blossom. It's majestic!

Asian Hospitality

So many of you have asked questions along the lines of my high school friend Mark Nizzi:

"4 years? Wow, you doing missionary stuff for the Mormon church?
Would i ever want to go to China? Well, i lived with a Chinese man one time, and he said he'd never go back there, as he went to a restaurant there in hong kong, and despite him knowing the Chinese language real well, he said they could tell he was American, and he almost got beat up. So how do they treat you over there anyways? I'd like to hear all about it, as i am studying different cultures, and can speak some Spanish and Russian."

Take care,
Mark

So, for Mark and all of you still curious about how it is out here...

1. We are not doing "Mormon missionary work" out here. Though 7+ years ago, I served a mandarin speaking mission in Taiwan, and Tim served a mandarin speaking mission in Australia. Australia has the largest China town in the world outside of China its self. Hence, walking down the streets, that particular part of Aussie land looks just like China, with vertical street signs, and a dense Chinese population.
2. Asian Hospitality... it's the BEST!!! I cannot guarantee the Hong Kong area, as it is under a different type of government. But Mainland China is very docile. The people are not allowed to carry/use guns, not even the police. Even the armor protected vehicles (to fill ATMs and such) are only guarded with flare guns in case of emergency. Of course, sarcastic me has to make a scene every time I see one. I act like it's a real gun and exaggerate being totally scared, just to get a rise out of the police men, and have them try to calm me down and explain that in China they only use flare guns... they tend to think Rambo was filmed live in the US. They are so scared of all the violence there.

Still China remains one of the countries with the lowest crime rate in the world. Of all the crimes reported, theft accounted for about 80%. One time I was out with about 10 of my gals, and one of them slipped her cell into her coat pocket after using it. Big no no, sometime within 4 minutes it was gone and turned off. Love this friend, but I must say I felt like a complete idiot translating for her and asking passer-bys if they'd "seen her cell phone". They looked at me as if I'd asked "have you seen the $100 bill I dropped?" What really creeped her out was that we'd been shopping for over 1 hour, and she could only guess how many hands had been in her pocket, until someone succeeded in that 4 minute window of time.

Other than that, you pretty much walk down the street and are treated like a celebrity. I am very uncomfortable with this, and feel like telling a white-trash joke to break the ice sometimes. The Chinese people you work closely with would protect your name with their life. The culture is quick to build relationships, and even more quick to maintain them. Because of the "losing face" factor they will never confront you with problems in a direct way. They give you the benefit of the doubt. However, it is perfectly okay to be told you are over-weight, you have acne, or that you're not wearing enough clothes in winter. It is also okay to ask how much money you make, or how much you pay your helpers.

They are among the most humble people I've ever had interaction with. They will always respond with "nali" (translates to "where") when you point out their talents. When you say thank you, they get embarrassed and uncomfortable, and politely say "yingai de" (supposed to), or "bu yong xie" (no need to say thank you). They are also slow to ask for favors. When Georgie found out our Ayi was a professional chef and former restaurant owner, it took him a week to ask for a taste. And even then, he said out of the corner of his mouth "do you have a piece of bread?" Upon the which I caught his Q, and invited him in. He rejected the offering 2 more times and then consumed so fast I thought I'd better count plates before everyone finished.

Here are some other things to know about Shanghai China:
1. Though China is a very larger country, the whole country shares the same time zone. When it's 9am, it is that time all over china.
2. No Copy right laws. Crazy to watch a movie on DVD that is still in the theaters in the US. And the DVD only costs $1.50 US.
3. No pollution laws. Sometimes the smog is so thick you can barely see up the street.
4. Fear of dogs. Most Chinese fear medium to large dogs. Georgie jumped out of his skin when a little lap dog licked his ankle.
5. No internet porn, the government blocks it.
6. Different labor laws... if any. You can have a 18 hour laborer (maid, driver, worker etc) for less than $10 US daily. But Americans are known for paying well above that.
7. Humility. I know I already mentioned that, but in general, that word should just fill the rest of the list. Because of the cultural revolution in the 60's, where the people were pulled from schools and sent to poverty and told what to think and how to think it.
8. Traffic laws are rarely reinforced.
9. Prada, True Religion, Versace, Gucci, Dolche & Gabana, Guess, Polo, Tommy etc. are all sold out the back door, and for prices half the cost of walmart. Some are replicas, some factory flaws, some over produced by the factories. Let's just say my friend Sandy is coming out here for 2 weeks on the 10th of this month for the sole purpose of clothing her entire family.
10. Rent here is 6 times that of a mortgage on the American compounds.
11. Okay, couldn't leave this one out... produce is cheap, and while you can't drink the water, you will LOVE all the different exotic fruits and veggies here. Yellow watermelon, hot pink dragon fruit, star fruit, over-sized papayas, bamboo shoots, sugar cane, 100 different green vegetables you have never seen before. The food here ROCKS!!! You will leave here hungry to come back.
12. In the US, we have a standard 3 foot radius around each of us that we call our "comfort zone". Nobody steps into it unless they are coming on to you, or want to pick a fight. Here, strangers will openly pull at your arm to get your attention. Oh, and if you are not paying attention in line, someone will see your "courtesy space" for the person in front of you as an opening in the line, and soon you'll see 3 people filling the spot.
13. The fireworks are killer here. We were in a high rise when they all started going. Talk about illegal, you'd see HUGE fireworks set right outside of your window here. During the New Year, you'll see so many, it will be like a 6 hour finale. You almost become more selective with your "ooohs and aaaaahs".

If you talk to any American here, they will tell you they love it. If you wanted to, the country is sophisticated enough to allow you to maintain an American lifestyle here. However if you branch out, even just a little you will get your fair dose of Asian hospitality.

Pooped

We were on a family stroll the other night to pick up the chinese version of baby Tylenol for Tanner's cough and fever.

Hunter was particularly excited, and hopped with every step. Of course, he insisted we show our best hopping to. And we did, over the canal bridge, past the massage centers (yes, it is hard to walk past them when it's only like $10 US for an hour...), past the non-law-abiding-traffic-filled-cross-walks, past the street vendors, past the hand fulls of other families out for mid-night strolls.

We made a game of "nihao" (hello in chinese). We wanted to see who could get the best reaction when we "whities" greeted the locals in their own tongue. We even kept points. I lost points when I got a nose in the air. Tim gained points when a sweet old woman started giggling when she heard my tall American hunk greet her.

Hunter even joined in, blurting off the phrases he knew. But then we all decided Tanner took the cake. We passed a group of young chatty women shopping, and heard them gawk (in Chinese) "Oooh, foreign babies are soooo cute". We stopped the stroller, and turned Tanner to face them. He then, raising his eyebrows, said "Nihoo!" (his way of saying nihao).

In unison, the crowd gasped and gushed over our little Buddha-bellied baby. Hunter was so proud of Tanner.

On our way home, the following conversation took place:
T: It must be two miles round trip
H: My legs are getting tired, Daddy can you give me a ride?
T: I'm pooped.
H: You pooped? Did you have to go poop Daddy?
T&S: (laughing)
H: (laughing just because Tim and I are laughing)
T: (too pooped to explain what "pooped" really meant) "Yes Hunter, I have to poop".
H: Then maybe we should take a taxi home instead of walking.

We then run into the neighbors at the entrance of our housing development. They are on a walk to the massage center, but stop to shoot the breeze with us. We enjoy a short rest, and continue talking with them about the delay in the shipment of our stuff from the US. They tell us about their favorite masseuses there at Kang Jun Massage. Hunter remains patient on Daddy's shoulders, until:

H: Daddy!! Daddy!! We need to go!

We ignore his urgency, as not to be rude to the new neighbors. Our mistake. Then the next comment came:

H: Daddy, you need to poop, you told me, we need to hurry home right now!"

Nothin' like a first impression.

Animal World

At the Science Center here in Shanghai, there are different exhibits for the kids to visit. Today, we saw the Animal World, but didn't take nearly enough pictures... truly facinating.