Monday. Took brig and Brooke and Brynn on the shuttle to Walmart and the sporting goods store for a new soccer ball. Home. Quick Skype with my parents before heading to the subway. We shared an umbrella while it dumped rain on us. Another fine day at the hospital for testing. We found a photo booth and had a bit of fun with that before the tests began. Chase said there was a guy with five hairs 8 inches long growing out of a mole. I went back into the first squatter I experienced back in week 1 and it looked so nice and clean and not bad smelling compared to what we've seen since. Scary what we are getting used to comparatively! Todd was running a workshop today. They served chilled pig ear, gristle and sauce in the cafeteria.( HE DID NOT PARTAKE). Letters from Ally and then Todd gave the FHE lesson and went straight to bed. He was pooped.
Tuesday: Workers in house. They've been smoking in the basement and leaving butts on the ground so the girls looked up "NO SMOKING" in Chinese and made a bunch of signs. Online school takes so much work at the elementary level. Yikes. I didn't know what I signed up for. After Chase taught swimming lessons they had a playgroup at the pool with some other moms so we went down for a bit. Three ladies from our neighborhood, IBM wives, Jordana from Sandy Hook CT, Christine from Canada, Jennifer-Korean from Dallas, took me to lunch today. We went to a German restaurant...Here's what was ordered: onion soup & plate of fries, schnitzel and oven fried potatoes, farmer's salad (green and red peppers, onion, cucumber, vinegar - no lettuce), and garden salad w/twice baked potato. It was OK. Not rushing back. I think, sadly, I've made the transition from living to eat to eating to live. It's no fun. They all ordered iced tea and the glasses came with bright colored plastic star stir sticks and bendy straws. I wonder what the kids' meals look like with the party they give adults. We went to a place called Kosmo after for smoothies. They tasted like watered down applesauce. $5 bummer. Todd's smoothies are wayyyy better. It poured rain like crazy on the way back home. We were SoAked by the time we got to the car. I spent most of the afternoon trying to order groceries online. Chase went to play basketball with Matthew. Brooke, Brigham, Brynn and I then headed out to the MixC mall. Grand Theater stop. We were looking for a skirt but ended up with a sweater and new sandals for her talk on Sunday. Also went to Muji for new pens and blank paper pads and another really nice store...Ochirly. We bought some frozen yogurt and the cashier handed us two bags of colored marshmallows. Random, and tasty. The subway ride home was interesting. Old men just spit on the subway floor. We saw the same singer/tambourine duo performing for money. As Brynn was handing her money, the lady grabbed it really quick and pushed Brynn's hand away from her tip backpack. So funny. At the top of the subway escalator we saw Todd waiting to take us home on the scooter. He took Brooke and Brynn first with all the bags and then came and picked up Brigham and me.
Wednesday: Glad Ally all moved in and safe in her new town..Katrineholm! School most of the day. Chase was asked to help move some furniture for the neighbors. Good morning! Groceries came but orders all messed up or incomplete. Typical. After being over charged and under delivered, I called the guy and he said, "prices change every day". I walked down to old shekou to get fruits and vegetables. Flies everywhere but the other kinds of bugs about did me in today. At least we know there aren't a bunch of pesticides on the food. And that was more delightful than seeing a girl about Sophia's age pooping on the curb while her Ayi stood between her and the street. I almost turned back to give her a wet wipe. There are some areas by us, down by the park where it's like Disneyland. Little people in blue outfits sweeping sidewalks and picking up trash, and a few blocks down you have that. In the evening, all the little shops are open and the whole family is there, eating dinner on the counter or huddled around a TV. Scooters and motorized bikes and truck bed bikes drive all over the place, sidewalks, alleys, streets. The restaurants set up their woks and frying pots on the sidewalks and men cook,shirtless sometimes, if it's hot. Men sit around plastic tables and chairs and smoke and chat and slurp and spit. Moms and grandmas walk naked butt babies in strollers and dogs, cats and rats roam around. Little kids play too close to the street and laundry blows in the breeze, sometimes having to dry three times if they don't bring it in before the rain comes. Mostly they are happy it seems. Kids were playing at the park when I got home. I hurried to make dinner before the kids headed to mutual for pool a couple houses down at the Sears. We had coconut sticky rice with fresh mango for dessert- that was a hit with Chase and Brooke, but Brig doesn't go for coconut. Getting school lessons ready for tomorrow. MATTRESS TOPPERS CAME TODAY. Happy birthday to us! We will be a new family in the morning.
Thursday: Biggest storm through last night since we've been here, and that's saying a lot! Lightening and thunder for 3-4 hours. Sounded as if the thunder was right outside the window. LOUD, & BRIGHT. Todd left early for work, ayi let herself in which is so helpful. The front door is on the bottom level and my bedroom is on the 4th so it takes me a while to get down there and I've got some wicked bed head I must tame before heading down. Chase and I headed back downtown for some visa work then birthday shopping. We ate lunch with Todd before he went back to work. Our choices included : duck tongue (a whole platter), various noodle/stir fry dishes, salads. I chose a salad and the dressing was "sweet mayonnaise", can't believe I ate that! Brigham and Chase played ball all afternoon- soaking wet shirts when they were finished. Sophie has been journaling ALL DAY. Brooke worked on her photography class and Brynn science & social studies. We are kind of at a standstill with the little girls since I can't proceed without the handbooks. I'm trying to stay up late tonight to contact the district because they aren't responding to emails. Frustrating. Chase told us today he's going to submit mission papers as soon as he finishes his classes in Nov/Dec. Need to get some traveling in before he leaves. While the boys were playing at the park, the girls and I rode (all 4 of us) the scooter down to the gate then walked to the international markets to meet Todd. Today's purchases: mozzarella cheese, pudding, pop tarts, avocado, apples, bread, bananas. Todd took the girls and groceries up on the scooter. I needed to walk the hill for some exercise. We had taco salad for dinner and it tasted so good. Chase wanted more coconut mango sticky rice so we had that again too. We are now calling it Chase's rice. Duck Dynasty, Brooke talk run through, Seminary study and a movie. Mom, Chase's package came today. Thank you! I'll have him open it on his birthday.
Friday: Super rainy all morning. Kids slowly came in to study...between 10:30am-noon. They have a five hour commitment so the timer starts when they do. They weren't loving it at 4:30PM. Homeschooling is HARD. Everyone has to be quiet, l go between Sophie and Brynn getting them set up on the right lessons, printing off the right worksheets, making sure they are "getting it". Minestrone soup for lunch on this rainy day. Chase went out with his group of friends. Todd and I went on a double date with John and Sarah Warr. We ended up going to the same restaurant as Chase. Todd's work buddy from Sweden was there with his family so I got to meet them-Anders, Ulrika, Tora & Anna who is Brooke's age, yea! Chase stopped by to introduce himself also. During dinner I got a text from Chase that his friends ordered margaritas. I guess in China there isn't a minimum drinking age-anything goes, so that was new. Dinner was good-Mexican in China, who would have known? We ordered gouda cheese but it was delivered like a parmesan cheese crisp that they rolled and served with salsa. Unique. Gelato after dinner and then home. Oh ya, Todd took me on the scooter...we don't usually take it out of the gates, but there is lots of crazy driving going on so we thought we'd join them. It can't make it up our hill so one of has to get off and walk. There was an orange frog in the garage when we left and still there when we got home.
Saturday: Yao Feng came and we had a taxi take us to the grocery store where she shops. She explained what things were and we bought some of the things she gets regularly. She then cooked us curry and stir fry, rice and edemame. It was all good. After lunch I took Brooke, Brigham and Brynn to the "stationary mall", or sun gang arts and crafts city. It has all types of pens/markers, paper, notebooks, paints, brushes, white boards, office supplies. Upstairs had toys, shoes, holiday decorations, light strings, party supplies. We couldn't stay long but want to go back. We took a taxi home to meet Todd, Chase, Sophie and the Kester family at Bombay for Indian food. Magnum bars from the corner store, French Bread from the bakery and fruit from our favorite fruit guy and then walked home. Games at the Kesters to end the night. Chase is out with his friends. Brooke is speaking tomorrow and the Ho family ( of 8) is coming right after church for dinner-Spaghetti/Salad Sunday!
Sunday: Brooke did great on her talk and told some funny stories. We went back to 3 hour Sunday blocks today. I had to borrow 3 forks from the church for our Spaghetti Sunday dinner tonight. Chase took my sliced bread I was gong to use for garlic toast to use at church. Trying to make this dinner is proving difficult. I put the drinks in the freezer to make slush, then remembered Chinese don't like cold drinks. Then I was making caramel corn and remembered they don't like sweets that much...she gave me her pudding mixes last time we were there and doesn't eat brownies. Hmmmm. Maybe we will have melon for dessert. I just have two sticks of butter left...need to make a treat for the first day of seminary as well. It's hard to bake here. Everyone has an assignment now...Brig is on pick up the house, Sophie is on drinks and place settings. Brooke is on salad and pasta, Chase is on sauce. Brynn is setting the table and slicing french bread and making olive oil dipping sauce. We will see how it works. Next week we might have a bunch over to eat for Fast Sunday. Some come as far as two hours away, 2x a month and skype the other two weeks. Today there were more people back from summer vacations...Youse family, Lariska from Netherlands, Twila and Debbie from Tucson, a college guy teaching English and the Nash family. We had smart, interesting lessons today. Preparing the seminary classroom for tomorrow morning.
Have a great week! Miss you all.
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