9.28.2012

Swim like a fish

Everett swam in a city wide school swim meet on Wednesday. He had a really good time--and he got to miss half a day of school--who wouldn't love that??
The schools they were swimming against have pools to practice in and his school doesn't, so the CDIS team was at a bit of a disadvantage, but placed third and had a great time!

Here he is taking off in the 4x25 meter freestyle relay.


Showing off his ribbon.
He placed third in both events he swam--the relay and the 25 meter freestyle.


Everett, Daniel, and Madison


Here is a little video of E swimming. Mainly for the grandparents :)

9.21.2012

Lego Tower

Recently these two have been playing so well together! One of their favorite things to do is build a tower taller than Mommy. Not sure why I am the measuring stick, but it is what I have become :)
Here is a picture--not taller than me--but I haven't taken one since they have acheived that.


Reid with his "helper". He is SO patient with her when she knocks the whole thing down while trying to add more blocks. I try to distract her at the end, so he can add the last blocks peacefully!


So proud!
 He has since discovered that building a wider base, makes it more stable. Maybe a budding architect?

9.20.2012

160 mph


At the beginning of the month a super great friend of ours, John Gunter, had his birthday. He lives in a different city now, but was going to be here a couple of days after his birthday. A bunch of the guys surprised him with a BMW 500 series sedan. Well, not for him to keep, but for him to drive on the racetrack they had rented for an hour and a half!


Here they all are by the car. They took turns driving/riding, and I think it may have been the most fun any of them have had in awhile.  There is a video--not of Matt--but I don't have it. I will tell you that I have seen it and the two men on it are squealing like school girls! And one of them may have been the birthday boy.......


coming around the bend.

Matt came in third for timed laps around the track and I know he is dying to get out there and try it again! It was crazy inexpensive (compared to the States) for them to do this, and such a fun experience! I am told that the car could "fly" and the tires were totally shot by the time they were finished. Ah, signs of a great time!!


Victory stand!

9.12.2012

So sweet......

So the other day I was just having a crummy day and we went out to meet Matt and this just happened as the littles were walking in front of me.......



I didn't have to tell anyone to slow down, walk, be careful of the car/poop/bike/unknown wet substance.......
It was just what this mama needed :)

9.11.2012

Sleepover

The other night E went to a friend's hosue to spend the night, so we made our house into the Reid and Rylie Sleepover Party! We made homemade pizza, watched a movie, made oreo milkshakes, and had a dance party!


Getting a quick chapter of Flat Stanley before bed

They were SO excited to sleep in the same bed. Maybe a little too excited.....Ry ended up in her own bed because she kept waking Reid up!

9.08.2012

23 weeks



How far along? 23 weeks
Weight Gain? I've gained three pounds! So that only puts me down 4 from where I started. But I feel sure it is going to start piling on.........
How big is baby? the size of a grapefuit!
Sleep? Been sleeping pretty well! So thankful!

Maternity Clothes? Still in that akward regular don't fit but maternity ones look ridiculous phase, but have some maternity clothes that my sweet sister Caroline and sis-in -law Andi lent me :)
Food cravings? I have been eating a lot of apples and cereal. And I am patiently waiting for the clementines to come into season here.......I have seen some on the streets, but they are still pretty green :)
Food aversions? still better most days! I mean the smell of most foods cooked over here (especially on the streets) is not my favorite, but we can avoid by smelling a tea bag instead!
Symptoms? still throwing up......
Doctor’s Appointment?  Have one in two weeks in Hong Kong for another big ultrasound

Movement? He is moving around a lot now! mostly when I lie down to go to sleep at night :)

Belly Button? In--mine has never popped out with any of my pregnancies!

What am I looking forward to? Seeing our little guy again on the ultrasound in Hong Kong (and a fun girls trip to Hong Kong!)

What do I miss?  sleeping on my belly!!
Best Moment this week? all the kids getting to feel Knox moving around in my belly! So sweet! Rylie was especially in awe.....

9.04.2012

Getting a Chinese Drivers License

Warning: super-long post. But it's not nearly as long as the process--I promise. 

So, as many of you know, when we got back to our city one of the first things on the list of things to do was get our drivers license. The main reason we need them is carpool for the boys school, but Matt will also use it a lot with his work.
Remember how everytime you go to the DMV in America it takes "so long" and "is such a pain"? I was right there with you......until I got my drivers license here. I'm about to give you some perspective people.

1. The first step is getting your eyes checked. We have to do that in America too. At the DMV. You look in a box next to the lady issuing your license and tell her if you see the red light.
Here we spent the day here:

at the cancer hospital. For our eye exam.
After we had the paper we thought we needed in hand, we left. 4 hours later.

2. The next step is getting your US drivers license translated. By an official translator, who puts the official red stamp on it.

3. Next you register with the local police so that you can get your official residence papers. With the red stamp.

4. Next step is make a copy of every official document you have ever had. Not really but it felt that way. Copy of US license, passport, translation of passport, certification of translator, residence papers, eye exam, etc.

5. Then you have to have at least 6 passport pictures to attatch to forementioned documents. With the red stamp on them.

While you are doing these tasks, you must also be studying for the drivers test. Now, because we have a US license, we don't have to take a road test, but we do have to take the written test. It is in English---sort of. There is an app on our iphone that is immensely helpful in this process, as you basically have to memorize the questions. All 1356 of them. The test is 100 questions from a bank of 1356.
Here are some sample questions:

Q: When a head on collision is unavoidable, the driver should free the steering wheel, raise the legs and lie sideward on the right seat at the moment of the head on collison. this can ensure his body is not stuck by the steering wheel.

true or false
This is true people. Take note.

Q: When encountering pedestrians wearing cotton-padded caps or overcoats in winter, the driver should honk and be ready to brake.

true or false
Answer: true.
But what if they are wearing a wool hat?? I feel so unprepared if I encounter that.

Q: When a vehicle rolls continuously to a deep ditch, the driver should swiftly hide his body to the lower space in front of his seat, hold ________ to stabalize his body so that his body will not roll and get hurt. 

a. the pedal
b. the steering column
c. the steering wheel
d. the gear level

Answer: b

The questions are a variety of subjects, including hand signals, paramedic duties, traffic laws that NO ONE follows, street signs, and a LOT of what to do when you encounter a pedestrian. And starngely enough the answer is always evade. You should never speed up and honk at them. Surprising, I know.
Also, you have to know the fines for breaking all the traffic laws. Can't the police just learn that and tell me when I get the ticket?? And it is almost aways 200-2000 kuai. ($32-$320) Quite a span......

So when you think you might be able to get the required 90% on the test, you take your handful of papers and catch a cab out to the Traffic Control Department of the Public Security Organ. ( i promise that is the translation.)

And you see this sign. Totally clear as to where you should go right?
You go in one building get a number and wait for it to be called. When they call you, you show them your paper work and they say it looks great. Or in our case, Matt can't even take his test because his visa doesn't have a long enough duration, and we have to go get another eye exam because our first paper didn't have this picture:

seriously--they take a picture of you like this. To prove you have hands? I still have NO idea what purpose this picture serves, but apparently it is super important. All guesses are welcome.

So we went to another hospital, got our medical forms, and went back to the first building and got another number. And waited for it to be called. Then we show my papers, get the all clear and get a number to take to another buliding where we take the test. We head over to the other building and arrive at 12:33. The lady is carrying her nap mat and pillow in to the room, smiles at us and locks the door behind her. We then sit and wait until 1:30 when rest time is over. (the entire country pretty much shuts down for a rest during this time)
At 1:30, I am called in, take the test and score a 94%! I was pretty proud :)
I then take another number back to the first building and show it to someone who takes my picture and gives me another number. We wait for that number to be flashed on a screen and then they hand me this:


I can offically drive in the chaos that is the streets of our city!!!
Oh, except that the car we are borrowing is a stick shift, and I never learned to drive one.
So, off to the chaos we went for me to learn to drive a stick!!


So, the next time you have to go down to the DMV, give them a hug from me for being so efficent :) And maybe bring some cookies......

9.01.2012

Supergirls!


Rylie had Laura Cate come over to play the other day and this is how they came out of their room.
So cute!!!