Sick

I've been really sick lately and have been battling a cold for awhile, which is why I haven't written... Gabby was also sick so she missed school last week. I finally decided to see the doctor, since I had a fever, and got some medicine. Thank goodness for Chen and Travis! They really took are of everything. This is the first day in awhile that I've had some sort of energy. Gabby has been really sweet. She keeps asking me if I'm sick and says "it's okay!"

We have a week off because it's a national holiday in China. Yay!

Gabby's School Newsletter 9/14-9/19

Look for Gabby with the green tank-top and white shorts!

Kung Fu updates…
This week the children had a very active Kung Fu class with Zhang Laoshi. They did a whole lot of running, stretching and kicking!  
The children did a very good job on being safe and making sure that they have enough space for all the kicking.

Creative Movement

This month’s theme for creative movement is “Back to school”. We sang color songs, collected alphabets props, played the freeze game, rode the yellow bus, and learn new songs!

Sunny Weekend

Beijing was full of clear skies and clean air so we spent a lot of time outside. The weather is perfect right now... warm but no humidity... not sure how long this will last so we're soaking it up as much as we can. Our new thing right now is going on a bike ride to Starbucks mid-morning so I can get a coffee and she can have a snack. It takes about 5-10 minutes. I stop off beforehand to get a "Beijing sandwich," which is a type of street food that I have no idea what it's called but it's SUPER yummy and only 30 cents. We sit on some comfy chairs and watch all the people come and go. After her afternoon nap, we go swimming where we usually see other kids Gabby's age and people we work with. I think we'll start making this our everday weekend thing until the weather changes... I totally love living on a compound and enjoy the convenience. :)

Gabby Highlights: She knows her colors and shapes. She still forgets the number 5 (what is that about!) but will count animals, flowers, etc. that are in her books. We caught her reading a Chinese book out loud and it sounded like she was trying to speak Chinese. She cracks me up!

Potty Training Update: Who are these people that potty train their kids in three days? Seriously. To me, being "potty trained" is when they know they need to pee or poop, do it without me having to help, wipe themself thoroughly, and wash their hands. Needless to say, we're still working on it. Gabby pooped herself and didn't seem to care that much... so no, NOT potty trained yet. She was wearing her PJ's so we just threw those out. Totally not worth saving those!

Swine Flu Update: There are 8 confirmed cases at our school- all in the eighth grade so all of the kids in that grade had to stay home for three days. Gabby's school heard wind of that so anyone associated with ISB had to stay home too. I thought that was a bit harsh... she had no fever... I didn't read the email they sent all the way so we sent her there and the poor thing was sent home. :(

I Love Gabby's School

I copied and pasted some pictures and articles from the newsletter they send out every week. She's wearing a bright pink top and jeans- look for her in the background. I left in all the bad English in the articles because I think it makes it more authentic. Good thing I'm not sending her there to build on her English, though. But anway, she really loves this place and always asks if we're going to school. I understand that's pretty common for kids this age, but it's nice to know that she's enjoying it and learning some cool things.

Chinese Teaching Lesson

Zhao Laoshi read the book titled “Li Mao” which means manners in English. It’s a story about a Tiger learning his manners to show how much cares for his tiger friends and family. The children sang the song “ Ni Wa Wa” it’s about a doll teaching different parts of the body. They also sang the song “He Long Fang Kai” which is open shut them in Chinese.

Kung Fu with Zhang Laoshi
Children loves to run, jump, roll, crawl… and Kung Fu on Thursdays with Zhang Laoshi is definitely on their list of favourite activities to do. This week the children run in wide and narrow spaces using boxes. It is a challenge for some who loves to run super fast!

First Case of Swine Flu at Our School!

So the first confimed case of the HINI virus at our school happened today. The school has a plan put in place, so if someone else becomes confirmed then we may get a day off school. An international school about an hour away had a couple of cases and the school shut down for five days. Crazy! I have to say, I could use a couple of days off- just as long as no one gets hurt!

Rainy Day Weekend

It seriously felt like the pacific northwest this weekend... rainy and a little chilly. We didn't do much but had lots of family time, which I loved, and got some things done around house. Some friends came over for lunch on Saturday, and afterwards I drove down with them for some "Cara time." I got a foot massage and a pedicure, and went to my friend's house who had a girl's night out party. We all brought either wine or tapas (appetizers) and just talked. Good times. I got home around midnight, which isn't so bad. On Sunday, I felt like I was coming down with something... I actually thought I was pregnant (I'm not) because it felt like I had morning sickness. Unfortunately, this made me a lazy/tired mom on Sunday, so Gabby missed a birthday party downtown. I feel bad but I REALLY didn't feel good. Anyway, Travis was a super good husband that day... he drove to an art studio that was having a moving sale. We got a great deal on a Little Tikes Cabin and a super cheap play kitchen (some European brand). The lady sold us a snazzy Britax car seat and we got a good price on this tent that holds plastic balls, so Gabby can jump around in there. Travis came home with all these goodies- plus coffee and a Beijing burrito (yum!). He put the bikes together (we had to get new tires) and he cleaned the toys like crazy while I laid on the couch. He gets the good husband/dad award for the day. :)

My Lil' Naturalist

Gabby's new thing now is that she likes to look at magazines- especially Trav's National Geographic ones because they have such awesome pictures. She looks at them and goes, "Oh wow, look at that!" or "What's this?" There was a picture of a shark and she freaked out a little because it looked so vivid and real. The other day she wanted to look at the leaves on a tree. I think there's a little naturalist in there... just like daddy...

I had a nice, definitive moment last night... it was the first time I went to a dinner party and wasn't worried about Gabby. There were other kids there and she entertained herself by playing dress-up with the big kids. It was really fun for me to visit with friends- knowing that she was having fun. She's growing up. I really like this age!

Just Another Weekend

It was a pretty good weekend... Friday after school we went swimming, but left quickly because it was a tad too cold for me. Plus, our friends, Stephen and Velora, came over for dinner. On Saturday, we took a family to the Dirt Market, a famous market where you can buy Chinese antiques. I love going there but I'm always so overwhelmed by everything. Plus, you have to be careful for fake stuff and that you don't get ripped off. People sell gorgeous pottery, Tibetan furniture, paintings, silver jewelry, jade, and knick-knacks to decorate your home with.. you just need time and patience- which is quite hard with young kids. We had a fun lunch at the "shouting restaurant." A place that's really busy, loud, and crazy- which is kind of fun. They also have cheap, yummy Chinese food. That afternoon, Gabby didn't want to sleep, so we stopped fighting it. I took her out for a bike ride and went grocery shopping while Trav played guitar with his buddy. He also went out that night with some friends later- I'm such a nice wife! On Sunday, we had a play date at the school, with all of the other ISB teachers that have children the same age. The kids had a blast! They found some water and were running around naked, playing in the sand... what a fun age...Gabby loves to get messy and dirty so this was right up her alley.

I love her new school. We get a "communication folder" every day she attends that tells us how she's doing and what she did/learned at school. On the second day, the teacher wrote that Gabby was singing constantly and settled in well. :) We are, unfortunately, having issues with her eating... she got some gluten somehow and I'm 95% sure it was from school because she didn't eat anything different on Friday. I let the teacher know and she felt bad but I have to be vigilant. In general, she's not eating much lately and dinner time has been a constant battle. I don't want her to get into the habit of getting a bunch of food choices. What we give her, is what she eats... it's hard... I can see why parents give-in to things sometimes because we're tired after a long day and just want to relax. Anyway, we haven't given up. I imagine it's just a phase. It's not as if she'll go hungry.