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. :(