Thanksgiving Twice

Date: 2011.11.30 | Category: Uncategorized | Response: 0

We had Thanksgiving twice this year, once with friends in Donguan City, Sam and Amy and their two ladies Eve and Lily. We provided the bread and the pies. One pumpki pie and one melktert, the most delicious South African dessert out there.

I think Joel approves of pumpkin pie. He climbed out of the high chair onto the table to get some more pie because Pete wasn’t feeding him fast enough! He gets this from me, I will have to defend pumpkin pie as the best thing the USA has to offer (food-wise and maybe otherwise too:-)

The meal was fantastic and we could not have asked for more. Fun fact: the turkey was baked in a toaster oven. It is possible.

Joel crawling onto the table for MORE PIE PLEASE!

On Saturday it was time for hosting a Feast for Pete’s China office. They thoroughly enjoyed the event but I’m not so sure about the food. They each ate about 1mg of each dish. I guess they are all from southern China and they are just not used to such hearty food. In Beijing they would probably like it more.

The table

These were the sweet potatoes. Isn't that the most amazing purple ever? We of course coated these with some marshmallows!

Proof that we can still love each other in a hot kitchen at 2am in the morning.

Pumpkin face

 This year I was thankful for our helper who washed the dishes! And I am thankful for many other things, but I am too tired to type them out.

I am grateful for YOU!

Potty Talk

Date: 2011.11.29 | Category: Uncategorized | Response: 0

No, we are not potty training Joel just yet but I HAVE to share this.

The toilets you can find outside of your apartment in China look a little something like this:

And that little can is for your used TP, so, it stinks in there too. I haven’t quite figured which way to squat, facing the wall or the door? You could argue it both ways, if you argue those kinds of things, which I assure you, does happen between girlfriends here in the eastern hemisphere.

Anyways, I receive a weekly forum from the international women’s club and today there was the following add:

Are you struggling to squat in Chinese Toilet’s 

GoGirl allows women the convenience of standing up to go to the bathroom. 
It’s made of medical-grade silicone and gives women a hygienic option to disgusting bathrooms. 
They are made in the USA and comes in a compact tube. You unfold it and hold it up to you. It really does work. 

I have them for sale for 70 rmb. If you would like one please email or call me. example@gmail.com or 15002032208 
You can see them on the website : www . go-girl . com 

An image from g0-girl.com

And do watch the intro-video if you want a laugh. My favorite quote “Practice a few times and it will be second nature!”

Now you know what to get me for Christmas.

Just kidding.

Aqua therapy and anger management

Date: 2011.11.23 | Category: Uncategorized | Response: 5

I think Joel’s teeth broke through today, so maybe the worst is over, who knows. But today was much better.

We started the day off with some aqua therapy, in other words, splash in (and empty) a dish of water while your mom tries to clean the kitchen after breakfast.

As you can see, there isn’t much a bit of water play can’t fix. Not even a bad morning.

Later today he lost his cool in the grocery store and was upset the whole way back. I realized he had some tension to get rid of so…..I put him to work crushing up the crackers for a graham cracker crust (Thanksgiving tomorrow, we are in charge of the pies). He really had a go at it, I could not have done a better job. And after that he was super calm. I like to think of it as anger management;-)

Today I said “Man, this child is beautiful.” Then Pete said “And he is so good natured!” To which I replied “Yes, most of the time.” We love him so much!

And just look at these curls. It is business in the front and a party in the back!

By the way, don’t you think him and his cousin, June, look alike?

‘Tis the Season of Teething!

Date: 2011.11.22 | Category: Uncategorized | Response: 1

Yip, we are in the depths of the depression over here. Wailing and gnashing of teeth. Well, not quite that bad but it is getting there.

Last week I was making excuses for Joel’s crabby disposition with a sorry “It’s his teeth. Three in three days!”  But then on Sunday it became “Four in four days!” Suddenly he is a different person altogether. He moans, he yelps, he screams and thrashes himself to the floor, the I pick him up and he still cries and I try to kiss him and then WHAM! he hits me in the face, then I put him down and then he cries inconsolably for a good 2 minutes.

Geesh. His gums look so sore, the budding teeth-to-be look like little snow capped mountains and he won’t let us anywhere near them. I have tried a number of things, the best so far is tylenol and also Chloroseptic on an ear swab. It works for a few minutes but then it creates an addict-)

So, I guess my little pumpkin is cutting the following teeth.

An Early Thanksgiving Story

Date: 2011.11.18 | Category: Uncategorized | Response: 0

I will try to shorten this story.

Tomorrow we were supposed to host a huge Thanksgiving dinner for our Chinese friends. Here is the play-by-play:

Thursday late afternoon: feeling nauseated. pregnant?

Thursday evening: vomiting and diarrhea multiple times. completely drained. Pete and St. John (a friend) bring me Gatorade. THANKS.

Thursday night: can’t sleep. sun rises. THANKS.

Friday am: call Elsa Ho to babysit Joel while I drag my sick limbs through the kitchen and market to get ready for the big feast. she says no problem. THANKS.

Friday noon: Elsa comes and brings he daughter, Milani, to help with baking the pies. she also brings soup and crackers for me. THANKS.

1pm: visiting teaching. the Spirit touches my heart and mind. THANKS.

3:15pm: realize i don’t have enough taxi fare to go home, will have to walk to the subway and walk home (remember, I am dehydrated at this point). BUT the grocery delivery man (always very kind) providentially passes me in his cute little van. He gives me a ride, in the opposite direction of where he really needs to go. THANKS.

3:30pm: get joel from elsa’s, they have exhausted him so he will nap. he naps. THANKS.

4pm: relief society president did my import shopping and brings the stuff. THANKS.

4:10pm: a delivery guy shows up with our memory foam mattress (organized by Sam and Amy, THANKS). the delivery man needs 1802RMB payment. I have none. I call Betsy, she brings 1600RMB. THANKS. and I fish the rest from all our little stashes around the house. the delivery guy remains patient. THANKS.

4:30pm: joel is still napping and gives me some respite. THANKS.

We are not having the feast tomorrow, it had to be called off for other reasons. THANKS.

How could I have done any of this without these kind friends and strangers who went out of their way to help me? The Lord saw my needs today and He provided.

I give THANKS.

P.S. If you want to read a really touching story of thanksgiving and humility, read about my friend, Sara.

Joel’s first year ever!

Date: 2011.11.16 | Category: Uncategorized | Response: 2

October 21st 2011 was Joel’s first birthday! And finally I am posting about it.

The details: We had the party at a friend, Sara’s, house which is a couple minutes away. She was kind enough to open up her home to us, since ours is just a tad too small for many little ones. She is also an awesome babysitter, she has little girl, Eva, who is a week younger than little Joely.

Yes, yes, we had a pinata. I made it (with some help). I don’t recommend it. It takes A LOT of time. And Joel was scared of it when it was hanging above his head. Also, he stuck his finger in the candle when it was time for the cake. And then the next morning he cried when we sang the birthday song to him, then we figured out he was still asleep! Hahaha. But he did enjoy his party.

Photos!

Unfortunately I can't find the pic of Joel with his Dadda

A cute banner Sara made for him

Our little emperor in his good fortune suit from Pete's Chinese office manager, Janice.

Isn’t he just the best thing ever? We are so blessed to have this little boy to brighten and make every day wonderful. Joel, you are worth it all! And more!

In other news this week:

• walking, five steps, he thinks it is the funniest thing ever
• 4 teeth in 4 days, including incisors and premolars, poor guy, but bearing it like a trooper
• his new goat/ dr evil laugh (???)

A Chinese Thanksgiving Feast

Date: 2011.11.16 | Category: Uncategorized | Response: 0

I don’t know what possessed me but I decided to throw a Thanksgiving Feast for Pete’s China office staff. Now I’m knee deep in a hundred things that still need to be done. Wish us luck, I will keep you posted.

Miracles

Date: 2011.11.14 | Category: Uncategorized | Response: 1

Before I even knew I was pregnant with Joel, I did training to become a doula. I only attended one birth before I got the morning sickness and then we moved to China for the summer and then we had Joel. I love birth. I love the miracle that it is, the adventure, the suspense, the waiting, the hard work, quiet, the noise and all the intensity and then at last that miracle moment, “A BABY A BABY, MY BABY!”

A week ago I had the privilege of attending a birth for some friends in Hong Kong. I love Sam and Amy. Amy has AWFUL pregnancies, but she never complains. She was positive and confident all the way that her baby WOULD be born no matter what. Sam and Amy have such great faith in God. I am convinced that Lily was born because of that faith.

My favorite part of the whole birth (apart from the sweet baby) was Amy repeating to herself, us and the probably the angels watching over her “I CAN do this!” And she was right, she did it.

It was such an uplifting heaven-meets-earth experience so I am glad I had my picture taken with this special family. When I got home I told Pete “I want to witness a birth every day.”

When I saw the above photo it reminded me of this next photo of Briana Blackwelder at the first birth she attended as a doula.

I didn’t know Briana very well but I did get to meet her a couple times. If I can be half the person she was to laboring women then I will be satisfied. Briana passed away this year in a car accident. She delivered our sweet and spunky little niece, June, daughter of Jesse Laura. If you want to read more about the awesome person Briana was, go here.

And many congratulations to Sam and Amy and big sister Eve!

Halloween 2011

Date: 2011.11.01 | Category: Uncategorized | Response: 1

Awesome fatness

Date: 2011.10.28 | Category: Uncategorized | Response: 0

It was all down hill after we got back from Mexico. There was so much packing and other stuff to do.

But the highlight of the time was Joel’s increasing chubba-luvva-flubba fatness. He was such a chunk! Enjoy the pics!

Here is China, they refer to Joel’s fatness as “strong.” And that is fine by me. That must mean my buttocks have gotten much “stronger” recently.

Note: Joel’s owl hat was made by our dear friend Pamela. Her very reasonably priced etsy shop HERE.