Watch, Read, Listen

December 14, 2012 – Today is the day we leave for Austria!  YAHOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!  We've been patiently waiting for what feels like forever for this day to come.  We're flying out of Beijing and we've asked our driver, Mr. Li, to come pick us up at 0600 (6:00am).  Our flight isn't scheduled to leave until noon…

December 29, 2012- Yesterday we were out and about in Tianjin with the entire family.  I'm not sure what prompted this but we heard Ava say "Aren't Africa" when she meant to say "Antarctica".   LOL!!!!  That's one for the record books!!!! Ava posing with her mountains and boats drawing. She wrote on there, "for…

December 13, 2012 – You know how sometimes you get an idea into your head that you think would be so fun but you know that it also entails a lot of preparation?  Well, that pretty much describes the cookie decorating event. I was reminiscing about the many gingerbread houses we – as a family-…

October 21, 2012- David and Lynn are a great Chinese couple!  You might remember them- they helped Mark make the smoker and they came over to help us eat a batch of smoked ribs in said smoker. Thanks guys!!! They invited us to dinner at their home and how can we refuse????   Real Chinese…

December 4, 2012-   Ava is participating in Cooking Club- which is an after-school activity.  If there's one thing Ava has shown a passion for….it's cooking! (or baking) They had just learned how to cook scrambled eggs ….and Ava asked if she could make some for dinner. Me not having to cook dinner???  YES, PLEASE!!!!…

December 7, 2012- Today is a very, very special Friday!   Do you know why??????   Today is… Mark's birthday!!!!! It's not just any birthday…it's his 40th! I made his birthday- New York style cheesecake baked in a graham cracker crust- the day before. (it's pretty amazing that Mark found a bunch of cream cheese…

December 5, 2012 – The classes have been practicing for months for…. THE WINTER SHOW!!!!    It's Wednesday evening….the kids are super excited and restless to show their parents what they've been working on.   It's time for Light! Music! Action! The opening number: "Celebrate with Joy" (Ava is third from the right) Can you…

December 2, 2012-   YIIIIIPPPPPPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It snowed a teensie weensie bit and the girls are going to make the most of it jumping on the trampoline: boing…boing…boing…. Sadly, the night after the Advent calendar making party I got REALLY SICK.  Blech.  Not sure…perhaps it's something I ate?  Or…there were lots of kids out sick the…

November 30, 2012-   Hi!  Several weeks ago I thought it'd be nice to invite several of my friends to come make their own Advent calendars.  It's such a nice way to get into the Holiday Spirit!!   Let me just state that this is the SECOND Advent calendar making party I've hosted.  The first…

November 29, 2012 – The IST Children's Choir was invited to sing at the Tree Lighting Ceremony at the Astor Hotel in Tianjin.  Obviously we had to come check out the festivities- especially since Annika is in the choir! 🙂  Sadly, it was just Ava and me that could come as Mark was on a…