And now, for the big announcement...
We are expecting Budensiek Baby #2!! Yahoo!! Thank you to everyone who prayed through this long, difficult process with us. He heard our cries! We are due on May 24th, so I am already into my 2nd trimester. For those of you who know the genes of my side of the family, you're probably wondering if we are having twins. Though we would absolutely be thrilled to death with that, the doctor assures me there is one baby!
Currently, Andrew and I are in the States to visit loved ones and celebrate my Grandma's 90th birthday! We're still not quite over the jet lag...in fact, I should head to bed NOW because I have no guarantee that Andrew will sleep through the night. He could just decide to take a "nap" since this is his usual nap time!
Just wanted to let you all know!
Until next time...
Fall is here...
The temperature has dropped quite a bit, and every day there are more brown leaves collecting on the ground. This morning, I especially noticed the leaves because Little Man was interested in picking up every one! So with the colder temperatures, doesn't a pot of chili sound perfect? That's what I've got cooking on the stove right now. Can't wait to eat it! Yum!
The only bummer is that Dale won't be here to join us for this, one of his favorite meals. He's out of town for the 3rd weekend in a row, but Father willing, this will be the last one for a good long while!
This weekend has not been without its highlights. Little Man and I went to see the National Day fireworks in the sailing center on Friday night. On Saturday, I hired Matt to paint our master bedroom. As you can see from the pictures, Andrew helped for a bit as well! The finished product is wonderful!
It's about time to take the chili off the stove and enjoy, so I'd better close for now.
Overdue Update!
Kudos to those people who are regular, daily bloggers because I cannot seem to get an update in even once a month! Every Sunday afternoon, I intend to write something and post pictures, but I always seem to run out of time. Then by the time I finally do have the time to write, it's been so long since my last update that I can hardly remember everything to write!
You should be able to see an "Overdue Update" photo album that I just posted. Disclaimer: I am no longer able to see pictures on my Shutterfly site (it's being partially blocked, I guess), so I'm hoping that they're turning up correctly on your end!!
Anyway, in the photo album you can see lots of activities that we did during our summer vacation...played in the fountains at the shopping center nearby, went to the beach, saw Toy Story 3 (of course!) and even attended a cultural event called PiChaiYuan (there was a Beijing Opera performance and lots of cultural food, much of which I was too scared to try!).
Also, we were able to join a 4th of July bbq in the park with many other expats (foreigners) like us...even some who weren't from America but wanted to join the fun nonetheless! We had two people who just happened to be in the park when the party started. The lady was American and saw the American flag being put up. She came over with her friend and celebrated with us! There was so much good ole' 4th of July food, even deviled eggs and potato salad...and more watermelon than you can shake a stick at! Dale was the grill master and cooked up some amazing burgers and dogs! One of the families brought a wagon and arranged for a parade of the kids. It was adorable...you can see a picture of several of them piled into the wagon!
It's hard to believe, but my birthday took place over a month ago! So many people helped to make my day very special...in fact, I had plans for every meal of the day! Three friends took me out for coffee at Starbucks in the morning, then my good friend took me out for birthday lunch at a new-to-me Thai food restaurant, and Dale took me out to a delicious new-to-us Italian restaurant. (They greeted us at the door with, "Bona sera!" which made it feel so authentic!!) Oh man, the food we got was so yummy...possibly the best bruschetta I've ever tasted. Anyway, I digress. Then after supper, we returned to Auntie LaLa's. She had prepared b'day dessert, and everybody had purchased gifts...30 Gerber Daisies (my favorite flower) from Dale, shoes from Rick & Sue, new jammies from Lisa (for the love of the jammie fetish she and I share), lotions from Auntie Ange, and tater tots from Matt! It was a wonderful day! Oh, and I almost forgot to tell about the most creative gift of all...30 Dr. Peppers, presented in the shape of a "30," from my friend Tien. (For those of you who don't know, Dr. Pepper is rare here, so if you can find it, it will cost you nearly $2 per can. So this is only something I have as a special treat.) We found Dr. Pepper on the Chinese eBay (Taobao) for about half the price, and she sneakily purchased 30 of them for me!
We are settling into a routine now that school has been in session for a month, though I feel we've been quite busy. (I hope the busyness is not the routine!) All except Matt have been sick already this year. Andrew missed 3 days of school one week because he was running a fever (it only seemed to bother him on the 1st day though!). I caught a cold last Sunday, and my voice is only now returning to normal, even though I've felt fine for many days!
This week, Dale and Matt are gone to a retreat called Vida. We've been very busy while they've been gone, trying to pass the time! On Saturday, we went to the beach first thing in the morning...it was such a gorgeous day, and we had the beach all to ourselves. We were there for an hour and a half, busy climbing rocks, playing in the sand, and throwing rocks in the water! It turned out to be my favorite part of the day. When we returned, we cleaned up quickly, then went out to lunch with two other husband-less Moms! We even had a special treat of ice cream afterwards.
It was kind of late in the afternoon by the time we got home, so I decided to have Andrew skip his nap (having an earlier bedtime is the payoff!). We watched Finding Nemo instead...and yes, I did take the opportunity to fall asleep for a bit! After the movie, we went to the park. Some friends happened to be there, so Andrew had a good time playing Prince & Princess with them in their make-believe castle! From there, we came home only briefly and then left for supper with Auntie LaLa and a few others. Andrew was so tired that he was practically silent. He just zoned for a lot of the meal! One of the ladies said, "This is the quietest I've ever seen this boy!"
By the time we got home and got ready for bed, it was 8 o'clock...not the early bed time I had hoped for, but he fell asleep very quickly!!
This morning, we woke up early because we had signed up to be a part of a surprise greeting at the retreat which Dale & Matt are attending. We were to be at the front gate of our apartment complex at 6:00a! I think the early wake-up time caused Andrew to be excessively shy, even toward Daddy! We surprised the kids by bursting into their meeting room singing, "This Is the Day" and handing out carnations. Andrew followed me around, hiding behind my leg, probably thinking we were nuts! (Maybe he's right!)
The rest of the month promises even more activity as Dale will head to middle school Fall Camp this week, then a Teacher's Conference on the next weekend. We have October holiday coming up (the Teacher's Conference falls on the first part of that), and then the all-staff retreat will take place at the end of the holiday. I'm sure the vacation will be warmly welcomed!
Until next time...which probably will be a month from now, right?! :)
What do you want to be when you grow up?
When we were doing our bedtime routine with Andrew this last week, Dale asked Andrew, "When you are big like Daddy and Mommy, what do you want to be?" Andrew said, "I wanna be..." paused as he thought, then finished, "...like Jesus!" As parents, we couldn't ask for anything more! So sweet!
School days & birth day
School began on Thursday. Andrew had been so excited, so I was not too surprised when he woke up at 5:30 on Thursday morning! He crawled into bed with me and asked, "Is today the day I go to school?!" I said, "Yes!" He smiled and tensed up his arms and hands in excitement. Then he started kicking his feet and said, "I'm so excited to go to school!!"
I could hardly keep him home until it was time to walk to the bus stop at 7:05a. He wanted to leave immediately and was nearly in tears when I told him, "Not yet!"
So Matt, Andrew and I walked out the door around 7:05a, and right away, I could see there was a storm moving in. The clouds were moving quickly, and you could hear thunder rumbling in the distance. About 5-7 minutes away from the bus stop, Matt said, "I hope it doesn't just start pouring," and within about 10 seconds, his worst fear came true. Thankfully, I had an umbrella that kept Andrew and I fairly dry, but Matt was forced to run from one tree to another, trying to keep as dry as possible.
Fortunately, the bus was already waiting at our stop and they hopped on right away. It was disappointing...I had kind of imagined what it would be like to say bye to Andrew on his first day. Throwing him onto the dry safety of the bus and waiting underneath an umbrella was not what I had pictured!
I was much more sad about Andrew's leaving for school than I thought I would be. I thought I would rejoice at all my time alone, but instead I was bummed to come home to an empty house! As the bus rolled away, my eyes started to well up with tears. My little guy...off to pre-k!
I couldn't wait for him to get home to pepper him with questions! Thankfully, he was in the mood to share. He had a wonderful time...told me about the songs they sang and the rules of the classroom and the toys he played with and the kids in his class. When I asked him if he wanted to go again the next day, he was so excited! I think it was hard for him to accept the fact this weekend that he wouldn't go back to school for two days!
Lisa told Dale that the elementary school sang "Happy Birthday" to Andrew on the stage during their opening assembly. She said his shirt was definitely tucked into his underwear (a bad habit after using the restroom that we've been trying to help him fix), which made us laugh heartily!
Andrew's second day of school was his 4th birthday, so he was very excited to have a party in his class. Several of the students and his teachers brought him gifts, and Dale, Lisa, and I were all able to be there for part of the celebration. He was hamming it up, really enjoying being the birthday boy! His teacher prepared a game for them to play, and she also encouraged us to bring in pictures of him when he was a baby. We brought in our Shutterfly books that Gramma Sue has made him through the years, and he loved pointing out all the pictures. He kept saying, "This is me when I was so tiny!" I had the privilege of making my first school treat as well...cupcakes, complete with home made frosting (yet another opportunity to pioneer!).
Then on Friday night, Auntie LaLa and Auntie Ange came over for birthday supper...a combination of mac and cheese and hot dogs and then the food that Ayi prepared (including Andrew's favorite...sweet chicken). He opened his presents, and then several of his close friends came over to enjoy dessert...Chocolate Oat Squares and ice cream! Lisa bought him a towel that fits over his head and makes him look like Woody from Toy Story. He wore it all night and even led his party guests in singing another round of "Happy Birthday," but this time to Woody!
At one point, he asked everybody to say, "Ooooooh," when he pulled out a gift, so we all did and he seemed satisfied!
It was a great birthday! Thanks to all who played a part in making it special!
I'm sure next week I will have even more stories to share of his adventures at school! Until next time then...
Where did July go?
It is amazing how quickly July went by this summer. We were busy with language study for most of it and celebrated our 6th anniversary, but it just flew! I plan to post some pictures to the Picture page to show some of what we did during this month.
I also wanted to let you know that our family has grown...we are the new "parents" of a 16 year old! Actually, we're really not his parents, but he will be staying with us and attending the school where Dale works for this semester. His sister works at the school as well and asked in the spring if we would be willing to host him. He has fit in very well, and Andrew is greatly enjoying having a "big brother"!
Speaking of school...the teachers are gradually working more and more at school, preparing for the beginning of the semester, which begins on August 12th. And for those of you who don't yet know, Andrew will be going off to school for the first time this year. However, he will often correct people when they ask if he's going to school and say, "No, not school...Pre-K!" He is really excited to begin and thought it was really cool when he found out he would ride the bus without Daddy & Mommy! So every day from 8-12p, this house is going to be pretty quiet.
And finally, in other family news, we are officially beginning the adoption process! This is something we have had the heart to do for a long time, but I have been dragging my feet hoping that we would have more birth children. We have since become convinced that now is the time to bring a child into our family through another means. We are looking at China adoption, but we have yet to select an agency. This step alone requires quite a bit of research, and then you have to throw in that the agency must be willing to work with us while we live overseas which does narrow them down a bit.
When we asked Andrew if he would like a little brother or sister, he said a little sister! We'll see what the Father does! Please be "thinking" about us as we move forward.
Lots of things going on right now, aren't there?! Thank you for your continued pr'yers! Until next time...
"Women zhi hui shuo yi dianr Zhongwen..."
Which means, "We only know how to speak a little Chinese." Yes, even after 3 weeks of intense language study (two hours per day and typically some homework in the afternoon), I think we can boldly say, "We only know how to speak a little Chinese." And I (Jenni) have greatly enjoyed our language study and the fast pace until this last week when I started to feel the same way water-logged dirt must feel. I felt like the words and concepts I was learning had nowhere to go but to run off due to so much being crammed in over the last few weeks. I realized today that these words need an opportunity to "soak" and probably the best way to get them to soak would be to get out there and practice.
Dale has enjoyed his language study as well and also feels the desire to put what he has learned into practice before the craziness of the school year begins and he puts all of this on the back burner.
This weekend has been wonderfully relaxing. Dale and I took the opportunity to celebrate our anniversary one week early on Friday night so our beloved Auntie LaLa (Dale's sister Lisa) could watch Andrew for us. We watched The Blind Side for the first time on Friday night and greatly enjoyed it. Then we slept in until 8:30 on Saturday morning. Funny how 8:30 has become "sleeping in" when I used to sleep in until past 10 in high school and college.
We've felt so blessed to have this extended vacation and rest time. I've already started to think ahead to when we won't have Dale with us 24/7, but then I try to live in the present and enjoy all the time we have with him!
The next big thing we're focusing our minds on is school...not just the beginning of school for Dale, but the beginning of school for Andrew!! We plan to send him to Pre-K at our school this year, which begins August 12th (the day before his 4th birthday!). He will attend for half of the day every day. He is already looking forward to it very much! He learned the other day that he would get to ride the bus to school every day, and he said, "Without you?!" with excitement in his voice. I think we've got a pretty independent little guy.
Well, Andrew has woken up from his nap and is now singing which means it's time for me to close. Until next time...
Pioneer Woman of the East strikes again!
For the past few months, I have done precious little pioneering. Instead, I've just been getting by with the easy, normal stuff. Lately, however, I've had the urge to try new things, and this week, I've been given the opportunity to do just that. The reason why is because the end of the year is bringing many needs for snacks, parties, etc.
Today's pioneering adventure was making my own sausage. Yeah...I bet you've probably never had to do that; I certainly hadn't. It was really easy though and tasted great. Just ground pork, sage, black pepper, brown sugar, & red pepper. I was making the sausage to put in a breakfast casserole for Dale's students tomorrow.
Dale's students from today will probably feel really gypped when they find out what tomorrow's students get because today's students only had cold cereal. However, one of Dale's co-workers couldn't believe we were giving cereal to his students because typically cereal is quite expensive here. (Dale told him that I've found the mother load of cheap cereal here, which is true. When this particular store carries the cheap cereal, I buy in bulk! This week, I came home with 7 boxes of cereal. I'm sure the local people who saw me were laughing at the "wai guo ren" (foreigner) since they usually only buy what they need for that day or so.)
In other news...the allergies are now striking me. My nose itches like crazy, and I've cleaned out a few tissue boxes. I'm not sure what is causing it...perhaps the freshly mowed grass in our apartment complex? I've always denied that I have allergies, as if by denying them, I don't have them. So Dale always teases me when I have a runny nose and says, "Maybe it's your allergies." Needless to say, he's reveling in teasing me right now! Today, I think I will actually admit that I have allergies...but only today!
Now I'm off to bed...I hope I can sleep in spite of my allergies! (Shh...don't tell Dale I said that!)
Great times
This week has been great...full of fun memories!
First, some funny stories about Andrew...
*We went shopping last week at a nearby market. I was ready to go home, so we started heading toward the door, but Andrew wanted to go inside an outrageous women's shoe store. I said, "No, I really want to go home," to which he started singing the song from Ni hao, Kailan: "Try it...try it...try it...and you might like it!"
*At breakfast one day, Andrew said, "You're kidding me!" and then told me to tell him, "You're kidding me!" So I did, and he said with great enthusiasm, "I'm tellin' the truth!"
This week was full of fun times...having a snowball fight with four cotton balls (I think this will become a yearly summer tradition), playing with playdoh, playing football out on the ocean walkway, shopping, a trip to McDonalds, a phone call with a friend in the US, etc. Yes, our week was absolutely full, but we feel full as well!
This week, we also booked our little trip to Beijing for a few days over vacation. Tickets were cheap, so it made sense for us to plan to go see the sights of Beijing, since we have yet to go there! We're excited!
And perhaps our biggest and most exciting news this week is that today we purchased a clothes dryer. Yes, we've been living without one since August, as most people here do. Up until now, it's been okay. However, with the warmer and more humid weather, our clothes were starting to smell because they're not drying fast enough. The solution is usually to buy a de-humidifier, but dryers are not much more expensive, so we figured...let's go with the dryer. It should be on its way to our house even as I write this! Wooohooo!! I'm thrilled!
This is all I can think of for now, but I plan to post some pictures! Enjoy!
Busy time...part 2!!
How lame that my first blog post in over a month needs to be titled the same thing as the last blog post! But it's so true...I don't know of any other way to put it!
Our lives have been full over the last month. We so greatly enjoyed our visit from Dad & Mom Budensiek. We traveled with them to Shanghai for a few packed days, and then enjoyed more time seeing the sights of our city for the rest of their visit. We did so many fun things. The best way to share with you is through pictures, so hopefully I can get those posted today as well!
Ever since Chinese New Year, our weekly schedules have been quite full. I (Jenni) have two activities every Monday, an activity every Tuesday afternoon, and language lesson every Friday. For about two months, Dale was having an activity every other Thursday evening on top of his normal work responsibilities. We typically would go out for a date every Wednesday. That left Saturday & Sunday with nothing on the schedule.
For some people, this may seem like a relatively manageable calendar, but for me, this is TERRIBLE! I do not like the kind of life where there is consistently something on the calendar nearly every day, week in and week out. It makes me crazy! I feel way too busy, and many days, my energy level is at a very low level. Something's gotta give! But what?!
Thankfully, summer vacation is nearly upon us, and I am looking forward to the the slowing down of some of our weekly activities, though in the later part of June, my Friday language lesson will be replaced by two hours of language lesson every day!!! However, I am excited to have a more consistent saturation in the language because so often I feel so behind with being able to communicate here.
Now, despite our being very busy, we have been able to share many fun and special times as a family and with friends. I think spring has officially come, and with the warmer weather, we have been able to do much more outside. It has been wonderful! I've even broken out my beloved flip-flops a few times. (My one pair of brown flip-flops are practically the only shoes I've worn in the last few summers!)
To keep this relatively short, here is a list of some of the things we've been up to lately...
* Andrew's Big Boy Party! That's right...Andrew is officially fully potty trained, even at night.
It's all underwear, all the time! WOOOOHOOOO!!! And to celebrate, we invited several
friends to meet us at McDonalds for an ice cream party. Not only was it special to celebrate
Andrew's becoming a big boy, it was also a treat because the new McDonalds has a McFlurry
machine. ("Yes, we would like 6 McFlurries, and two hot fudge sundaes. Thank you.")
* New fun play areas. We live right by the Olympic Sailing Center, and within the sailing
center, two large, ritzy shopping areas just opened up within the last month. Of special
interest to us is the new kids' play area in the basement of one of the shopping
areas...within just a 10 minute walk of our apartment complex! Picture a McDonald's tunnel
area mixed with some Chuck E. Cheese, some trampolines, and some air guns and you've got
the idea of this play area...all for about $2-$4 US per visit! Loving it!
* Also, with the grand opening of one of these shopping malls, one of the toy stores sponsored
a bouncy blow-up games area outside the mall. For about $3 US, Andrew could run and
jump as much as he wanted. I thought, "This is cheap entertainment and a great way to
get out energy," so we went two days in a row!
* Seeing the Middle School Drama Production...one act plays each of Robin Hood and Beauty
and the Beast. Great fun!
* Spring Trip - The day after Mom Budensiek returned to America, Dale left for 5 days on the
annual spring trip (each grade takes a trip to different locations around the country). He
went with the 7th graders. On their agenda was Taishan (Confucius' mountain...they
climbed half of the mountain, all of which was stairs, but Dale said the view was well worth
it). They also visited Confucius' home town and Weifang, the Kite City (and also where Eric
Liddell worked).
So, can you see why I said this needed to be called "Busy time"?!
I'll try to post pictures and even some videos to help you capture some of our recent events! Until next time...
Busy time
Every weekend in March, there is something on the calendar! The first weekend was our Ladies Retreat. The second weekend was a Cinderella play that many from our school participated in. This upcoming weekend is a conference that Dale is involved in, and the next weekend is the arrival of Dad & Mom Budensiek. In preparation for their arrival, I have been inspired to finally do many of the things I've been wanting to do to the house. This weekend, while Dale is gone, I plan to paint the living room and dining room with Lisa's help. I already bought some beautiful throw pillows that are going to tie the color scheme altogether. Can't wait to see the finished product! I'll be sure to post pictures of our "new" home!
Ask, and you shall receive
Heidi, you asked for the recipe for the Crescent Chicken Squares (or whatever creative name you want to give them), so here you go!
Ingredients:
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
3 T. butter (melted & divided)
2 c. chopped cooked chicken
2 T. milk
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 8 oz. package refrigerated crescent rolls
1/2 c. seasoned croutons, crushed
Instructions:
Combine cream cheese & 2 T. butter. Stir in chicken & mix in the next 3 ingredients. Set aside.
Unroll crescent rolls & separate into 4 rectangles. Press perforation to seal. Spoon 1/4 chicken mixture into center of each rectangle, then bring corners of each rectangle together over mixture, sealing all the gaps. Turn upside down (so all the seals are on the bottom...it looks prettier this way!). Brush squares with remaining melted butter; sprinkle with crushed croutons and place on ungreased baking sheet. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Yield: 4.
Enjoy!
New Pictures!
Check out all the new pictures on the Pictures page. You can see what we've been up to since Christmas!
Dare I hope?
Dare I hope that the end of potty training may be in sight? I do have this nagging caution in the back of my mind saying, "He's not all the way there yet," but the last two days have been SO encouraging.
First of all, let me say that Andrew is proficient at going potty in the toilet, whether he has underwear on, a pull-up on, or nothing on (which was our preferred way of potty training!). Hooray! Up until two days ago, however, Number 2 seemed like it would never come. But joy of all joys, he is finally starting to get it! Yes, two days ago, he kept saying, "I feel that feeling," and would run to the toilet. However, again, after moments of sitting there, the feeling would be gone, and he would resume his playing. But finally after about 4 or 5 trips there, it finally was time!
He has now gone four times in the last two days! I think three of those times have been total successes, with his initiation and everything. Woohooo!
Is the end of potty training in sight? I sure hope so!
Dale's First Blog
Okay, so this is my first blog for two reasons. One, I am learning how to be a teacher, live in a new country, and try to maintain relationships with friends and family overseas, and now friends and family here in China.
The second reason is that writing has never been my forte. It took me forever to accomplish any composition papers in high school and college. In fact, after I finish my first go around, I will send it to Jenn for further review (a.k.a. Jenn changes many grammatical and spelling mistakes).
Without further explanation, my blog...
We have been really working with Andrew on speaking kindly to others here lately, and part of that includes listening. So when Jenn is talking to Andrew and he starts beat-boxing she says something to the effect of, "Andrew, you're not listening to me."
So the other day Andrew and I were sitting together in front of the computer. I started to sing a song that Andrew normally beat-boxes to, when he politely said, "No please, Daddy." He did a great job at speaking politely. Way to go!
Well, sometimes Daddy doesn't practice self-control too well, and a couple seconds later starts in on the same beat-boxing tune. Andrew cups my face with his hands and politely says something like, "Daddy, obviously you are not listening to me." It made me laugh, and I hope it brings a smile to your face as well.
Andrew's first slumber party
Auntie LaLa volunteered to keep Andrew overnight for us sometime, and Dale was quick to accept the offer! (He takes such good care of his wife!)
So we packed up his Thomas the Train backpack with all he needed and dropped him off. He was very excited. Apparently, the fireworks were really loud on Lisa's end of the apartment complex last night, so he was having some difficulty drifting off to sleep. So Lisa's roommate finally suggested that they put his mattress on the floor in the living room and all have one big slumber party. He had a great time, and it was so nice for Daddy & Mommy to be able to sleep in a little this morning! Thanks, Auntie LaLa!
Andrew'isms
As I have shared before, Andrew has his own special words that he creates. Sometimes, they're completely off the wall (like, "sliggity slaggity"), yet other times they are twists of words that already exist. Here are some of our recent favorites:
"Swoop," or if in the process of doing so, "swooping." This is what Andrew calls what most of us know as sweeping! "Look, Mom! I'm swooping!"
"Slickery," as in, "It is really slickery out here" (ie. Andrew's term for slippery).
The other day, I had a revelation about Andrew's creative words. Rather than correct him, more often than not, we actually adopt them into our vocabulary too! "Hanitizer" is perhaps the best example of a word that has pervaded our language! It comes more naturally for me now than the drawn out hand sanitizer!
Perhaps you find that you are adopting Andrew'isms into your own language as well? It's catching, isn't it?
"I Can't Fight This Feeling Anymore"
The Play: Potty Training
The Act: Part 2
The Scene: Mommy, knowing how tiring potty training was in Part 1, enlists the help of Daddy who is home for two weeks straight.
If I could give Dale a special name for his role in potty training, I would say "The Enforcer." He has been the main potty trainer on this second round, and he is obviously doing a great job as Andrew has begun recognizing his need to go and is getting to the right place in time! However, up until yesterday, I was dismayed at how the training for Number 2 was not coming along at the same pace at all.
But yesterday...sweet yesterday...he, despite having a temperature, once or twice got "a feeling" (as he said) that he needed to go Number 2 and went to sit on the toilet. However, as soon as he would sit down, the feeling would be gone, and he'd get down. I was just so thankful that he was getting the idea!
Then today during supper, he kept saying, "I have the feeling!" (or something to that effect) Probably 4 or 5 times he went to the toilet, remaining for only a moment, then went back to what he was doing. It had me laughing pretty hard because as soon as he would get back to what he was doing, the feeling would be back, and he would report yet again, "I have the feeling," and go back to the bathroom. Finally, "The Enforcer" went to sit with him in the bathroom and do some coaching...aka. bribery! (We had told him that if he would go Number 2 on the toilet, Mommy would make chocolate chip cookies!)
So, as the old REO Speedwagon song says, he couldn't fight the feeling anymore, and he finally went Number 2 on the toilet...not once, but twice! Wooohooooo!!! I finally feel like there is light at the end of this tunnel!
By the way, the chocolate chip cookies were delicious!
Fireworks...
Right now, as I write this entry, I am sitting in the dark in our guest bedroom with the curtains open so I can see outside whenever the fireworks start shooting. There were several displays before I sat down, but since I've been sitting here, there have been...none.
I love fireworks! My parents and I were discussing the other day how it is in my blood since my Dad also loves fireworks. So living here in China is like a dreamland for me! I can't wait until New Years Eve & New Years Day when, supposedly, the masses will be out shooting off fireworks! I'll try to keep you posted.
Let the fireworks begin...
We have heard how much the Chinese people love their fireworks over the Chinese New Year, that they set off big fireworks right in between the apartment buildings, late into the night, and so on. And last night, we heard with our own ears! At about 1:30, Dale & I were awoken to a succession of firecrackers followed by loud booms. These were no little fireworks...they were the big ones like you would see at a city fireworks display, and it looked like they were being shot off in between the next row of our apartment complex!
Thankfully, they did not wake Andrew, and they only lasted for less than 10 minutes. I think it will only get longer, more frequent, and louder from here on out though! The crazy part is the actual Chinese New Year is not until February 14th! I guess we are in this for the long haul! We said we wanted to be able to experience Chinese New Year at least once, so experience it we will!
Small Victories
First of all, let me say that I'm sorry for being such an absent blogger since the Christmas vacation. I've gone from vacation to vacation. Most of you might be thinking, "Vacation to vacation? What does that mean?" Well, today was the last day of school for Dale before a two-week vacation because the people of China are getting ready to celebrate their most important holiday...Chinese New Year. The actual new year (which is the first day of the first month according to the lunar calendar) is February 14th. Families and family friends will celebrate at various times throughout the next two-three weeks.
The title of this entry is "Small Victories" because we've had some of these in our language learning in the last few weeks. At first, when I returned from the States, I felt like I had forgotten even the basics like, "Please," but as I spent more time here, it began coming back. Perhaps what I'm most thankful for is that I am actually starting to be able to understand some of what people are saying...and in some cases, be able to answer back! [This is a direct answer to one of the requests that I mentioned in our newsletter in December, so thank you to all who have been thinking about that! Please keep it up!]
My small victory that is especially on my mind is that I ordered pizza in Chinese for the first time tonight! Prior to this, we had always had Lisa or a friend order for us. Celebrate!
Dale's small victory is that he can now count up to 999 in Chinese! Until learning a new language, we had taken for granted how easy it is to rattle off numbers in English!
Andrew's small victory is becoming more interested in learning Chinese words...and more comfortable in speaking them. Today, he actually admitted that he was going poopy in his pull-up (which tells you where we are at with potty training...haha), to which I said, "I know," because he was down on all fours...his typical stance for this activity. He started to run to our helper, and then turned back to me and said, "How do you say 'poopy' in Chinese?!" Thankfully, I didn't know, or I'm quite sure he would have informed Ayi that he was going poopy!
There have been some funny mistakes along the way, of course. The other day, I had a headache and wanted to lay down to rest. I wanted to tell our helper, so I thought ahead about what I wanted to say. It wasn't until later that evening when I was studying some language that I realized I had said, "I want a headache," rather than, "I have a headache!" The words for have (pronounced "yo") and want (pronounced "yao") can be very confusing! Gracious woman that she is, she didn't even crack a smile!
With the next two weeks of vacation, I will try to be more faithful to write for all you loyal "listeners" out there! I will try to post some pictures of our travels in America as well!
Until then...
Safe in Colorado...
After four airplanes over about 36 hours, we made it safely to Colorado! Thank you to all who prayed for us! Andrew was so excited and was such a trooper, despite not getting very much sleep from Friday morning on through the trip!
Right now, it's 4 in the morning. I laid down last night at around midnight, fell right asleep, then woke up wide awake. I thought, "Surely I slept for a while." I was dismayed to look at the clock and find out I had only slept an hour! haha
Thankfully, however, Andrew is still asleep. Last night, I had told him that he had 5 minutes before it was time to go to bed. A little later, I started looking for him and found him chillin' on his bed. Apparently, he was ready! He didn't need the time warning last night!
So then I laid in bed with him for a little bit, and shortly after, Dale came in to pray with us. Dale said a short prayer, and at the end of the prayer, Andrew was already fast asleep!
Our plan is to catch up with many of you at Greeley Wesleyan tomorrow between services and after 2nd service. Hope to see you there!
Funny Andrew sayings...
Today, Andrew tried a deviled egg for the first time. At first, he was only licking the yellow part and was really enjoying it. I said, "You should try the white part too." So he tried it and said, "The white part makes me super happy!" at which I laughed pretty hard. This phrase "makes me super happy" is from a new show we started watching called "Nihao, Kailan," but even though it wasn't original to him, it still cracked me up!
But that's not all...after I laughed, he said, "It's a Christmas miracle," which is a favorite Budensiek saying that I taught him to make Daddy & Auntie LaLa laugh. Well, apparently it works to make Mommy laugh too! What a character!
Thanksgiving, China style
Happy Thanksgiving...late! Thanksgiving Day came and went several days ago, but we were not able to celebrate until today. Other people from our staff that live in our apartment complex (about 30 of us that came) got together this afternoon for our Thanksgiving celebration. One family provided the turkey, and each person and family brought all the typical Thanksgiving sides.
I took mashed sweet potatoes. I signed up for that quickly because I had seen a recipe for them on the Pioneer Woman website that I wanted to try. They turned out wonderfully, thanks to all the sugar! I also made the infamous crescent rolls. Last night, as I finished rolling them up, I thought, "That went much better than last time." I should have known it was going too well!
I planned to start baking the rolls this afternoon around 2:45 in order to get them done in time for the party at 3:30. I got back from the grocery store at 2:30 and immediately started getting the oven going. Then all of a sudden it dawned on me...I hadn't made enough crescent rolls. The recipe says to cut 16 crescent rolls out of each of the 4 sections I make from the dough. I had only cut 8 from each section. When I only cut 8, that meant there were only 32 rolls which would be only about 1 roll per person. I LOVE crescent rolls and would hardly ever just want 1, so I figured everybody else would be the same too! So I quickly started unrolling the crescents, cutting them all in half, then rolling them all back up. Not only did this take time, it also meant I would have more batches to cook, which would take more time as well!
So the first batch of three came out around 3:15. I stuck in another baking sheet then packed up the other batch to bake at the party. Dale woke Andrew up from his nap, and after we finally got everything ready, we got to the party at 4! They told us we had great timing...they had just blessed the food. Yay!
After dinner, we played two rounds of Catch Phrase. I'm sure that if the neighbors above us were home, they were not liking us very much...we were SO loud. In fact, at one time, Andrew came out from where the kids were watching a movie and yelled, "BE QUIET!!!!"
What a memorable first "Chinese" Thanksgiving! However, I don't think I'll sign up to bring crescent rolls again next year!
Potty training update
It's been awhile since I last updated you all on Andrew's potty training...maybe that is because it is not so new anymore, so not as exciting!
Andrew continues to do well going potty on the toilet, but still not much success with Number 2. He did have one victory with that this week and was able to play with his special toys in the living room for a whole hour! I had specifically prayed that God would give him a success so that he could see how cool the reward was! PTL!
I know he's moving in the right direction because if he goes in his pull-up now, he often will ask for a clean pull-up. That means he doesn't like the feeling of sitting in it, which is something he's never experienced before. Boys!
Can't wait for the day when he can go pull-up free, even though right now it seems like it will never come. I read online somewhere that one day I'll look back at this and not really even remember when he finally made the switch.
Here's hoping! :)
Andrew'ism
Andrew calls Hand Sanitizer, "Hanitizer." I've caught myself almost saying it a few times myself!
Toilet Training woes...
Let me begin by saying...to all the parents out there who either
had to use cloth diapers or, for some strange reason,
chose to use cloth diapers when the disposable was available...you deserve a major pat on the back.
The other day, Andrew went Number 2 in his underwear three times! You might think, "That's pretty bad." How about when I tell you this was all before lunch? Not a good morning for me. It did not help my situation as I was cleaning him up for the third time and got my finger in it. (Sorry if you didn't want those details...just want you to be able to really join with me in my experiences!)
After doing some reading online, I think I'm going back to pull-ups until he shows more interest in going Number 2 in the toilet. This will be much less stressful for me, and therefore, less stressful for him.
I had also planned on doing a sticker chart and telling him that I would buy a certain toy that he's been wanting if he got 10 stickers, but then I read about a different idea today that I think I'll try instead. This person suggested that I buy several fun new toys that are only for him to play with while he sits on the toilet and as a reward for an hour after he successfully goes. So here in a little bit, after Andrew wakes up from his nap, I think we're going to the store.
In case you're wondering, he is doing very well at going potty in the toilet. We still have to tell him to go sit there, but he'll get to the point where he knows when it's time to go eventually.
What is it about boys with their mothers?
The other day, Andrew was talking rudely to me. As I started to say, "You don't talk to me that way," Dale said, "Andrew, you do not talk to your Mother that way. When you mess with her, you mess with me. Do you want to mess with me?" Andrew said, matter-of-factly, "No, I want to mess with Mommy." I was in the kitchen trying to contain my laughter!
New addition to our blog...thanks Shutterfly!
Shutterfly added a new feature to their share sites today...a "What's New" page (see it there after the Video page?) that compiles all of the recent activity on the blog onto one convenient page. It shows what pictures have been added and what comments have been posted about the pictures. You still have to start here at the Home Page to read the journal entries though! This just makes your viewing experience a little more streamlined. Yay!
My day...
Today was busy...but fun. It began with a trip to Walmart with our friends. Andrew & I were on the hunt for a bookshelf and lamp for his room. Why a bookshelf & lamp, you ask? There is actually a story behind this.
Andrew has really been struggling to obey and stay in his bed every night. We have battled with him sometimes an hour or more. Not only is this extremely frustrating, but it also means he is not getting to sleep until 9:00 or 9:30. So we have considered cutting back his nap (on the inside I'm screaming, "NOOOOO!" because his nap time is my most productive time of day) so he's actually tired.
My best friend, Mair (as I call her...that's not a typo) gave me some great advice...instead of cutting back on his amount of nap, put him down for his nap earlier. She also suggested that we put a lamp by his bed and allow him to read a few books at bedtime but make it clear that he must not get out of bed. I thought that was a great idea. However, this meant we needed to do some rearranging in his room, which I had already wanted to do, but this put it up on top of the priority list.
So off to Walmart we went.
Unfortunately, we only came back with the bookshelf but no lamp because the two remaining lamps of the style he & I liked were both broken in the box...not a good sign for the durability of the lamp, especially for a kid's room! But the bookshelf is adorable and is now filled with books by his bed. Now we'll just have to go shopping for a lamp. Maybe tomorrow after we play at the play area in the nearby department store.
Tonight, we went out on a double date with a couple who has lived here for 13 years. They met here and have spent their entire married lives here. They introduced us to a new restaurant with very yummy food, then we went to KFC for ice cream sundaes. It was a fun time!
When we went back to pick up Andrew from Auntie Lala's, he asked if he could take home a teddy bear from Lala's. Lala said sure and told him he needed to pick a name for the bear [Side note: We've had fun in the last few weeks naming all of his stuffed animals. He has Davis, Mavis, Monty (which for a short while became Nigen, but then he told me yesterday, "He's not Nigen anymore...he's Monty again."), Salomon (a brown doggy just like our beloved labrador), Garrett, and Eegore.] I suggested "Sliggity Slaggity," which is a phrase that Andrew made-up and has stuck with Dale, Lisa, & I. But he said, "No, Lid." So the bear's name is Lid.
Now it's time for slumber, so I have got to stop my writing, even though all these stories are coming to my mind! Perhaps I'll share them another time!
Now for my funny story
Funny story...
So we live in an apartment building here in China. No shock there...almost everybody lives in an apartment building in China! But it has been a bit of an adjustment for Andrew to learn things like the fact that other people live in the same building as us but not the same 'house' as us.
One thing that has been a novelty about living in an apartment building is using the elevator. Now, we only live on the second floor, so we really only use it if we have a lot of stuff in our hands or if we're using the stroller. But Andrew has gotten quite used to using elevators. I didn't realize until a few weeks ago just how used to them he had gotten.
We were walking out the door to go somewhere. Andrew walked out ahead of me. I didn't get out the door right away, but I heard the elevator ding as the doors opened on our floor. When I got the door shut, I said, "Andrew?" And from within the elevator I heard him say, "What?" I went to push the down button because I thought he wouldn't know what to do once the doors were shut. Wrong...he had already pushed "1" and was on his way downstairs. haha
[To any who are concerned...I'm not letting Andrew play with the elevators! I know how dangerous those elevator doors could be.]
Pioneering in the East...& Potty Training in the East
The weather turned cold here today, and along with the cold came a ferocious, biting wind! Good thing I planned to make tomato soup tonight. Of course, I'm out of the Campbell's version that I brought with me from the States, so I made a homemade recipe. It was ok. I actually preferred Campbell's over this recipe, even though this recipe was not terribly hard to make. Maybe I just need a better recipe. No matter...it tasted fine as long as I was dipping my grilled cheese in it!
Over the last few weeks, I have gotten involved in a Zumba exercise class. Ever heard of it? It actually comes from the States. It is the perfect fit for me...I do not like exercising at all, but I really like to dance. Zumba is a combination of the two, done in a combination of music styles, namely salsa, Bollywood (aka. Indian), and hip hop...SO much fun. So I usually go on Tuesday nights, which means tonight was my night to go.
As I was getting ready to leave, Andrew had a major victory in his potty training...he felt the need to go potty, announced it, went to the toilet, and went! PTL! The only time he had been going over the last week was if I told him to sit on the toilet...he's mastered that. This is a HUGE step forward. We're very proud!
Potty Training Update...and more
So I've lost count on which day we're on with Potty Training...it's almost been two weeks. Andrew really knows how to make the potty come out on the toilet, but that's only when we make him sit there. Otherwise, if he has to go, he just goes in his underwear rather than going to the toilet. Please be thinking about him...that he would understand that he needs to go to the toilet by himself!
It has been another restful weekend. It is so nice to have Dale here on the weekend. He really gives me a chance to relax by being the main one to take care of Andrew. He even made me breakfast in bed two Sunday mornings in a row...just because! I feel so blessed!
This weekend seems like it has gone by so fast, and I am disappointed that it is almost over. We were able to see our new nephew on Skype on Saturday...what a cutie! Andrew was very excited to talk to him. He said, "Baby Kai, can you talk?" So Bryon obliged by talking as though he was Kai! It seemed to satisfy Andrew!
Afterwards, we took a leisurely walk along the ocean to The Diner (this is the same restaurant where we at for Dale's birthday). On Saturdays, they serve American breakfast until 3:00p. We arrived around 11:30p, and we enjoyed a very yummy breakfast...except for Andrew who enjoyed a yummy cheeseburger!
We parted ways after lunch so Dale could take Andrew home for a nap while I did some shopping (clothes & groceries). I bought long underwear for us all since the cold is going to come back for good one of these days. However, I had no idea what size to buy Andrew...they go by centimeters for height here. So I guessed...LOL...and I think he'll fit into his long underwear in about 2-3 years!
Today after our normal Sunday morning routine, we walked to our favorite restaurant...the Muslim Noodle Place (as most in our community call it)...and did something there that we've never done...ate there all by ourselves and ordered all by ourselves!
See, this restaurant is a little different from a lot of other places we go...the main menu does not have pictures for us to point to and say, "One of these," in Chinese. It's all written in Chinese characters. So we have always needed somebody with us to help us order. Last time we went, we had a friend write down in Chinese the things we like to order with the English written next to it so we could order by ourselves if need be. It all went well, and we got everything we wanted! We were even able to say that we wanted to take the leftovers to go, and we shared them with our sick sister!
[Funny thing...the Chinese put a lot of things in bags here. You can see people buy beer in a bag. After you pick out your eggs, you put them in a bag (yes, I've made it home with several broken eggs). And when we asked to take our soup to go, they put it in a bag as well. Not good or bad...just different!]
Now I believe we're getting ready to close off our weekend with a stroll beside the ocean. The weather has been fairly warm these last few days after a cold spell (even some snow that didn't stick) last week. Dale thought we'd better take advantage of these warm days as much as possible.
Until next time...
Potty Training - Day 4 through Day 7
Saturday (Day 4) was a great day of successes for Andrew, including his first, second, and third times of potty actually going into the toilet rather than on the floor and a few more successful Number 2's! Yay, Andrew!
However, we attempted putting him in Big Boy Underwear on Sunday & Monday and realized he is having a hard time knowing that those are not like diapers or pull-ups.
After cleaning up a wet mess and a poopy mess in his underwear on Monday, I was completely discouraged. It seemed like we were back at square one. So I decided to go back to him wearing nothing on bottom until he really got the hang of it all. He still had a few accidents, as though he had no idea what he was doing...wasn't even running to the bathroom. I was nearly in tears several times!
But then after supper on Monday, he successfully went potty on the toilet again and earned himself a popsicle for it being the 4th time he went in the toilet! He has continued going potty on the toilet this morning (Tuesday)! PTL!
Sue said you just have bad days during potty training, and I told her that I didn't want to have any of those days! Thankfully, the Father lifted my spirits with the successes last night and this morning. He knows just what I need! :)
Potty Training - Day 3
Wahoo! Thank you to all who lifted us up today! Andrew had a wonderful success today...he went poopy on the toilet! PTL!
As I had planned, I had Andrew running around all morning without a pull-up. He had one potty accident on the floor, but that's part of the learning. So I was making lunch and checking up on him occasionally to make sure he wasn't going potty or poopy somewhere. He had been running back and forth to the bathroom & sitting on the toilet for a little bit, so I suspected that he needed to go, but then he would hop back down and resume playing in another room.
One time when I went to check on him, he was sitting on the toilet. He said, "Would you shut the door please?" I shut the door and told him to tell me if he went. I went back to making lunch, and then a few minutes later I heard, "Mommy, I went!" I ran in, looked in the toilet and confirmed that he indeed had gone! Then the celebration began! I jumped up and down and cheered, as I had promised him I would do if he went on the toilet. Then he got 3 M&M's and put a sticker on his Poopy Chart (when he gets 4 stickers, he gets a Cars popsicle).
We began calling people to let them know of his success. When he was recounting how everything had happened to Papa & Gramma Budensiek, he explained that he burped and it came out! I laughed out loud when he said that! He also reenacted for them on Skype what I did when he said he went. "She ran in the door, looked in the potty <demonstrates how I looked in the potty, and then <clapping & cheering>!" Pretty cute!
He also ran to the toilet right before supper and actually sat down and let the potty come out! However, his anatomy was not pointed in the right direction and he still pottied on the floor, so we didn't count it as a huge success, but definitely moving in the right direction!
My best friend Mari gave me a suggestion for how to help the potty come out when he needs to go...something she learned while working in Labor & Delivery. Apparently, when you blow bubbles in water through a straw, it relaxes the right muscles, and it is very easy for the potty to come out. So we tried that tonight, and while he did not go potty (I think because he didn't have anything in there), he LOVED blowing the bubbles and didn't even want to stop! Thanks, Mair! We'll keep trying that.
I am feeling much better about Potty Training Day 4 now!
Potty training on hold for Daddy's big 3-0!!
Happy 30th Birthday to Dale! Yes, on this day 30 years ago, Momma Sue gladly welcomed Dale Andrew Budensiek into the world, even more so because he was several weeks overdue!
To make Daddy's day extra special, Andrew & I went to the school to eat lunch with him. We brought along McDonald's, and then Dale's homeroom Mom sent two cakes for Dale to share with his homeroom class, so Andrew & I were able to join the party. Dale said that he felt extra special as students had brought many gifts as well! And to top it all off, Dale's sister Lisa put signs up all over the hallways of Dale's head riding in a car. It read, "Happy Birthday, Mr. Budensiek," and, "Wow! Mr. Budensiek is 30 today! OLLEH!" (OLLEH is pronounced "O-lay," and is a very popular saying with our students.)
[Side Note]: Dale's students are wild about Andrew! When a group of girls saw him today, they screamed like they were seeing a movie star! A few even asked to take pictures of him! I hope it doesn't go to his head!
Tonight, we plan on going out on a date...don't know where to yet. Then we will have some delicious Mudd Pie (Dale's dessert of choice every birthday) at Lisa's when we pick up Andrew. So I guess I'd better go finish the Mudd Pie if I expect to eat it tonight, right?
Potty Training - Day 2
Small successes every day, yet still frustrating because after 1 1/2 days, he has still not gone to the bathroom on the toilet, even by accident, in spite of sitting there for a lot of time!
His success today was that I "happened to" (PTL!) leave his pull-up off, and what did I discover? He knows the feeling when he needs to go but wouldn't just let it out on the ground. He would run to the bathroom but then wouldn't (or didn't know how) to let it out in the toilet. He actually asked me to put his pull-up on, and I said no, knowing that I would miss this golden opportunity!
Well, he finally (after probably at least an hour of holding it) ran to the bathroom but didn't make it to the toilet. He went on the floor, but I was still proud of him for making it to the bathroom! At least he is heading in the right direction, right?
Right after his nap, we left to go to the school for some new staff training then out to supper, so potty training ended for the day. But when we start again, I plan on going no pull-up again.
In the meantime, does anybody have any advice on what to say or do to help him make the potty come out when he's actually there at the toilet? During that hour where he was holding it in, there was probably about 25 minutes where he was actually sitting on the toilet, but he didn't release it. I need some wisdom!
Potty Training - Day 1
Do I have to do this again tomorrow?! We began bright and early this morning with potty training, and ended the day with potty training. Some of you might be thinking, "Well, yeah...you thought you would be done in a day?!" Well, I had hoped so!! I believe wholeheartedly in the "Potty Training in a Day" method, but it apparently will not work for Andrew. He did not even go to the bathroom on the toilet by accident today, and not for lack of opportunity of sitting on the toilet! We watched movies while sitting on the toilet and read books...nothing.
Tomorrow is not looking very promising. Please be thinking about us!
Blast off for potty training...
Tomorrow is the big day...I talked it up big with Andrew today that we will begin potty training tomorrow. We've watched the potty time video, bought all the snacks, gone through the routine with his teddy bear Davis, and pulled out the training pants. Let's hope that he at least goes to the bathroom in the toilet even by accident tomorrow, which would be a step ahead of what he did when I tried 6 months ago! I'll try to keep you posted!
Andrew'ism
Andrew loves Veggie Tales and picks up a lot from the videos. Larry Boy, a super hero on one of the videos, will periodically say the following phrase emphatically: "I...am...that...HERO!" Andrew loves to say this phrase, but with an Andrew-twist: "I...am...that...ZERO!" My friend pointed out today that Andrew must be really humble! :)
Another week come and gone...
Time continues to fly by as another week has come to a close. This week brought celebration to the Budensiek family as Bryon (Dale's brother) and his wife Christy welcomed their first baby into their family, an adorable boy named Kai! We are anxious to meet him at Christmas when we plan on returning to the States for a visit!
Language lessons really left my head spinning this Friday. We have entered into the sounds that are not native to English, and it is hard to wrap my mind around them! I need to practice much more than I do, but a lot of times it gets pushed to the bottom of the to do pile! It's much more fun to play Mahjong on the computer for a few minutes than to tediously go over my Chinese. I would love, however, to spend 10 minutes a day on language learning. We'll see how that goes.
Dale had parent-teacher conferences on Thursday & Friday and actually really enjoyed them! He had expected the meetings to be more confrontational, not because he had issues to confront...just because that's what he thought. However, they turned out to be very encouraging, and he was delighted to see the hearts of the parents for their students.
On Saturday, Lisa and I returned to the shopping area to pick up the pillow covers we had made last week. Our trip across town was almost thwarted when we saw that the booth where we needed to go was closed up. Thankfully, the lady in the booth next to the one we needed knew us and was able to get the pillow covers! They are beautiful! You can see a picture of them on the pictures page.
So little by little, our master bedroom is becoming more and more homey. We have focused all of our attention on completing one room at a time, and the master bedroom was our first choice. I am getting excited about what we plan to do in the living room, though, as I was finally inspired with a color scheme that will compliment our blue-ish couches! Funny enough, my inspiration came from a tissue box!
Today was a typical Sunday with a twist...a picnic with other members of our fellowship. We went to McDonald's after fellowship, picked up our lunch, then rode the bus to the park. We had a fun time visiting with other people, and Andrew enjoyed playing football.
Now Andrew is awake from his nap, and it's about time to get something together for supper. I'm thinking that my Mom's typical Sunday night meal is a good idea right now...she called it YoYo night which stood for, "You're on Your own." Too bad Andrew doesn't really know how to get himself a healthy meal! Actually, Dale offered to make me a salad just now. Maybe he was peeking over my shoulder!
Until next time...
Andrew'ism
On Friday night, Andrew was singing the song "I Will Rise" by Chris Tomlin. Instead of saying, "No more sorrow," though, he said, "No more sour" which sent Auntie LaLa and I into hysterics.
Oddly enough, as I was typing this, Andrew started singing the song again and once again said "No more sour." He didn't even know I was writing this!
"Everybody's working for the weekend"
Ah...the weekend. It's a blessed time around here. Dale realized last week that Andrew & I actually see less of him than we did in Greeley. This is because he has to leave for work earlier and doesn't get to come home for lunch, things we apparently took for granted in the States! So we really look forward to the weekend. [For those of you who know Dale's fun personality, you might be able to hear him say at this point, "Some might even say everybody's working for the weekend."]
So this weekend has been extra special. Lisa took me to a shopping area to buy fabric to complete the pillows in our master bedroom. I got the silk fabric for 50 kuai ($7 US) and am getting the 2 pillow covers made for 20 kuai (almost $3 US). I love it!
Then, last night, I did some more pioneering. The other day, I bought some sweet potatoes. I love sweet potatoes...when Momma Sue makes them, I'd rather have an extra helping instead of dessert! So I thought, "I'll see if I can make some good ole' sweet potatoes myself." Well, I got inspired on Saturday morning to make hamburgers and sweet potato fries for supper that night. Hamburgers and french fries are a Saturday night tradition in the Maness family.
So I found a simple recipe online to make some baked sweet potato fries, and let me just say that the meal was amazing...and much faster to make than 6 hours! Ha! Something Andrew said will tell you just how good the meal was...When I ask Andrew how something tastes, even things he loves like mac 'n cheese and pizza, he says, "Pretty good." Last night, without even being asked, he said about the sweet potato fries, "These are so...good." I think he ate more of the fries than Dale!
Supper was so much fun. Andrew was in a particularly sweet mood. We had gotten into a habit last week of watching one Bill Cosby Show (on DVD) after every meal. At supper last night, Andrew said, "We say...'God, watch a Cosby?'" as though he was praying to find out if it was okay!
We sat there for at least an hour, and we just didn't want it to end. Unfortunately, it ended in a sad way. I put my feet on Andrew's chair and told him to push off on my feet thinking it would scoot his chair, but instead it made his chair tip. He fell backwards in the chair against the wall, breaking the chair and getting a nice-sized bump on his noggin' in the process. Needless to say, I felt like a complete doofus and won't be asking him to push off my feet in his chair anymore.
This afternoon, we ate with friends at one of our favorite restaurants...a noodle place. They have lamb skewers, noodles, and bread, and it is all SO tasty...and SO inexpensive. We have yet to eat something there that we didn't like.
Dale has a lot on his mind today as first-quarter grades are due tomorrow. He has much that still needs to be graded and then has to post the grades. Today is our day of rest, so he rested for several hours this afternoon in preparation of staying up late into the night tonight.
Ah...the weekend!
Pioneering in the East - Part III
With our schedule back to normal, I have been back to more pioneering, so I wanted to tell you about it all!
So there is a dish that I make in the States called Chicken Squares that has a cream cheese & chicken filling surrounded by a crescent roll pocket. It is so yummy and was one of our family favorites. In the States, I would just buy the crescent roll dough from the store. Simple. Here, if I want the meal, I have to make my own crescent rolls. No problem...there are plenty of recipes online. I settled on one that allows you to make 4 batches all at once then freeze whatever you don't use. I like this because I only have to pioneer once to get 4 times the goodness!
On Wednesday afternoon, I began preparing the crescent rolls to make the Chicken Squares for Thursday night's meal. We were having guests over, so we wanted it to be especially good. Well, I ran into a snag when I didn't have enough eggs. Thankfully, we have a little fresh market right by the main gate of our apartment complex, so as soon as Andrew woke up, we went to get some. I wasn't able to work on them again until after we put Andrew to bed, though.
So that evening, I finished working on the crescents, which included 8 minutes of kneading the dough. My muscles were crying out to me...STOP! But I kept pressing on..."It's for the Chicken Squares," I kept thinking. [You can see a picture of me with my kneaded dough on the Pictures page]
Finally, I set them out to rise at about 10p. When I realized that I didn't want to stay awake until 11:30 when they would be finished rising, according to the recipe, I searched online to find out if you can leave rising bread dough out overnight. Several sites recommended putting a damp towel over the bowl and placing it in the refrigerator. There was only one problem with this solution...ginormous bowl, not-so-ginormous refrigerator. So I just put the damp cloth over the bowl, covered it, and said a little prayer that it wouldn't ruin the dough.
When I checked on it in the morning, all was well...it was just about twice as large as it needed to be.
I won't bore you with all the details of what I had to do to make the crescent rolls, but I will say this...I figured up that when I finally got supper on the table, I had spent 6 hours preparing it. Around here, I've heard the phrase "ma fan" a lot, especially from other foreigners. It roughly means "trouble," and I have not attempted to use the phrase until now. I like pioneering and all, but 6 hours of pioneering for one meal...too much ma fan.
City Tour
Today we were able to go on a tour with other new staff to see some of the notable places in our city. Almost all of our time was spent in the German-influenced portion of the city, from the time when Germany had control of this city.
One of the most fascinating things we got to see was what used to be a Lutheran Church that was built by the Germans. Now it holds services as part of the Three Self Church. It was a beautiful building. You can see the pictures on the Pictures page.
We also got to walk through some of the streets (and even through some private houses, which was very awkward for me) to get a feel for what it was like when the Germans occupied the area.
There was a viewing area on top of a big hill that allowed us to see a beautiful view of the city area. The amazing part is that we live right in the middle of a different area of town that is every bit as big and bustling as this one, and this one is about a 25 minute bus ride away, yet both are part of the same city! The pictures of the observatory, city area, and Naval Museum are all taken from the top of this hill.
Then we ate lunch on the rooftop of a youth hostel. We had a traditional Chinese meal called jiao zi. The best way I can explain it is a dumpling - a noodle outside with diced meat & vegetables inside. Very tasty. Apparently, the Chinese will eat as many as 30 for an entire meal. I think they are delicious but can only eat about 5!
Enjoy the pictures!
A funny thing happened on the way to the school...
Since we have lived here, there have been two times where Dale has chosen to take a taxi to school in the morning rather than the bus so he can get there just a little bit earlier. On both occasions with two different drivers, upon finding out Dale was American, the taxi drivers sang Edelweiss to him. Happening once is funny enough, but twice?! That is hilarious!!
Back to real life...
Vacation was over as of Tuesday morning, and the reality of it hit bright and early at 6:35a when we walked Dale to the bus stop. When we got back, Andrew said, "I want Daddy," and went to his room by himself for a few moments. It was wonderful to have Dale with us every day for so many days! What a blessing!
Our vacation was very relaxing. We didn't do much outside of the house. I got into a good book series (The Mark of the Lion by Francine Rivers) and read those on my time off. I don't get the time to do much only-for-fun reading anymore, so it was a special treat. I also did a little shopping with the help of my friend Tien.
Dale relaxed and also got caught up on grading, our new nemesis!
For the holiday, we gave our Ayi several days off. So from the time we returned from Weihai on Wednesday until she returned yesterday (Wednesday), I did all the laundry, cleaning, and cooking, which made me appreciate her that much more! She is such a blessing! I am especially thankful for my sweet husband who did the dishes every day so I could truly have a vacation. One day, to motivate myself to get my chores done, I would read a chapter from my book, then do a chore, then read a chapter, then do a chore. It was a great success as I got done what I needed to get done but also accomplished what I wanted to do!!
Throughout the vacation, I felt hard-pressed to even think of meal ideas, but we made it through with only one trip to McDonald's for the week! To be honest, the trip to McDonald's was actually a special treat for us. We hardly ever were able to eat out in the States, just the 3 of us. If we ate out, we were either with others, or it was just Dale & I. Not that we didn't love eating out with others or just the two of us, but it was just so unusual that it made this time even more special!
I miss vacation, but it's good to be back in a regular routine as well. Funny how I didn't have time to write over vacation because our Ayi was off, but now that she's back, I have more time. So until next time, which will hopefully be more frequent than it has been...
Chinese Karaoke
Over the weekend, we celebrated the birthday of a friend by going with a big group to a Karaoke place. I have done some Karaoke singing before, but never at an official Karaoke place. This particular place was a little different than I had anticipated. Our group had a private room, which was actually a little more intimidating. I would much rather sing for strangers than for a small group of people who know me! Oh well!
Andrew came with us, and he stole the show by doing his own singing and dancing! You can see the picture on the picture page!
October 1st, National Day
Today is a national holiday in China as they celebrate the 60th Anniversary of becoming the People's Republic of China. This is a special anniversary since it is a multiple of 5.
It seems that their celebration is very similar to America's 4th of July, complete with fireworks! We live about two blocks away from a central city event center, so we were fortunate enough to be able to watch an amazing fireworks display last night, and I'm secretly hoping there will be more tonight! Dale said, "Jenn, this might rival St. Louis' fireworks," but in my heart, I couldn't accept that as I will always be partial to St. Louis fireworks! It was, however, a fantastic show, and Andrew managed to sleep right through it! Hopefully that bodes well for Chinese New Year in January when we've heard that the fireworks are shot off in between our apartment buildings!
You can see pictures and video of the fireworks display on the picture and video pages!
Questions & Answers
In case you haven't yet noticed, there is a Question & Answer section at the bottom of the home page. You can post questions you have about our life in China, and we'll get back to you with the answers; or if we don't know the answer, we'll make it up! :)
Weihai Vacation
Aloha! I feel like I should start my journal entry that way, even though we're nowhere near Hawaii. We are at a lovely hotel right near the ocean, however, and we are having a great time. We feel very relaxed.
We arrived with two other buses of fellow staff on Sunday evening. It was a long bus ride...the bus drivers did not take the highway for some reason. Argh. Andrew slept for about an hour and then was up having fun with friends the rest of the time. After about 4 hours, the natives were getting restless, and the parents were restless to get the natives off the bus!!
On Monday, I attended a seminar while Daddy & Andrew hung out in the hotel room. Then we went to the beach and let Andrew play in the sand before lunch. We went with a large group of people to a nearby restaurant for lunch, then Andrew & I came back to the hotel for nap time (and reading time for Mommy) while Dale went to play volleyball with some others on the beach.
You can see pictures of our experience eating supper on Monday night. It was our first time to eat at a restaurant while sitting on the floor. It was fun! It was a Korean restaurant, and the food was delicious!
When we came back to the hotel, we knew there were people bowling in the hotel's bowling alley in the basement. So we went to watch for a few minutes, and Andrew wanted to play so badly. It was already past his bedtime, so I told him we would try to play later. When we got back to our room afterwards, he proceeded to set up all the water bottles he could find in our room and created his own bowling game!
We made good on our promise this morning when we went bowling with our family. He had a great time...his first time bowling! With all of our efforts to help him bowl, Dale finally managed to help him knock down one pin!
The plan is to order pizza this evening, so we just decided to eat a light lunch of snacks that we had brought from home. The hotel provides two apples a day in our room, so I began munching on one. I had eaten quite a bit until I took a bite and saw something move near where I had just bitten down. Enjoy the picture of the little guy who was a stow away in my apple. Yuck. Dale asked me if I would ever eat Chinese apples again. At that point, I said, "I don't know." Now, I think my answer is, "Cautiously."
Here in about 20 minutes, I'm going to wake Andrew up and get ready to go out to the sailing area. Dale is there now; he is the adult on duty this afternoon. I hope to get in a sail before we leave tomorrow.
<Sigh>...vacation!
Busy, busy...
Can't write a lot now. Sorry I haven't written in a few days. We've been over at somebody's house for supper every night since Tuesday, so our evenings have been pretty short. For now, you can check out the two albums I posted. One is in honor of Uncle Bryon & Aunt Christy's anniversary (Happy Anniversary), and the other is full of pictures of International Day at the school and our trip to Polar Ocean World today. Fun times!
Holiday
We have a much-anticipated holiday coming up next week. Yes, around here, everybody seems to refer to our vacations or time-off as "holiday." I feel so British, as though I need to say, "We're going on holiday," with a British accent...and many times, I do say it in a British accent.
There are two national holidays sandwiched together here at the beginning of October, and our school takes off for a week! So beginning this Friday, we are on holiday! From Sunday to Wednesday, our staff community has the opportunity to go to a nearby resort area for a retreat. It is the same area where Dale went to Fall Camp last week, so that means more sailing! We are excited about that, and Dale's Chinese language teacher is excited for Dale to teach him how!
Once we return on Wednesday, we are free until Monday! For the rest of the week, Dale plans on getting caught up! Other teachers have told him how October holiday was the first time they felt caught up in their first year, so he is anticipating the same outcome!
Others have said how you live from holiday to holiday to get your house more and more cozy, so I am looking forward to moving forward on some of those things during our days at home. Now we just need to figure out what is top priority!
Looking forward to being on holiday...(I hope you read that in a British accent, because in my mind, that's how I said it).
Andrew'ism
Today, a kind young lady at the pharmacy gave Andrew a lollipop. When he finally got to enjoy it after lunch, he held it up and said, "Mommy, I'm eating junk!" Thank you to the Berenstain Bear book, "Too Much Junk Food." You've helped my son understand that yes, indeed, a lollipop is "junk." But that's about as much as you've helped him on this topic since he went on to devour the whole thing proudly rather than choosing more healthy, nourishing food!
You can see a picture of him with his lollipop on the picture page.
Fessing up
So I feel that there is something I ought to share with you all. I have only been intentionally withholding this information because I do not want to gloat. However, I feel that you need to know that my pioneering is really not as roughing it as it may seem because...I have a helper. What I mean is...we have a woman (in Chinese, we call her Ayi, which means Auntie) who comes three afternoons a week to help with laundry, cleaning, cooking, and watching Little Man.
So while I do have to spend more time in the kitchen making things like croutons and applesauce and such, chances are, I don't have to wash the dishes...Ayi does...and my time is much more free because she takes care of so much around the house! I really do feel blessed to have her. Otherwise, I think I would be very stressed out about all I had to do PLUS all my pioneering.
I don't want you all to feel like I'm complaining about the things I have to make from scratch or learn how to do. My intention in writing about it is because it's new & interesting to me.
If it's alright with you all, I will continue to call my journal entries "Pioneer Woman of the East," even though you all might glare at the computer screen when you think of all the help I have otherwise!
There...it's off my chest now.
P.S. In case you haven't seen, I have posted some videos on the Video page! You can hear things like Andrew telling stories & singing or see our funky living room light fixture at work!
Pioneer Woman of the East - Part II
Well, I made the croutons tonight! I had hoped that a batch would last for about a week, but between our salads and the three of us chowing down on them, we finished them all in one setting! Needless to say, they were a delightful treat, and I will probably be making more very soon! If you'd like to see the recipe I used, you can go to
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/garlic-croutons/Detail.aspx. I followed reviewers' advice and skipped the part about melting the butter in a skillet to save washing an extra dish.
[As I'm sitting here reviewing my blog, I was resting my head on my hands and got a whiff of my fingers...garlic. That'll be with me for a while.]
I also ventured out and made applesauce today using my friend, Mimi's, recipe. It was also easy; the hardest part was peeling and chopping the apples. I couldn't help but laugh as I was making it because of my brother Jeremy's disdain for homemade applesauce when we were growing up. He swore that he would have no problem telling the difference between homemade and store bought, and Mom always wanted to prove him wrong by testing him. I don't think we ever did. Maybe we should do that as a Christmas activity, Mom! haha
For those who are wondering, I can find applesauce here, but it is pretty expensive to buy on a regular basis. It is much cheaper to just make it, so I did! Pioneer Woman of the East strikes again!
You can see pictures of my croutons and our delightful salads on the pictures page. Koudos to Dale for whipping up such beautiful salads while I was doing all my pioneering!
Family day
Since we hadn't seen Dale for a while, we made today a family day. We had fun watching and dancing to a kid video then had the privilege of going out for lunch with some friends from our training time in New York that work in a different Chinese city. We went to my favorite restaurant, which is Viatnamese food. One gal at lunch, Jen, pointed out that the taste is kind of PF Changs'ish, and I agree! So those of you who know my love for PF Chang's now know why I love this place so much!
When we returned home, we did a great activity called nap time! I really enjoy the days when I can lay down and sleep until I wake up rather than setting an alarm. Very restful.
After we all woke up, we watched videos of Andrew when he was smaller. We laughed and sighed and commented over and over on how cute and funny he was/is. Dale & I just wanted to reach through the computer and squeeze him! I forgot those days so quickly!
Then, finally, we went out with our friends again for supper to a Korean BBQ restaurant. They cook the meat in a pot right at your table. Let me tell you, the meat was delicious...so tasty! We also got to try fun things like kimchi (sp?) which is a traditional Korean food; tofu (first time for me); seaweed (not my favorite); mashed potatoes with a sweet "mayonaissy" sauce on the top; and pumpkin as part of the "fruit selection" (which also included corn) after the meal. I've never eaten pumpkin like that, and it wasn't bad!
The meal was topped off with a delicious cup of coffee. Now, there is only one other place where I can remember calling coffee delicious, and that was on our cruise. We rave and rave about the coffee on our cruise! Just a side note.
If you'd like to see pictures of some of the things we ate tonight, as well as a picture of Andrew and his two buddies from training, check out the picture page. As you can see from the amount of dishes on the table, I will not be applying to be a dishwasher at this restaurant! haha
Until next time...
Dale's home!
Dale returned tonight from fall camp. He's been gone since yesterday morning, but when he was gone all last weekend, it made these two days seem even longer! One of the activities he got to do at fall camp was sailing. Now, if you know Dale, you know he LOVES to sail, and not just because it rhymes with his name. He taught sailing when he worked at Kanakuk, and he always speaks of it with a sparkle in his eye. He had a great time, but Little Man & I are glad to have him back!
McDonald's...somehow more desirable in China
In America, I could pass up McDonald's anytime. There are much better options available. Here, however, I crave it about once a week and have, in fact, eaten there about as much as I've craved it! It's just easy. I know what I want there; it's familiar food, which I sometimes need when the rest of the time, I don't recognize much on the menu; it's a special treat for Little Man; and there is usually at least one person there who speaks English in case I can't communicate in Chinese, which is very likely to happen! So far, in the month we've been here, I think we've eaten at McDonald's more times than we ate at McDonald's in the last 2 years! Oh, and just in case you're wondering, the McDonald's we most often frequent does not have a play area, but there is another McDonald's farther away that does have a small play area.
What do Ginger & Brown Sugar have in common?
Not much, except that they are the two ingredients in a hot drink that the locals recommend for a cold. I've been dealing with a minor cold over the last 5 days, so my friend brought me some fresh ginger root and gave me instructions to make the drink. She kind of had to bring me the ginger root because I wouldn't have known what I was looking for...a little more of my inexperience in the kitchen shining through. You grate the ginger root, then squeeze the juice out of what you grated into a mug of water. Add a Tbsp (or 2, if you like really sweet tea like I do...thanks Grandma Maness!) and heat it in the microwave. Nice.
Pioneer Woman of the East - Part I
Have you ever seen the website Pioneer Woman? It's a wonderful blog, cooking, home & garden managerie of a site from a woman living on a ranch in Oklahoma. Well, I feel like I'm becoming the Pioneer Woman of the East with all of the "made-from-scratch" things I've been making. Biscuits & gravy for supper? Can't just plop the frozen, store bought biscuits onto the cookie sheet and throw them in the oven here. No, no...gotta make your own biscuits.
This has been a pretty big mind shift for me. I am pretty much the opposite end of the spectrum when it comes to making things from scratch. It just doesn't float my boat to be in the kitchen all the time. The flavor of store-bought things suits my fancy just fine! However, here in China, I don't have that luxury. Yet I am actually really enjoying the adventure of learning new things! Before I came, I didn't know how to make my own whip cream (I know...it's shameful, isn't it? But hello...Cool Whip was invented so I didn't have to know how to make my own whip cream!). I also didn't know...and those who were coaching me on making the whip cream forgot to tell me...that if you whip together the whip cream for too long, it makes butter. So in one experience, I learned how to make cool whip and butter. That also means in one experience, I ruined the whip cream! Such learning, and such failure at the same time! For my next experiment, I found a recipe to make my own croutons since I haven't found those here. My salads just aren't the same without 'em. I'll try to remember to post about how they turn out and also about any other pioneering I do!
Mold Duty
Dale's off to the States to perform a wedding for a young man he had in his group with K-Life, and I'm at home on mold duty! Yep, with all the humidity in the air here, dealing with mold is inevitable. So I went around the house with my step-stool, a bucket filled with diluted bleach water, and an old tooth brush looking for wherever the mold was rearing its ugly head. At this point, it is mostly only showing up in the kitchen and bathrooms, but I hear that it will eventually show up in odd places like behind the beds. I guess that's the price I'm going to have to pay for living in an ocean city!
Becoming a blogger
When I lived in the States, I didn't do enough interesting things to have a blog that would be remotely entertaining to read. Since we've been in China, though, I've been doing fun things that I feel are blog-worthy. I've caught myself thinking, "I could write a blog about this." So join with me as I start this journey!