Plugging On in Local School

The above is Sophia's school picture. She has a few good friends, and some very annoying boys who weekly harass her with: 'stupid american', and 'you came here to fight us', and other silly things. She bears this well and gives us lots of things to discuss.

We still do not know when we will pull her out. Already the load of home school is increasing for her grade level so maybe one more year....

Bella really likes school, her class too is not without incident, but we are navigating the waters and learning as well. Her teachers are getting used to us.

Review and testing is coming up. We don't care how they do on these but it is great practice in test taking skills! Mid-January they will break until March!

Friends Come to Visit

These two lovely ladies came to visit for a few days. They arrived a day after we got back from HK and really brought lots of laughter and good discussion to our family life. They have lived in another part of this country for over a year and have done amazingly well.

What impressed us most about these girls was their grounded faith,very strong family backgrounds, and strong work ethic. What we really enjoyed was their humble ability to laugh at themselves and share the love (Hover board videos!). They loved on our kiddos and Bella cried the day they left.

I had noticed how much they really spoke with genuine affection about their families and especially their deep relationships with their moms. I had to ask them what various things had fostered this throughout their childhood and adult life. They shared with us so much good stuff....it was great, getting parenting advice from 20+year olds who had parents that were very intentional and the fruit of it showed..

On their last day with us, some craziness ensued... It was the S fam's day to pick up the kids, Bella usually gets out early but because of a sports day the guards wouldn't let parents in until 11:30. At 11:11 I got a text that Bella had left the school (they have cards in their backpacks that tell when they enter and leave). (The week prior we had gotten more warning texts about guys in vans kidnapping kids in villages nearby). I kept trying to call K but she wasn't answering. David was up at the office right near the school so I called him and he immediately went up there. I called K again and again thinking maybe she just went up there early to get them.

K called me back asking if I could pick up the kids, she was on the phone with poison control because AB had eaten part of a moth ball (here they look like candy and smell like halls cough drops). I was now very worried about Bella and AB.

David pulled up with Bella and I just cried. He apologized for not calling, thinking: 'of course she was just playing near the gate', I had thought: 'no way Bella was just playing near the gate'. He hugged me well and I ushered him to go help K with her crisis, J was out of town. It was quite scary, both David and K were talking to two different poison control folks and they were both saying some pretty crazy stuff about what would probably happen in the next few hours, one wanted her to go to the hospital right away. Camphor is very poisonous, and here the percentage in the mothballs is way higher than what is allowed in the U.S.

At the end of a very intense morning/early afternoon, AB ended up being fine, with NO side affects at all! A miracle we gladly received.

We saw our friends off and got ready for our next guest arriving the next day!

Hong Kong Wrap-Up: Confession

5 a.m. bus stop in the rain.

Thanks to Erica's great planning we saved a ton of money riding the city bus to and from the airport. The kiddos really liked this as well!

Hong Kong Disney was amazing for many reasons. Certainly it helped to go with some best friends and their kids. This just makes everything better. We don't see them much, but the Patricks' really do encourage us a ton....so it was great on every subway ride, waiting in the airport, wherever, to just pick up topics and discuss them. Back to that in a moment

But this trip was really about the kids and it did not disappoint. The park itself I consider to be a great intro to all things Disney. It is just not that big, which was a blessing. It had everything you needed. We could do it all in a day, but we did it very relaxed in two and did not miss a thing. We got to do what we loved more than once. We weren't pressured for time anywhere. The second Disney day was a Friday and it was substantially busier, but we still did not have to wait too long. The prices were completely reasonable (kids 3 and under FREE), we bought tickets with a slight discount online and it was so easy.

Our trip came off of a month of serious sickness for both David and me. Sicknesses that had us a bit grumpy, a bit wobbly in our faith, not thriving in marriage and family life. A post I never got around to posting was another big marriage growth talk for us back in August, but the fruit of it was waning by December. September was strong for us but emotional, October was also consistent and busy. November was sickness without taking any sick days. We were weary and it showed.

This is why I am so glad that it was the Patricks who were with us on this trip. They know and see our weaknesses and love us on. As soon as we got home from this trip I wrote them and told them as much, confessed to them how I did not show nearly as much love and respect to David or the kiddos as I would have liked, and thanked them for their understanding and friendship.

David and I were not in conflict but we had felt the stress, and acted out in it some. By the end we were able to sit down and very easily discuss the various successes and failures. There was laughter and tears in that discussion, but it was good and it was growth.

That is what I love about doing life with my David and my kiddos, and my dear friends: They all point me to hope in Jesus. And as one of our mentors always says it is a 'hope without hype', based in full reality, known in real time, and relying on forgiveness and grace.

HK Disney Day 2

More Disney Adventures to be had.

 We spent awhile in Toy Story Land.

 Tobin did not dare the parachute drop until after everyone else had done it.

 But we did wait and watch. He loves fast cars, fast motorcycles, fast airplanes, but he has a very healthy sense of fear as well.

 The girls were raring to go on everything. This surprised me a bit in Bella, but she loved it all!

 Slinky dog was Tobin's favorite, G didn't love it.

Finally Tobin did the drop, David said his legs were shaking the whole time.

We also did the 'Racer' Ride that just goes back and forth and almost one full loop. Sophia loved this, I thought if it had gone two more cycles I would have upchucked. I don't like a back and forth or non stop spinning.


On both days we went to see 'The Lion King' show, which was impressive. The kids really loved this theatrical performance, and count it as a highlight.

I was very surprised Tobin was not tall enough to go on Grizzly Gulch, which proved to be everyone else's favorite. This was way better than Space Mountain, and I love roller coasters.

We finally chilled out on the train, after doing some shopping. The kids had each saved up quite a bit of chore money. We only paid for their food. And since you could take food in the park, we took one meal in on day two and lots of snacks.

 Yes, we look tired and worn, but we had a blast.

 I was planning on refusing to let them buy a dress at Disney because I know they are SO much cheaper online. But she chose this, fell in love with it, and had just enough.

  A princess and her castle.

This was our last day. We ate dinner and took the five subway changes back to the hotel.

BUT WAIT: Major Parenting Mishap #2 happened on our way home that night: The subway.
Four adults, two strollers, five walking kids. You know what is coming....
David and I are not used to HK subways at all. We heard the beeping that the doors would close soon and told the kids to go. They obeyed.
But we all didn't make it. Erica got closed in the door, literally, and then jumped out.
And there they were: Tobin and Sophia inside and everyone else outside.
Erica (I continue to thank God that she was there and acted) started banging very hard on the doors and yelling. It was quite the scene.
What were the parents of these two kids doing? (that would be David and me!)
I think we were just shocked. I was aware enough that I saw Sophia comfort Tobin and tell him that it would be okay, because he started crying.
And then the doors opened up. Erica's yelling had prompted action! So, so, so, thankful.
And then we had a little-too-late 'what to do in that situation' meeting. Right there on the subway platform. Get off at the next stop and wait!
Another praise for God's protection!

After all the drama, we settled the kids in bed, turned on our monitors and met at McDonald's (it is in the same building as the hotel). We all finally got to partake of the amazing sausage egg mcmuffin and decaf salted caramel latte.
We didn't last long this night, a 4:45 a.m. wake-up call was looming.

HK Interlude Day: The Peak

On Day two we tried to sleep in and meander our way into the morning. David had to take his dead computer to the service center and get a new one (for a fee of course), so all the boys decided to go. The rest of us met up with them later and headed out for the day's adventure: The Peak. This is a Hong Kong must. We took the subway into the heart of HK's business district and took the tram up! Everyone in line, Asians, and non alike, wondered at the seven kids among us. 

(Bella did conquer a big fear as we waited to meet up: Escalators by herself. )

 Moving on...the tram:

They did great the whole time, it helps traveling with friends!

 This was a cooler and rainy day, thankful we were not at Disney.

 The mall at the top has some great restaurants, this among them. And we ate here, sat for almost an hour and the kids all did great, again. It did help that we had just gone to a candy store where they were able to spend some of their money on American candy.

 Gabrielle does not want to be handled! Sophia wants you to notice her over-sized shoes.

 Hong Kong.

 Erica bought the print on the right many years ago right here in HK. I bought the print on the left from taobao about two years ago. LOVE these.

 There are our Davids.

We found an open area, Starbucks, and let the kids play.

Major Parenting Mishap #1 happened here. We all were chatting and watching kids. The older kids were all playing Hide and Go seek/chase/tag. Gabrielle was right there climbing around.
And then she wasn't. We frantically started looking everywhere. And in the 15-30 seconds it took to find her (it was less than a minute), I was so scared. She had crossed the entire cement area in front of this mall on 'The Peak' and was about to go in the old tram car that they have there for people to look at. Whew!!

We stopped by and got pizza to go and had a little pizza party in our room. This was a highlight for the kiddos as well. It's the little things.

The hotel had an invitation-only Christmas performance going on in their lobby and we remembered at the last minute that we were invited. We were SO glad we went. They had a high school chorus, and then different ballet performances by different aged children. Not to mention lots of snacks, gifts, and even an appearance by Santa Claus himself. Gabrielle got removed early because when she first saw the ballerinas she yelled: 'chunky legs' in her sing songy voice. This is what she calls any bare looking legs that she sees because this is what I have called her bare legs for so long. Now it is one long, ongoing joke in our fam. But in English speaking environments, it may not be so funny to everyone.

This night we turned on our monitors and met David and Erica in the rooftop lounge to chat for a bit before calling it a night. We were all exhausted but did try to take the few precious moments to catch up.

(David finally engineered the stroller after the wheel continued to fall off, and I started to have giggle fits again about it all. He 'Macgyvered' it as he said, but that reference is lost on most people. He did a good job of it too, didn't fall off any more, all with a little, teeny piece of twine! Now people don't chase us down handing us our stroller wheel)

HK Disney

 On the subway line to DISNEY. They are SO excited.

 Family Photo at the front

 We ran into Buzz at lunch and he scared the Gegeebers out of Gabrielle, as did every other life size character she interacted with.

 David took the three elders on Space Mountain while Erica and I, along with our littles, played with water.

Sophia and Bella loved space mountain and Tobin did NOT. Too dark I think. I was quite surprised he was even tall enough to go on it.

Waiting for the afternoon parade, we had near-perfect seats

 The kiddos actually got to participate in the parade a little.

 Ohhh......the princesses.

And...'It's a small world', no longer is this just known as the water truck tune that comes down our street. We all loved this ride and went on it three times in our two days.

I was impressed with the Christmas display. It was beautiful.

 Ana and Elsa lit the tree.

 The first night the older kids stayed with the dads for the night time parade and fireworks while Erica and I took Gabrielle, Tobin (he was so ready to go), and Evy Faith back to the hotel.

It was on our journey back that our stroller broke and the wheel kept falling off. I was so tired that I was giddy and laughed the whole time, I almost couldn't get my act together to move on. It was a sight: Erica and I trying to maneuver two strollers (+ a wheel), and a very tired Tobin through five subway changes to get back to the hotel. Had Erica not been there I would have sat and cried probably.

Day one complete, the others arrived back by 10:00 or 10:30 p.m. I was almost asleep. David went down to the McDonalds after the girls got in bed. In the morning he told me he had a delicious sausage egg mcmuffin and milk shake.....(at like 11 p.m!)
you did what? at what hour was this? I was oblivious. He said it was wonderful. I am sure it was, but I preferred my sleep.