I don't know what we have been up to lately but we sure have been keeping busy! The days and weeks really just seem to FLY BY!! I have a tutor that comes to our apartment every Monday and Thursday morning for 1 1/2 hours to teach me Mandarin, so those mornings are busy! Cambry goes down for a nap just as the tutor comes and wakes up when I'm just finishing so that has seemed to be working out perfectly! I can say hello, goodbye, right turn, left turn, yes, no, I know what a lot of other words are and a few phrases! The hardest part is learning the tones! First off they pronounce their vowels very different from us as well as many initial and final sounds of their words, but...I've got that down! It is just the tones that is seriously CRAZY!! They have four different tones, on that is just a higher pitch, one that rises, one that falls from higher to lower, and one that dips. So funny, if you say one tone wrong on a word it can have a COMPLETE different meaning. So the word "ba" has four different meanings based on what tone you use! Let's just say that if I don't lose my mind before I actually learn this I will be SHOCKED! Eric and I do have Chinese names though! That is an "honor" to them to be given an American name and I guess it is supposed to be an honor when we receive one! Eric's name is Yang Kai, which means Victorious or Triumphant (oh yeah, and you are supposed to be able to explain the meaning of your name, VERY IMPORTANT HERE!! :P ) Mine is Yang Mei Xi, which means beautiful ever-flowing stream. Sounds good enough I guess!
Besides the daily routines of everyone getting everyone ready in the morning off to work and school, we have been getting together with friends for lunch, playing in the park, and shopping! I've had some really cute summer dresses made here at the fabric markets! Actually, they turned out GREAT and are super cheap and comfortable! So that has been a lot of fun! Reese loves to go down to the park everyday to play with her friends after school. Recently we bought her a scooter because we left her other one at home and she and her friends have been putting some miles on that! She has also been riding her bike with me on the weekends when I go running! I can't get her to wake up with me during the week but she has really improved and rides pretty well! The only problem we have yet is that she FREAKS out when she sees other people on scooters because she has been hit by two! Yes two! I'm telling you, those people are crazy and both times they are driving in places that they shouldn't be! I think that they think that she is a veteran bike rider and assume that she will move over for them "because in China, THEY are the only people in the WORLD" and Reese freezes and freaks out! She will even scream at times! So...we still need to work on this!
Cambry on the other hand is ALL OVER THE PLACE crawling! She is getting really fast and loves just exploring around the house or play ground. She is very content watching other kids, smiling at anyone who will pay attention to her, which is not hard to find, and loves being pushed in the swing!
Hiding in the curtains, never knew it was so much fun!
Just starring out the window, probably wondering where Reese is!!
Cambry has really enjoys suckers, and it seems that if she sees Reese with one that she has to get her fair share of licks in too! Reese is sharing nicely, and Cambry will amazingly sit very still if she can get a taste!
Both watching a movie after Reese got home from school to relax.
Anxiously awaiting her turn, not taking her eye off of it!
Ummm, hurry up Reese!
Aahhhhhh, got it! Reese is distracted anyways! Hee, hee!
"Mom, don't even THINK about taking it away because I'm sticky!" (Lately, she has been working out her eyebrow muscles and can give the DIRTIEST looks! Very funny, because it can change to extremely happy in a second!)
Just had to include this one because it was so stinkin' cute! Poor little girl has been sleeping in a pack n' play since we moved out of our house and in with my parents. Next move will be to a "big girl" bed! But...not yet!
Our daily routine includes picking up Reese every day from school! So this is a pick of the girls as we ride back to our apartment in the taxi! Cambry thought she was "big stuff" getting to sit next to Reese on the seat and snuggled right up to her! Reese is getting really good with telling the taxi driver how to get home and which direction to turn and when to stop! She has been doing this in Chinese and repeats whatever I say! The taxi drivers get a kick out of her trying to explain to them where we need to go!
Once again with the leg, not sure what her deal is with that, but it is always up!
Reading books before bed!
Reese is preparing to ride Shiloh (grandma's horse) when she comes home!
basketball hoop shoot
Reese and her friend Hanna
They also were blowing up balloons for the kids one day after school and they had a lot of fun just tossing them up and trying to keep them from hitting the ground!
Reese and her friend Greta
Near collision, but ended up missing each other ;)
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