The Birdfeeder

This weekend, Robin and Anna went to a bird feeder store (who knew there was such a thing!) to purchase a feeding station for our feathered friends in our yard.  Robin set it up yesterday afternoon, and despite the warning on the package that said it might take up to three weeks for the birds to discover the station, we had little birds within five minutes.

When he returned in the late afternoon from dance lessons (Amy's, not his), he checked and the large tray on the bottom, which had been previously filled with seeds, and it was completely empty.  A little disappointed, thinking it to be the work of the squirrels, he and the kids headed out this morning to replenish the feeder.

Even as they were piling seed on the tray, the littlest birds were still coming.  Amy thought she could train them to come to her hand.  Given they still came onto the tray while she was there, we are thinking they eventually might just do as she wishes .

This morning I have been monitoring the station to see if there are any squirrels dining, and so far, have not seen any.  I have seen a wood pecker on the wood pecker feeder . . .

 . . . two blue jays . . .

 . . . some little white and blacks . . .

 . . . and little ones with an orange chest.

By 10:30, the food on the large tray was completely gone and one feeder is half empty.

It's kind of like having a fire in the fire pit; there's not much to look at, but it is completely fascinating to watch.  I think we're (us and the birds) are going to like this new addition to our yard.

Carol's 40th Birthday Party

Carol's 40th birthday is in a few weeks, but we thought we would celebrate her birthday a little early.  She loves red velvet cake, but I had the ingredients for tiramisu, so we had both for a birthday dessert. 

To someone, 40 seems very, very, very old.  As in I can't even count that high.

Carol had lots of help in blowing out her candle.

Her look was priceless as she opened the final gift . . . a trip to Maui so she could spend her actual birthday in the sun ("Now the Hawaiian theme makes sense!").  A few days ago she had been complaining that it had been so cloudy, overcast and miserable here for the last month (unlike our usual "sunny Manitoba"), that she just wanted to get out of here.  It was all I could do to bite my tongue and not say anything!

Happy birthday from a little someone who just had to sneak into Daddy's lei.

I love surprises.  Have a great trip Carol. (Picture curtesy of Mei Mei.)

Halloween



This year for Halloween, the girls wanted to be . . . princesses (surprise!).  After our glut of princess outfits purchased in Disney this summer, I was not going to even try to dissuade them.  Carol came over to hand out the candy to the masses (we actually had three kids this year!) which allowed me to join Robin and the kids to scour the neighbourhood for treats.  I had great plans to make Robin and I new costumes, but ran out of time.  Aah.  That seems to be the theme of my life lately.  Oh well.  We just slapped on our Cruella and Perdita costumes and away we went.

The night was cold and quite windy with the odd sprinkle thrown in, but the girls managed to go for almost two hours.

They got quite the haul!  Our neighbours across the street (Honker the dog's family) gave the girls the huge gift bags with stickers, colouring books and of course mounds of candy.  The neighbour across the creek handed the girls their bags of candy and then whipped out his wallet and gave them five dollars each!  Robin promptly put out his paw too, but our neighbour only shook it - there's a good doggie.

Some one gave out root beer!  Woo hoo!  The kids rarely get to have soft drinks, so that was a real treat.

The kids spent a huge amount of time going through their candy, but much to my dismay, did not sort it!  As an anal child, categorizing my candy was the first thing I would do.



 Poor Daddy hit the chow as soon as we returned. We left as soon as he got back from work, so like a good Dad, he went without his dinner.

I went into the archives and pulled pictures from Halloweens past.  Here's Amy and Kristin a few weeks after arriving home in 2007.  I had completely overestimated her size when I made it, not thinking that she would ever be a tiny as she was.

In 2008, she had grown enough to fit the costume.  Yeah!

 What a cute face.

 In 2009 as a pumpkin.

 In 2010, she was a dinosaur.  Oh look, Daddy's a dog.

Yeah!  In 2011, there's an addition to our family.  We now have two Cinderellas . . . and a dog.  Okay.  Daddy gets a new costume next year.





First Day in Malaysia

Our flight was fine to Malaysia and we landed late at night.  Lin, Pin, and their Dad, L.H., picked us up at the airport and we headed to their house for the night.  In the morning, we packed a small bag, went out for breakfast and travelled a half an hour to this beautiful resort on the coast.

We were quick to hit the pool and enjoy a relaxing afternoon swimming.  Well, I should say the kids did.  I spent the afternoon on a lounge chair by myself reading and napping, in no particular order.  It was heavenly.

Amy and Anna are really enjoying Chen Chen, Lin and Pin's little nephew who is the same age as Anna.  They were all excited to have someone new to play with.

After a wonderful day at the pool and playing on the beach, we went for dinner and then took in some of the market shopping nearby.

Last Afternoon in China

Mei Mei and Xiu Hong posed for pictures.  I'm actually surprised and pleased at how easily Anna went to Xiu Hong.

 This picture says it all.

As we were waiting in the lobby for the van to take us to the HK airport and the girls decided they needed their pictures taken on their "Chinese throne".

 I'm not sure if all Chinese Princesses fall asleep on their thrones though.

Good Bye Xiu Hong

During breakfast, Bruce received a call from Xui Hong to say she was coming over to see us off.  She and her son, Wei Jian, arrived an hour later with more lychee fruit, drinks and a few outfits for the kids.

She has been so kind to us, especially the girls, and we have really appreciated it.  I feel that Anna, like Amy with Popo, was loved, well cared for, and made to feel part of the family.  I am very thankful to her and her family for how they treated our daughter.  The funny thing is that Xiu Hong, I'm sure, would express similar thoughts over how we are treating her daughter.

That thought pretty much sums it up.

Of course, a few goofy photos were in order before they left.

Thank you again Xiu Hong.  It was a pleasure to meet you and your family.

We are now packed and awaiting the bellboy.  Next stop Malaysia!

The Park and McDonalds

Another hot and sunny day here in Shenzhen.  I don't even pay attention to what the temperature is here anymore, it's just hot.  The smog lifted this morning and we could actually see our view out of the window here on the 21st floor.

You can see the ocean and the causeway that connects Shenzhen to . . . . some place else.  Ships can barely be seen in the background.

We went to Xiu Hong's home this morning after breakfast to pick her and the kids up before it got too hot.  We were heading to a local park with rides but, unfortunately, the rides were all shut down for maintenance.  Instead, the girls all had a chance to stroll around and use their sun umbrellas, which was almost as much fun.

We were able to find a kiosk that sold bubbles and ice cream, and we indulged in both.

The little girls were so cute with their ice cream and bubbles, taking care not to get either on their fancy dresses.

Xiu Hong had pictures of Mei Mei on her phone when she was in their family.  She was able to print some off and give them to me.

Once the temperature began to hit unbearable levels, we headed for the cool and comfort of McDonalds.  The kids were all so excited to eat there and I've never seen such joy over the toys before.

Happy meal, happy kids.

After lunch we went back to the room for a nap and some down time which included a movie before bed.

I am so thankful that we changed hotels given the amount of time we have spent in the room.  It is so hot here, that we are really not going outside much at all.  We are all enjoying the cool and comfortable surroundings.  Thanks again Robbie.

Lunch with Anna's Foster Mother - July 11

The kids were up late last night after Carol took them to the pool, which meant I actually had to wake them at 9 a.m. so we could leave by 10 a.m. Kai Min, Xiu Hong’s eldest daughter, came to the hotel to show us how to get to her mother’s apartment.

Xiu Hong’s late husband built the very narrow five storey apartment building they live in and she takes in two foster children to supplement her income. She lives in the top floor apartment, her sister lives on the fourth floor and there are paying tenants living on the second and third floors. On the main floor, there is a very small drug store operated by her sister and niece. The family appears to be much more comfortable than Popo but, as the sole bread winner, Xiu Hong still struggles.

Xiu Hong’s apartment has air conditioning, which seems to be a rarity in the average apartment in Shenzhen. There is wooden living room furniture and a television in the main room, one bedroom with a large bed and a computer and a washing room with a clothes washer, a squatty and a small sink in the corner. There is a balcony with another sink, just like you would find in our washrooms, and space to hang clothes.

In her sister’s apartment there is a kitchen and a table in the main room along with a bedroom and the same set up for a washroom. They definitely share their spaces and make use of the air conditioning.

When we arrived, Xiu Hong produced some new hair ties and began to do Mei Mei’s hair. Of course, someone was a little jealous and soon had her hair done as well. 

Soon food began to arrive from the fourth floor and a not so "simple lunch" was offered along with some very refreshing, cold Tsingtao beer. It was all very relaxed and quite fun. The kids were all down on the fourth floor where they ate and played, supervised by the older girls. I was thinking how quickly Mei Mei adjusted to being there, running between the two apartments, when Xiu Hong commented that Mei Mei must remember being there given how she seemed to know where everything was.

After we ate, Xiu Hong produced a tea set and made tea for us in a very traditional manner. She stuffed the tiny pot with leaves and then proceeded to pour boiling water over them. As she poured the tea into tiny cups and then dumped the contents through the screened tray, she explained how she was just washing the leaves and warming the cups. The second pour was the best and the one to be consumed. It was all very fascinating and would have been great to get a picture of, but my camera battery died, hence the lack of pictures today.

We headed back to the hotel for a nap in the afternoon and some down time. We then went up to the 24^th floor where there was a revolving restaurant for dinner. There was a huge buffet with a mix of both Eastern and Western food, a welcome change from our usual fare of traditional Chinese.

We were able to get a great view of Shenzhen and could see the ocean from where we were. The city is mainly flat with the odd small, vegetation covered mountain jutting out here and there. It is definitely picturesque, in places.

Once back in the hotel room, the kids piled into the tub for a great bubble bath. This was what I could see from where I was sitting at the desk composing this post. 

The see through shower/play room into the bath area makes for easy supervision. The plan is for an earlier night as we have a busy day planned for tomorrow.