Swimming in the Sun

Sixteen years ago, I worked at the Desert Garden Restaurant as a hostess and I watched all of the guests playing in the awesome pool at the Westin La Paloma. Everytime I go back now as a guest, there is a bit of satisfaction just knowing I'm on that guest side of the fence!

Maddie joined us for some serious swimming and giggled her way through the heat by staying cool in the pool. She's getting braver and braver in the pool which makes me want to sign her up for swim lessons. I think we'll have to do this next summer for sure!!!

Happy Swimming Madeline! Stay Cool!

Embracing the Southwest

Maddie's first words off the airplane...."Mommy, it's really hot."

Our trip down to the Southwest in the middle of summer has given Maddie the "opportunity" to appreciate the finer things in life - like air conditioning for example! Just in the nick of time, a new air conditioner was installed a few hours before we arrived and her Grandma Dotty's house was plenty cool when we finally made it home. Before heading home from the airport, we headed to Texas Roadhouse for some excellent steaks. My mom sat there most of the time in complete awe of Maddie as she was having REAL conversations about REAL things - her vocabulary has simply sky rocketed over the past few months.

Our first full day in Tucson was spent running from air conditioned place to air conditioned place. We started off at Leo's Mexican Restaurant which was an absolute hole in the wall that had GREAT food and drinks. Maddie made her version of a Mexican Shawarma which consisted of a corn tortilla, french fries, beans, ketchup and shredded chicken. Only Grandma Dotty could convince her to try it! Andy and I ate shawarmas in Saudi all of the time (probably more than we should have) so we're glad that Maddie, too, knows the finer things in life!

Once we left this air conditioned restaurant, we headed over the Honda dealership to "price" cars. Wouldn't ya know that we would walk out three hours later with a brand new car. Dobbs Honda is smart. They have a kids section complete with toys, TV and DVD player. Maddie was able to sit back with a few sodas, some popcorn and watch several movies as we did our thing with car. She of course, had to "test" all of the horns in the showroom which I'm sure the salesmen appreciated, but she was being cute so I'm pretty sure that she was forgiven quickly.

More to come on the rest of our Southwestern Tales!!!!!

A Beautiful Oregon Day!

Today we jumped on the MAX train in Hillsboro and made our way down to the Rose City and the Portland Saturday Market. It's a great place to find cool things by local artists. Today we found a bracelet for Maddie where the artist resized it just for her. Amazingly, she wore it all day long and it was torture getting it off her wrist at bedtime. We also found some great flannels for both Maddie and Amelia for when we come home at Christmas time. I do think that Maddie's most special find was the balloon man. I'm still amazed that she has conversations with people she doesn't know, but the though of getting a flower balloon hat definitely got rid of all inhibitions!!!

When we left the Saturday Market, we made our way to Dan and Louis Oyster Bar. When Andy was growing up and lived in Eastern Oregon he and his family would eat here so it's always fun to go back. On the way though, we saw "Shanghai"sign that was definitely a photo opportunity - how could we not?! Once again, Maddie ate shrimps for lunch - I think she's addicted!

We ate our Oyster Stew, Clam Chowder, and Shrimp before hopping on MAX back to Hillsboro. I think I love living so close close to Max - it's just so easy to get into Portland and Maddie thinks that all trains are just way too cool.

Maddie helped us pick up the house a bit and Andy started cooking for our first dinner guests. Barbara and Earl came over for a great dinner of yummy oven poached salmon (Andy used the Convection Oven for the first time), fresh corn on the cob, delightful olive ciabatta, and a garden fresh salad complete with dill and smoked salmon. I tell ya, my husband can really cook! We completed the night with Grandma Barbara ready Maddie's entire library to her on the couch. Maddie loved it and I can tell that she misses the stimulation of school. She's just one of those kids that thirsty for knowledge as her wheels are always spinning!

It was an amazing Portland, Oregon day and we'll treasure it!!

How Old Were You When.....??

You Learned How to Use a Mouse?

I was in 7th grade and I first learned how to use it in art class! We've spent a total of 6 hours in the Apple Store at the Genius Bar over the past two days because our Mac has been sick. I'll spare you the details, but I will share with you that 6 hours simply was not enough for Maddie Anna. The Apple Store has four computers set up for children to experiment with software. Maddie was like white on rice when it came to the computers. At first I thought she was just trying to "pretend" that she knew what she was doing. But when she skillfully used the mouse to select several different pieces of software and when she skillfully maneuvered her way through the programs, I was amazed.

Thanks to my friend, Jeff Utecht, and his blog, The Thinking Stick, for being amazed at this skill as well. How cool is that? Look what our children are learning!!!!!

Shrimps for Dinner

Here's what I know:

Maddie is an interesting kid that never ceases to just plain shock me. After a big day of moving, cleaning, fixing computers, etc... the three of us went to Orenco Grill for dinner. Andy's dad, Earl, gave us a 50% off card so we decided to splurge a bit! Maddie feasted on peel and eat shrimp. Everytime I see her eat shrimp, I'm just amazed. She loves seafood... salmon (cooked or raw sushi) and shrimp are her favorites.

Enjoy your shrimp for dinner while we're in America Maddie! It will be a Sunday brunch in Shanghai before you get it again! :)

Brothers to Build!

We thought it fitting to have Connor and Sam stay with us for the first night in our new home. As soon as Maddie found out that they were coming over, she kept saying over and over and over, "I love them." Of course, they scored major points in her world when they helped assemble the new bunk beds! Connor is natural builder of things and didn't hesitate once in picking up the power tools to put the bed together. Maddie watched and kept saying that it was "amazing" which is her new word!


Once we got the sheets on the beds, she had to try out both top and bottom bunks. As you can see, her smile was much bigger when she was on the top bunk. All the stickers warn not to let children under 6 sleep on the top bunk, but she may convince us yet!

The day was wonderful and I'm glad that Maddie was able to share it with Connor and Sam! She adores them and looks up to both of them. The day ended with a screening of The Monster House on the big screen and Maddie immediately made her way to where Connor was sitting. Apparently, he makes an excellent pillow and I'm pretty sure that she was thinking he would protect her from the evil house!

Thanks for being here Connor and Sam!

Maddie's Move In Day!

Just because you have a new house, doesn't mean you get to move in!! You have to get some of the comforts of home in the place or it's just a big empty shell. What strikes me the most in a new house is the empty wall space, but I just need to remind myself that the walls have to create their own memories and tell their own stories - you can't force it! So, memory number one:

New TV in the background, complete with cable. Old TV on the floor, completely turned off. What does the old TV offer that the new TV doesn't? A REFLECTION! Every chance she could, Maddie grabbed the cord and held it like a microphone as she sang her heart out to her reflection in the TV screen. She wanted an audience so I sat on the couch and watched her sing Happy Birthday to me, grandma, grandpa, daddy, Lester.... I have to laugh because I did the same thing only in the living room window of my childhood house!



We watched the dump trucks move fresh earth around the complex and Maddie was amazed that she could get so close to the trucks. We unpacked boxes, moved furniture, washed new sheets - she helped with everything! Of course, in the end, SPROUT won out. She used that old TV as a chair and loved watching her favorites on the new big screen!

Forgive the end of the video... I just had to put it on!

Happy Father's Day Deputy Dad!

We jet lagged through father's day quite well this year! I was just commenting to my mom-in-law that this has been the easiest trip for jet-lagging yet. I think it's because Maddie is on the exact same schedule we are on as far at sleep goes. She was a trooper on Father's Day because we are literally running around at top speeds trying to get "things" for our house. We got the big things purchased yesterday (Saturday) like a refrigerator, washer, dryer, one full size bed and two twin beds .... phew. Today we focused on the "little" stuff like sheets to go on those beds, Tide to put in the washer and dryer.

We spent late afternoon over at Andy's sister's house. Maddie's Aunt Susan is the ultimate entertainer and has everything you would ever need for guests of all ages. I'm always impressed with that because I ALWAYS forget something important for guests. (As I sit here and write this, I just remembered that I forgot to put soap in the guest bath and Connor is in the shower!) Anyway, Father's Day was wonderful because we were able to have the .family together. Maddie played with all five of her cousins the entire time and was completely mesmerized by how wise they were!! :) They roasted marshmallows on the fire pit and watched as both Dads and Grandpa opened up their gifts!

Happy Father's Day Deputy Dad!!

Maddie Can SHOP!!!!

I have to admit that I don't like shopping that much. I'm not a window shopper. I'm one of those people that likes to get in there - get out with what you wanted in the first place - and then be done with it. Let me tell you, that way of thinking does not lend itself to furnishing your first house.

Maddie has gone almost everywhere with us for the past four days. She has been to Home Depot twice. She has been to Macy's four times (though one time she was being.... um, three... and daddy removed her from the store after one of those infamous Wang Dang Dingers). She has been to Costco three times, George Smith Warehouse twice, Bombay once, and Sam Levitz once. She has been our official "Jumpability Tester" and has jumped on twin mattresses, full mattresses, and numerous couches. She has the right attitude.... shopping can be boring, BUT it's possible to see the good in every situation! :)

I still don't like shopping like this as much as I should, but I'm at the point where I'm taking Maddie's advice. If you're tired and there's a bed - sleep. If you're excited and there's a bed - jump. If the Sam Levitz salesman is driving you absolutely insane because he's the pushiest salesman you've ever met in your entire life and you're hungry - eat the free cookies and get out of there!

Thanks for the advice on how to shop Maddie!!!!

It's All About Connections....

TCK.

It seems as if it's THE buzz phrase in international education these days. Expat children are growing us a Third Culture Kids. We saw this when we lived in Saudi Arabia for four years. Most of our kids were from Pakistan and India, yet they attended an American curriculum school and talked like they were from the Midwest or California. They didn't belong in their "home" countries, yet they didn't belong in America... they belonged in a third culture which seemed very ambiguous.

Maddie's dad an I are always talking about how we are choosing to raise Maddie. We want her to grow up internationally to have first hand contact with other cultures on a daily basis, yet we recognize the value of what we grew up with. Looking back, we both value all of the connections we made when we were growing up. Andy values the time spent with family when they went camping every summer. I value all of the memories I have with family growing up. Growing up means family. Maddie has us when we are overseas, but there is nothing quite like the connections that she nourishes when she comes home for the summers.

When Elena, Maddie's cousin, walked in the door today around lunch time, Maddie's eyes just sparkled. I was curious if Maddie would remember Elena as it's been almost a full year since seeing her. Maddie clearly recognized her as she didn't hesitate to start telling Elena about her world. Maddie downright SHINED when she realized that both of the them were calling grandma just that..... "Grandma, can we make some cookies" they almost said in unison. Now that doesn't happen everyday!!!!

Elena took great care with Maddie and in my mind showed an amazing amount of patience with my jet-lagging three year old daughter. Even when Maddie used the bubble solution to water the flowers, Elena was brilliant. They built trains together and Elena even taught Maddie how to throw a Frisbee for the first time. The greatest find was when they were in the crawl space and found a wooden rocking chair about Maddie size. They soon found out from Grandma Barbara that her dad had made it for her. Amazingly, Grandma Barbara said that Maddie could take that rocking chair to her new bedroom in her new house. I had to run upstairs and shed a tear for a minute (I am pregnant after all) because that's a connection for Maddie - a connection that I pray she never takes for granted because not all people are lucky enough to have those connections.

What a joyous day!!! It really is all about the connections....

What's Your Flight Plan?

The night before we fly, I always get Maddie's goodie bag together. She may not know it, but I have a flight plan for her that keeps her entertained!
Contents:
coloring books
crayons
markers
books
stickers
dvd player
movies
sticky notes
plastic scissors
Sudoku book (hey, she's my kid!)
juice
crackers....

I secretly knew that this flight would be a bit different though. Andy and I had saved enough miles so that we could upgrade to Business Class for the long haul back to the States. Maddie jumped into a Business Class seat and waited for me to ask her to move because that's what I always do!! But when I didn't ask her to move - I saw stars in her eyes!!!!!

The pilot walked by Maddie and said, "well doesn't that look like the little princess in the big princess chair?" He asked her if she wanted to come upstairs to the cockpit (it was a bubble plane) and I immediately jumped up asking if I could come too!! :) So we walked upstairs and talked with the pilot, the co-pilot and two other crew members in the cockpit. Maddie was shy BUT she did talk to the pilot and answered all the questions he asked of her, looking him in the eye the entire time - THANK YOU MS. PREETI FOR THAT!

Her flight plan was completely different that what I had in mind for her. She ate A LOT of food that started off with a special salad just for her appetizer (well la-de-da) and had a main course with dessert before she watched the Disney channel for a hour. She then rolled over, gave us kissed good night and proceeded to sleep for the next six hours. So, her flight plan was to milk those seats for all they were worth!

What's Your Next Flight Plan?

Maddie's First Year of School

On Maddie's first full day of school back in August she sported her Fighting Illini orange dress that her Grandpa Bill had picked out for her. She had her pink Hello Kitty backpack, her Tevas, and she was really ready to go. We didn't make a big deal out of going to school because she has been doing everyday and I really think that this helped her transition a bit better. I did catch her taking a few moments of quiet reflection though right before she entered the school gate. All of the other mom's were dropping off their children as well and I could immediately tell that I was thankful that Maddie has grown up in schools. While others were sad that their mom and dad were dropping them off, Maddie gave us a kiss good-bye with just a bit of trepidation in her eyes, but let us go without incident. I'll never forget her focusing her attention on Malin, who was sad that her mom was leaving. "It's okay Malin-don't cry...", Maddie reassured her.

Ms. Preeti had us fill out a survey about what we wanted our child to learn during their very first school year. I wrote one item and one item only - I just wanted Maddie to love school. If she loves school then everything else will fall into place in its own time. As we reflect on the year, I can say with 100% satisfaction that Maddie loves school. She just happened to get a few bonus items throughout the year to make it even better! She knows her colors, her shapes, recognizes all the letters of her classmates - not to mention the social skills she is learning day in and day out. Mid-year Maddie learned how to write her name for the first time and has been practicing it ever since.



The last day of school was so much different that the first. Maddie is much more confident and won't shy away when people talk with her. Maddie is much, much bigger now and even though she's still the youngest in her class, she's taller than many. Maddie can walk herself to her own classroom now (though there is NO WAY I would miss the opportunity to see those first few moments at school). She has gone from quietly entering the class, to mid-year announcing herself with a bark or a meow when she entered, and finally now runs in with the latest caterpillar or bug to share with Ms. Preeti and her classmates. She always has a story to share. She wore a new dress on her first day of school, but even her backpack had "grown up" to a Dora bag with wheels!

What a wonderful year for Miss Maddie with so much love and support from her SAS community family!

Warning... Warning... We're Going to Carrefour

You must prepare yourself mentally before heading to Carrefour in China. We've been to Carrefour in several cities, including Prague, Paris and even in a major city in Bahrain, but those outings never came close to what you experience when you go in China. The few foreigners I see in there are usually the ones new to China because the experienced ones know to stay away at all costs. Carrefour does have things that no other store has though so sometimes you just gotta bite the bullet. As the last expat I saw in Carrefour said to her driver dude, "Mr. Wan - remind me to drink heavily before coming here next time." (I write that in Maddie's blog because I know that someday she will understand.)

As always, Maddie is a HUGE attraction. We try to ignore the stares and touches (impossible) while moving quickly through the aisles (impossible again) to get our things. Maddie can last about 20 minutes and then it's just too much to handle. As always, there are stories to tell afterwards so that is what I share with you today.

Maddie was eaten alive by mosquitoes last week so on top of the plug in, I also tried to buy some Raid so we could spray her room down a few hours before she goes to bed. I had the Raid - it was in the cart - and then some random person grabbed it out of my cart and started speaking to me in Chinese really fast, flailing her arms in all directions. I will translate: "Are you a crazy mother? You can't buy this poison if you have such a beautiful child. You must buy something that is more natural and won't be as harmful to her. Here - buy this one." She then proceeded to put in my cart what I should buy. What could I say other than, "xie xie?"

After 40 minutes in Carrefour, Maddie had officially given up and was worthy of another Wang Dang Dinger entry on her blog. As we finished getting our fruit weighed, we tried to make our way to the cash registers. We, of course, could not move very fast and were stuck in front of the final fruit stand with pre-marked costs. Maddie was throwing a fit because I would not buy a small carton of blueberries for $11.00. Just then, another random person started talking to Maddie in Chinese. Maddie then explained to the woman through her tears, in Chinese mind you, that she wanted those blueberries. So the random woman grabbed the blueberries and put them in my cart. What could I say other than, "xie xie?"

Author's Note: I put the attached picture as proof that I indeed paid 78 rmb for blueberries and I did not purchase Raid. AND if you know what the red fruit is on the side, please tell me. It's the color and texture of raspberries, but has a pit and is much bigger.

I love you Maddie....

Maddie Wanted to Get Her Teeth Cleaned!

When Maddie got her first tooth, the first thing I thought of was what her first trip to the dentist would look like. I had visions of pinning the poor child down as she cried when the only good thing about it was that at least her mouth was open from the crying.

In May 2006 when Maddie was two years old, we tried to take her to the dentist for the first time. We took around 5:00 at night after she woke up from her nap. We were rushed - she always wakes up cranky from naps (she gets that from her dad!), and she was hungry. The dentist was somebody we had never met before and was way too animated for Maddie's taste so Maddie acted accordingly and refused to open her mouth for any purpose. We didn't push her and said we would try again someday.

Someday was today.

All three of us went today (a Sunday) after a relaxing morning of breakfast and cartoons in bed. While dad has his checkup, Maddie watched me get my teeth cleaned from beginning to end. The hygienist was awesome and would explain what she was doing throughout the entire process. Maddie was soooo interested and was studying my teeth almost as much as the hygienist. When I finished, Maddie quickly exclaimed, "MY TURN!" and hopped in the seat with anticipation. I told the hygienist that since Maddie didn't even have an appointment, I would be happy if she was simply able to get a finger inside of her mouth! And then Madeline surprised me...

She lay down flat, soft and still. She rested her hands on her belly just like I had done, closed her eyes just as I had done and let the hygienist use the metal pick to clean her teeth, use the sprayer to clean between her gums, and even let her use that really interesting mint polish on her teeth. She opened wide when asked and closed her mouth when asked so the "spit sucker" could do it's job. All in all, she was in the chair for almost 20 full minutes. No decay and her teeth are in great shape! :)

She was amazing and we're so proud of her. My goodness, she's growing up fast!

Kids Say the Darndest Things!

Maddie already has Amelia sleeping the garage. Is that bad?

A few weeks ago, we bought a crib for Amelia's arrival in September. We have not painted her room yet and still have a queen size bed in there so it's all set up in the garage just waiting to be moved upstairs. A few days ago, Angel and Tony's delivered the changing table and dresser that we had made for Amelia's room. Again, it's in the garage because her room is not ready for the furniture yet. So when I came home from work earlier this week and showed Maddie the painting that one of my students had made for Amelia, I suggested that we go up and put it in Amelia's room. Maddie quickly exclaimed, "I'll help mommy" and proceeded to take the painting out into the garage!

I asked Maddie if Amelia was sleeping in the garage and in her world, yes, Amelia is sleeping the garage because that's where all of her things are located! For the rest of the evening, Maddie went through her closet and got the dresses and shoes that no longer fit her, and then took them down to Amelia's "room." What a great kid! :)

I also put a picture of the Pottery Barn changing table on here that sells for $549. Notice how Amelia's changing table looks very similar - it was about $80. Gotta love China!

So why do kids say the darndest things? Not only is Amelia going to live in the garage, but Maddie informed me this morning that my eyes were broken. I had woken up and went to give her a morning hug. She kissed and hugged me all over before looking at my eyes. She pointed to my "crinkles" around my eyes and told me that my eyes were broken.

Don't worry honey, your eyes will be broken someday too, but just remember that you earned every single one of the breaks and they all have story! :)

Maddie's Minute Soars!

It has been awhile since I posted. Maddie still has a lot to say about what is going on in her life, but the end of the school year has left her "personal assistant" otherwise engaged with correcting papers and writing maternity sub plans!

We are on the final countdown though to heading home for the summer which means you'll get tales from all of our summer destinations. I'll update when I can, but I did run across this cool little widget while I was procrastinating at work today! Thanks to Beckett's Blog for the insight!