What to start with? Here’s the list: last night’s game, trip to Tokyo, SMOG.
I’ll hit Tokyo-Trip first since it’s all I’ve been doing for the last 45 minutes, and for the 2 hours in between kid and adult sleep for the past three nights. Sigh. Okay, so because Chinese New Year immediately follows the volleyball season here, going south and beachward for a holiday is almost out of the question; hotels are packed and flights are expensive. I mean, I’m sure if we really looked we could find a hotel room somewhere, but then it would be jammed with other people and it may not be exactly what we want. (Example: We found cheap flights to Singapore through Aeroplan, but the hotels on neighboring Indonesian Islands are completely full – so says the travel agent that I’ve been back-and-forthing with, trying to make this beach-vacay work. Rrrrrrr….) Anyways, so our Plan B was to just fly home and vacay from there but then… we had the idea of taking a short sojourn to Tokyo; we loved it there so much and Nao is there and it would be so awesome to see her and eat all of the fabulous food (a few examples: donuts, sushi, bread, basement food hall offerings, tonkatsu, donuts donuts donuts). I’ve been looking on Aeroplan once more, trying to avoid a minimum $2100 trip (not including hotel) for four or five days in Japan, but unless we want to book a SEVENTEEN HOUR trip (direct flights take just over four hours), it may not happen. Sad face, sad face sad face. I’ll keep looking though, and then, if it just ain’t going to happen, we’ll look at flying back to Toronto February 8th-ish.
I did catch warm-up last night - it was good to see so many fans out!
Now, to what should have been my first order of business: last night’s match, game one of the finals! The guys played really well, but lost in five. I was so sure that they had the fourth set – they served for match point at 24-23, but it didn’t happen. The fifth was kind of a catastrophe, with three missed serves in a row and a few more here and there. Steve played and played really, really well, so that’s really the only positive point we can run with here; wait, nope, it’s not. The home team pushed Bayi (the army team) to five sets and played well for most of the match – at least (I hope) they should have a good deal of confidence going into Saturday’s game. They have to win to push the series to a third game which would follow on Sunday. Shanti and Carol and I cabbed to the gym with the kids, but I only lasted one set before I had to find my way home with Alana; the gym was packed, it was loud, she was sniffly and beside herself with tears, and I wasn’t far behind. I’d never seen her so upset before! It was horrible. I tried calming her down outside in the hall, but with no heat and lingering smoke from all of the men who light up in between sets, it just made matters worse. Plus, the air quality was hazardous and you could see smog hanging in the gym – not. good. So I left Hendrik with Shanti, and Alana cried and cried until we got home, and then cried some more … but settled down nicely after a bit. Steve left just after lunch today - they’ll be in Suzhou for a few days before the game this weekend. But it’s the last road trip before our big one home. That’ll be interesting, getting everything rallied up around here – packed and sold or dealt with. Jobs jobs jobs!
today's view from Hendrik's bedroom window
The smog has been horrible, once again. Our purifier is running full blast all of the time, and besides the trip to the gym last night, we haven’t been outside in four days. (What do we do? Run in the halls, go to the pool, play with play-doh and colour; we do jobs, make forts, “do crafting”, cook, eat, nap, look at pictures, make signs, workout, and read.) Both Hendrik and Alana have been sick, and though I think it’s just a cold, I may be wrong (headline from CNN: A Beijing pediatric hospital says it has treated a record 9,000 children this month for respiratory illnesses, most of which doctors and patients blame on the smog, Xinhua reported.). It’s been interesting living here and I’m very thankful for this adventure, but I’m excited to be homeward-bound soon. Stay tuned!
from L-R: cooking "beets sleets and gleets", wearing the Leafs, looking good in a new hoody, and out for a walk on the 26th
hendrik always has quite the crowd watching him at this store - salespeople and shoppers alike!
(apple pie cake) mickie, is that you? YUM. we ate his ears first.
at the Museum of Natural History - there was an awesome dinosaur exhibit!
I can’t believe it’s almost February and that the volleyball season is almost over (in February). The guys are in the finals, and those start next Tuesday (the 29th); game two is Saturday (Feb 2nd), and if a third is necessary they’ll play it the following day, on Sunday, in Suzhou. There’s a team function on the 6th and then… we’re free to GO! Crazy, crazy, crazy. We’re trying to decide what to do - how to plan and what to plan for the next few months before national team obligations call us to Gatineau. We may vacation here (I’m thinking Club Med) but because Chinese New Year (the biggest holiday by far here in China) immediately follows the volleyball season, we may have to wait a week - everything is booked solid. But the plan is this: wait and see how the season wraps up and see if there's any chance we may come back in the fall (because if not we have to deal with all of our stuff and sell it or move it all out somewhere – crib, purifier, baby stuff, appliances, kitchen things), and look into when Hendrik’s eye surgery could be. If there are still a few months for him on the waiting list then we might take our time here and stick around for a few weeks. There are pluses and minuses to both staying here and to jetting home to Canada: it’s polluted here, but cold cold there; our apartment in Gatineau is occupied until the end of April, and this one – complete with five-star-hotel-pool and workout room – is booked until the end of March; we have family and friends at home, but precious few here. Anyways, I could go on. We have to wait and see and make a game time decision after the finals. We hit up a playgym yesterday and Hendrik was IN HEAVEN. I’m thinking we need something like this at home, you know, for when it’s MINUS 40. Or whatever, whenever, wherever (malls, exercise facilities, community centres)…
Updates:
It’s been a while, so I’ll blast through a family update.
with Alana AND Steve and Hendrik in the background
ME
I’ve been busy with kids. And poop. Hendrik has more or less figured out the pee thing (except when he’s sitting on Steve’s lap), but the other bodily function makes him gag (actually), and he’s not into doing it on the pot. I know this is kind of how it goes… but for how long? In the past week I’ve cleaned up some serious messes, and I’d love to know when the sun will set on this mess-bomb stink-bomb stage. I’ve found some kid-free time in the evenings, and have made it down to the gym numerous times in the past week, and that’s been ah-mazing. We went for sushi on Tuesday night and that was also amazing; it was as if we stepped into an oasis in the middle of this bustling busy stinky commotion-ridden city, and it was a bit of a shocker stepping back out. I ate dinner with chopsticks in one hand and a baby in the other, and both kids kept it all together – no messes, pukes, poops, pees or tantrums – and we were able to find a cab almost immediately afterwards and get home and get both kids in bed by 10:00. I got a haircut at a very nice salon for next to nothing ($20). The stylist schlopped a ton of hair off, and when he (no English) took me up to the counter to pay, he said something to the manager who translated: “You have A LOT of hair.” Yes, yes I do. It’s a good thing too, because it feels like it’s all falling out in this four-months-after-delivery phase. Ummmm what else… I cook meals. I feed people. I do laundry. I miss my friends and family. But my kids are amazing and I love my husband and the air outside has been better so I’m happy. I must say that I do look forward to the day when I fit in my clothes and I can get out of these perma-wear lulu pants. This is my update – how mom is it? But, c’est moi. I’m a mom.
Alana (closing in on five months old)
Alana is a dream, and we are so in love. She has herself on a nice little schedule, which involves eating every three hours during the day, and sleeping right on through the night (knock on wood please may it continue). She naps after most feeds, and those last anywhere between 20 minutes and 2 hours (!), and in between she’s one happy little chile. She loves smiling and watching Hendrik rip around, and is getting more comfortable on her tummy. She’s rolled over a few times, back to front and front to back, though she isn’t traveling on her own yet (as in roll, roll, roll). She’s babbling a bit, but not too too much – maybe she’s letting Hendrik do all the talking? She's a gem!
Hendrik (2 years + 2 months)
The in-potty-training-progress update is, for some reason, included in MY update, so yeah, you can read that part there. He’s doing really well, and is still excited about his potty charts and chocolate milk treats, so we’ll keep that rolling. He loves playing volleyball and running around the house; he makes forts with the couch cushions and plays hide and seek. He uses his imagination to pretend-talk to Mickey (Mouse) on the phone, to talk to Mommy on Skype on his computer (Steve’s alarm clock) and to shave his beard with a shaver (a post-it note). He still loves books and reading and is learning to etch out a few letters in our colouring sessions (he can do a V, an H and an O). “That’s Chinese… I can’t read that,” he’ll say, when we’re out. Ummmm I have to think of more quotable quotes here.. oh, he says “Excuse You” when he farts (hilarious) and tells Alana that it’s okay when she cries. He is still sleeping in the crib, though he could so so SO easily get out of there on his own. He currently has a very snotty nose and a bit of a nasty cough that thankfully hasn’t gotten any worse in the past few days; here’s to hoping it gets better soon. Oh, and he loves swimming:
Steve
Plays lots of volleyball. And has the best job ever. In the above pic he's about to enjoy some miso soup - and Hendrik has his face in his bowl of rice. The kids are sleeping and I have computer eyes (part of Steve's update?) so I'm going to go. Adioooooos!
Some of these may have been posted before - excuse any repeats! This is one of many blogs I could be posting right now... hopefully I can get another one up before the week is out...
Where's Waldo Steve?
our sleeping beauty
a night out, really living like a local
avec le team, on a road trip
new red vesty, from Gma and Gpa O
HUGE block
momsy gets a haircut! i went down to "the barbershop" (Tony&Guy) - cheap hair cut at nice salon!
Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) display in front of the Grand Hyatt
The guys are in the finals! The air is better! We have a purifier! Things are better. I was much too stressed earlier this week and feel much better now, with cleaner air to breath and a husband at home. Quickly: the finals start 10 days from now (that means Sunday Jan. 27th) but where, we are not knowing. The air purifier was delivered the same day I ordered it - I called, and almost teary-eyed begged them to come that day (they told me I'd have to wait FIVE DAYS because they were so busy), and someone did. I gave him cake, and he was so so so nice. And yes, the air is better in here - we're rotating the one machine between our bedroom (at night), the main living area during the day, and Hendrik's room for three hours before bed time. Outside levels are down, but still way above what is considered healthy. Pics and vids, voila... gotta run!
helping dad sort his laundry: orange guy in orange pile, blue-shirt guy in blue pile
LOVE this picture!
one of my latest potty chart creations :)
Alana at 4 1/2 months, and Hendrik at 3 1/2 months (-ish)
Yay! The guys won their first (of two) semi-final tonight (3-1), and Steve finally comes home tomorrow! I should have written that the other way around because I sure am more excited to have my husband back after two weeks away than I am to see BAIC go into this coming Thursday’s game with the upper hand. Anyways, I’m happy happy happy that he’ll soon be on his way. What I am really none too happy about these days is the air quality here, or complete and utter lack of it. I was thinking that readings in the upper 300s were bad (they are) BUT, it was “beyond index” in the 700s yesterday and last night – seriously. I’ve been up since 5:30 this morning (both Alana and Hendrik woke up in the night) trying to not cogitate myself into a total state about what this pollution could be doing to the little lungs that I care so much about. If I knew we were coming back here, if I knew that BAIC was in the finals, I’d purchase a purifier pronto. But hey, if they lose their next game, we could be on a plane in no time at all, and then how would I sell it? Purifiers don’t come cheap - but then again, we’re talking about our health, so does it really matter? Hm. Steve and I will talk about it tomorrow. (We haven’t been outside in three days except for when Hendrik and I walked the 10 metres from our front door to the Tony&Guy to get his hair lopped.)
Hendrik was so calm and cool, unlike most of the hairdressers - they were in LOVE with him! and check the stylist doing his hair - leather studded jacket, ooooh yeah. The cut cost $12... cheaper than the Bowmanville Barber Shop!
Other news: it was Steve’s birthday yesterday (35! happy birthday my love!), Alana is finding her voice, and potty progress is still happening. I’ve only washed one of Hendrik’s diapers in the last four or five days - ! Crazy. There were minimal spills yesterday and maximals today; we shall continue on in baby steps. (On that note, I am finally really learning first-hand what that term means, and I’m thinking of potty training and swimming.) I went out tonight to get a few groceries from a nearby tres limited shop and was thinking on my way back of how the trip had become an ordinary not-so-much-to-see occurrence. But with fresh eyes, this is not your (/my) everyday walk down the block to the store… it is so different! But every year the initial it’s crazy here! it’s so different! look here look there look at that! becomes the ordinary, and that’s where we are now. With time, the extraordinary becomes ordinary, no? Sometimes. Most of the time? I need to stop and go to bed!
Happy Birthday! His team surprised Steve with a cake... yummmmm
Steve and Freddie make the cover! Check out the mag HERE
And watch Steve's "Day in the Life" vid below... love it!
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