April Flowers...

Easter snuck up on us this year and we learned late in the game that finding anything Easter related was more of a challenge then suspected.  It is amazing how out of the loop you become when you don’t have all of the commercials and magazine ads to remind you of the upcoming holidays.   Chris and I both set out to find Easter candy and eggs on opposite sides of the city with no luck.  At a baseball game, I got wind of a woman that has a stash of expat supplies in her basement and much like a black market deal, I scored a couple dozen plastic eggs and some mildly stale Easter chocolates at high cost.   In the end, the bunny arrived spreading Easter cheer and we have yet another thing added on our grocery list for the states this summer.  

Garrett is convinced that the Easter bunny is Santa in a Bunny costume!  So thankfully, “Santabunny” was able to bring some toys in their baskets.  Who would have thought the big hit (and a very last minute pick up) was a set of Lee Press on nails for Ayden.   We spent Easter evening with a group of friends celebrating with a pot luck dinner.  At one point during the evening I noticed Garrett and Ayden sitting at a table with Garrett applying the press on nails to Ayden’s tiny fingers.  I picked up the box wondering how he knew how to apply them noting the direction to be written in Chinese.   He confidently told me (as if he does this every day) … “you hold pressure for 20 seconds!”  In the end, they were all applied perfectly and I am not sure who was happier, Ayden with her new long plastic nails or Garrett playing the nail technician!!   I have been spending the past two weeks peeling these nails of various clothing and furniture.

We worked extra hard this year on our Easter cookies to be left out for "Santabunny" - and yes, they tasted as good as they looked (considering our challenging oven.)

For spring break this year, we decided to keep our trip more local and we visited a nearby Provence called Hongzhou.  We took the subway to the bullet train.  It is shaped just likes its name and runs about the speed of a bullet too!  It just added to our adventure. The bullet train travels at an average speed of 150 miles per hour.  

We took the kids hiking through the mountains.  We couldn’t have asked for better weather and hit the cherry blossoms in perfect timing. 

As we popped off the trail out of the mountains we walked by a tea plantation that was being harvested.  

This is very typical of Jordan’s personality… kind hearted but as fierce as they come!

Wouldn’t you just love to know what he was thinking when he was looking into the eyes of this Lion!!! 

(For the record... Garrett's was not a posed shot)

Well, April wouldn’t be complete if we couldn’t get in to the ER for yet another visit.  I guess Ayden's ankle  wasn’t as healed as we initially thought when she wanted to jump on the trampoline.   It will be a miracle if the cast makes it three weeks.  As you can see, this is not going to stop her and I am getting to know the hospitals around here all to well!

My posts wouldn’t be complete without yet another Chinese lesson…  While the vegetables here are in abundance, beautiful and super cheap - to buy them doesn’t come without cost.   I have to wash everything as I would my child going to bed at night.   We haven’t had any problems thus far, but I have heard that if you don’t do this, it would come at a high cost.   

Couldn’t resist posting a picture of Jordan playing baseball…  watching her play baseball (or sports in general)… is probably what makes us feel most at home here. 

May Milestone:  Ayden lost her first… and second tooth!!! 

 And for the record… yes the tooth fairy comes to China too!  

2 months and counting until our trip “home”!!