Traditional Chinese Medicine

Last week I was suffering from laryngitis, and could hardly speak. On Friday, Mr. Yu noticed this and he asked me if I had any medicine. I told him yes and that I needed to take some. Come Saturday I was still struggling to talk. While we were all out shopping, Mr. Yu had taken it upon himself to pick up some traditional Chinese medicine to help me get my voice back. He said I need to take 20 pills 3 times a day. The pills were little yellow balls, a bit smaller than a bb pellet. They came in a small white bottle , with a foil safety seal. I have no idea what they're made of, but I trust Mr. Yu so I decided to try them out. When I woke up on Sunday my voice was back. Mr. Yu was pleased with this. He said, "Chinese medicine, very good." And I agreed!

Remember when....

....Molly's hair was so spiky it wouldn't lay flat?





















Well, that's no longer an issue. Her hair is so flat and staight. It keeps getting thicker, but it doesn't seem to grow in length. She's still our beautiful girl!!

Gymnastic Champ

Today was technically the last day of gymnastics for Morgan. They will have one make up lesson next week, but today was treated as the last. At the end of the lesson, each of the kids received a badge and report card. The coach's comments said Morgan is a "good listener and takes on the competencies being taught." I am really proud of our little gymnast. Chuck and Nancy were able to watch and they were impressed with the coaches and how well the class ran. And even more impressed with Morgan's moves!! She really seems to enjoy the lessons, so we have signed her up for the next session which begins in April.

A good first day!

Morgan stayed home from school on Friday so she could spend time with her Nana & Grandpa. We went to the near by import grocery store in the morning and then walked around the compound before lunch. Mark was home shortly after and took them to the bank and for a little tour of Shanghai.

For dinner, we headed down to the riverfront. Nancy was impressed with the speed of traffic and the number of boats on the river. They are mostly cargo ships and river cruise boats. Morgan was excited to point out the Oriental Pearl Tower.

We had dinner at Paulaner Brauhaus, a traditional German style restaurant. (Hi Uncle Donald, Uncle Ronnie, & Uncle Ed!!) The food was good, but unfortunately Molly was a bit fussy so we had to make the evening short. It was dark when we left the restaurant, so it was nice to see the buildings all lit up. And once again, Morgan pointed out the Pearl Tower.

Today we will all take Morgan to her gymnastic lesson. Then we are heading to the fabric market. My gown and Mark's tux are ready to be picked up.

he times

I couldn't resist pulling out the camera today when Molly caught hold of my Time magazine. I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I enjoyed watching her "read".

They're Here!!!

Yay!!! Our first visitors have arrived. Chuck and Nancy, and all of their luggage, landed late last night. They said the flight was good, but got little rest. So they were able to sleep all night long to get ahead of the jet lag.

We are anxious to get out to show them around our city. We have lots of shopping...errr...sightseeing to do. We'll keep you updated on our itinerary.

Everybody Was Kung Fu Fighting....

The swimming and gymnastic lessons are winding down and new programs are starting up. Morgan took a Kung Fu lesson on Monday after school. I think she enjoyed it, but definitely not as much as she enjoys gymnastics. The instructor was very nice but isn't good at keeping the active 4 year olds focused. I noticed Morgan looking around, then asking for something to drink, then lying on the floor. After her lesson I asked if she liked it and she said yes. Then I asked her if she'd like to do it again or try something different? She wants to try something new. So this weekend we would like to take her out to the tennis court and she if she is interested in tennis.

That is one thing about being here in Shanghai. There are so many kids activities and programs. They certainly don't get bored. Its a great opportunity for her try all of these things and then decide what she'd like to stick with.