Nightmare on Art Street

Spring continues to fly by.  The girls helped Ben with a silly video for his Film Production club and they were pretty proud of their efforts:

HD Link

Kara and Ben got a night out on the town when we got our first babysitter.  We headed to the Shanghai Grand Theater where we got to see Carmen.  The music was fantastic and it was a wonderful evening. 

It's starting to get hot here, just in time for our much anticipated visit.  Grandma Katie, Grandpa Rod as well as Paul and Karen are making their ways to Shanghai and we're thrilled to see them.

Whaddya mean we haven't posted in March?

Well, time is flying and it's hard to believe that March is already nearing its end.  We have been going about our daily business and enjoying the beautiful days as they come.  Ben has loved the magnolia tree in bloom outside his classroom window and we see there are a few ready to bloom outside our apartment door.  We've gone to a few parties which have included birthdays, go-karting, celebrating an engagement, a fun run at school, women's day, and being Irish. 

Vivian's class has created a bakery in the classroom

Warm days   ----    New night outfits

 

Failing at badminton    -----    Catching spiders instead

Nina was Ruby Bridges on Hero Day

Year of the Dog

We braved another trip to Disney, which during the Chinese New Year might not have been the best timing.  They sold out of tickets days ahead of time and the lines were ridiculous (many rides had over 2 hour waits).  Apparently going to one of the top 25 destinations in the world on a sunny Friday when everyone is off work was a poor choice. 

The girls still had a great time and were in good spirits throughout.  We tried to do some different activities and watched a pirates acrobatic show, saw the Mickey parade, and stayed to see the fireworks.  Nina started bawling when we had to leave, but it was very sweet.

 

We ended our holiday with some random wandering, good food, and interesting museums.  We found a book/ink/brush district that had all sorts of interesting sights.  Everyone got some books and it's still crazy to see bookstores with 400 year old items and also a Bob Dylan book-collection. 

 

Lunar New Year

Yu Yuan Garden Festivities    -----    The view from above

The Year of the Dog is upon us which brings us more family time together.  We've taken this vacation a bit slower and have spent more time at home coloring, playing games, watching movies, and playing music.  We've made some trips out to restaurants we've been meaning to try, went on a hike up the Sheshan Hills, visited a conservatory, and visited some new parks.  Overall, we've had the super-exciting vacation of getting chores done like paying bills, going to IKEA, and getting haircuts.  We also had the pleasure of seeing Kara's former Century coworker, Michele, with her family and got a chance to catch up over dinner.  

We enjoyed our trip to the Chinese Art Museum.  We made it through about half and had a great time seeing what we did.  The girls enjoyed exploring new things and then found a place similar to Chuck E Cheese across the street, so life was good.

The weather has not been the best, but it's starting to warm.  A few trips to Century Park have been fun with a bike ride, picnics, and friends.  Some of the trees are starting to bloom and even the apples are celebrating the spring festival.