Visitin' LA

On our way back to MN, our flights brought us through Los Angeles.  We decided to stay a bit longer there to get rid of jet lag and to explore a city we hadn't seen.  We really enjoyed the La Brea Tar Pits, Griffith Observatory, Getty Museum, and hiking through Malibu.  The girls loved playing at the beaches and fighting the waves.  We, of course, enjoyed all the food, specifically doughnuts, Mexican food, goldfish, and all the food at the Grand Central Market.  We liked the Venice area and seeing Santa Monica.  We drove through some of the other major areas like Beverly Hills and Hollywood, but the girls slept through much of it. ;)

We found quite a few locations that reminded us of music, tv, or movies.  We feel lucky to have made it through all of the trip with all of our luggage. We made it safely to MN and we were greeted by lots of family.  

Golden Birthday

Vivian continues to be a silly kid who makes us smile.  She is lively and caring and enjoys posing for the camera.  Pip has really taken to reading this year, and still likes looking at various animals and insects she finds.  She enjoyed school and liked learning the recorder.  She's also really into Australian tv as she watches Inbestigators, Bluey, Izzy's Koala World, and ellieV toys.  

HD Link

While she is kind and looks out for others, she still can be no-nonsense.  At the start of the school year, she had this interaction with a teacher after a few instances of an unwanted nickname:

Teacher: You're next, princess.
Vivian: Don't call me princess.
Teacher: Alright, what would you like me to call you?
Vivian: My name.

She is ready for what she is now calling her "Golden Year."

Nina is the big one-one

Our Nina has turned eleven and we are so proud of her.  She is a sweet person, loving sister, hard-working student, and great translator.  She loves pineapple things, playing roblox (especially making trades in the game), and was really into Rubik's cubes and connect four for a while.  

Video Link

Nina is very thoughtful and empathetic.  She is a good traveler and loves some sweets after a long walk.  She is funny in a clever way and also loves to laugh. 

Another year gone!

We can't believe our time with Nord Anglia has already come to a close.  It was everything we hoped as we spent another year in China to avoid the eLearning that hit America off & on this school year.  We were safe and able to meet in person every day, which we definitely did not take for granted.  The girls did a great job adjusting to a very British environment with some rules and approaches that were foreign to us.  They both were successful in class and did a great job meeting new friends.  We are proud of their attitudes and maturity throughout the process and hope that this serves them in the future. 

Ben had an exhausting first 6 months, but ended on a smoother note and will greatly miss his students and coworkers.  They were all very kind and appreciative and it was one of the best Math(s) departments he's ever been a part of.  Kara's challenging year of working with her primary student had its ups and downs, but they're both better for it.  It was a deep and interesting experience to be in a department with 9 other people who hail from 9 different countries.  The varied perspectives and approaches were fascinating to watch come together. 

Nina's second time this year when we needed to wake her up

The end of the year saw some parties and play-dates and the weather has been fairly cooperative for it all.  We try to get outside to play soccer or 500 every day and a lot of other kids like to join in or watch if they're too little.  We got to revisit someone Kara met our first year who teaches art to young kids with cancer in the hospital.  The girls did some crafts and we're hoping to go back and play with some of the patients.

The girls are into Binary puzzles

 

Father's Day fun - cool reflections

We were all scared

Bubbles   --   Little Dora loves the girls

It's hard to believe that we have been in China four years.  It is bittersweet for us to say goodbye, but we are looking forward to starting a new chapter back in Minnesota later this summer.