One Semester Down

2020 is finally nearing an end and we've reached the end of our first semester.  The girls have done a great job adjusting to new teachers, peers, and school rules.  We've been proud of their hard work.  Pip has greatly improved her handwriting, reading, and spelling.  This has led to her liking the game bananagrams which has gotten a lot of use as of late.  Nina has worked hard in all subjects, had a great sports day, took part in an after-school drama club that performed a one-act play, and she is currently working on another school play.  

We downed our pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving and then shifted pretty quickly to Christmas mode.  The girls appreciated all the activities at school and are looking forward to the holidays.  Kara is getting adjusted to her new job and is enjoying the camaraderie with her coworkers, all of whom are from different countries. Their secret santa party this week was quite fun. We went to a Christmas market with some friends and the girls always love hot chocolate, even if the weather was warm.  We also took part in a scavenger hunt and had a great day to wander a different part of Shanghai.

Carrying on

Even during such an unusual year, it's hard to believe we're barreling toward the holidays.  The girls are used to their teachers, classmates, and work routine, Ben has adjusted to his heavy load, and Kara has started as a Learning Assistant in the school as well, working with 5th graders.  While we're busy, we are trying not to take for granted our ability to go to school now and to have things operating on a safe level.  Security has tightened up in the city after one case of Covid hit Shanghai last week, the first locally transmitted case in almost half a year.  In other news, Ben finally upgraded from his iPhone 7 that wouldn't stay charged and got the new iPhone.  We've been having fun with the camera and look forward to seeing even more of its capabilities.

Halloween was another fun night and the girls enjoyed getting their haul.  The biggest treat was visiting their favorite art teacher from YCIS.  

Kara went to blow glass with Tracey and absolutely loved it.  Working with temperatures that felt "as hot as the sun" made for an amazing experience.  

Lastly, the girls have gone through a Rubik's cube obsession and have gotten quite fast.  Nina can occasionally solve them in under a minute.  Here's an old video of them at work.

Golden Week

We've been glad to celebrate Mid-Autumn festival in Shanghai. Combined with Kara's birthday, we got out a fair amount, hung out with friends old and new, ate a lot of food, and did our typical wandering.  From barbecues to mahjong, ice skating and visiting a farm, we managed to do a variety of activities and we have greatly enjoyed the gorgeous weather. Lastly, we heard Elmo was in town, and since many of the girls' cousins love him we had to make a trip to see him.