Shanghai Bound

We're currently bound to Shanghai and trying to make the most of it.  It has been one of the rainiest summers in Shanghai history so we've had a lot of time to get to know our new house and neighborhood.  The girls have liked getting more room to play with their toys and exploring some new parks.  There are pros and cons to the new place as we have moved farther from the heart of the city, but now we don't need to take an elevator, don't share any walls with neighbors, and can see stars again.  The girls have had some playdates with friends and summer seems to be going quite quickly with random little events.

Since we can't really travel, we enjoyed a staycation with some friends at Disney.  We stayed a few nights at the hotel, went to the park twice, and ate plenty of food.  The rain stopped for these days, the air pollution was completely gone, and it was very hot.  We went on the water rides more than usual and Pip loved that she was tall enough to go on all the rides this time.  It was a fairly magical trip and we were sorry to see it end.

 

Cheers to 14 years!

Pip is Eight!

HD Link

Pip is another year older and got a new house for her birthday.  She makes people smile, is optimistic about most things, and works hard to make things turn out the way she wants.  Vivian tried to invent her own language (Pip-latin), loves doing partner yoga moves, and still likes designing towns and classes for her toys.  She continues to have opinions about everything and isn't afraid to share them. Other than constantly bugging her for Chinese homework help, she is a good sister to Nina.

She's also very proud of waking up at 8:08 on her 8th birthday.

Double digits

Nina turns 10 Video Link

It is mind-blowing, but Nina Jennifer entered this world ten years ago.  She has grown into an adventurous, sensitive, conscientious girl who likes to laugh and play games.  It's funny that Kara was once worried that 3-month old Nina had so much to learn and wondered how would she gain a vocabulary; now Nina can speak Mandarin.  Nina is a very loving daughter and a truly caring sister; she takes care of Pip, has fun playing with her, argues with her (in Mandarin), but is always there to help.

 

June

We were all excited to get back to school and the girls got some closure for their time at YCIS. They spent a month with their friends and teachers, and were thrilled to get their yearbooks signed.  Ben saw another class graduate and many of his basketball players finish out their senior year, although they all lamented not getting to play the final tournament in Mongolia.  The girls adjusted well to the many precautions in school and had fun at their parties at the end of the year.

Given the difficulties of getting back into the States at the moment and the likelihood of a disrupted start to the school year this fall, we've made the tough decision to stay in Shanghai for another year.  This has meant a switch in schools, but the girls are excited for their new facilities, to meet new friends, and for the new house.  We've really enjoyed our time with YCIS and we are grateful as we look forward to next year at NAIS about 15 minutes from our current place. 

Summer is officially here and we are getting out to explore a few new spots and enjoying some old faves.  Father's day brought us to our favorite Xinjiang food and cinnamon rolls. We got to visit the first Popeye's in Shanghai for Nana and Papa and have also visited the Guinness Gatehouse for the Fitz fam.  Murder mysteries, birthday parties, and brunches have been fun activities and will probably continue as we are all stuck here for the hot, hot summer.  The girls have gotten into playing Roblox on the computer but their avatars do activities that constantly confuse Kara.