China city turns to air raid shelters to beat heat
Tue Jun 12, 8:20 AM ET

BEIJING (Reuters) - A southwestern Chinese city renowned as a "furnace" during the summer has opened up its warren of old air raid shelters to help people beat the heat, state media said on Tuesday.

Chongqing, China's World War Two capital, would be able to accommodate 10,000 people in the shelters, which are aimed at low-income residents, Xinhua news agency said.
"We spent about 500,000 yuan ($65,400) refurbishing the shelters -- putting in tables and benches, tap water and book stands, so that the needy who cannot afford air conditioning at home can spend the summer more comfortably," it quoted Tang Zhiming, director of the Chongqing Municipal Air Defense Shelters Office, as saying.
"Money-making activities will be banned at the refurbished shelters -- we want ordinary people to be able to go there and cool off free of charge," Tang added.
Last summer, densely populated and heavily industrial Chongqing sweltered in temperatures in excess of 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit), compounding a drought and forcing schools to postpone the start of the new term.
Many Chinese cities have air raid shelters, a legacy of the country's Communist heyday when Beijing feared air raids or even nuclear strikes from the United States or the Soviet Union.

Clean water project

It is amazing how poor the water quality is in China. When we were there we were told we should use bottled water to brush our teeth, make baby bottles and drink. There were hot pots in each room to boil water. We also couldn't eat raw fruit or vegetables that couldn't be peeled.

After we arrived back into the United States, and took our babies to the doctor, many of them had giardia (a parasite) and some of the parents had it too!

There is an organization called a Child's Right who goes into countries and installs a water filtration system that provides the children clean water. They were in China this year and they installed this system in the Fuling Social Welfare Institute. I am so happy Anslee's orphanage will have clean water.

You can see pictures documenting their trip there and to other orphanages in the Chongqing Municipality.

On A Child's Right website, click on News on the bottom left and then on China 2007 and pictures 75 - 97 are from Fuling.

Fun night out

Watching the Georgia Force is so much fun. It is faster paced than regular football and really kept Andrew and Anslee's interest.

Rain, Rain Go away...

Really we don't want it to go away, but that's what Anslee kept singing when we got our little bit of rain this week. The entire time she was splashing and jumping in the puddle she was singing.
I think Anslee thought it was more fun than the snow we had at Easter because it wasn't cold and we get it almost as infrequently.

I'm hoping we'll get more rain soon. I think we are negative 14 inches right now.

Treehouse Update!

Well, here is my current project update. Andrew wanted a treehouse for his bday. TC told me all I had to do was buy one of those kits, but would I listen, of course not. So here I sit weeks later with a project that is going to cost me double that of a kit and is the size of an Imperial Star Destroyer (Star Wars). (It's actually shaped that way, not on purpose). It will Probably be at least another two+ weeks before I finish and cost at least a couple hundred more dollars. Andrew wants to know if it will be done before the end of summer..........I'm hoping so!!!

Our previous house

We were running errands today and as we started to pass our old neighborhood, Andrew asked to drive by our old house. We drove up to our house and there was a for sale sign in the front yard. The house was obviously empty and the yard was unkempt. Andrew was so sad that no one loved this house anymore. It is always hard to go by a previous house we've owned especially if it isn't taken care of.

Another first...

Anslee doesn't wake up and cry or get out of bed during the night. Until last night. At 2:00am she is walking down the hall saying "mama, I can't find my shoes". I picked her up, cuddled her little warm body for a few minutes, told her we would find her shoes in the morning and then put her back in bed. She snuggled into her pillow and said " I love you mama".

Is there anything better in the world than that?

Andrew's birthday party

For the second year in a row Andrew wanted his birthday party to be a spend the night party. The theme was Spongebob. It was fun, we had many Spongebob games with awards. Then we ate crabby patties that Keith cooked (but they all assembled their own) had cookie cake and ice cream and then watched the lost episodes of Spongebob. They fell asleep around 11:00. Not too bad except most of them had baseball games the next day. They were exhausted. I don't think anyone got the game ball that day!

I'm hoping next year I can talk him into laser Quest or anything else that would not be at home!

Anslee loves...

Someone asked me the other day what Anslee loves right now.
Here is the list:

*playing in water (toilet water, Buster's water bowl, bathtub, the pool, it doesn't matter where the water comes from)

*playing with her brother ~ she wants to do EVERYTHING he does

*Buster!! She also loves playing puppy ~ either she's the puppy or she makes someone else be the puppy. She thinks getting in Buster's crate is so fun.

*princesses! She still loves Ariel from the Little Mermaid. She dresses up in princess dresses and a Tinkerbell costume. For Christmas Aunt DeeDee gave her some "glass" Cinderella shoes and she wears them all the time even though they keep giving her a blister.

*shoes in general. She is the shoe keeper in the house and makes sure they get put in the basket when we take them off. She loves to wear Keith's, Andrew's, Andrew's friend's and my shoes around the house. When we are in the mall she wants to look at all the shoes.

*answering and talking on the phone. When it rings she makes a mad dash to get to it before anyone else can.

*Kayla ~ we have a family we are friends with and she adores their daughter. If she has to go to time out at home she yells "Kayla help me!". Kayla fixes her hair, puts different outfits on her and she doesn't complain once.

*helping do any chores around the house. She LOVES unloading the dishwasher with me, helping cook, fold clothes, making beds and vaccuming is a favorite.

*desserts. ice cream, chocolate, fruit gummy things, icing, skittles etc.

*anything someone else is eating. She won't eat it if it's on her own plate but if someone else is eating it she'll say "can I have some" to whoever is eating. At dinner she keeps asking for the food on my plate even though it is exactly what she has. If I switch plates with her she then wants what I am eating off her plate.

*playing outside. She doesn't care so much what she is doing as long as she is outside.

There are a ton more things. She is just so smart, hilarious and fun. We are having a blast!

Happy Birthday Nana!!

Vists from my parents

Andrew and Anslee are always so excited when Gommy (short for Grandmommy) and Granddaddy come to town. They love the extra activity in the house and Andrew loves to go out to good restaurants just like my Dad.

When my parents leave to go home Andrew and Anslee are both dissapointed.

The Treehouse

Keith is building Andrew a treehouse in the backyard. It is triangular in shape because he is using three trees. After reviewing his work, he has put a brace in the middle of the treehouse because it is so big. The front part will be a deck and the back will be the house part with a roof.

Andrew and Anslee can't wait until it's finished!

sleepy baby

This photo is a rare sight. When we were in China Anslee fell asleep when we were holding her a couple of times. When we were flying to Arizona she fell asleep when Keith was holding her. This is the first time she has fallen asleep with someone holding her at home.

Now that Anslee has given up her naps(!!!) we may see a little more of this. Neither Keith or I mind getting this extra snuggle time :-)

The Game Ball

Andrew loves playing baseball. He isn't the best on his team, but he isn't the worst :-)
Every game the coach gives out the game ball. Andrew got it this game for knocking in the winning run. He was so excited.
Anslee just adores Andrew right now. When she wakes up in the morning she asks if Andrew is on the bus. She can't wait for him to get off the bus in the afternoon.

zoo trip

I went with Andrew's class to the zoo. When I taught school field trips were so stressful. It was nerve wracking to keep track of 21 children in a public place!
Andrew's teacher divided the class up and each parent had 5 children. We only had about 2 1/2 hours to go through the entire zoo and to eat lunch. Amazingly we were able to see all the animals including the baby panda. The children were exhausted when we were done since we had to run to each animal!

T

Author's Party

Andrew's class had an Author's Party. Each child in the class writes and illustrates a story and then all the parents come in and read and sign the children's books. Andrew did a great job writing and illustrating his book and he was so proud of himself.

I have been so happy with Andrew's school. If you look up your school on greatschools.net you can find great information about it and the surrounding schools. Before Andrew started kindergarten, I was impressed with our schools standardized test scores but a little concerned that the teachers were just "teaching to the test". I was so happy to find that this is not the case. His kindergarten and first grade teachers have been incredible and he has learned so much. I also love the ethnic diversity at our school. We have a large Asian and Indian population so Anslee will never feel like she is in the minority.

Doesn't she already look comfortable :-)

Happy Birthday!!!!!

Happy Birthday to my Dad, my sister and to Andrew!

I think it is so cool that they share the same birthday.

It seems like yesterday that Andrew was born. He was born at 1:30 in the morning at just 30 weeks. Keith and I were so excited and scared at the same time. Our Ob told us that he probably would not be crying so we were prepared for him to be intubated immediately and whisked away. But he started crying right away and had an apgar of 8. We were so happy. His 2nd apgar fell to a 4 and they had to intubate him, but we knew by his first cries that he was a fighter and would make it. After 6 long weeks in the hospital he came home. He has no problems from his early birth and is such an amazing little boy.

Easter Weekend

We went to North Carolina for Easter. On Good Friday we went to my sister's house and had a delicious dinner. We also got to hold and pet all the new babies on the farm. This tiny little lamb was a favorite.
Anslee loved watching the ducks get their feet dirty.
On Saturday morning we woke up to several inches of snow. We weren't expecting it at all so it was even more exciting!!

Uncle Mike made the cutest snow bunny with the kid's help. We used Easter eggs for eyes, a carrot nose, and black jelly beans for the mouth. On top is Mr. Potato Head bunny ears. Anslee couldn't bare to impale another peep on the snowbunny's other arm, so she is eating it instead.
It was great getting to spend time with my parents, two of my sisters and their families and my brother who brought his girlfriend I hadn't met yet. We had a wonderful time.
Terri

Andrew and I had this conversation Driving home from Sports Authority tonight :

Andrew said "Mom, there is something that I've really been wondering about for years."

I asked him what that was and he said "How did God decide to put my soul in this body?"

I said I didn't know and asked him if he felt like his soul fit pretty well in the body he has.

Andrew said " Yeah, I think it does. But you know how some people are born that can never walk? I think their soul is too great for their body and too big and that it has to kind of crumple in the legs to fit in and then they can't walk."

I might have written before about a conversation we had before he turned four.

We were in the kitchen and Andrew said "Mom, I know why babies cry when they are born."

I asked him how he knew and he said "Because I remember when I was born. I was up in heaven with God and Jesus and God told me I was going to have to leave him to go be born. He told me I would come back to be with him again but I still didn't want to leave. So when I was born I was crying so hard because I was already missing God and Jesus. But then I grew to love you and Dad. :-)

He thinks so much deeper than I ever did (or do!). His teachers have always said that he's an old soul and I agree.

On a lighter note, do you know what the appropriate attire is for grocery store shopping? You can wear anything as long as you wear a hat.

Anslee wore this pitcher to the grocery store and thought she looked so beautiful. She wouldn't take it off. She drew a lot of attention! :-)

Terri

North Carolina trip

We always have so much fun with our friends. We had our annual trip together at the beginning of March. Last year Anslee was the youngest, but this year there are THREE more babies. Everyone had another baby except me (thank goodness!!). The count now is three girls and seven boys. I think we need at least two more girls. Maybe next year there will be more babies!

Anslee and mom at the Nature Center

We were so excited to get snow!! Every year we've been together it has snowed. Andrew and Samuel wanted to go down the hill in the sandbox lid. The lid didn't move but we took a picture anyway. Andrew stayed outside for about 30 minutes after everyone else went in. He said he didn't want to waste the snow :-)