Fruits

So I thought I would share some fun fruit stuff. These oranges are tiny. The pieces inside are about the size of fruit snacks - and Timmy eats them like they are fruit snacks. Yesterday he ate three oranges in one sitting. I bought this entire bowl of oranges for 4.4RMB, which is the equivalent of about $.64 USD. Awesome.

The other picture is of some apples that a friend brought over. I don't know what they say, probably something to do with Happy Chinese New Year. I am also not sure how they got the image on the apple. We have all guessed that it was probably a sticker put on while they were ripening on the trees or something and then removed.

Year of the Ox

So last night was a New Year's Eve like we've never experienced. At about 6pm as it was mostly dark out, the fire works began. Well, they actually had been going on and off since last week, but the for real fireworks started when it got dark on Sunday. Now, when I think of the average guy in the US setting off fireworks, I tend to think of my dad setting off Black Cats and some spinny things and sparklers in the back yard. China is the birthplace of fireworks and they are not illegal here so that means it was intense. These were the kind of fireworks that the city of Chicago sets off. The main difference is that these were being set off directly outside our window by ALL of our neighbors. It seems that pretty much every family in the entire city was setting off their own show. At 11:50pm or so, it got loud enough that we all woke up and sat in our bed with the drapes open watching. Timmy was more scared and more excited than I have ever seen him. He was pointing and yelling and smiling and shaking all at once. It was amazing. Video will be posted soon on Facebook, but it doesn't do it justice.

Getting Busy

So things are getting better around here. We think we have found a new place to live and we think we talked them into getting rid of their nasty couch so we can buy our own. For those of you that join us in loving the white leather couch we currently have, sorry, but we can't keep it. I for one am really upset about this. Although I didn't think I was a white leather couch kind of girl, I absolutely love it. But, it has to stay with our current apartment. So this means we get to go couch shopping.

We don't get to move into our new place until after the Spring Festival, AKA Chinese New Year. Its funny because it is January and they call it Spring Festival. Oh well, I guess it was 55 degrees yesterday (today it is 30, reminds me of Chicago weather)! Chinese New Year is a week long holiday, so Scott has the whole week off. However, he has to work next Sunday. Weird. So we expect this Sunday night to have really long night of loud fireworks til who knows when. So far Timmy has slept through all the overzealous New Years celebrators (is that a word) that have been shooting off fireworks since we got here.

And finally, I think I have made some friends! I went to a playgroup on Tuesday, hosted a playgroup on Thursday and then went to a group called IMSG (sounds like I Monosodium Glutamate, anyway), it stands for International Mothers Support Group. It was great. Hooray for the Internet to connect people. Most of the other moms are really friendly, but also have husbands working for companies that pay for A LOT. So they mostly all live in Expat Compounds (Expat = Expatriate = Not from this country), and have full time drivers and nannys and housekeepers. Being the first and only Expat from Scott's company, we are not quite as privileged and do not live super close to any of the people I have met, save one. One mom lives down the street from me and has a boy that is 3 months younger than Tim. Hopefully she and I will continue to hang out.

Here are a few pictures that have nothing to do with this post, but you all love Timmy like we do, so enjoy!