We're still here cont......

What have I been up to you wonder!?!?! Well, my days seem to be pretty full without even trying. Mark is right the shopping has ramped up (as he put it) I think some people think they need to bring home a gift for everyone they know. Sorry, you all I love ya and all but gifts for everyone, that's just crazy!!:) We have been being hospitable and entertaining families who are here on house hunting trips. This week alone, the Pippengers, Whitakers, Searcys and Amicks have all been here. It is fun meeting new people and helping them out as so many did for us. I have been trying to figure out what trips we are going to take over October holiday and at Christmas. Everyone says that you need to have them booked before you go home. I am also already looking ahead to the fall as I think about the Bible study that I am doing with Carol, feeling the daily frustration of knowing that I indeed have to start Mandarin lessons again and I was given the privilege of hosting three different families who will be new to Concordia in the fall. I have to start emailing them to see if they have any questins or anything that I can help them with.
Jacob had his spring concert Tuesday night and it went very well. His pants were done, they weren't any too long though. Levi thought it would be fun to laugh at him about his pants that weren't any too long, but when I informed him that they would be his next year, he suddenly failed to see the humor in them. Jacob has been working furiously on a huge science project and he has been studying for many hours for his Mandarin test. I met his Mandarin teacher the other day and she was telling me that Jacob has suprised all of the teachers in that he is caught up with the rest of the class in his Mandarin after only 2 1/2 months. The kids in his class all believe that there is no way he can pass the Mandarin exam, but Jacob is out to prove them wrong. Now this exam that he has to take has like 5 parts to it and is given over 5 days. He has to be able to read it and speak it. He's actually doing well, because he was reading the cash register receipt at Carrefour tonight that is all chinese characters. He could pick a few words out which is more than I'm sure I'll ever be able to do because they all look the same.
Anyway, that's been Jacob's last week.
Elise has also been studying her butt off. Her algebra exam was two parts and given over two days. Kind of different than what she is used to. The girl was also very sick last Wednesday. She came screaming into my room and woke me up in the middle of the night (haven't had a kid wake me up in ages) and she had thrown up 8-9 times. She is feeling better though and has gotten on with the studying. She has two more exams tomorrow and then I promised her on Wednesday that we would have a girls day and go to the pearl market and out to lunch. So that should be fun.
Noah and Levi, well, they just keep plugging away at 5th grade. They are ready to move schools and are anticipating going to Concordia next year. They are a little scared because they know that they are going to have Jacob's teacher. She is quite difficult and whips their little 6th grade butts into shape for the rest of middle school. The middle school principal put up quite a stink when we asked to have them in the same class next year. Now, I know some of you teacher's out there are thinking this is a very bad choice, but we think it is the best choice for them for next year. But Jacob's teacher volunteered and said she really wanted them. In fact, she wanted them so much that the principal made her go to a faculty dinner that she wasn't planning on attending in order to get them. So she did and they are hers.
I think all three boys have gotten a little tired of playing soccer so they went to Decathlon and bought a basketball. Today, they wanted to go to Concordia and play but after school during the week you have to have adult supervision. So they took Hang Lei and he had a grand ole time shooting hoops with them.
So you see, nothing too exciting going on, but never again will I say that my life is becoming routine. Who needs a fire to make it not routine, certainly not me.
Now to answer past blog questions.....
Yes Karen, my panic button is indeed similar to the help I've fallen and can't get up, however if you've fallen and can't get up you are pretty much up a creek because these buttons are about five feet up on the wall. Not so useful unless you have a fire and remember to push it:)
Yes, I would love to have a get together but I will wait to plan that until I get home. I'm not reall sure how my calendar is going to look.
Betsy, the Pippenger's were here on their househunting trip. They will be moving here mid-July. When it is smokin' hot. They are going to actually be quite a distance from us. They will be in Puxi about an hour and fifteen minutes away. We had a good time with all of them and have dubbed ourselves MEFC-Asia.
See you all in 18...........