Monday's Street Scenes

Any takers for duck on a stick? Got to make it through this light!

Any sunny day is laundry day... and the street corner is your dryer!

Saturday, March 14th~ Birthday Day!

We started the day with finding hidden presents after breakfast!After weeks of rain, Saturday was a beautiful, clear day. We had lunch in the Italian restaurant in the Jinmao Tower to enjoy the amazing view.

That's the World Financial Center out the window to the right, where we had lunch with my parents. The Jinmao Tower seems to come only to it's knees!After a quick trip to the Coldstone Creamery in the World Financial Center, we headed to Century Park, where the kids scootered and skateboarded, often with an audience! We topped off the time at the park with a few rides in the little amusement park... typical of Chinese parks to have a small area of rides. You buy a ticket for each ride, most are 5 or 10 RMB each.

Beautiful forsythea bush at the park exit!

Saturday evening we had our small group meeting... we all sang Happy Birthday to Gwen and shared cupcakes! Pictured here with Gwen are her friends, Jacelyn and Sarah. It was such a great birthday day! It was wonderful for me to have all the kids with us for the day, all of us having fun together. Not easy with this crew to please everyone, let alone have them all home on a Saturday. It was a gift for me as much as it was for Gwen. :-)

Fate of a House with Boys

Why does it seem that food is flying out of my kitchen these days? Can't seem to keep the refrigerator stocked...

Spectacle

As I walk down the sidewalk, with Madelyn and Gwen ahead of me on their scooters, a group of Chinese construction workers walk toward us. The girls whizz by them, racing each other on their scooters. As the girls pass the men, one at a time each blue hardhatted head turns to stare at the unlikely pair.

I smile and shake my head. China or America, it doesn't matter.

Do sisters have to look alike?

Day-Before-Her-Birthday Cake!

Gwen's 5th birthday is tomorrow! We celebrated at our homeschool co-op today with this princess cake. More birthday festivities are coming!

Daddy Daughter Dance, at last!

The long awaited Girl Scout Daddy Daughter Masquerade Ball was last night! Madelyn had been anticipating this event for months. We had a dress made at the fabric market, chose a special purple tie for Daddy, picked out shoes that would be comfortable for dancing, and all along she has been counting down the days and preparing special notes for Scott, to give to him the day of the dance. Gwen couldn't attend the dance, not being a Girl Scout, but she dressed up anyway in the flower girl dress Madelyn wore years ago and joined in the photo session beforehand. You'll have to indulge me a little... I took lots of pictures! The dance was for daddys and daughters only, so I couldn't tag along with my camera, but Scott got some great shots during the dance.

All dressed up and ready for a wonderful evening...

Beautiful sisters together

Joy! Can't believe this day has finally come! Love this sweet little smile~

Scott and Madelyn had practiced their moves for a couple of weeks before the big day came... they had special signals for when he would twirl her around, or dip her back in her arms.

Not sure what this move is!

"You are the dancing queen..."Toward the end of the evening, the girls tossed rose petals from the dinner tables into the air as they twirled on the dance floor... Who is that masked couple?

Back at home, Daddy rests his feet and Madelyn revels in the wonderful evening! And here is one of the special notes Madelyn made for her daddy, with pictures of her through the years... "You are in my heart."

Saying Good-bye

We miss you already, Grandma and Grandpa!

Waving good-bye to the van as Grandpa and Grandma head to the airport. Thanks so much... it was a wonderful visit! We love you!

Lunch in the Clouds

Last Saturday we had lunch in one of the Park Hyatt restaurants, on the 91st floor of Shanghai's newest skyscraper, the Shanghai World Financial Center. After days of rain, we were thankful that we could at least see to the ground! Clear skies were not a consideration. :-) Despite the gray weather, the view was amazing as the building is situated at the bend in the Huangpu River. So cool to see around the bend in both directions.

In the background is the spire at the top of the Jinmao Tower, formerly the tallest buildig in Pudong. I didn't even recognize it at first because I've never looked down on it! A glimpse of the Pearl Tower on the left... Looking down on the Luijiaziu financial district, the Huangpu River, and Puxi beyond.

Back at street level again, we posed by a Century Avenue sign, the skyscrapers of the financial district behind us.

This gentleman enjoyed watching the girls!

Looking up at the 101 stories of the Shanghai World Financial Center.

The Mathmagician of Digitopolis

"You know, I get the feeling that everything in Digitopolis is very difficult."

"But on the other hand, you'll find that the only thing you can do easily is be wrong, and that's hardly worth the effort."
Last week, for three performances, Seth was the king of Digitopolis, mathmagician extrordinare, in the Concordia middle school's rendition of The Phantom Tollbooth. Do you see his magic wand (aka, a giant pencil) sticking up above his shoulder from the folds of his robe?

The evening ended with the entire cast dancing on the stage in rotating rows, instead of taking bows. So cool!

It's hard to make a 6th grader look old... scary make-up helps, I guess!

After the performance, we were privileged to speak to to the king of Digitopolis in person!

The mathmagician and Milo, pleased with their performance.

There were 100 students included in the entire production, which included The Phantom Tollbooth, Wonderland High, and a number of funny commericals and news spots between acts. The directors of the middle school drama pulled this off in an amazing way... so neat to see all the students working together. And of course Seth was a star, at least in this mom's opinion!

Kneading Together

Gwen and Grandma making bread together~