I'm fine...really

I am the type of person who for some reason, gets a little obsessive about very ordinary things that to most other people, have little meaning.  For example, I have a thing with birthdays...I like them to be even numbers or if odd, to be divisible by five...neither of my girls births worked out by the way (one is the 7th and the other the 21st).  Or if someone has an unusual manner of speaking (voice/articulation), I tend to lock into that and hear very little of what they actually say.  Where am I going with this?  Well, I also use expiration dates as kind of "markers" about important events.  Like if the milk is expiring on December 27th then I get excited because I think, "By the time the milk is old, Christmas will have come and gone!"  The bottom line for this blog is: there are several things in my refrigerator that will expire AFTER we're in China...this is just a little too real, a little too life-changing - our move date is close.  Am I making any sense?  Is there something disturbing about obsessing about a very ordinary date on a very ordinary salad dressing bottle?

So there you have it - perhaps it is a accurate reflection on my state of mind right now: scattered, anxious, paranoid, overwhelmed, disbelieving.  It's enough to make me want to take a NAP...  According to the countdown clock Mike has put on our computer, we have 16 days, 3hours and 11 minutes until we are on our way to China.  Perhaps you can see his state of mind - excited, confident, ready, giddy, and fully on board with no backward glances.

The truth is, we are making progress toward the move and there is quite a bit involved - I won't bore you with the details other than to say one of my anxiety cures seems to be shopping (for all those things I am fearful I won't find on the other side of earth).  My shopping "therapy" would not be possible without my mom who takes Erin nearly every day so she can play with my niece and nephew. In my defense, the three kids have been together every day since they were newborns so they just don't know any different - they want to be together to play.  But it has truly been a great gig for the last few months - a stay at home mom without any kids to look after.  It's about as good as it gets, huh?  (Thank you Mom!)  While in China, I may have to turn on the computer cam and lock the kids in the room with it so my mom can watch them and I can have peace :)

Thirty (30!) Days and Counting

Well foks, here we are...a mere 30 days away from the move of all moves! Our house is now listed and we're looking for renters - the VISA paperwork is in it's final stages - lists are taking over my life as I attempt to prioritize my tasks and shop for all the "must-haves" before we leave. Most people assume I am hard at work packing up our lives but in fact I am in full "sort" mode. The packers will do the actual boxing up of everything so my job is to decide what will go with us on the airplane, what we will ship via slow boat, what we will put into storage, and what we don't want to have to eventually unpack in two years (so Goodwill gets it).

Not much of an update, I know, but check out Mike's contribution on our website: web.mac.com/fendog. He added a FAQ section - lots of great info!

The Bedtime Chatter Battle

"Mommy Erin's talking..." "No I amn't*! Emma's the one who's talking!" And so it goes pretty much every night here at our house. This of course is in between back rubs, water breaks, and knock-knock "jokes". Last night when Mike went to check on the girls he heard Erin chatting away, and he said, "Why are you still talking? You're supposed to be sleeping." Her reply? "I'm praying to Jesus!"

We have 38 more nights for the bedtime chatter battle and then we bid farewell to bunk beds. Soon they will be separated by walls with no one to annoy but themselves (and of course, their adoring parents).

*Note: The word "amn't" is Erin's creation which comes from putting together the words 'am' and 'not'. At some point I will correct her but for now, it's just cute.

PRC - Here we come!

It is with some hesitation that I write this post...while Mike keeps reassuring me that it's definitely a "go" this time, I can't help but have a bit of doubt/denial keeping me from embracing our new move date. Our airline tickets are purchased and we will be leaving our Arizona home on Friday, May 15th. We are feeling blessed that the condo we chose in October is still available for us and they are getting it ready for us to move in! That's all for now - there will be more to come!

Finally...a successful trip to Disneyland!

We have made trips to Disneyland in the past and have had our challenges...sick kids, raccoon-like sunburns on both girls, hot weather, long lines, and a fire in our hotel, just to name a few. We decided to try it again and it was fantastic!  Here are a few photos...

Ahhh...sisters!  They got along rather splendidly on this trip.  Yippee!

Daddy and Emma are all smiles on the Dumbo ride.

Our longest wait was to meet the princesses but it was totally worth it. We had photo ops with Ariel, Jasmine, and Belle.

We had family rides on the carousel which is truthfully about as fast as I care to go!

Aren't they sweet??

Erin turned about five shades of red when she met Minnie!  She was really nervous!

Gotta have the family photo when you enter the park.

The bunk beds in our hotel room were a source of great excitement for the girls (even though they have bunks at home).  

There is no CHAI in CHINA...

I have an addiction...there, I said it...to some you may be shocked and dismayed, to others, this is old news.  My name is Geneal and I am addicted to Starbucks Iced Chai Tea Lattes.  

On both trips to China, we visited several Starbucks and there I would stand, searching...searching for my treasured beverage on the menu.  But alas, it would not be found.  Oh, I might soothe myself with a hot chocolate, but it would not replace my craving for my "iced venti nonfat chai".  So what would a rational, level-headed, future alien-resident of China do to remedy this problem?  Well, they would write to Starbucks China!  Here is my plea...

Hello, I currently reside in the United States but will be relocating to Dalian, China in May 2009.  I LOVE your Tazo Chai Tea Lattes!  Unfortunately, I cannot get this drink in China...any plans to add it to the menu?  I realize I can buy the product at retail stores like Target here in the states, but there is just something special about getting it from Starbucks...the cup, the good ice, the green straw...  Please help!  Thank you!

I am sick, right???  The bottom line is, when I make the move to China, I will suffer from withdrawls of many things...my friends and family, Mexican food, being able to read and understand the goings on around me, and now, also my beloved Starbucks beverage.  Here is the reply I received...

We are glad that you have interest in our products.  However, considering the special tasting, the Chai Tea Latte is more popular in U.S. and it is not the core item for us in China, so we may not have plans to introduce it to the Chinese customers recently.  

The Chinese to English translation is endearing :) but not what I wanted to hear.  If you need me in the next month or so, you can probably find me getting my fix while I still can at my local Starbucks!

China Moments

Things still look "on track" for a May departure date and we are starting to get back in the mode - well at least the very early stages - of getting ready.  We need to decide what we will take with us on the plane, what will be shipped via sea, what will be stored, and what needs to vanish.

Our relocation company in China asked me about our preferences for our driver:

- Do you want a driver that speaks English?..."Yes"

- Do you want a non-smoker?..."Yes"

- Do you want a driver that knows the streets of Dalian?..."WELL YEA!!!"

I could could see us now trying to communicate with our driver to agree on what location we are trying to describe, and them have him ask me where it is.  At this point I can find two locations really well; the hotel I always stay at and my favorite hot pot restaurant (which I can walk to from my hotel).  

Our friends that are already there have been telling us that it is still very cold (might get up to 32F/0C) but nice and clear.  Damon, if you read this...I was in shorts and a T-shirt working in the yard today.

- Michael