A quick update...

So, it's been exactly a month since my last "real" blog...I'm not even sure anyone is reading anymore! Then it was the week before Thanksgiving and now it is the week before Christmas. From the chaos of Thanksgiving to the chaos of the the countryside to the chaos of sending Tim and Elijah to Hong Kong...Christmas is really starting to feel like a vacation. I'm not studying again until after the New Year, Isabella is starting "real" kindergarten...Speaking of kindergarten, the kids are no longer going to Chinese kindergarten. I have already had one person express his great disappointment in this happening, so sorry (or not) to all those who feel that they have been let down by my not taking the kids to school any longer. Poor Isabella, the school has begged me to bring Elijah back, but have said that they don't really care for her...which only reinforces my suspicion that they like smaller children and the older the children, the less they are liked. And another way that I have been branded as a "bad mother" is that in this culture, a baby is carried around at all times. I can see a grandma from my balcony. She holds the baby while she watches her soap operas. She holds the baby while she puts clothes on the line and takes them down and while she sweeps and while he sleeps...in short, she never puts the child down. Apparently, the grandmothers down stairs have been talking saying that I am never at home and that I don't carry the baby enough. Another foreigner who lives in the complex thought they were talking about her, but I assured her that they were pointing to my building and that she off the "bad mother" list.
In the Holiday report, I heard a rumor that the news is reporting that China celebrates Hanukkah...I'm sure that this report comes from the East part of the country but I am unaware of any Chinese person who even knows what it is! And their celebrating Christmas is interesting. There many Christmas trees up in stores, most of which make the Charlie Brown Christmas tree look good enough to put up in the White House. It makes me long for Al's huge Christmas tree with all the lights and decorations place nicely (and evenly). But yet again, I have so far been able to control myself from "fixing" everyone else's tree. As for our own celebrations, Tim's school is taking the foreigners out for Christmas. We are going to the Brazilian BBQ restaurant, which I fear has little to do with either. But it is a nice place and relatively western. I am going to make cookies and caramel popcorn for the officials and teachers. I hope they will like these gifts, but even after almost two years, I'm always at a loss for what is an appropriate gift. Anyway, these are the things going on here at Christmas time. We hope to be able to talk to everyone on Christmas day...either ours or yours, whatever makes you happy! We really miss everyone at Christmas time especially.