Playground Fun in December

 As much as the weather can be polluted at times (though it seems better than previous years!) and the cold can be COLD, we are blessed to live somewhere where we often still get to play on the playground daily. We may have to wait until the sun comes out and the wind stops blowing (since the playground is in a pretty strong wind tunnel!) but it is possible! And for that I am very grateful.

 At just 13 months, Ellie is climbing the stairs solo. I turn around, and she's already half-way up them, though I still stay close to guard if I can!

 She goes down the slides alone too. It helps me as before I would always climb up and slide down behind her! Now she has the sweetest, proudest look as she lets go and slides down to me on her own!

 She even goes down the very fast and steep tunnel slide on her own, on her tummy. What a huge grin as she comes zooming out! And this momma is grateful to not be squeezing down it holding on to her ankles and bracing myself anymore!

 Ellie definitely takes after Hadassah... Both are climbers.

And quite daring! While I still miss having a back yard, we are blessed to live somewhere that has playground and exercise equipment (that the children use as a playground!) just a few minutes walk from our building.

 Speaking of fun, we even have our own "amusement park" type place running daily. You have to pay for each ride, but for a special family Saturday outing, it was fun! Especially now that Ellie is old enough to really enjoy them. She neighed at the horses when she saw the carousel. :)

  And Dassah absolutely loves this mini car roller coaster.

Guess going by herself makes her feel in control and it certainly whizzes by fast!

 The leaves are turning as Christmas gets closer...

And we are thankful.

The Day before a Birthday

(pictures from Friday, October 28th)

T'was the day before a birthday, and all through the house,

 a Mommy was scurrying as fast as a mouse.

The house was being decorated, since the cupcakes had been made,

A lion for the big girl - 

 And a lamb for the babe.

 The children woke from napping, so they too joined in the fun -

 As mama blew balloons, they played with those already done.

 The Daddy then got home, so away they all went, 

To the big girl's favorite place for a supper to be spent.

 It happened to be decorated, so it was a fitting place,

And they were given balloons, for an extra smiling face.

 The birthday girl got pizza just exactly right for her - 

Olives (or, to her, "O's") are her favorite, I assure!

 Papa John's was enjoyed, from the parents to the kids,

And the best part for the mom was there wouldn't be any dishes!

 For the best birthdays of course, ice cream is the final taste,

Though this is the look when it's all gone you have to face!

 But we were a happy family, celebrating just us four,

And the memories we made were sweet despite the rain outside the door.

 Since we had the space to walk, through the mall we explored,

With the favorite place for sure being the cool pet store.

 The next stop was new, the first library for this one -

Yet the $30/month fee made it a one-time thing for fun.

 But for that night it was free, so the girlie kept on reading

 with the mama, while the daddy was the baby corral keeping.

Then it was back to home for all, with the sweet girls put to sleep,

While the parents stayed up late, with a party deadline to keep!

Our Big "Backyard"

Do you have a backyard? When people ask me what I miss most about America, having a backyard is top of my list. Not that it's necessarily just a China thing. I know if I lived in an apartment in America I wouldn't have one either. But based on housing costs here and the scarcity of normal-size houses (literally almost everyone lives in an apartment in the city!), it's something I really miss. Just being able to step outside and let the kids play without having to make sure you have keys, shoes, diapers and wipes in case, water, and more if you're going to prevent having to make the long trip back to your building and up the elevator.

But, enough complaining. We have been blessed with many many beautiful places close enough to bike to.

 So on good days, when the weather is nice, we head out to the closest to a backyard we've found here.

We meet Ryan for supper sometimes. There's just something about outside air that makes even PB&J taste great. :)

 And you never know who will stop by, like this policeman one day...

 ...who handed Ellie a balloon! I'm guessing he found it on the ground and decided to give it to someone who would enjoy it! :)

 It was a beautiful day for a bright yellow balloon. :)

 And for a big girl trying new things... I discovered with all of her teeth, Ellie can chew green peppers and even a little lettuce!

 And when the almost-3-year-old finishes first, as she almost always does, she can go and dance in a field instead of being cooped up inside. :)

 While the baby stays and keeps begging for bites of mommy's food. ;)

 The clouds darken, and the sun starts to fade...

 But there's big, open, soft grass for the baby to practice her steps. These were taken the end of September (this post has been sitting in drafts for way too long!) so Ellie was only just starting to walk a few solo steps.

 Yeah... it's hard to get too much of this cuteness!

 It does the soul good to drink in the beauty of the sky. I think that's another reason we like this spot so much... there aren't too many tall buildings, so you can actually see big sky all around!

 Pussy willows are the perfect, natural baby toy...

 Until she starts eating them, of course. ;)

 But tickling her with them distracts her from trying to bite them!

 And there's space. Space to let Hadassah roam without worry. Space to follow after her and fly the baby on the shoulders until they start to ache.

 It always seems like a lot of work to pack up supper and make a picnic of it, but we never regret doing so.

 These memories are too precious to miss.

 One day, Lord willing, we'll be in our own home with our own backyard. Getting out won't be so hard to do. But I have a feeling we'll miss these times when we had to make more effort.

Because when these sights are more rare, they're definitely more greatly appreciated.