Great Article

http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/articles/2008/08/30/the_point_of_return/

Photos of Cady

Here we have just arrived at the clinic


After 30mins of pressure and ice, her lip doesn't look too bad


This is the aftershots taken today - you can see how much damage she actually did


Incredibly she says it doesn't hurt


Even with stitches, she still has her million dollar smile

A brighter day...

I wanted to take a moment and thank everyone for the well wishes and concern - it is great to know we have such great friends and family. Cadence had a peaceful night and woke up this morning like nothing had happened. Kids are so resilient, unlike her parents who didn't sleep well at all. Her lip looks to be healing great and other than the little stitched crosses (kisses) you wouldn't even know she had hurt herself.

I will get pictures when she comes home, but I think we can all relax a little bit today, at least while she is at school. Needless to say we had along chat about knives and why we have the rule 'Never to touch them' and the knife is now safely out of reach.

On a happier note, I did want to share this funny that was in among my emails this morning. My friend Joanne, never fails to make me laugh. Joanne, you were just what I needed this morning.

Check out the earliest photo of Michael Phelps....

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Not a day I want to repeat anytime soon

I started today with such high hopes. It was the first day in about a month that I would have some alone time. All three kids were going to school, Richard was at work and Joyce had returned to see her parents before heading off to MA and I had no errands to run.

I was going to have some ‘me’ time and I was going to enjoy it. Of course, there was nothing I wanted to do more than take a nap and catch up on some of the things (like blogging) that I have not had time for recently. The day went pretty smoothly, one of the ladies that I have been in email/yahoo group contact with for the past couple of months popped by to say hello and drop off some mosquito patches. I wouldn’t normally have needed them, but some fool (okay, me) packed all the mozzie stuff in the container and since it is hard to find ‘good’ repellent here, we are all being eaten alive.

Anyway, Serene (my new friend) and her 3 year old son Zac came and said hi and stayed for a short chat. We are hoping to get all the kids together next week to introduce them and have a longer playdate. Serene also has a 5 year old daughter, who just started school, so it should be a good time for everyone.

After Serene, I caught up on some emails, listened to some music and just hung out reading before taking a little nap. I woke up in time to eat a late lunch and take a quick shower before going to meet the school bus at 3.30pm. I put on one of my new mozzie patches and headed out armed and dangerous. The kids came home happy and filled with tales of their new friends and teachers. Such a lovely day so far apart from the citronella stench that was now accompanying me everywhere!

The kids and I had a snack and then they headed to the basement to play with Hansen’s new stunt remote control car, which I finally got batteries for. I headed back to the 3rd floor to finish some paperwork. It was all still going great, our ayi, Xiao Liu was downstairs cleaning and preparing dinner (gotta love that), so I decided to Skype my mum and catch up with her and my dad.

After a little while the kids all came up and said they wanted to get their snacks ready for school for tomorrow. I told them they needed to wait until I was done and that I would be there in a minute. At this point Xiao Liu is doing laundry in the basement. I continue the call with my mum, when Aimee suddenly reappears with yet another tale of what ‘the little ones’ are doing. This time it is Cady. Apparently Cady is bleeding… Since Aimee is known to worry about the smallest pin prick, I asked her was it serious bleeding where you need to go to hospital or the kind that would stop before I got downstairs. She said she didn’t really know because Cady wouldn’t let her see. At this point, I am still talking with my Mum, when I see Hansen and Cady coming towards me. Cadence is holding a white hand towel to her face. As she gets closer I see that the hand towel is covered in blood!!! I immediately hang up from my Mum and rush Cadence to the bathroom to get some cold water and a closer look at the cut to her lip. It is only in the bathroom that I see the cut is serious and not a paper cut like I first thought. After coaxing the truth out of her, I come to find out that she wanted an orange and had used the sharpest knife we have in the house to try cutting it. The knife had slipped and banged into her mouth and of course had put a nice, perfect cut into her lip.

At this point I realize that ice and pressure are not going to be enough, I think she will need stitches. I try to call Richard and just get some Chinese message saying his phone is busy, so then I try Tony (our relo guy) and also get a message he is busy. I call our driver to see if Rich is with him and he says he is waiting for Richard , who is still in a meeting. I retry Tony – busy signal. I then try Justin (our other relo guy), his phone is busy!!! What the heck? So then, I try the internet, because I have no idea what to do. I have no car, no-one who speaks both English and Chinese and no idea where I can get stitches done at 5.50pm (where is Auntie Jen when you need her?),our ayi is about to leave for the day and I have three kids, one of whom is still bleeding. I google stitches, lips, cuts and find out that I do need to see a doctor and we need to get stitches. – great! At which point my cell phone rings. It is Tony, he is 10mins from our house and will pick me up and take Cady to the hospital. He tells me to grab our passports, insurance cards and a credit card. Phew!

Tony comes in explains to the Ayi that she will need to stay for an hour extra and we head out the door, just as Richard calls. I tell him what has happened and he says he will meet us at the urgent care clinic. During all this Cadence is very calm and just sitting holding an ice pack to her lip. She is such a trooper. Tony tells me that the clinic knows we are coming and they are staying open for us. Only Cadence would have an accident 10mins before the clinic closed. She asks me if we are going to get a band-aid for her lip and whether she will need a shot. I tell her I hope that is all we need, but I don’t know because I am not a doctor and the doctor will know best. Within minutes of arriving, we are in a room with a wonderful Chinese nurse and a doctor from Michigan. He takes a look at the lip and agrees that stitches would be the best course of action. As the nurse prepares everything, Cadence suddenly sees the shot and starts to cry. At this point Richard arrives and hears the ‘good news’. The doctor tells us the best way to handle it is to have me lay back and hug Cady on my chest while holding her hands. I have to wrap her legs in mine so she doesn’t kick and Richard has to hold her head still. This all sounds fine in theory, but in practice it is like trying to hold a tiger down. She may be little, but boy she is tough. She is screaming and squirming, that it takes both Richard,me and the nurse to hold her down while the doctor gives her a shot to numb her lips. With all the wriggling, screaming etc her lip has begun to bleed again and we realize that she has cut her top lip too. So she needs even more shots. Sometimes I hate being a mom. Holding your child as she screams in pain is not one of the best moments for a parent, especially when you know the worst has still to come. The next 10-15 minutes were some of the toughest moments of my life; not only physically, but mentally and emotionally. All of us were soaking wet sweating from the sheer power Cady has used in trying to escape the needle. Finally, the doctor says he is done and we can all relax. He has put two stitches in her lower lip and one in her upper lip. He says that he would have preferred to put a third in the lower, but does not want to cause her any more traumas. We all agree and make a hasty retreat for the door. Tony and Justin are waiting for us in the lobby and are both happy to see Cady smiling again. They are such amazing guys; I do not know what we would have done without their help. We say goodbye and head home at around 7.20pm (about an hour later), as Richard calls my mum to let her know Cady is okay.

Aimee and Hansen are happy to see us again and poor Xiao Liu can finally go home. We all have a quick dinner and then it is time for bed. Amazingly, as I sit writing this the kids are all fast asleep. Cady has decided to sleep with Aimee tonight incase she wakes in the night. Poor Richard looks exhausted, he had a bad day in the office, but he says that seeing Cady like she was made him realize that nothing is more important than our family. I am glad it is over, until we need to have the stitches removed in about 5 days. All that keeps going through my mind is how bad it could have been. We were all so lucky. We all learned a hard lesson today, and I know Cady’s scar will be a reminder to all of us.

Cadence, I know you are not reading this, but I want to tell you that Daddy and I love you so much. You are such a brave little girl and we are so sorry that you had to experience this evening. Please stay safe and know we will always be here to hold you when you are scared or hurting. I know you are going to be the one to make us old before our time. You are such a little rascal, but we could not love you more.
Mum & Dad

Ps: I am hoping tomorrow will be a restful day... I will post pictures of our little Rocky tomorrow.

Help The Orphans In Sichuan

http://www.membersproject.com/project/view/YBIBMW

This costs you nothing more than 2 minutes of your time, please take a look.

Thanks,
Kim

Ever Heard Of The 4 Eared Cat?

This little guy is just to cute. I couldn't resist blogging his picture.

This is Yoda, a household pet born with an extra set of ears.
Valerie and Ted Rock took the cat in two years ago after visiting a bar in Chicago, Illinois, where a group of curious drinkers were handing him around.
He was one of a large litter, and the Rocks were happy to offer him a home.
Now the couple have to keep him indoors to prevent their rare pet from being cat-napped.
Despite sharing names with Luke Skywalker's diminutive mentor in the Star Wars films, this unique moggy does not have Jedi powers - in fact he does not even have special hearing.
The extra ears are merely flaps of skin, and do not detect sound.
Still, the neighbourhood's mice will not taking any chances.

2 years ago today!

It is hard to believe that 2 years ago today, Richard, Aimee and I were in Hangzhou, China meeting Hansen for the first time. It was an amazing day and one I will never forget. Walking up 6 flights of stairs in the Civil Affairs Office in the grueling heat of August, didn't seem to matter as we walked into the main room and saw our son for the first time. He was so little and looked so vulnerable, but within a short time he was smiling and engaged with us. What an incredible little boy.

I want to take time and really think about the past two years, but after a long day I just don't have the energy right now. Needless to say, that amazing little guy is sleeping in his bed knowing he is loved beyond reason. In the next few days I will take some time to look back and think about how far we have all come since the day we met.

What I can say, is that no matter how much he annoys me or frustrates me at times, I could not imagine life without my little guy. Hansen, you are a Choi in every way possible and we are happy that you are. Thank you for allowing us to be a part of your life. We have learned so much from you and I know you will continue to teach us as you grow. Happy Anniversary Big Guy!
Love Mum, Dad, Aimee & Cady Mei

Not for children!

I feel that there should be some kind of disclaimer to this blog entry, but I honestly don't know where to start. This material is definitely not meant for the eyes of children or those who are against bad language or poor spelling - lol

To my beloved parents, please forgive me, but these signs just cracked me up. To my friends, please make sure you are not eating or drinking when you read these crazy signs since it could cause damage to your computer equipment.

These are all signs found in China. My spoken or written Chinese will never be anywhere close to this good, but I certainly hope it is never this literal...

Enjoy!

Now I know why none of the toilets have toilet paper, I have been using the wrong thing all my life, I should have been using memos or information papers.

I never knew this was even a real word, but someone in China did. It is amazing what you learn, even at my age. Here is a word I use all the time, yet I never knew it's origins.


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It was originally British English, possibly public school slang, at least according to Barrère and Leland’s Dictionary of Slang of 1889. From there it dispersed to other parts of the former British Empire, but it is less well known in the US, I believe.
Its source is usually taken to be the much older bum-fodder. The sense was the one that you give, of useless or tedious printed information or documents — material whose only conceivable use was to be torn up, hung up on a nail in the privy and used as toilet paper. The full term was first recorded in the period of the Commonwealth in Britain, about 1650 — I remember seeing a political pamphlet of about that date which uses the word in its title. Its first recorded appearance is in 1651, in the first volume of Sir Thomas Urquhart’s translation of the works of Rabelais. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, it was probably derived from the classical Latin anitergium, arse-wiper.
The slang abbreviation bumf originally had a literal sense of toilet paper, but quickly shifted its meaning back to the original. The usual spelling is bumf but bumph is not unknown.


Seen in a restroom


This is some kind of hair product...


Information and tips from the local police


I admit I have no clue what this is about


The mind boggles...


This sounds like a local version of Doritos, can't say I will be trying them soon


Those literal translations are the best


This just about killed me - they cannot be serious


Now I know that it seems like I am mocking China's use of the English language, but honestly I have nothing but a great respect for China. I hope that my attempts at Chinese come somewhere close to their understanding and use of the English language. I could spend years here, but I know I will never master Mandarin even in my wildest dreams.

I adore living here and still cannot believe my childhood dream is now a reality. How did I get to be so lucky?

Fun Map of China - The Chois travels so far

click here to create your own China map

This is a cool way to follow our travels so far. I hope by the time we leave here in 4 years, much of the map will be red. I have plans to see a whole lot more of this beautiful country.

So far we have visited Beijing, Guangdong, Jiangxi, Shanghai and Zhejiang and Richard has been to Hong Kong... only another 16 more to go... So much to do and so little time...

My name is Steve Parry....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9OOXXnDugM

Life in Shanghai

Life in Shanghai has definitely settled down into a bit of a routine already. This week is the last week of Summer vacation for the kids, they start at their new school on Monday. I think we are all really looking forward to it, but to be honest it will be bittersweet. As much as having 3 bored kids at home 24/7 for the past month, I am going to miss them terribly when they start school. It is definitely going to be quiet around here until they come home at 3.30pm each day.

Last Friday, we went to the school so that Aimee and Hansen could see it (remember Cady saw it back in June) and also to collect their new school uniforms. Unfortunately, both Hansen and Cady proved to be too tiny for the issued uniforms, so we are going to have to work something out for them. I cannot believe they are too small, after all aren't all Chinese kinda small? Before leaving the US, Rich and I stocked up on clothes, but never even considered the kids would be too small for the stuff here. I think Hansen will be in 5th grade before his long pants fit him - poor thing. Anyway, the good news is all 3 kids loved their new school and now cannot wait for it to start - We will see how long that lasts. This coming Friday afternoon is Open House and we will get to meet each of their teachers and get the official school tour.


Aimee outside her new classroom

2008 Beijing Olympics!

I had to share these great photos from last nights opening ceremony. For those of you who did not get to see it, you missed a spectacular show. There are simply no words to describe what happened.

I always knew it would be amazing, but it was beyond my wildest dreams. I wish I could have been in Beijing to witness it personally, but laying in our big bed with Aimee and Richard was a close second.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-08/08/content_9051919.htm
http://en.beijing2008.cn/ceremonies/photos/openingceremony/





Another great part of the event was sharing it with our FCC friends this morning. Lori and Marc were holding an Olympics Party at their house to watch the ceremony and we got to Skype them during it. I will eventually forgive them for putting us up on the 10ft video screen, since it was so cool being able to see everyone and share in the evening. I love the internet,even though we are on different days, different continents and thousands of miles apart, we were able to share this incredible day together.

Thanks guys,we miss you all and congratulations to China for showing the world how incredible you are.

I love it!

As always, I am way behind on blogging, but I thought I should at least add some recent video to let everyone see how we are all doing.

These poor souls must have been cursing us. The dogs arrived at our new home at 11.30pm on Aug 6, but because we live right at the end of our road and you have to go through the underground parking to get to us, the poor people who were delivering the dogs could not get their big van through, so they had to carry the dogs in their crates all the way to the house.

I had to laugh because they basically dropped TK's crate in through the front door, pointed at the 'owner's signature line' for me to sign and quickly headed back out into the night. TK was hoarse from barking so much, I bet they were glad to see the back of him. After two weeks of not seeing them, it was wonderful to see our fur babies again. They both looked great considering the travel days they had been through. They have more frequent flyer points than most people. The trip took them by plane from Miami to Frankfurt, Frankfurt to Hong Kong and then they were driven over to Guangzhou before catching a short flight to Shanghai - phew, no wonder they have spent the good part of today asleep.

Anyway, here is the moment of their arrival and their first check out of their new digs:





Here are the kids on their new bikes, we left their old one back in the US so getting new ones has been a highlight of their week. I am thrilled since now they can burn off some of their pent up energy playing outside.



This was shot this afternoon (Aug 7) after we had spent some time testing out the kids new bikes.



Okay the videos should keep you happy for a while,I am now off to bed. I can't believe the Olympics start tomorrow and we are going to be in China - awesome, scary and wonderful all at the same time. I still can't believe we are here - weird!
Night all,
Kim

On our way at last

Wow what a day so far, well actually it is going to be a day and a half. It all started very early at 3.30am, when my very hideous alarm clock went off. Richard and I dragged ourselves reluctantly out of bed and into the shower after a little less than 3 hours sleep.

Everything went without incident until we were almost ready to leave, at which point Aimee said she had tummy-ache and didn’t feel so good. On closer inspection (my hand on her forehead) she was running a fever – Oh great! That is just what we need with a full day of flying ahead of us. The ironic thing was that we have 3 years worth of medications in our sea shipment and numerous items in our check in bags, which were now packed and ready to go in the car… Did we have anything in our checked bags or readily available – Of course not, that would have been too easy. Anyway by this time the wonderful Rodins – Mary and Neil were at our hotel door ready to help us on the drive to the airport (and to make sure we made it off with all of our baggage –Mary was more concerned than me about this fact all week – bless her). Aimee said she would be okay until we could find meds in the airport store, so off to Mary’s car the Rodins and kids headed. Somehow we had perfectly managed to get Mary and Neil to take the kids and Rich and I rode in the rental vehicle with the baggage. I must mention here that I was clearing the hotel room of the last bags while everyone else was loading up. Richard came back to help and between me holding the elevator and him getting in it, the door decided it was going to stick open. So there we are at 4.25am standing in an open lift with our carry-ons going nowhere, as Mary, Neil and our kids stood on the sidewalk outside wondering where we were. Since Richard had been almost stuck in the elevator the day before, we decided to take the back stairs to avoid further incident.

The ride to the airport was uneventful and very quiet due to the kids riding with the Rodins – that was a stroke of genius. Normally we would have been going insane listening to the kids argue, complain or with Hansen’s constant talking. We unloaded at the curbside and the Delta guy helped me and the kids check-in. Richard headed straight off to return the rental vehicle and Mary and Neil made sure that I handed in all our passports and tickets. After some hasty photos and an even quicker ‘see you in 4 months’ Mary and Neil were gone. (Thank you guys, you are the best and we wouldn’t have made it without your help – I will always remember you both getting up at 3am to see us off. Mary in 4 months I will return the favor. When you and Livie come to Shanghai, I will be sure to make our driver wake up at 3am to come and collect you from the airport ;-)

So now me, the 3 kids and our 11 pieces of check-in and 7 pieces of carry on are checking in to First Class with the help of Timmy the Delta skycap. All the kids are in various prone positions on the floor and I am anxiously awaiting Richard’s return. We check in without issue other than Richard not being there, so I can’t get his boarding passes and just as I negotiate who is taking what carry-ons, Aimee says ‘Mum, I think I am going to vomit…’ Yeay, how do I do this with 3 kids, 7 hand luggage and the bathrooms at least 150 yards away? Well, I spotted a trash can half-way to the bathroom and behind most people’s view and told Aimee to run to it and use it if she needs to while I gather everything else. As Hansen, Cady and I got there; Aimee was making good use of the can. Poor kid! I don’t think anyone noticed and since we were leaving the country I actually didn’t care either. I clean Aimee up a bit and give her some water, just as Richard arrives looking flustered from his trek to the rental car company. He thinks he is having fun, but he simply has no idea. Aimee by now has visibly improved and says she feels much better, so we head off to security. Security was a breeze even with our 3 kids, stroller, 2 laptops, cameras, shoes, jackets etc. I am so glad there was really no one around. It would have been hell any other time of day.

With everyone and everything accounted for, we headed off to the business lounge for free drinks and snacks. We were only the second people to arrive, so it was free range and we all made use of the benefits. Aimee and I then headed off to look for medicine. Of course it was a limited supply but we found some thankfully in a not too nasty flavor – Aimee hates and refuses all US meds cos they are usually grape or berry. However, I think she was great and she readily took the nasty stuff once I told her she could choose some gum for afterwards.

It seemed a short time until we were ready to board the flight, so we went to find the gate where we practically walked straight on the plane – Gotta love flying First class. Cady and I sat together, with Aimee and Hansen behind us and then Richard across the aisle from them. It was a fairly good flight, except for the incessant chattering and questions from a small boy behind me – yes, you guessed it, Hansen as usual would not stop talking – argh! I wouldn’t mind, but they were such interesting questions such as ‘Are we flying yet?.... as he gazes out of the window at the luggage being loaded or ‘Why are we waiting here so long? Urgh, remind me to sit somewhere other than directly in front of him on the long flight. Otherwise the flight was great and over before we knew it. We had to get a tram from our gate to the next one and just like last month, as we arrived at the 2^nd gate the flight was already boarding. We made quite a sight as we followed each other through the terminal like a mama duck and her ducklings. I have to say the kids have been incredible so far. I hope it lasts.

Once on board we made ourselves comfy and settled into our new home for the next 15 hours and 1min – lol. I used the time to call my very good friend Lori and say a last goodbye. Lori and her family are extremely close to us and it is very hard to say goodbye to them. Although, having done this moving stuff before, I know that family is not a matter of distance, but simply a matter of heart and for that reason Lori and many of our friends from South Florida will always remain close. Plus we hope to see many of them in Shanghai for a visit, so I really do not feel like this is goodbye to anyone, but simply a see you later.

In the time I was talking to Lori, the kids discovered the wonders of a business class seat with all it’s bells and whistles. Hansen was particularly taken with the fancy, but huge bright red socks. He immediately opened them and put them on. Since he is so small and they are so huge, they came all the way up to his thighs – he looked like one of Santa’s elves. I hope Rich got a picture.


After a short chat and a lot of laughs with Lori, it was time to settle down and prepare for the long haul. One of funny conversations was around the choice of food selection during the flight. In this age of so many allergies, I was disturbed to see that every meal either came with fish/seafood and/or nuts. You could have a choice of asparagus soup with a crabmeat wonton, or crabmeat wonton and Pesto Pearl Couscous or Pesto Pearl Couscous and asparagus soup. They were all served with a salad complete with pine nuts. For an entrée the choices were Roast Chicken Breast stuffed with asparagus, roasted duck with hoisin sauce, Macadamia Nut encrusted Mahi Mahi or Butternut Squash Ravioli with roasted squash and toasted pecans!! Lori and I laughed that the dessert would surely be served with an Epi-pen. Then of course as the pre-meal drinks were served they came with, you guessed it a bowl of mixed nuts!!!

Just before take off, I managed to send a couple of text messages to friends and family to let them know we had made it this far. I hope everyone got the messages, because my phone is being permanently disconnected during the flight and I will not receive their replies. Well, by now hopefully they are reading this blog and have figured it out for themselves.

The flight continues to be going okay, we all even managed to catch a few zzz’s after our meal. Richard has had a busier time with Hansen, but on the whole he is behaving. If in doubt Rich gives him something new to eat. It seems to be keeping him occupied. On one of their trips to the restroom, Hansen insisted on bringing me back some cookies from the snack cart –He is annoying, but he loves his Mama, bless him. Aimee spiked a fever again about 5 hours into the flight and I had to dope her up again.

She then spent the next two hours sleeping on me, as I tried unsuccessfully to sleep. She eventually went back to sleep in her own chair and then Cady decided she would be awake.




Cadence has done this all before, so she is really good at keeping herself entertained. Right now she is playing with her LMax as she sits on the footrest of her seat – crazy kid. Hansen is watching a movie and Rich is using the break in commotion to rest too, while I try to capture the moments by writing it all down. I am on my third cup of tea, listening to Madonna’s new album and having just polished off a cheese and turkey sandwich from coach – which is much more my speed. All these pine nuts and shrimps in business are so not me. You can take the girl out of Luton, but you can’t take Luton out of the girl.

Christian the Lion - the full story (in HQ)

This is so cool! What an incredible video. I actually made me cry, which doesn't happen that often.

Simply adorable.
Kim C

Don't rush me....

There is something in the panic-stricken face of this adorable panda that resonates with me right now.  Like him, I just want to beat everyone back with a piece of bamboo - lol

So the big news is that we finally have an official leaving date - we will depart sunny Florida in the very early hours of Saturday July 26th, 2008 (which also happens to be my friend Sally's birthday - Happy Birthday Girlie).  I cannot believe we have managed to hold out here for as long as we have.  Incredibly, we arrived in Miami on January 24th, 2003 with the idea we would be here 18-24 months max.  Who knew that we would fall in love with the place and never want to leave?  Not me, I never fancied living in the US, but I can honestly say that I have loved every single minute of it - the bugs, the humidity, the driving and even the hurricanes, nothing can change my opinion of Florida - It is so 'my' kind of place.  The blue skies are incredible (I am going to miss those in Shanghai), but better yet are the friends and family we have made here.  We came as a fairly newlyweds with a 1 year old, now we are leaving with more grey hairs and 3 kids!!!  I am going to miss so many things about Florida - I have the most amazing friends, who truly are my family now.  It is going to be sad to leave this place, but as many of you know moving to China has been a Choi Family dream for a long, long time.  It has been my dream since I was a little girl.  I truly cannot believe that I am getting to live my wildest dream and someone is paying me (and my whole family) to do it!  Awesome!!

This is turning into a goodbye post and I am not ready to say that yet, so I will move on to other things.  Richard is in Shanghai right now, working hard at his new job and trying to get our house furniture purchased, so that we at least have a bed to sleep on when we arrive.  I was able to have my fingerprints taken here in Florida this morning (to protect my Green Card) and narrowly missed a panic flight to Detroit, which was where my appointment was originally scheduled.  Our third appraiser came this afternoon, hopefully he will appraise the house well and we can get that moving.  We are trying to sell it, but as everyone knows, it is a dog eat dog world out there in the realty world.  Keep your fingers crossed that good things continue to happen.  We are not looking to make stack loads of cash, but we would like to at least break even.

Hansen and both the girls had their last therapy sessions yesterday.  That was very sad.  Hansen's strength, endurance and general physical abilities have improved so much over the past couple of months thanks to the wonderful Miss Roni.  Cadence is now talking up a storm and Aimee is beginning to master her lisp.  They were both so sad to say farewell to Miss Latanya, their speech therapist.  Thank heavens for email, all the kids have said they are going to have Aimee email everyone once we arrive and get settled.

Okay, I really should be doing something more productive that will help us get to China.  The packers are coming in on July 15th to pack our sea shipment stuff and I am nowhere near ready for that to happen.  For some reason sleep always seems like such a more pleasurable way to pass the time...  But with Rich coming home late on Saturday, I really have to step up to the plate.

So as you sit and relax reading this, sipping a martini, thinking life is good, please think of me - I am the one at the top of the page who is begging for it all to STOP!

September is looking a long way away right now, but I know that by the time it gets here, life will look remarkably different and so will all the neighbors - lol.  As tough as it is right now, I know that we are working towards an amazing adventure, and as they say "Life is not destination, but a journey to be savored each step of the way..."

Shameless Plug for Olympic Memorabilia

For anyone looking for some neat Beijing 2008 memorabilia, look no further than the following link.

Please, please help me clear my closets - we only have a 20ft container going to China!!!

ebay: http://search. ebay.com/ _W0QQsassZ90semi nole

Miley Cyrus Crisis

Yes, yes I know I have a 1000 other things to do, but this was way too funny to not share immediately.

I guess I better stock up on my Miley stuff now and wait for the fall out.

Entertainment Scientists Warn Miley Cyrus Will Be Depleted by 2013

On a separate and more serious note, 

For those of you who do not know the Chois are in the middle of moving to Shanghai, China.  We are excited, exhausted and panicked.  If we ever get a few minutes, we will tell you all about it.  Until, please know we know we are way behind on posting etc, but hopefully this is soon going to be resolved.

Love to everyone, now I better get back to packing.

Clearing our closets

Hi everyone,

For those of you who haven't heard, we are clearing our closets and making room for our US comfort items. Please check out the following links for some great boys and girls clothes (NWOT & VGUC), toys and misc adoption or China related items.
Dropshots http://www.dropshot s.com/nmlc91# date/2008- 06-03/09: 20:22

ebay - http://search. ebay.com/ _W0QQsassZ90semi nole 

We will be loading more items in the coming days so be sure to bookmark the links and check back regularly.
Thanks for looking
Kim C

C for Cadence

Such a beautiful little girl


With such long, beautiful, full hair


Too Dang Cute



What a difference a day makes, or rather 5 minutes alone with some craft scissors....





keep scrolling.....





little more......





little more.....






Hey what happened to her hair?


From the Left


The Right


The back :-(


Close Up of the Front


Cadence on her 1st Birthday - Is that look familiar?





Here is the look before the professionals got a hold of her....





There really are no words at times like this












The only saving grace in this whole sorry event is that thankfully School Picture Day was last week... Here's hoping we don't need to do a re-shoot anytime soon.