Still here

I know, I know. I started the year wanting to do a post a day, and here I am over one month since a post. The absence of angry emails tells me no one's madder about this than me.

Anyway, I feel an update is in order. Here goes:

I finished my first year teaching. Whew. I'm still a bit in shock that it's over so this is all that can be said now. Next week I have a work thing away from family that will give me plenty of time to reflect. I'm sure I'll have more to say then.

We arrived back in the States on Monday after traveling back in time. As one of the biggest fans of the Back to the Future trilogy you'll meet, this was pretty freakin' cool. We left our house in Chongqing at 7 am June 20th and arrived at our Denver location at 9 pm June 20th after 29 hours of traveling. Okay, so the only cool thing about the whole travel experience was the time travel. I would not suggest doing this sort of craziness with children unless you need to. They were great - but I was so exhausted I fell asleep in random places and luckily had a great husband to care for the kids.

Being back is odd. I don't know how else to describe it. I've been asked about "reverse culture shock" - I guess reverse just because I should be cool with coming back. But sure, I've had that stuff. People here are more friendly, but they can also understand everything I say. It's a bit unsettling to go 10 months with people completely uncomprehending anything you say or motion with exaggerated charades and then return to a place where your every expression is analyzed and interpreted. I think the strangest thing communication-wise so far is with the girls on the playground. They are used to not talking to other kids they play next to, knowing they will not be understood. Here, even when they hear kids speaking English they are silent. And a bit reserved.

Going to the grocery store is pretty weird. Did you realize how expensive things are here? I spent more money in one trip to the store than I spend in 2 weeks eating and buying random goodies in China. Subsidies all around but to different degrees. Hmm...

There's blue sky! Lots of it!

The air smells good here. Even walking into the airport in San Francisco was a noticeable difference from being in airports in China (though Beijing's airport, I must say, is the cleanest I've seen in all my world travels). Every day I walk outdoors I take a deep breath and take in all the smells I've been missing - flowers, grass, dirt...And I'm not used to it yet. It's odd. I thought a couple days and I'd be acclimated. Maybe everything here is just super smelly this year. Or maybe my olfactory neurons have been deprived for so long that they will continue to fire as long as I have the ions for it.

I know. Science geek.

In other news, my girls are awesome and making their mother gush. HD is really getting into pretend play and will sit and play by herself for really long periods (an hour!) with little to no parental involvement. It's great from a needing-a-little-space mother's point-of-view. But also it is so cool to see the worlds she creates. The characters, settings, plots - if only almost 4-year-olds could write.

PB is, well, PB. She's adorable, speaking in full sentences (English and Mandarin!) and can draw a 'p'. It still feels weird sometimes seeing that I have two kids. I mean, how did that happen? But the joy of seeing PB and how she is who she is because of her placement in the family is pretty rad. She gets us more than we get ourselves. She's two and can work me so well. She knows the best times to throw a fit so I'll cave. She knows how to get attention when it's lacking. And she knows how to work her sister so HD is the one yelled at and not her.

I'm already dreading the teenage years.

Though I have many plans for this summer, one is definitely to do more writing. I'll be honest, it may not be here, but surely you'll hear about it at some point. The plan is to relax, feel like writing is a fun thing I do sometimes, rather than the chore it's been the past few months. So I'll see you soon.

And anyway, I can access this thing whenever I want for the next 2 months so I might as well take advantage.

Milestones

When I hear a little voice say pee or poop, I jump up, respond with a quick let's go! and run to the nearest bathroom or otherwise appropriate location.

Yes, my 2-year-old-in-7-days is potty training.

Tonight was no different. I got up twice for pee, once for a poop false alarm. Then I heard poop again, but rising to the occasion I saw a child already without underwear, a scary picture.

Though we ran to the bathroom, rather than needing to poop, PB was showing off the one she had already done. By herself. In the big potty.

**heart fills with joy**

PB's first solo poop. I feel like celebrating. Nice work, PB!

谢谢，自贡。

Last I wrote, I was reflecting upon my 20s and preparing for a 3 hour trek to Zigong (自贡). A week later, I am filled with stories, sighs, and few words to put to it all. Though we took extra time in Zigong, it still felt like a whirlwind trip. Four days is a short time to "see" a place. I have only one thing to say today about the trip (more to follow, I'm sure):

Xie xie, Zigong (谢谢，自贡). You were welcoming, helpful, and left us alone. Gawking without chasing, laughing at my swipes, and ultimately treating us like humans and not a circus act. I thank you for letting us explore your city as if we were any other person and not tall white foreigners itching for a pet. It was good. And a nice change.

Thanks.

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PS. PB peed in the potty on her own without prompting today - I think the end of diapers is near. Yea!