Tuesday, September 26, 2017

New Things DAYBOOK

Outside My Window
still sweltering!


I'm Thinking About
babies. It's official. MacSlarrow Number Three - on the way!!!!! (it's a BOY! 👏 👶 💙 🙏 )


I Don't Want To Forget 
the way those who leave us - change us. RIP.

I'm Learning Trying
to ignore that to-do list more often and rest up.
to quiet down the steady stream of endless plans and lists in order to BE in the moment.

I'm Hearing
the air-con - because "outside my window"!
oh - and renditions of "Symphony" and "Despacito" by my 4 & 9 year olds.

I'm Reading
The Power of Play - by David Elkind
    Decent read. Good stuff. Great topic. Not incredibly well written.
Not My Father's Son - by Alan Cummings
    Fabulous. Very impressive writing style and quite the memoir!
Textbook Amy Krouse Rosenthal - by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
    Sis - you MUST get this book in your hands, stat!
A Wrinkle In Time - by Madeline L'Engle (reading aloud to ABear)

Around The House
Still settling in. At a snails pace, it seems. We moved into school housing - so my commute is a dream (an elevator ride!). The space is great. Location is more amid the bustle of life, which suits me, but still very "southside" (aka expat and green). We have a 10 minute walk to the beach. I mean - c'mon!

Arrived from the airport of our crazy summer to THIS. Welcome home.

checking out the closets (and emptying alllll the clothing boxes) Addie-style

a room of her own

and hers -- aren't those pom pom curtains divine??

At Work
Still settling in. Yep - I just wrote that AGAIN. New building. New students. New colleagues. New New New. This lower-primary building is gorgeous. Purpose-built .... this is the cream! Feeling so lucky to be here for this grand opening and to be teaching in this incredible space.

photo cred: HKIS - yes, the children made that backdrop!!!
photo cred: HKIS - our magical doorway into the library


rainbow stairs - main stairwell

photo cred: HKIS - entrance
playground on the 7th floor (our family goes often in the evenings for a romp after dinner)

made to look like the famous Hong Kong Star Ferry - unique climbing structure, water feature under construction


view from the playground at sunset

My classroom space - a work in progress






Eating Out (confession - I'm never in the kitchen anymore)
We turned "back-to-school-night" into a date night so we could actually see each other :) Stuffed ourselves silly with fish tacos, spicy prawns, and vietnamese crab salad last week. Also -  a Japanese-Peruvian blend restaurant?! Don't mind if I do!!

So Very Hong Kong
personal space. not so much. So about that new baby.... did you know that maternity wards in HK are shared rooms? Yep - I'll be just a pull-curtain away from several other new mothers (could be up to 20 depending on the hospital) when the little one is born. I was feeling a little uncertain about this "sardines in a can" deal... though trying my best to maintain game face... when a local friend lamented that a room by yourself can be so isolating and depressing... way to spin it! I love it. I'm holding on to that! Support and solidarity in numbers, baby. Bring it.

One Of My Favorite Things
pedicures.

A Less-Than Favorite Thing 
Bad air-quality. Typhoons.
A fire alarm at 5:30 a.m. on a school day with a 9-floor walk downstairs in pajamas.




 

I'm Thankful
for my husband. He's a rock. A really handsome, heart-of-melted-chocolate kind of rock.

I'm Planning
Baby!!! Making lists of names, moving the crib all around to see where it fits, collecting hand-me-down baby clothes, reading up about public hospitals in HK, prepping the girls for the chaos and beauty that is about to take front-center here.



Picture Thoughts :
downtown HK after breakfast - waiting for a taxi

making good use of this HOT weather on a weekend

hit pause on rock climbing - this year it's all about BASEBALL!

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL:   Reception 1 (Pre-K) and Grade 4

Saturday, September 16, 2017

summer 2017 :: The Farm


Hoehn Bend Farm :: Skagit County, Washington (a farm-stay)



The best thing that happened this summer was our 3-night stay at Hoehn Bend Farm. It was everything we needed.




Protected quality time with grandparents who each came to spend a day with us. Priceless. Together, we fed the animals, learned about farming, and witnessed the spontaneous wonders of farm life. No cell phones, no TV, no to-do-lists, no drama, no concrete... just the vibrancy of living things, each other, and a big open sky. Farm-fresh eggs, homemade jam. Healing. Peaceful. Sublime.

DAY 1 - my mom (Nana) and stepdad (Grandpa Joe)


moving the ladies to their day-time-coop




Tending these chickens every morning and night was an absolute delight! The joy of discovering a warm egg fresh in the nest!! The girls started checking several times a day  - just to feel the magic of it in their hands.

One particular sassy chick ALWAYS flew the coop - tussling herself out of the cart on the journey. Perhaps it was too bumpy for her taste? Or perhaps she's a tad too independent for such group outings.

Bunny Cakes became quite proficient with the "chicken stick" and with using all the sounds and coos to cajole these hens to where they needed to go.

Farmer Terry! Farmer Terry has to be one of the most incredible people we've ever met. Formerly a school teacher (of course!) he is an avid teacher of all things "farm". Warm, friendly, personable, and kind - we couldn't get enough of our new friend. He happily shared about life on the farm, asked about ours in Hong Kong, and oft times dropped what he was doing in order to surprise us with something he thought we'd enjoy or to appease the whim of one of our girls.









driving lessons  - never too young for a stick-shift!


Relaxing, but never a dull moment. A new calf being born during our lunch - off we go!





Best photo-string: 
(amazing, my dear husband!)


Momma LOOK GOOD in a TRACTOR!
Yes, I drove this thing! Even fed cattle with it!
The girls wanted to stay up and do farm chores all-by-themselves. Watching them in this element - independent, confident, focused, with such purpose and calm... observing them in their own worlds... tugs on a momma's heart. The girls crashed into their beds. My mom and I stayed up late playing Scrabble (our favorite). 




hey, little inventor -- back away from the work bench!

DAY 2 - Dasha and Grandpa Jack (Jasper's folks) and his sisters, Rachel & Heather




Farmer Terry & Farmer Jean took us on a hay ride through Christmas-Tree-Lane and his mom's treasured corner... Mother's Grove, was it? Such a fun afternoon! 








Another calf born!! This one needed some help - witnessed my first "cow pulling". Looks like intensely difficult work. Well done, Farmers! Mamma Bossy Cow was appreciative too - so sweet to watch her nuzzle and nudge Terry after the successful delivery.


this guy was left behind by the herd - whoops!


and... the most touching moment... ABear's personal highlight:







Thus ended a magical, healing few days on Hoehn Bend Farm. Can't wait to return!