Still playing catch up here... I also *expletive expletive expletive* hate blogger because it deleted all of my changes just before I was about to hit publish. I don't have time for this *expletive expletive* you *expletive* blogger!!! I just wasted an hour of my nonexistent time to work on this. OK. Back to scheduled (but less good, because I don't have the energy to recap to the same level of caring, loving detail) programming.
Michael and I celebrated our sixth wedding anniversary on August 22. It's amazing, crazy, and at times unbelievable that six whole years ago we were standing in an overheated church in the East Village, and then partying in the Financial District, with friends and family from all over the world, as we exchanged our vows and made this journey real. So much has happened since then. We were so much skinnier, healthier, less wrinkled, and less stressed...who would have guessed that we would have three little kids and still be living in Hong Kong, or that Michael would have grown out his hair and beard, or any other myriad number of things big and small? What a funny way life has.
We celebrated by going to L'Envole for a fancy lunch on Saturday, then going to hang out with the kids by a friend's pool. I sat at the same table as I did when I went with my girlfriends. I continued tradition by wearing something floral (I am just owning it now). The cheese trolley alone was something to write home about.
We also celebrated on Sunday after putting Lola and the boys to bed, by walking down the street to a Sichuan restaurant in the Emperor Hotel right at the bottom of the hill. Literally Michael couldn't have found a closer restaurant if he tried - I was very impressed! The food was very good. As gross as it sounds, there is something about pig's blood in Sichuan spicy hotpot broth that is the equivalent of human catnip for me. And, well, I just love, LOVE, love hotpot.
The kids before we went out. They are so crazy. Look at Al laughing his head off while pushing his feet into this sister.
Of course the one night we were out, Lola couldn't go to bed because she left her bunny (Oin) at Maggie and Rose Repulse Bay!! The horror. She stayed up staring at the moon and crying while we were eating dinner. Alas. Thankfully we were able to locate the bunny the very first thing on Monday morning. We now have a new (but old but new) rule that Oin and Tat are NEVER to leave the house. I plan to save those priceless bunnies for Lola in her keepsake box forever.
Lola started SIS on Monday, August 23, and so far it's been great. There has been a little bit of adjustment to a new routine and new pick up and drop off schedule, and a few hiccups here and there, such as when I returned home from work at nearly 8 pm a couple of nights ago to Michael frantic because he *just* woke up to the fact that Lola had homework and he hasn't been checking the portal or uploading things or making sure she did her homework, for like two weeks. Men, they amaze me. But overall we have all adapted very well. Because the school runs from noon until three, this leaves time for Michael to take her if he so wishes/has time. He brought her on the first day and since has done quite a few pick ups and drop offs which has been SO nice. I don't think I ever realized how lonely it was shouldering and parenting all of the schedule coordination and pickups and dropoffs and all the homework and notifications (at Lola's old school it was almost all purely in Mandarin, done over Whatsapp) and Michael had no clue what was going on. Now he has a chance to participate more and be part of the community and it has been really wonderful (except when he annoys me because he still asks me questions about things, except it's still great because he's able to be much more involved).
The boys being boys need haircuts so much more often than girls - although at one point I realized they were all getting quite unruly and Lola's hair had grown so much. Lola's hair didn't actually need to be cut, but she loves going to the hair salon so I felt bad denying her this privilege. It was a little bit like an assembly line getting all three of them in there in back to back appointments. I sat with Teo first. The guy was absolutely ridiculous and refused to wear the hair salon smock. Joke was on him (and me!) when all of his fuzzy, fine hair stuck to his neck, arms and shirt like woolly cotton balls. By virtue of holding him close, I too became an itchy hairy thing. I then sat with Al who enjoyed his hair cut much more. I loved holding him close and watching his inquisitive, big eyes as he stared at the TV and soaked everything in. The boys are both soooo curious! Lola was absolutely a champ and, for the first time, laid down for a shampoo and wash! She was the picture of a little adult, looking so somber and serious as she perched on her flying pig chair and watched Cocomelon nonstop.
I rounded out the last Friday of August with a really delightful, delectable jewelry shopping and drinks and dinner experience with one of my best gals in Hong Kong. I really enjoyed shopping and checking out all of the designs, and it helped me realize a lot about my own style. That necklace - totally not my thing (in real diamonds anyway) but wearing it was really something else!
I started out really loving these flower earrings at first, but then as I tried a few more the last set of earrings were my favorite of the evening. In looking at these close-up pictures however, I wonder if I shouldn't be worrying about all of those brown spots instead...
We have really gotten into Legos and castles and train sets in this household, and I love how we and the aunties and the kids all build these gorgeous, elaborate magnetic houses, duplo legos and hospitals, and train sets (Al and Teo are both very good at putting the tracks together). I will make more of an effort to take pictures of the lego and train sets we build, to keep a record for posterity!
We continue to shriek with total abandon playing tag, hide and seek and dinosaur (essentially tag but with a fake dinosaur head) and recently Teo cracked us all up by running around on his own with a fake dinosaur in his hand, mock shrieking as he chased us. What made it so cute but also ruined the scary effect was how he would pause every once in a while and break down grinning while clutching the dinosaur tightly in his hand. Be still my heart, soooo adorable.
I leave you with this final one - a sweet and wonderful picture of the boys in my lap, so gentle and happy (for once)! Something about their sweaty feet and square toes, and the little dimples in their hands at their knuckles...is just so endearing to me. It's hard to believe that I already don't have any little babies to cuddle anymore, and we are racing through toddlerhood in this household. And finally, yes, we wear florals loud and proud!
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