So Nar

Today was another busy day. Once again, I didn't make it to body shaping. After teaching the kids, I gave Jameson to his drum lessons and Selah went with Andrea to practice her part in an upcoming play for the Special Education School Christmas Party the team is hosting on the 23rd. Emma and I went home for lunch. I'm so proud of her. She can hail a taxi, tell the driver where to go, pay the correct amount and say thank you. She is just about ready to be able to come hom without an adult with her. She may be ready, but I'm not. She sat in the front seat today and I vegged out in the back. Sunny had lunch ready for us. We didn't care for the meat she gave us, but I think it was from a bag and not something she made. She said it was beef, but I'm not sure if I believe her. The side dish she ms ade was excellent. She makes it often for us. It is potatoes (VERY thinly sliced) with carrots and celery. It is sauteed in some type of oil and is way yummy!! We eat it with rice and all 5 of us like it, but Jameson only eats the potatoes. After lunch, Jim and I went to our Chinese class. I'm learning something new every day, but I'm thinking about getting my own personal tutor. I'll still go to the class, but I would rather work at my pace and not the classes pace. Tutors are fairly inexpensive, so Jim says it would probably be a good idea. Now the hard part....finding one. Andrea is helping me, but we haven't found one yet.

After class, Jim and I toured the newly renovated building that will house the children's English Department when finished. They are letting me make all the decisions about how the classrooms will be finished. Like what walls I want to keep and what walls I want taken out...pretty big decisions. Jim is the one doing the cabinetry in there and I think he hopes I choose for a wall to go down so he can get in on that. If you know me at all, you know I dream big so I'm dreaming in that building now. I can see some fun things going on in there. I even get my own office, which my kids think is really cool (and so do I!) There is also a room with a large window that leads into a hall....looks like a snack bar to me!! Those in charge want this program for the kids up and running and firmly established and they know when the orphanage is built, I will be busy with other responsibilities. But for the mean time, I'm giving my 2 cents on what I think the building should be used for.

I am so busy preparing for a Christmas party for my English classes and for the Christmas concert. Why did I think this Christmas would be any different? We are busy and of course, I have little shopping done. Emma reminds me daily of her upcoming 13th Birthday and then Jameson has his own countdown going on. This time of year is always crazy....

A quick, funny story before I close. When I got in the taxit this am to go to the school, I said hello to the driver and he said hello in return. Then he said "So nar" (not the real Chinese spelling of course) I have no idea what this meant (I kind of thought it was a greeting ) so I very proudly said "So nar" back to him. I then got out the card with the school address printed on it and showed it to him. I asked him what "So nar" meant and he answered me (but my Chinese is so limited I can only ask questions...I can't understand the answers!) When I got to the school I asked the receptionist what "So nar" means and she said it means "Where are you going?' So when the taxi driver asked me where I was going, I probably looked like a smarty britches and asked him where he was going!

So much to tell everyone....I'll write more later.
Hugs and Kisses.....Andra