they're not bugs

Wednesday pictures from Bethany's field trip to the Beijing Natural History Museum.

Back to Monday. What I love most about the Beijing International Branch is how much we enjoy being together. Monday night we were all gathered in the playground right outside our house to celebrate that Griffin's adoption will be finalized in Guangzhou this weekend. Its been a unique opportunity to watch a shy nine year old boy, who spent his life with baby girls in a Chinese orphanage become, not just a part of his own family, but a sweet addition to our branch family. We love him.

It felt so American. Hollee MacKay opened up the tail of her Suburban and we layed out all the cupcakes and cookies and Nan's famous chips and Salsa. All the Mormon kids playing together into the night, letting lots of mosquitoes in the house, pounding on our drumset, Kyle showing off his haunted house in the garage, everyone have a great time of it.

Tuesday. A blurr.

The ayis arrived early this morning so that I could take the bus to school with Bethany. After their morning routine we loaded back in busses. The ride there took an hour and a half in heavy traffic. None of us moms knew to what part of Beijing we were headed. It turned out to be near Temple of Heaven. I enjoyed talking with Emily's mom about our life experiences. I love meeting moms from all over.

It was great to watch Bethany in heaven among the insects, "not bugs."

I think I could write a chapter in my book of experiences called "Creepy Aquariums around the World." Rob will remember the first creepy aquarium of our married life was in Morro Bay, California...the very sad octopus. Sounds like Eric Carle. There was the aquarium in D.C. I'll always remember because we walked and walked around it the day before Olivia was born, and Sam got his finger caught in the security x-ray machine's conveyor belt. It's creepy and not so much for the nation to boast about.

Now aquariums of Beijing...as I said before, the Blue Zoo is pleasant, but the Natural History Museum aquarium goes in the creepy chapter. Old soggy sea monsters in too small murky tanks.

But Bethany and her friends spent a surprising amount of time down there (I hate acquariums in basements) among the fish. While they were examining things I chatted with a mom from Korea. She is expecting a baby soon. She told me that she is afraid she didn't make the right decision to have another baby. I told her I don't think she will worry about that after he is born. She told me she is afraid she won't have the patience for three children. I told her she probably won't. Don't we all lack patience?

Patience comes in unexpected bursts like a cool gust of wind on a hot day.

I am grateful when little things work out. Jessie called me to change our music time to tomorrow right when I was wishing I had brought her phone number along. It was nice to enjoy my time with Bethany without having to worry about getting back by two o'clock.

When I got back to River Garden, Caitlin and Mary were ready to be picked up from Emma's house. I pulled Grant to Emma's in the red wagon. We took Emma to tireswing park. Its a nice place to play on a cloudy day but today was bright and the hot sun reflects off the black top. I noticed a bunch of yellow wildflowers growing in a shaded green patch of grass. I was grateful for a breeze.

We went up to the bus stop to meet the big kids. Caitlin and Mary and Grant were feeling pretty squished in the wagon and fighting over a bag of goldfish crackers. Sometimes I lose it. And sometimes patience is remembering the wildflowers and the breeze and being grateful that I have a DVD player that I haven't pledged not to use.

Tacos for dinner. Yea for Jenny Lou's and their random "big Promotions." I bought six boxes of taco shells, cheaper than in the U.S.