Seeking Mandarin

Okay, so after Chase's Mandarin tutor (1) didn't show on Monday, (2) didn't show on Tuesday and then (3) showed up a half hour late today -- oh, and when I said to Chase, "Your Mandarin tutor is coming today to teach you Chinese," and she said "No! No Chinese." I've never heard Chase so serious about anything before.

I realized it was time to let our new Mandarin tutor go.

And so I did. And she told me that it was good news, because she just got a job in Marketing and they were going to need her to do a lot of work. So we said our goodbyes - it was all very pleasant, and I left the conversation feeling she had just let me go, rather than vice versa.

Sleepy Time

Brian has found he can put Chase to sleep pretty quickly. His secret? Counting animals. Last night I think he counted 340 zebras. The night before, he counted 275 foxes.

Keeping Busy

Our new Mandarin tutor didn't show this morning.

The guys who are going to measure our kitchen for new cabinets will be here later this morning.

Oh, and I received word late last week that three people expecting to pass through Denver - Michele Ruby (a friend from my days working at Trillium in Portland, Oregon), Cathy Lockett (Brian's Aunt) and Whitney Carter (a friend from the 3rd grade). Michele arrived yesterday, as did Cathy - and Whitney arrives this weekend. And there is a chance an old friend from college may swing through in the next two weeks. (Denver is a popular place!) It is SO great to see everyone.

Summer, Chase's friend, celebrates her half birthday is on Sunday - as well as a concert in the Park. Mom arrives back from her road trip next week and stays with us for a couple more days.

And then there's the Fourth of July! And then the second round of swim lessons begin- which, by the way, are a half hour every day, for 4 days/week.

Waitlists

So Chase is on yet another wait list. This one is for the early education center at the Jewish Community Center (I love that place). The early education center offers morning programs for all age groups. The facilities are some of the best I've seen (and I've seen many schools at this point). The community feel is wonderful. And get this - they actually email parents weekly with updates on what the kids learned last week and what they will learn in the coming week. This is EXACTLY the kind of place I wanted to find - the only problem? It isn't Montessori and they don't teach Mandarin.

Oh, and then there's the fact we're on another wait list.

Bless My Mom

Who is upstairs trying to potty train Chase right now.

She also cooked up a fabulous Thai dinner last night - and is planning to help me with our garden. She has done an amazing job of (1) exhausting Chase and (2) exhausting the pooch with one hour walks each day (he's snoozin' right now). Wish she could stay longer!

Doctor Appointment #2

This week we went meet my OBG (whoa, like I actually got to meet with a real, live, baby doctor. In London, you don't meet with an OBG unless something is really wrong. In fact, you can go through your entire pregnancy - and deliver ... like I did ... without meeting with an OBG a single time).

I also had another scan and blood-work done to determine the chances of having a downs baby. Won't know until the results come back, but given the fact the baby has a slightly upturned nose (mine!) we should be in pretty good shape - as downs babies usually have flat noses (knock wood).

Hmmmm, what else? Well, I gained 4 lbs in my first trimester. I have no idea how much I weigh (haven't since I was in college), but a number like 4 lbs, I can handle.

I also found out - get this - that you are encouraged to stay at least one overnight -- if not two. And your husband/daughter and baby can stay with you in the room (wow, sounds like a holiday!)

I am carrying some of the quirk from London with me into this pregnancy - I've elected to bypass the nursery (opting to have the baby with me at all times), and I've also opted out of having the baby bathed in the hospital (in London they advise you not to wash the baby for a week). Yuck, gross, I know you are thinking this, but little baby skin needs time to adjust to the outside air.

Other then that, the baby was measuring a full week ahead - because s/he is tall perhaps? But this means we should actually be expecting the arrival sometime between Christmas Eve and New Years Eve.

And yes, we will have to create a new blog... So much to do, so little time.

Chase's Take On The Baby

Chase came with us when we had the first exam; so she had a chance to see her little brother/sister at the same time we did. She had a look of excitement and amazement in her eye. She said, "oh mama!" in the same way she says "oh mama" when I buy her "green juice" (w/spirulina) or "pink milk." Like there was nothing more exciting on earth.

On the way home from the doctor, Chase said, "Mama, baby. Dadda no baby. Chase no baby. Taggart no baby. Dagney no baby." And then in conclusion, "Mama baby."

I asked her if she thought it was a girl or boy and she said, in a way that made it perfectly clear, "Mama, baby."

New Years Party

I know it's early, but we've already made plans for ringing in the New Year - we will be welcoming a brand new little bundle of joy, who just so happens to be due on New Year's Eve (at least that's what the doctors say, although my calculations put the scheduled delivery on 29 Dec.)

We won't know girl/boy for another 5/6 weeks - and of course we'd be happy with either.

The first trimester was uneventful (thank goodness). No morning sickness. The only thing really weird was my taste buds went on strike. Everything that wasn't based on white flour/white sugar tasted like dirt or metal.

The difference between having a baby in London and having a baby in Denver is already MASSIVE. Where to start?

1) How about THE DOCTOR ACTUALLY KNOWS MY NAME AND KEEPS MY CHARTS (so I don't have to).

2) The doctor gave me a big bag of pre-natal vitamins (to try) and said if they make you sick, throw them out until you find one that doesn't. (whoa) And when I found one I was happy with, it was (a) prescription strength and (b) had DHA not from fish oil (double whoa). As an aside, I'm not opposed to DHA from fish oil, I just don't trust big brands to clean the oil more than they have to, which means there's still some sketchy stuff in it.

3) The doctors here actually weigh you and keep track of your weight. (good/bad, I don't know)

4) The recovery room appears very luxurious and is, get this, just for one person (not six).

More to come....

School Update

So I called Chase's number 1 school -- the one where we've been wait listed. Chase has moved from 5th, to 2nd place, which means TWO people have to say no in order for her to get the spot.

The only thing we've got going for us is that spot isn't ideal, it's only 2-days per week, from 2:30-4:30, but it would get her in the door, securing her a spot there until she's 6, if we wanted to keep her there that long.

Swim Lessons

Today Chase went under the water!

Update

After reviewing all our options, it appears that the Mandarin immersion school - the one that's hectic, is really our best option, as it would (1) provide Chase with a great chance to learn Chinese, (2) removes the need for a tutor, (3) provides her with a socialization opportunity.

We've talked it over, Hubs and I, and we both feel Mandarin is one of the greatest gifts/skills we can give Chase - and if she takes a year of morning classes, even part time, she will be close to fluent - or at least as fluent as a 3-year-old can be, at which point we transfer her to either (1) the Denver International School - which is closer and a little more established - or (2) maybe DPS will have a Language School by then...

The only problem? She needs to be potty trained by August.

Should I just take the diapers away?

Today I Turned 34

I am almost in a new demographic. Where has the time gone?

Swim Lesson #2

In her second lesson, Chase blew bubbles in the water. She jumped into my arms from the side of the pool. And she got so excited to be in the water she started squirming to be free and I had to explain I couldn't let go just yet...

Mama Needs Toes

For the past month, every time we wake up in the morning Chase starts talking - immediately.

The joy of having language, of actually being understood is far to exciting; she can't keep it to herself. And so, from the minute she awakes, we get to hear everything that we need to do, in her little directive voice.

1) "Mama needs toes" - actually means "Mom, put on clothes."
2) "Dada needs toes" - same thing for Dad, even though he's in bed.

She says these things over and over, pointing to our closets as if to underscore the importance and urgency. What are we waiting for, anyway? We've got a new day ahead of us!

Then it's "Mama needs shoes."
Then it's "Teef" (brush teeth)
Then it's "New diaper"
Then it's "Chase new toes."
Then it's "Downstairs"
Then it's "Booberry pancakes"
Then it's "Read books Mama"
Then it's "Mama's tea"

And then, finally we Go Dogs Go to wherever our morning activity is located.

As a side note, my parents used to tell me that I didn't have to take of them. I wonder if Chase feels like without her help, we might be lost, or miss a vital step in the morning routine that would spell disaster - or if she is simply trying to show me that she knows what's next.

Swim Baby!

Took Chase to her first official swim lesson. She rocked the party. She was the most active child in the group, kicking and splashing and laughing. It was great. Not what I expected.

UGH!

Our Mandarin tutor told me today that she would not be able to come anymore. Chase is going to be heartbroken. She talks about Lili all the time.

We agreed to keep in touch and try to get the kids together - and it's not like I didn't know this was coming - I just thought I'd have a little more notice.

And so now the language clock starts ticking. The worst part, the longer it ticks, the more Chase will forget, so I have to find a solution fast.

Church

Hubs and I see eye-to-eye on many things, but sadly religion is not one of them. He was brought up to BELIEVE, while I was brought up to question everything.

It's not that I don't believe there is something bigger out there; I do. And it's not that I'm not spiritual; I am.

Needless to say, we need to find a way that we can integrate everything and support each other in our own beliefs. And it's not as easy as celebrating Christmas and Hanukkah. And no, I'm not Jewish, although I did just join the Jewish Community Center (it's awesome).

So I have gone to many churches since I met Hubs. To support him and also because I must admit I am a little curious about what people get out of it. You see, I believe you don't have to be in one place at one time. I just don't believe it's all so black and white. And I don't believe Jesus is God's only son - don't get me wrong, I'm sure he existed and was a great man, who was clearly motivational and inspirational, but aren't we all God's children? But I think Buddha offers many lessons we can all learn from as well.

And so today we went to the local, Presbyterian Church. The sermon left me untouched (it was given by an intern who talked about himself the entire time). The music, however, moved me to tears. I'm not kidding, it was so beautiful. There was a guest singer from the Colorado Opera, and it was amazing - it was the way Church music was meant to be heard. I had chills. For five minutes, it felt like we were in England hundreds of years ago.

If I could be that moved every time I went to Church, I'd go every day.

What's Next

We've spent the last couple days getting back into the Denver groove. Re-stocking the kitchen, trying to re-establish bed time routines, catching up on must-see TV. (Can you even believe how they ended LOST and Desperate Housewives?)

For the first time in five years, we don't have any travel plans for the foreseeable future - except to try to get out to Maryland to see my grandparents. We've talked about spending a little time touring America (Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Mt. Rushmore, Santa Fe), and maybe doing a little car camping with Chase this Summer. But mostly we're talking about work on the house and the yard. The kitchen desperately needs to get done. Plus there is much painting I'd like to do.

I finally found a good swim program for Chase (at the Jewish Community Center, which by the way is like Club Med). If we're lucky she will also get to do a little dance program there called twinkle toes. And yes, even though we aren't Jewish, we can still take classes there.

I am uber frustrated with the school situation - the Denver International School (the one that is super close) is starting a early immersion program this fall, which takes 3-year-olds. Problem 1: Chase misses the age cut off by 3 months. Problem 2: They only have 3 spots (all of which are filled) for part time. The other Chinese school is so far away - and so disorganized. So if we want to have her attend in Fall 09, we need to get the application in asap (but this still doesn't guarantee anything). Plus, the Denver Public School system may open a Mandarin immersion program nearby, so I'm on the fence about DIS. We're currently on a wait list for the Children's Garden Montessori (but won't know until December) and the Waldorf School has a massive wait list as well (for the younger grades - the only grades I'm interested in). UGH. Why is this so hard?

Other than that, I have big plans for home-made sorbet this Summer. I also need to figure out how to cook real Thai food, because the Thai food in Denver is awful.

Virgin Gorda

As we could not make it to Virgin Gorda in one day, we spent the night in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

We packed a cooler full of food for the trip. We awoke hoping our food was still cold (neither of us actually wanted to open the cooler for fear the cold air would escape) - or perhaps most importantly, that Chase's yogurt tubes were still frozen...




















And then we boarded a small plane...
































And an hour later, arrived at last...














Our friend, Jeff, picked us up at the airport.

Our first stop was the house (Jemstone), to catch up with Victoria (who looks like a super model) and the kids (Jack & Olivia).



























Over the next eight days, we spent most of our time between the beach and the house.

(Here's my super model friend)













Chase loved the beach...
































And when we weren't at the beach, she loved playing at the house.
Here are Olivia and Jack...
































Chase overcame her fear of water...













Hubs read books...













And Chase learned to love the sand...



















And we went to Mad Dogs ... several times ...







































































































On our last day we went for brunch at Little Dix (a Rockefeller resort).
The grounds are amazing; the beach was beautiful...














































Sure going to miss this island...


























And the next morning we bid farewell to Virgin Gorda ...

Back In Town

Back from a most relaxing trip to Virgin Gorda, one of the British Virgin Islands. I think I slept more in the past 10 days, then the last two years. It was marvelous. Pictures to come.