A Star is born — The Pre - School Play or the whole enchilada

The crowd has assembled. The curtains are drawn — or rather —the play area of Isaac, John Paul, and Luke's school yard is about as crowded  as it is going to get. It was a full house, more than a full house, it was SRO. Laura and I were in the later group but given that the seats were of the pre-school size, I prefer to stand, even for protracted periods of time. This was one of those.

It was Isaac's play and the plays for about 16 to 18 other classes at his school. You will have to pretend that Isaac is one of those kids on stage as I do not have a photo of Isaac on stage, I was videoing his moments on stage so this will have to do. BTW, Luke's classroom is on the left, John Paul's behind the stage and Isaac's upstairs to the right.

Find Isaac? Try front and center but not very front. Hint he has blond hair and is looking at the camera. Still can't find him, try to the left of the girl in pink — the one standing with her back turned to the camera.

At least his outfit was not the unfortunate duck hat yellow spring something. Isaac's class play was about butterflies, flowers and rain. Isaac and 8 other  boys fortunately got to play rain. Did rather well too considering it was a supporting role, being rain and all. At least it wasn't a flower or yellow duck.

Lining up preparing to rotate towards stage prep. Isaac got a pep talk from Mom. I got the line up routine down pretty well from watching the show and being somewhat type A personality and wondering how all this was going to happen. Three minutes 40 seconds was a short time on stage — up to five!  Count em —

Actually I had a good time, I enjoy people and culture watching and being with Laura and the grandchildren and seeing what their life is like.  

Got home and the video I took on Laura's iPhone was quickly studied by veterans of school plays, dances, themed shows and such. Loved the intensity of the review. Older sisters are well schooled veterans of these shindigs and know the routine well having participated in a large number of them.   Isaac is studying his pencil box prize for staying the entire time at the event.

And the next morning the little boys (who missed the first video review due to early bedtime) and Isaac enjoyed a another review of the pictures of the event on my iPhone, this time with commentary from Isaac. Patt was supposed to be the beneficiary of the commentary- next time.

Patt and I and a few friends and neighbors

Back in the day, in traffic jams on the Belt-line or Glenwood or anywhere else in town, the kids would often remark well we have a few friends and neighbors out with us today. Well, Patt and I went into downtown today via the subway and yes a few of our nearest and dearest were along too.

got our subway ticket and heading toward line 1 and a place I could not pronounce but Patt had memorized.

boarding (allotted time measured in seconds)

seven stops and on board is fancy - electronic progress board, and even had announcements in English too

Went to a touristy part of town that was reconstructed old timey village replete with a few original old houses and old stuff and some very fancy stuff for sale - like high six figures in USDs. We are looking for the high roller tourist not the bargain basement type world traveler here.

This guy was selling tobacco, pipes and trying to look cool for the older lady set which were a high percentage of the tourist base. With a retirement age for some careers at 55 here there are a lot of what some would call the mature set who are out and about.

There are also a lot of the younger set too, who are much enamored with themselves and seemingly take an endless stream of selfies. This particular young woman we saw several times, each time she took a photo it was with the same pose, a head bent, and leg lifted, and them she moved on.  In her defense, she had no visible companion. We did however see a young woman taking a photo of herself while her companion was taking a photo of her.  Double selfie?  I tried to document that but missed.

This woman spent an incredible amount of time getting her selfie just right. Selfie watching became my joy for the day.  

Later we went to the originally named "People's Park".  Unique, think I will suggest it at a City Council Meeting.  Bet the Tea Party Councils members and supporters would be apoplectic upon hearing that suggestion. Anyway it was huge, replete with large tower commenting on industry or transportation best we could tell from base carvings.  

Lots of gardens, walks, ponds, benches, paths, little restaurants, tea houses, and so on.

There were also a type of recreational area with some ping pong tables, dance space and oh-my-goodness-gracious, karaoke!  There were probably 10-12 karaoke stations spread around not nearly far enough apart yet way too far apart if you get my drift.

Some of these would-be, want to-be, think they-are, lost-a-bet, had-too-much-to-drink-for-this-time-of-day, or just plain show offs who should know better singers/performers were actually really real bad.  I mean put them out of their misery bad. One or two would not cause you to hurry past.

We did not have a lot of friends of neighbors listening to any - repeat any - of the karaoke singers. In fact, a brief spat broke out between a boy friend / girl friend on the dance floor behind the guy karaoking in the photo above. Way more spectators for the spat - obviously regardless of language limitations.

There was also an opportunity to get really neat souvenirs, keepsakes, or wedding gifts.  If you have a wedding you are scheduled to be going to soon, let me know what's on their registery and I am sure I can get something here that will suffice.  And save you a bundle too.

Laura's Birthday the 24th yes, I remember

Several years ago in Charlotte, Patt and I welcomed Laura into this world. A couple of days ago we celebrated that day again. This time with her family. We went big time. Matt and Laura spent Friday and Saturday morning away at a hotel — yes, we managed quite well thank you— only one set of tears and they were not mine if you were wondering.  

Mother - daughter 

if you were unsure

Saturday afternoon the crowd of us joined others enjoying the weekend and headed downtown. The subway north/south mainline was our method of travel. Without a hitch either.

Our destination was the big science museum downtown on the City Square. On the site of an old fort, Qing Dynasty time, stands a large modern museum showplace, children's participant science experiment.

History of flight in China with model airplanes all the way to the space age at the far end of a large hall.

The participant part of the science activities really got the kids interest and actions. Despite the crowds -and there was a pretty sizable crowd, the kids waited their turn, corrected line breakers, and went at it.  I do not remember what Lydia was doing here.

but Luke was pumping water into a bucket that would overflow onto a clear plexiglass tunnel that other kids crawled through and where they could see the water coming down onto them.

At the end of our time we went out to the main plaza, note the Chairman, smiling and saluting? blessing? waving? to us with his up raised right hand (the white statute in the distance over my right hand in the photo).

Our wake up call

We generally get an early morning wake up call.  It comes in the form of Luke.  Sometime after 6 am Luke dances around the end of the bed toward Patt's side, crawls in climbs over Patt and nestles in.  He grins so big and announces that Dad said he could have milk.  He repeats this statement until I go get him a sippy cup (see bed-frame above his head in photo below).  He takes it from me, smiles and puts in on the bed frame where it stays for an indeterminate time, being checked on occasionally prior to be fully enjoyed.

John Paul is usually not too many minutes behind, and then things do tend to speed up as he is not so much a snuggle as is his younger brother those does enjoy his time in the bed with his grandmama and grandaddy.  I tend to get the brunt of his attentions.  With both of them present it is not long before one of both of them start calling for action.

Often as not that involves playing cards on the bed.  Crazy Mates fits the bill perfectly.  Isaac though normally a late sleeper joined us this day and joined the game.  All three are avid players .

Here Patt and I are playing said game with the youngest two and if you are in need of a gift idea or just want a new game for a 4-7 year old or someone that acts like someone in that age cohort, Crazy Mates or Crazy Eights as Luke calls it will fit the bill.  Played loosely like UNO with a pirate theme for the various suit colors it works well - actually very few fights.  The yellow suit is "Buccaneer Bob" or "Buck-a-beer Bob" as John Paul has renamed it for us.  Excuse me the lellow colored suit, (according to Luke)  (all too soon, all too soon)

Changing subjects, Patt and I took the younger two to the market on their off day from school - think Luke is excited?

It is a traditional fresh wet market of vegetables, fruits, meats, grains, spices, and stuff one might find at an old time market.  Lydia taught Patt the rather complex hand signals for the numbers above 5.  So Patt, with very rudimentary Chinese, some hand signals, a smile, an occasional Thai or Spanish word, of course some English and a word translator on her phone has a grand time and gets daily shopping done.

This is the seller of apples, pears, and bananas, that is Patt's favorite and of course she likes Patt and helps her frequently locate other vendors of certain items.

Confirming amounts as neither know how to speak to the other but hand signals once figured out work very well.  The key part is the once figured out.

It is quite possible that this trip with the camera could have come away with some good photos of Patt interacting in the market.  She is a regular and well known customer by now.  However thing one and thing two were with me and from the photo below guess what my next move was.

and moving right along, I think I mentioned that on Wednesdays I take Isaac and a friend of his to Tai Kwan Do lessons in another part of town.  The trip includes a ride of 20-30 minutes on a trolly type  bus. The kids and I generally enjoy the ride as it is normally not crowded and lots to see on the ride.
We even took the bus just to get donuts once when their lesson was canceled.

I like donuts- they like donuts - so lets go- and we did.  They were good too.

and reading time is good time.  Chapter books especially for the big kids.

Other things have happened here too

A couple of weeks ago after church a crowd of Matt and Laura's friends and Patt and I went to a nearby park for a picnic.  Included were, no surprise here, a host of children. And it was a very nice park and a hot sunny day.

Ages from not sure on upper end 12? to infant on lower end, and Patt and I somehow ended up going on a walk with these three on their scooters. Now I know I may have suggested our grandchildren had a fairly high degree of skill and ability on a scooter (justifiably so I may add).

Well I am here to announce that I have seen the future -  some day this little girl will be on an Olympic medal stand with snowboards or at a State Fair riding a motor cycle in a Thriller-Dome!  Awesome.  Smoked our two grandsons. Swirled and swooped - put on a show and did not even look over her shoulder.

We did find about ¾ mile away a very interesting diversion from our ride down a greenway away from the park.  Gave us a chance to catch up and turn the trio around too.

Shopping malls here have large lavish kids entertainment centers of various types.  These cater to individuals or to birthday parties. Our three bigs were invited to a birthday party at an "obstacle course jungle gym" what do you call it amazing thing in a shopping mall. Here Lydia is navigating on the lower level which includes balance beams, cables, hang on things. The kids are harnessed in as Lydia illustrates.

and here Isaac is stepping between unstable cabled posts hanging on to other cables and his harness is dragging behind. It really is quite a challenge, especially on the upper level.

We left there and just outside the mall is a series of fountains, and as it was a hot day. The kids had been working hard, were hot and sweaty, and there was an opportunity for fun, well Matt said kids, take off your shoes.

the water was a little cool and it took a minute or two to get full into the swing of things but

 they got the idea

and Isaac found the sun shine quite to his liking too.

A few days ago, Thing One and Thing Two made a mountain in the living room.  Took all the couch and chair cushions, throw pillows, soft play animals, their bedroom blankets and pillows, and then finally Luke's mattress!

Matt emerged from somewhere and a full scale wrestling match ensued. Mountain erosion was one result.  It will not be many more years until Matt gives up on this activity. Those guys are getting larger and stronger.

Yangshuo: post 3-and last one

some last photos from the Yangshuo trip

We really did enjoy seeing the country side and there definitely were some country towns. The one lane concrete road, and farm land and little community were interesting to see. The few hours after waking up on the sleeper provided better view than the speeding bullet train.

Double click or something on this photo and look at it closely. It is really interesting, there is a freight train coming out of a tunnel in the background, an interstate highway being built - note the concrete erosion control devices being built into the hillside.  I doubt if the highway will have an exit for the town though there are at least two cars there and a guy working a garden next to the river.  Of course he could be associated with the construction crew and the town virtually abandoned.  It would not be the first abandoned town we saw.

Nor was this the first overloaded auto delivery truck we saw.  I just hope the NC legislature does not find out this is even possible because they surely will provide for it on NC highways ASAP.  Those are delivery vans and Buick minivans on top.

This is what it looks like from the road.  We passed it on the interstate while in a bus/van going from Yangshuo to Guilin.

This is the bus/van we were in.  John Paul and I were on the back seat. A wafting scent of passed gas came by me and John Paul and I had the following conversation.
Grandaddy:  I think I smell passed gas.
John Paul:  (looking me full in the face hopefully-in a questioning voice rising toward the end of the sentence)  Was it you?
Grandaddy:  (slowly) Nooo, not me.
John Paul: (looking down, slowly, voice deepening sadly on the last word) It. Was. Meeee.  

We had a great ride!  There was room for us all— and the interstate was in great condition.  China is building highways!!

In one of the train stations, as we were moving through one of the long hallways the kids "freight trained" behind Laura.  Coming at you.

 and going away.  

and from the cave, the entrance sign greeting visitors.  As are most efforts at direct translation- something invariably gets a little stilted.  Especially check out 5 and 6.