Long time no blog

Hello blog fans, so so sorry for the huge delay!! We cannot tell you just how manic things have been here....just tiredness upon tiredness. Added to which, we are competing for the internet as we don't have wireless at home! Ian and I are really busy planning for lessons, I am marking (luckily Ian doesn't set homework so therefore no marking!), Ian is picking up the pace on his Chinese and learning more and more characters. William proudly announced last week that he knew 52 Chinese characters, and that was excluding the numbers! He is going really well at school and loves it. He is bringing Chinese songs home to practice with no pinyin, just the characters. I had to bow out of homework practice in the end and the ayi took my place as my character recognition is next to none! It was lovely hearing the two of them sing the songs though! Ian is trying to con me into having lessons but so far I have been able to resist!

Sophie is not well at the moment but nothing too serious. She has had a very random rash since Saturday and noone is too sure why. The doctors think it is an allergic reaction to something (possibly too much seaweed but we wait to see!) and she is going back to school tomorrow. Sadly she missed her school trip to the Science and Technology Museum today but we are hoping to do it at the weekend instead. She is doing really well at school and trying ever so hard.

Both Sophie and William have made us very proud at their school efforts and they have really grown up over the summer holidays. William has started having swimming lessons as part of the PE programme at school and is doing very well. Poor Mr Kevin has been dragged in to assist with the little ones, which William thinks is great fun. William was also voted Vice-Captain for his group in his class, the Dolphins, today and is very excited about being a responsible leader! He is also loving his TaeKwondo which he goes to twice a week now. He is collected by a little mini bus at the door to our compound and driven the few hundred meters across the road with all the other kids and then delivered back just over an hour later. He loves it, just can't wait to get a coloured belt!

Sophie has been doing her tennis lessons, although sadly missed the one on sunday as she was poorly. She is hoping to start swimming lessons after school again tomorrow but we will see how she is faring. She is studying all about Space at the moment and coming out with some amazing facts.

I am mega busy as usual and think I am taking on too much, but nothing changes there! I decided this year I would like to start up Girl Scouts at our school. Hmm, not sure that was my best plan ever! I have been very lucky that a couple of teachers and mums have offered to assist and we are all trooping (!!) off tomorrow for a conference in Pudong with the Chairperson of the USAGSO.......I know, exciting or what! Well, it means no school for the day, but then I have to return to school as we have a 'Meet the Teacher's evening'!

My new class is great, proving challenging in every way a new class ever does....I am sure they are getting used to me as much as I am getting used to them! It is great working with Ms Joyce, just like when I was working with Ms Tina last year.....we just work so well together, we are a great team. I am continuing in my fight to bring healthy school lunches to Shanghai but am not sure if I am being listened to. I feel ever frustrated but am trying my best. I have been asked to do some other stuff which will feature in good time, let's hope someone invents a few more hours in the day by that time!

Ian is out "running" around the compound as I type....he has decided it is get fit time. We depart for Phuket next Wednesday evening for the Chinese National Holiday Golden Week with some friends. We are very much looking forward to some relaxation and sea kayaking too. We promise loads of pics when we return. We are also planning our next few holidays as we want to see more of Asia this year......watch this space!

I have attached a few pictures of a trip to the Shanghai Botanical Gardens we went to a few weeks ago. The weather is still very hot at the moment, although the humidity seems to have dropped in the past week which is lovely. Sadly we have had rain the past few days but still there is no need for a cardi even!

We hope everyone back home is ok and we are really thinking about you all....sorry we have been so rubbish at blogging and sorry for Ian's disappointed fans, I know I can't match his humour with my tales of daily life! He promised to return soon.....

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