Monday, November 30, 2015

"The Middles" have Birthdays

"The Middles" have a lot in common...They like playing house, enjoy crafts, love to hug one another for photos and have November birthdays!




 This year they had a joint birthday party...Two similar parties going on at the same time, but rotating activities.
Nails by our lovely neighbor girls
 Hannah helping to paint and make fortune tellers
 Acting goofy
 Pin the painted nail on the hand

 HUGE Minion piƱata 

 Frosting and decorating their own cupcakes
 Making nail polish jar marshmallow snacks
 Fashion Show





Life is Good when you have a birthday near a friend/sister!

Saturday, November 28, 2015

A Sunday Swim......and Run

The BIGS have been training for a biathlon for the past few weeks.  Hannah did it last year, but this was Kaylee's first time.  She was a little hesitant to sign up, but I think the running bug has bitten her....she is really looking forward to track and field day next week!






 Happy runner:






 Everyone loves a ribbon.......
 and a stop at Starbucks for breakfast!!

Life is Good when you get to start a Sunday with running, swimming and Starbucks....especially when it is your 9th birthday!

Thursday, November 19, 2015

Celebrating Cultures

Last Friday, the girls had their International Fest Parade at school.  It's a great event where all the students carry small flags from their home countries, dress in national costumes or colors and walk through the school.  There are about 60 nations represented.





 This Friday, was Deepavali Cultural Day.  It was a fun day to learn more about the Hindu celebration.  I was lucky enough to be teaching today, so I got to participate too!
 There was a great assembly with different dances. 
 Throughout the day students get a chance to visit stations to learn more about the customs and traditions of the holiday.
Life is Good when you get to celebrate the diversity in your school community.

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Day 4 in China: Xi 'an

On Day 4 of our trip, we flew to Xi'an.  We would have less than 24 hours there so we made the most out of our time.  We left the hotel in Beijing at 4:30am so we could catch our 6:45 flight.

 We were to the Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum/Terra Cotta Warriors by 10:30am

 The Terracotta Army or the "Terracotta Warriors and Horses" is a collection of terracotta sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China. It is a form of funerary art buried with the emperor in 210–209 BCE and whose purpose was to protect the emperor in his afterlife.
The figures, dating from approximately the late third century BCE, were discovered in 1974 by local farmers in Lintong DistrictXi'an, Shaanxi province. The figures vary in height according to their roles, with the tallest being the generals. The figures include warriors, chariots and horses. Estimates from 2007 were that the three pits containing the Terracotta Army held more than 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses, the majority of which remained buried in the pits nearby Qin Shi Huang's mausoleum. Other terracotta non-military figures were found in other pits, including officials, acrobats, strongmen and musicians.





Reading about the terra cotta warriors is neat, but to see them in person was really impressive.  The amount of detail each statue has is amazing.  The amount of time and effort this excavation process takes is unbelievable.  





 The "Warrior Hospital" where they show a few works in progress
 A life size puzzle






 Knealing archer:  
A statue of a knealing archer is the only example of one they found fully intact.


 "General"


 Next up was an hour drive back into the city, and a visit to the Da Yan Pagoda(Giant Wild Goose Pagoda)
 Some of us didn't wake up from our naps in the car!









 Calligraphy lesson
 Old and new characters for Woman and Man

 Writing their names
A quick refuel at Haggen Daz...Whit continued to sleep and then we were off to our last stop.
 Xi'an City Wall Scenic Area:  It is a defense system built to protect the city with only 4 gate areas.  Today, more entrances and exits have been put in so traffic can pass.
 We got there about 5:30, so the sun was starting to go down.





  A few relay races.......







 One last Kung Fu pic!
 Our flight wasn't until 12:15am, so we went to the airport and had dinner.  Then, we checked into the hotel for 2 hours.  Justin had a conference call and the rest of us napped/relaxed.

It was a great day of sight seeing, but an early morning flight and midnight flight made for a very long day!!!


We got back to KL this morning about 6:30am.  We packed a lot into just a few days in China, but I am so glad we got to see all the sights we did.

Life is Good with Chinese Adventures!!