SURPRISE!

Nanny is here!  It has been very difficult keeping this to myself but I didn't want the boys to find out and I love surprises.

Yesterday was a great day for us, although a little scattered.  We were supposed to go to the park but since the skies were a little grey and rain was in the forecast, we changed our plans.  Jessica and her boys came to pick us up and got forced into a detour right at our Carrefour that took them across the river and resulted in an extra half hour or so of driving just to get to our place.  Had I been thinking I would have told them about it as it's easy to avoid once you know about it.  Anyway, they picked us up and we went to meet up with Amy and Joseph.  We tried to go to Tesco for the new Happy City we went to a couple weeks ago, but the construction was ridiculous.  We could get to the street in front of the mall but couldn't drive or walk in through the parking lot.  They really don't think these things through very well.  Other people were climbing over a brick wall around huge metal towers that were being welded.  It was very unsafe and we weren't about to do that with five boys so we considered walking all the way around the construction to get in.  We had no strollers though and it was a long walk so instead we decided to go back to Carrefour and our usual Happy City.  First we had a nice lunch at KFC.  I ordered a pepper beef mixture on rice (seems unusual to order that from KFC) and it was spicy but tasty.  Afterward the boys played at Happy City for a total of two hours.  Beautiful!

As we were getting ready to leave the mall I tried to look out the door and thought they must have closed them somehow, it was so dark.  It was only when I saw car lights going by that I realized that the doors were still open but it was actually that black out and pouring rain.  At 2:30pm it looked like night time.  It was a little eerie.  Thank goodness our friends were able to drive us home or we would have been stuck there for a while. It was thundering and lightning.  It was quite a sight.

Once home we got into our comfy clothes and I had the boys lay down for a rest.  I knew Tim was going to let them stay up late and I didn't want them to be too tired.  They didn't know it but Mom's plane was due in at 8:30 so they were going to have a boys night with pizza and a movie while I went out to supper with Jessica.  She and I were going to go to the airport afterward and I would have Mom home at 9:30 to surprise the boys.  Well, as usual, nothing goes according to plan.  Jessica and I did go for a wonderful supper at the Japanese restaurant but on the way I checked the flight schedule and saw that the plane was delayed until ten.  So we had a little more time to relax and enjoy our meal and we did.  We ate a ton, drank a bottle of wine and even tried what I have been told is a delicacy here, sea cucumber.  It was ridiculously expensive (for what it is) and turned out to be very bland.  It really had no flavor at all.  I'm not sure if that's just because of the way they cooked it or what.  The rest of our food was excellent though and so was the bottle of wine we had with it.

From the restaurant we walked to Heidi's for a drink and dessert.  While there a Chinese fellow began talking to us so he could practice his English.  He was rather bizarre and informed us that he was twenty-two and has never had a girlfriend.  English is now his girlfriend and he tries to practice everyday.  He also told us that he is saving his sex for when he knows English well and can find a girlfriend with good character.  Too much information!  I really didn't need to know all that.  He topped it off by asking for our phone numbers so he could be our friend and use us to practice his language skills.  I don't think so!  I told him what he really was looking for was a "sugar mamma" and that "English is the devil".  He didn't understand that so looked it up, but it was lost in translation.  We left with him following us out the door, welcoming us back to the restaurant anytime.  I don't think he even works there.

We got in the van and I told Tian Ye we wanted to go to the airport.  He questioned me and looked at me strangely but started driving.  Then I told him we were going to pick up my mother, that she was coming to Shenyang tonight.  He didn't believe me!  He asked me if I was drunk.  I called Tim and handed my phone over to Tian Ye.  He said, "Hello Tim, Jan's drunk".  Tim confirmed that my mother was on her way and he said, "Tim, you're drunk," but he was kidding.  We headed to the airport with just enough time to meet her plane at 10:05.  We got to the arrivals area and waited.  After a few minutes we could see her in the baggage area, waiting for her luggage, but we weren't allowed to go in there to see her.  We waited and waited, and waited, but still her bag hadn't come out.  Eventually everyone else had left and she was the only passenger that didn't have a bag.  Then I saw her walk off with an airline employee.  A minute later she waved me over and they let us in to find out what was going on.  It turned out that her suitcase was still in Shanghai.  Air Canada told her in Halifax that her bag would go right through to her final destination, ie. should wouldn't have to pick it up in Toronto when she changed planes.  The only problem was, they didn't know her final destination was Shenyang.  She was supposed to pick it up in Shanghai and recheck it was China Southern Airlines.  Anyway, they did some calling and the people in Shanghai said they would send it on another flight today, which they did.  She wasn't too concerned since most of its contents were items for us.  A bunch of kids books, some clothes, a bike helmet for me, jeans for Tim as well as some other goods.  Brett and Julia, Nicholas and Ryan's cousins, were so kind to send some letters, a card, a couple toy airplanes, and some candy to the boys.  So sweet.  Thanks kids!

Speaking of Shanghai, Tim and I are going for our anniversary!  On Friday we will get a five day break, just the two of us, for a chance to explore this huge city.  We are very excited to spend our seventh anniversary in one of the world's largest cities, child free!

If you're feeling bad for Mom and the kids, don't.  The day after Tim and I get back from Shanghai, she and I will take the boys to Beijing for a few nights.  We will go see the Great Wall (finally!), the pandas at the zoo and hopefully an acrobatic show.  For that trip we are taking a bullet train.  It should be another great adventure.  I am so ruined.

Back to the surprise.  Since there was no chance of getting Mom back to the apartment at a decent time Tim put the boys to bed and waited up for us.  We finally made it home at midnight and stayed up chatting for a while.  At 1:30 Mom crawled into bed with Nicholas while I tried to keep him from waking up and noticing her.  We thought it would be fun to have him wake up to his Nanny beside him.  Fun as in possibly-freaking-him-out-but-hopefully-not.  It didn't work anyway.  He opened his eyes, looked at me and said ever so quietly, "Why is Nanny here?".  I asked him what he was talking about and tried to convince him he was dreaming but he wasn't buying it.  He was still excited though.  He has since told me and her, "It didn't take her long to get here".  Oh the innocence.  It was 29 hours.

This morning Ryan came into our room and wouldn't go back to sleep despite my best efforts.  After a while I could hear chatting from the next room so I told Ryan to go in and wake up Nicholas.  He opened the door and I heard, "Nanny!".  He gave her a hug then came running into our room hollering, "Nanny's here!  Nanny's here!".  The three of them got up and Tim and I went back to sleep.  I love having Nanny here!

Today, despite everyone being a little tired, we went out biking and roaming around.  It was an absolutely gorgeous day and we wanted to enjoy it.  Nanny and Nicholas ended up having a picnic in the park and we visited the fruit stand for some goodies.  After a nice lunch we went to Walmart to find Mom some reading glasses as she had forgotten hers.  That was only the second time since coming to China that I have been in a Walmart, the other being our first afternoon here and it wasn't a pleasant experience.  We tried a newer store this time and it was actually quite nice.  The smells and noises were not nearly as irritating as the other store.

After Walmart we drove to the airport to fetch Mom's suitcase and brought it home to check out all the goodies.  Nicholas is happy to have some new books including one called Where Did I Come From? to help answer a few of the thousands of questions he has.  That is only one of many I purchased including others on death and dying.  We will save those for when that topic comes up again.  I found those questions much more difficult to explain than the ones about sex.

This evening, while Tim made supper, I cut Mom's hair and we did some coloring as well, for both of us (she had to bring them with her).  I think the cut turned out well, she was pleased with it anyway.  Who's next?  I think I may open a barber shop.

Nanny and both boys are now sound asleep, none of them made it past 7:15.  They were all pretty exhausted.  Tomorrow we plan to venture off to Beiling Park and see what it's all about.  We were there once before about a month ago but most of it wasn't open yet.  Since this is a holiday weekend it should be fully functioning now (we hope).  Now we just have to figure out where to take Mom for lunch.

So, that's the excitement here.  It should be a fun couple of weeks.  I will try to post as much as possible.