My sore throat...

had turned into a fever today. After horse riding I went to my chinese class and felt really cold. Went home had a big bowl of soup and then slept, woke up and arranged fro Kaidi to take mabo to pick up the kids and then slept some more till 430pm! The kids had chinese with Ayi (auntie) today and they both did well! Ike is starting to say dog and cat in chinese. Nate seems more open to repeating chinese words. The Ayi was very happy today, some progress... she was feeling rather discouraged after 2 weeks of classes. Maybe the key is for me to somehow not be there?

My throat is immensely better now.

So day 2... no wet bed from Nate!!! The dr still does not have the report from the bloods yet. Loren took him to get the blood taken out. I had been procrastinating because it was so traumatic with Ike. Anyway, Nate said, "I did cry a bit" and he got a lollipop. The older boy before him apparently cried alot more. Today he took two clothe hangers and said, "I want to be a hooker".

Ike's vocab has increased to dip, dis (this), der (there), gou-gou (dog in chinese), maaao (cat in chinese), yesh (yes), NO (ok that is very clear). His pointing to chest could mean one of two things... me as in ming ming or I want to wear a spidey shirt.

I also had a conversation with Nate's old teacher Avellyn and she does aupair work and can stay overnight! great... I will be doing more travelling to see africa with loren, he just called and said we will be going to Ethiopia in the next few weeks. Avellyn told me that on free play times, Ike would come over and sit with her and start a conversation... His class teacher says he is very affectionate and will come over and give her a hug.

I have also been spending alot of time with Christine talking about a potential partnership in China on my granddad's business potential, at the very least it is helping me clarify alot of my thoughts (that have been clogged in my head). I hope we will work something out as she is trustable and has the right social and govt contacts. In the meantime its also been refreshing to look through my granddad's things again. Everytime I get a good chinese dinner thrown in as well!

Here's Ike with one of his birthday gifts, a book that opens out and surrounds him. He really likes looking at the animals and seems fascinated most by the piggy, he likes the big black hairy one in school. My horse riding with a couple that is practicing to ride so that they and the kids go on a riding safari and a big yellow beetle that dropped in to say hello.