Sisterly Love

Tyler is a very enthusiastic big sister. Perhaps a little too enthusiastic, actually.

She is so eager to hug and kiss Avery that it often devolves into smothering. She has been caught numerous times with my breast-pump to her bare chest, attempting to "get milk for Avery". She wants to share every toy with Avery, even ones that might not be so appropriate for tiny hands or teething mouths. She has become insistent that Avery always be positioned to watch Tyler eat, color, read, solve puzzles, etc.

Tyler recently learned how to climb in/out of her crib, so we transitioned her to a "big girl bed." And then Avery was outgrowing her bassinet, so we transitioned her to the crib. I'm guessing you can see where this is going, as you're (hopefully!) less sleep deprived than I am... but next thing I know, Tyler is in the crib with Avery, trying to "cuddle" her as she naps. Yikes!

Last night over dinner, Tyler kept asking and asking and begging and whining to hold and feed Avery. So I decided to let her channel all of her sisterly affection in a more positive -- and supervised -- way. She was very patient, stayed focused, and was gentle and supportive with Avery. For her part, Avery seemed enthralled with Tyler, and actually drank an ounce of milk while on her lap.

I am really enjoying seeing the girls' relationship develop. Well, at least when it's sweet moments like this. I could do without the crib incidents.

Tyler Sings in Chinese

Tyler has learned her first Chinese nursery rhyme!

It took me awhile to figure out the lyrics, because Chinese is difficult enough for me without having to also understand through the mispronunciations of a toddler and the heavy accent of her teacher, our Ayi (helper). I finally had to enlist the help of our friend Crystal, who is fluent in both Chinese and English. But it's a cute little song, sung to the tune of Frere Jacques.

First, the English translation, since that's probably the only version that means anything to the blog readers.

TWO TIGERS

Two tigers, two tigers

Running fast, running fast

One has no eyes, one has no ears

Very strange, very strange.

Next, the Chinese version. I've written the tone-less pinyin (our alphabet) under the hanzi (characters).

两只老虎

LIANG ZHI LAOHU

两只老虎，两只老虎

Liang zhi laohu, liang zhi laohu

跑得快，跑得快

Pao de kuai, pao de kuai

一只没有眼睛， 一只没有耳朵

Yi zhi meiyou yanjing, yi zhi meiyou erduo

真奇怪，真奇怪

Zhen qiguai, zhen qiguai.

And now, Tyler’s music video debut – enjoy!

A Little R&R in Shanghai

Matt just switched jobs, and in between finishing one and starting the next we had just enough time for a very very mini vacation. We decided to travel on the cheap, spending less than $2 total to transport our family to the Sheshan Le Meridien resort, which is located within Shanghai district limits and is accessible by subway. 

It was amazing travelling nearly to the end of the subway line. I really realized how expansive this city is and how it can host over 24 million residents: there were still blocks and blocks of high-rise apartments even after travelling 45 minutes by train out of downtown.

Once we arrived in Sheshan, a bit more than an hour from downtown via subway, we were greeted by hawkers selling all sorts of beach and sun paraphenalia. Sheshan is an interesting place, famous for its "mountains" (barely hills by Colorado standards) housing an old Jesuit chapel and observatory. Nowadays it's probably more popular for the scupture park nestled into the forests, the amusement and water parks, and a few resorts -- such as the Le Meridien -- that have established themselves as a destination for corporate retreats and small conventions.

In any case, we got to enjoy huge indoor and outdoor pools, a playground and bouncy castle, a manmade beach (although for safety reasons we decided it best to just look and not play in the sand or stagnant water of the lake), and expansive grounds with lots of pathways along the lakeside and through the forests. Matt even ran up the mountains to check out the chapel and observatory.

While it was by no means a luxurious beach vacation, Sheshan still proved to be a welcome respite from the Shanghai city heat and hustle. It's nice to know we have an option of a nearby and affordable little escape whenever we need a weekend recharge.

view of the "beach" from our room

because what resort doesn't need a giant satellite?

the cathedral and observatory on the hill in the background past the convention center

TJ loved the bouncy castle

a little wedding chapel on the hotel grounds

path across the lake to the outdoor pool and playground

The Urban Farm

We recently visited Shanghai's newest mall, K11. 

It's being advertised as an "Art Mall", which means it has various art installations -- anything from murals to sculptures to interactive light displays -- on each floor in between the shops, but for this trip we didn't focus on any of that. We didn't visit a single store either. 

Instead, we enjoyed exploring the "green" concepts they had employed, including a rooftop garden with views of their plant-covered exterior, and the most outrageous, their indoor "urban farm". Yep, herbs, tomatoes, peppers, and even piglets, all growing under some intense lightbulbs.

vertical garden up the side of the building

the pig pen, with plenty of paparazzi

the stars of the farm