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Where we are

So, I am sitting outside while the kids play with Max's friend B. B is from Hong Kong and he sounds like a very proper British kiddo! I would say that Max and Izzy are definitely in the minority being native English speakers. They are really enjoying their school. Both of them say that Manderin is their favorite class. Isabel is excited that she has math and spelling tests. I love that she is finally interested in reading rather than being read to. Max absolutely adores his teacher and of course he had good friends after his first day. He likes his teacher so much he is even willing to write nightly in his journal.

We slept in our apartment last night for the first time and ate an exotic meal of peanut butter and jelly. The kids have been so amazing during this whole transition. They adjusted to the time change, to being stared at ALL the time, to not understanding anybody outside of school or home, and to the unbelievably humid weather. They have not however felt very comfortable being quite so adventurous with eating. While at the hotel, they were happy to try new things, but are very wary about going into any restaurant that isn't a McDonalds or pizza hut. I think that this is a little frustrating for Nathaniel and I have to remind him that they have been through so many chances they can eat American food for as long as they want!

I am meeting moms at the school and enjoying finding my way around Hangzhou. I feel so liberated for some reason. I haven't quite figured out why yet, though. I will let you know when I do! I have pages of notes of funny things that I have done or that have happened to me. I promise to start sharing more regularly. Nathaniel keeps telling me that I should record them, but that isn't going to happen!

Poor Nathaniel has had the hardest time of us all. Between getting to work and making sure we are ok and have what we need, he is now just about running on empty. To top it off, he has been sick. I think that he is finally feeling better. He intends to write some soon also.

I think I have mentioned that it is hard to update here because it is blocked unless I use Nathaniel's iPhone. My goal next week is to set up a blog that I can easily update...hold me to it ok?

We Made It!!!!

I am typing this from Nathaniel's phone so please forgive my mistakes. We are here in Hangzhou staying at a hotel and working on getting the apartment ready to live in. There are definitely things we did not think of. Like bed linens and pillows. I did bring some, but the beds are bigger than we realized! So our sheets don't fit. Also, I didn't realize just how long we would be without our stuff. One more month before we get our other things like dishes and cookware. We need to figure out the bare minimum that we need in order to eat happily.

Speaking of eating, we had our first authentic chinese meal the other night with one of Nathaniel's coworkers. It was nothing like any Chinese restaurant I have been to in the US. It was amazing! I ate lotus root, chicken cooked in tea, pork dumplings, lightly pickled cucumbers, chinese salad, beef and peppers, and I drank red tea. All of it was wonderful. The chicken was the best thing chicken I have ever eaten. Unfortunately the kids were really hurting from jet lag and refused all food, but at least they were charming and not terrors.

We visited their school on Friday, and we are all really excited about Monday when they start. We also met a lot of parents and everyone was so welcoming and kind. I am sure I will find people/ things to keep me busy soon.

I will be spending next week cleaning our apartment not because it needs it really, but because if I clean it I own it. Does that make sense? Izzy has already made her room her own and seems really eager to move in permanently.

I am going to finish with a list of things we have experienced in the last few days:

Being stared at ALOT, especially Isabel.

Eating at a Chinese Mcdonalds. That was all we could find when the jet lag hit the inexperienced world travelers in our family. Their French fries were better than the US.

Hailing a taxi

Riding in a electric bicycle taxi

Bought groceries and cleaning supplies. I think Mr. Muscle in the Asian Mr. Clean.

We adults have started drinking tea and I really enjoy it (Nathaniel always did)

Isabel used an inground potty! She was braver than me. I opted to hold it until I got to the apartment!

watched Tom and Jerry with Chinese voices

That is all I can think of for now. I will update soon!

It's about damn time!

PS Please go to our Flickr link on the right. I will be putting all of our pictures there that I don't share!
Well, we are In Chicago and we are board our plane for Shanghai in about 45 minutes. Now that we are FINALLY on our way, all of us are so excited! The kids are armed with there video games and movies and art supplies and books. Notice that I mentioned video games first...The kids are probably most excited because they get to be plugged for a long time with almost no complaints for me.

I am going to try and get them to tell me one thing they want to tell everybody.
Max: “boo”
Isabel: “We will be so happy to here from you guys. Love from, the Clawson family!”
Nathaniel: “Traveling with my family is even more fun than I thought it would be!”
Beth: “I never realize how many friends and wonderful people I have in my life until I really stop and take notice. While I am sad to be leaving everybody, I am thankful for this time to reflect and see all of the support I have.”

I know that I won’t have access to facebook, and I may not be able to keep this blog address, but I will let everybody know the new link if it changes. I am so glad that y’all want to follow along with us!

Where we are

Well, we have moved out of our house in Bloomington. It is now for sale, which was really hard for all of us.

We stayed in Boone for about a week and had a great time with family and friends. I got to do the Watauga Lake Triathlon...the 3rd year I have been to do this race with my friends!

We are in Charlotte now and will be here until we leave on August 24 for China.

The kids are very upset that they didn't start school today in Bloomington, but are loving the time they are having with their family and (especially) friends in Charlotte.

We are ready to be done with this transition and just get to Hangzhou!

Hello, Goodbye, Hello, Goodbye

I am sitting in the dark in our hotel room listening to the kids fight going to sleep. Nathaniel is at our house doing yard work in the dark. We are officially leaving Bloomington tomorrow morning. I am really, really excited about our move to china. I promise. I am no longer filled with the anxiety that moved me to write the last post. But, I sure am sad tonight. I remember a year and a half ago when I was so scared about moving to Bloomington. I knew that my life wouldn't be too different from Charlotte, but after the first 4 lonely years there, I had started to make some absolutely wonderful friends the last 3 years. When we moved to Bloomington, I was dreading being lonely and having to make friends again. I worried that the kids and I would never ever find anybody else that we got along with as well as our Charlotte friends.

Oh, was I wrong! In the short time we have spent in Bloomington I really consider it home. We found a neighborhood that we were fortunate enough to find a house to buy just up the street from the house we rented when we first got here. The neighborhood has a good school within walking /bike riding distance. But most importantly, We found amazing friends. Watching the kids make the rounds to say goodbye has been really hard to watch. I know how hard it has been for them. They have been real troopers. There have been some hard times for both of them, but it lets me know how much they have loved Bloomington too.

I am so proud of how we have kept in contact with our Charlotte friends, and I know that we are going to do the same with our Bloomington friends. We are so lucky to have all of the love and support of everybody as we travel over to the other side of the globe. I want you all to know that we are there for you just as you guys have been for us.

We are leaving Bloomington tomorrow morning and I am so, so sad about that. I am so thankful, though for all of the friends that we have made. You guys taught me that no matter where I go, I will be able to find people the make us feel welcome and are as excited to get to know us as we are them. You continued the love that our Charlotte friends gave us, and I hope that we were all there for you as well. I am sad to say goodbye to Bloomington friends, excited to say hello to Charlotte friends, sad to say goodbye (again) to Charlotte friends, and excited to meet and say hello to our Hangzhou friends...

Holy Moly

The amount of anxiety I feel at this very moment is unreal. We picked the kids up yesterday and were so happy to see them. However, this morning it is apparent that we all need some time to transition...from being apart, to seeing our house 1/2 empty, to knowing that most of our stuff will be packed up and not seen for a month or so, to knowing that we only have one more week in a house we love, in a town we love, with friends we love, one more week at a lake we love with grandparents and an uncle we love, and one more week in our old home town we loved, with our other grandparents we love, and old friends we love...AND then moving to the other side of the world where we know nobody, and don't speak the language, and the culture, food, climate, political system is completely foreign to us.

I know that this is a great opportunity and a wonderful adventure, but I think we all felt all of this at the same time this morning. And wow, we all totally lost it at the same time this morning.

I know that I feel better getting this out. I hope I am giving the kids ample opportunity to get their fears and anxieties out as well. I never imagined that Max would be attending 3 school in 3 years and 2 for Izzy in 2 years. They are amazing children who have handled all of the recent change so well.