Jensenfest

Holy Schamoly Where Have We Been?

2011-09-26T16:01:00.000-07:00

We have to admit, posting on the old Facebook has kind of taken over. Oh yeah, and that new baby, Jojo.

Oh - you didn't know about Joe?

Born Feb 2 in Dallas. We got to travel there in the worst weather Texas has seen in 50 years. 2 weeks later, we returned to Seattle with a lot more luggage, a lot less sleep but a ton of new love. He's almost 8 months old, loves his sister, and she loves him. George the dog is warming up to the baby. Ironically the cats love him.

Elizabeth started kindergarten and she loves it. Of course she spent the summer running her lemonade stand, and started her own Yelp listing after making a killing Seafair weekend.

Summer Movies

2010-09-09T15:46:00.000-07:00

OK we're slow to post. This is her summer triathlon (of sorts)

Where We've Been, Who We've Seen

2010-07-17T10:57:00.001-07:00

Raise Your Hand if You're 4 Years Old today!

2010-05-14T11:52:00.000-07:00

Yeesh. How long has it been since a posting? Long time.

Most online time is spent on Facbook & Twitter now. So if you haven't joined one of those yet, now's the time to do it. Especially if you want to know the latest Bao bao news.

She's engaged. He's a great guy and we like his family. When we get Kid #2 (no, we have no idea when that's gonna happen. We'll get an email and then we'll get on a plane.) Elizabeth and her fiance will take care of it in their own house.

So that's gonna happen. Happy Birthday, bao bao.

Introducing Wrestlemania

2009-11-12T15:20:00.000-08:00

It was only a matter of time I guess

The Cold Season

2009-11-12T14:58:00.000-08:00

Elizabeth and Nancy spent the last week home with a bad cold. She took to the sofa and watched TV

Wrested with Dada

Pretended to go swimming

Mama after 8 days of this

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-01T08:47:00.000-08:00

Vampire Butterfly. It sounds like a goth metal band doesn't it? That's what Elizabeth was for Halloween. She got a huge haul of candy, which we plan to donate to Operation Gratitude.

The leaves from the chestnut tree has started falling and we are in the throes of pruning anything in sight.

Finally, some scenes from earlier in the month - Mom and Dad heading out for a party, and of course, the Jensen household favorite BACON

This Doesn't Really Need an Explanation

2009-09-02T20:56:00.000-07:00

It's just funny.

More Summer Fun.

2009-08-26T07:19:00.000-07:00

Swimming, Sunning precautions and of course Baobao Butoh

Summer Lovin' - Had Me a Blast!

2009-08-20T22:26:00.000-07:00

It's been warm this summer and Andy's been working 24/7. So, we have been busy swimming. Well it started off slowly - witness her standoff with the sprinkler.

Since then, her water tolerance has improved. Elizabeth's taking swim lessons at the Medgar Evers. We go to practice at Madrona Beach. We visit her lifeguard crush, David, at the Volunteer Park wading pool. We swam with Martin at Roche Harbor.

We of course Mad Men'd ourselves. Here's Baobao's (she chose all these things herself!)

And she's almost independent in the water now. As she tells me every morning, "I don't need you anymore Mama."

So, I am back to hanging with George. At least he needs me!

Camp Adventure

2009-07-06T10:37:00.000-07:00

We wanted to spend the 4th of July up on the island with Andy's mom and family. Logistics determined that we try a night of camping. Given that Nancy's idea of camping is a night at the Motel 6, this was at best a daunting proposition. Somehow, we pulled it off! You can see out campsite here. Elizabeth told me the best part about camping was "sleeping with Big G."

Asleep

2009-07-01T18:37:00.000-07:00

Here's what happens when you go to swim class and the playground

Busy

2009-06-30T09:08:00.001-07:00

Elizabeth loves her arts and crafts. Here she demonstrates her illustration techniques. George, while curious, tends to steer clear once the water gets splashed around.

She is obsessed with... dragons. I swear we didn't put her up to this.

She still needs a nap, every day. Sometimes we help her. Sometimes we leave her in place, balloon and all.

Our Latest Adventures

2009-06-15T07:46:00.000-07:00

Compare this photo to the same pose 2 years ago

Taking care of Shaggy in the Baby Bjorn

Andy's new grown-up grill

Summer's Coming

2009-06-04T16:10:00.000-07:00

And the living is easy when Elizabeth does the yardwork. Grandpa McSharry will be so proud.

Baobao Birthday Redux

2009-06-04T09:51:00.000-07:00

So we posted day-of birthday photos here. Elizabeth's birthday request was a party with all her friends. So we obliged with a playground-cupcake-bookswap blowout last Saturday. She was thrilled - but don't try to take her cupcake

San Diego Long Weekend

2009-05-27T15:14:00.000-07:00

We traveled to San Diego for a pre-summer season family trip, which coincided with Tony, Andy's dad, fathers day all-Padres/Cubs weekend. The weather was beautiful (of course! 75 every day and sunny)

We also caught up with Nancy's friend Carol and our friend Laurie Rose and her mom Billie. Meanwhile here are the highlights: we were busy and didn't take too many photos!

3rd Birthday

2009-05-14T09:42:00.000-07:00

She's 3 and we celebrated in the morning with presents and cake. Nancy was up first to set the scene (including our repurposed Mothers Day cake) and get breakfast ready for the birthday girl and her dad.

Elizabeth opened presents with the appropriate amount of awe and interest.

There was the ritual lighting of the candles and flashing of the cake.

Of course, things tend to go south quickly after presents, cake and 3 year olds, and so they did here.

Time out.

Anderson Family Reunion

2009-05-12T11:24:00.001-07:00

Spring is here (sort of) and Elizabeth and Big G are hanging around outside. They take turns throwing the ball.

Last weekend, Andy's mother's side of the family was here en masse for Mothers Day and various birthdays. It was pandemonium but fun!

Do Like This

2009-05-08T16:13:00.001-07:00

Elizabeth's new game is to make faces. However, it's always the same one, like this. Please note she also has on her apron since we were making a cake for this weekend's Anderson Family Madness (as we are calling our Mother's Day celebration with all of Andy's mother's family in town.)

On the Swing

2009-05-01T12:32:00.000-07:00

Our neighbors have a swing that abuts our property on the back alley. They are kind enough to allow Elizabeth to use whenever she feels like it. She's developed some unique games to play. Andy, the videographer, swears she made this game (and outfit: editors' note) on her own.

Happy Easter, or, Too Much Candy

2009-04-13T09:25:00.000-07:00

It's our third Easter together - hard to believe! Elizabeth and Nancy spent the week prior in Hanover visiting Nancy's folks and flew in on Saturday night to celebrate Easter with the Dada.

The Easter Bunny found Elizabeth despite her busy travel schedule. She arose at 5:45 am to find her basket and various eggs hidden around the house.

Andy, who was on West Coast time, took a while to wake up.

We let her eat some candy. Next year: only money.

The aftermath.

Our Ethnicities and Fashion

2009-03-10T11:13:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we were telling Elizabeth about our respective ethnic backgrounds

Andy said "So Baobao, Dada is Danish, Mama is Irish and you are Chinese."

Elizabeth replied " Yeah. Dada is Danish, Mama is Irish and I am stylish."

True enough!

2 years goes by fast

2009-03-06T16:11:00.000-08:00

Elizabeth, Andy and I got together as a family exactly 2 years ago today. This is now:

This was then:

It's Like Riding a Bike. Sort Of.

2009-03-03T09:56:00.000-08:00

Elizabeth is potty training and learning to ride her tricycle. Sometimes she gets the two tasks confused.

Red Light Green Light versions 3a, 3b & 3c

2009-02-19T22:34:00.000-08:00

Tonight at dinner Elizabeth showed us a new game she learned at school, Red Light Green Light. We both said that was our favorite game as little kids. We agreed we would play a few rounds after everybody ate their broccoli and before bed.

One of the great things about oral traditions and games like this is how the basic action is passed from generation to generation but there are little shifts here and there. A game of telephone played over huge spans of time instead of a circle. Sorry, I did get a degree in Comparative History of Ideas. We discovered we all learned this game differently.

Version 3a

Version 3b

Version 3c

Frequent Flier

2009-01-19T09:38:00.000-08:00

Elizabeth and Nancy spent the first part of January in Hanover, where my folks and my brother Paul live.

Elizabeth is a great flier, enjoys picnics at the airports and thankfully sleeps in the plane or at the terminal.

She had a wonderful time keeping her grandparents and uncle busy. It did snow every day when we were there. In spite of that, she insisted we go to the playground in 2 feet of snow.

Once the temperature dropped below 20 degrees, we had to find indoor play areas. Elizabeth made friends, leading kids in games of chase, crack the whip and jumped onto another kid's merry go round ride.

We are happy to be home if jet-lagged and we miss everyone on the East Coast.

Let's Stay Up All Night!

2009-01-01T08:42:00.000-08:00

We had our yummy New Year's Eve dinner - siu mai, potstickers, and spring rolls - settled in to watch Kathy Griffin and Anderson Cooper on CNN, as all good parents of toddlers are wont to do, and sent Elizabeth off to bed.

She had other ideas. Shortly after East Coast New Year's, we heard a loud BUMP from upstairs. Nancy went to investigate. Elizabeth was diving off the foot of her bed. Since it's New Year's Eve, we thought, what the heck, let her stay up a little more.

Elizabeth was a party monster. She wanted to know "What are we watching?" She played with her bouncing ball, drew several masterpieces on her MagnaDoodle. She chased after George and the cats, who had already settled into their post-bedtime repose and were displeased to be back on Baobao high alert.

She took her father's New Year's Even credo "Let's Stay Up All Night!" to heart and finally settled in for the night at 11:30. PM, sharing the following wish with everyone

Christmas Eve and Morning at the Jensen's

2008-12-25T11:33:00.000-08:00

CHRISTMAS EVE: We bake cookies for Santa; reportedly he prefers peanut butter and chocolate chip by the time he gets to our house

We leave them out with a carrot for the reindeer

and Elizabeth pretends to be a baby before she goes to bed.

CHRISTMAS MORNING
We awoke to tears "I'm all wet!"After a quick bath, we head downstairs. Elizabeth liked her stocking pretty well

She opened a few presents but got sucked into her Dora coloring book, and proceeded to spend the next hour coloring all the characters' teeth - blue. Huh.

It's noon, it's snowing, none of her toys arrived yet from Santa and yet we have had a wonderful holiday. The only thing we could ask for it to be with all of you who we love, and who love us so much. Happy Christmas to all.

p.s. overload hits

Lucy is my Homegirl

2008-12-24T10:02:00.000-08:00

It has been snowing for a week in Seattle. Our original plan to travel to New England was scotched by the weather. So we are having a stay-at-home Christmas. We're baking and doing a lot of arts and crafts.

One aspect of all the weather is we are watching a little more TV than usual, as Elizabeth absolutely hates the snow, unless she is in her pajamas and crocs, or naked, which limits her exposure to the elements.

Last week, I showed her a sampling of Christmas specials we DVR'd, including Rudolph, Frosty, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, and Charlie Brown. She dismissed Frosty after a minute, wouldn't look at SCICTT, and would only watch the part of Rudolph that included the Abominable Snow Monster, which she laughed at.

But oh Charlie Brown. Good old Charlie Brown. She loves Charlie Brown. It's my favorite Christmas program and initially I was moved, imagining that she responded to its gentle message and quiet score. But no.

Specifically, she loves Lucy. How Lucy yells. How she bosses other people around. How she threatens Linus with the five good reasons. Elizabeth told me this morning, with her eyes shining, "I love Lucy Mama." And then cackled. I am worried.

Elizabeth's Letter to Santa

2008-12-21T08:38:00.000-08:00

(This is verbatim) Dear Santa Claus, Happy Birthday. I don't run away from Mommy. I pick up, and pet Maggie and Uffe and they are happy. Please bring George to the vet. I ran off George's legs all by myself.

(this next part was interpreted by her father) Please deliver any gifts to Nana and Gege's in Hanover. If there is a ladybug and turtle available for me, they would be greatly appreciated.

Love Elizabeth

6 Inches of snow, more to come

2008-12-19T15:52:00.000-08:00

Taken last night during a brief despite in our snowstorm. Holy crap it's cold! I've lived here too long and my blood got thin.

Elizabeth wandered into the backyard at noon fully suited up, lasted 10 minutes and then came inside declaring "It's too cold Mama. Take my coat."

Snow Time

2008-12-14T12:06:00.000-08:00

It all started innocently enough. We had snow last night (in Seattle! In December! I know!) This morning, Elizabeth insisted she wanted to go out to play.

It got complicated from there. First, there's the issue of the mittens. She won't wear them. Or gloves. She happily swept the snow from the teak chairs:

It went downhill fast. First the pathetic "mama pick me up" (awesome, all 40 lbs of her.)

Then the "I want to play in my sandbox"

Finally "I want to stay outside. My hands are cold!"

At this point Andy intervened, they went inside, and George and I were left to contemplate why anyone would want to go indoors when it's 23 degrees out and there's snow on the ground. West Coasters. Go figure.

Happy Leftover Weekend!

2008-11-29T10:41:00.000-08:00

Thanks to the Prodromou and Lynch families of lovely San Anselmo, CA for a great Thanksgiving and millinery.

Sunday Morning with Elizabeth

2008-11-23T11:30:00.000-08:00

Remember to Vote

2008-11-04T09:30:00.000-08:00

I'm Elizabeth Xia Shuang Jensen, and I approved this message.

Thanks for voting, everyone!

Trick or Treat?

2008-11-02T12:23:00.000-08:00

Elizabeth went as a ladybug, which she liked. She was not crazy about the ghosts and goblins aspect of the holiday. As a result we have only a couple of photos, where she mirrors her Uncle Peter's reaction to Halloween at the same age.

Hola Amigos!

2008-10-24T09:43:00.000-07:00

Andy and I took a break from parenting with a short trip to Puerto Vallarta. While tempted to leave the baobao home with some Cheerios, milk and a stash of Yobaby, we thought it prudent to have Nainai come stay with her instead.

We had a great time. This video, Destination Calabria, played everywhere: it's naughty and catchy. Band Geeks will either rejoice or clutch their chests with early cardiac arrest. Andy particularly likes the booty taps.

We stayed at Casa Amorita. Go there. The photo in the upper left hand corner is from the balcony in our room. The one drawback - there is a Mexican Extra Terrestial project, where a gong sounds on the hour - every hour - and sometimes on its own for unspecified reasons. At first it's funny. Then it's annoying. Then you ignore it.

Last Sunny Weekend in Seattle for the Year

2008-10-04T11:37:00.000-07:00

We knew the rain was coming! We spent last weekend bumming around the backyard. Elizabeth, our budding nudist, made the most of the waning sun by hanging out in her altogether.

Unfortunately the yellow jackets that have been lazily circling our fence decided she was good eating. Note the red cheek. We now know she isn't allergic to bee stings so that's a silver lining to an otherwise stressful scream fest. It also put the kibosh for our original plans to dress her as a bee for Halloween.

When she's dressed, she likes to feed her babies. Here she is giving milk to Bebe. Her burping method is unorthodox but I suppose mimics that of her parents.

Recent Sightings

2008-09-26T08:34:00.000-07:00

My cousin Kathleen came to visit last weekend, along with her beau Peter. Elizabeth was in heaven with a new audience. She kept telling me "I grow tall like Kathleen" and that seems inevitable! BTW, check out Kathleen's swimwear collection at http://www.kathleencookswim.com. These are beautiful pieces. It will make you want to work out hard over the fall and winter, to get into these beautiful suits.

Elizabeth started pre-school twice a week at the beginning of the month. She likes going for the most part. She helps get ready by rifling through the kitchen drawers. Please note her little backpack which she calls her "lunchy bag" made by Nainai, Andy's mom, Susan. Here she collects party favors to share with her little friends.

It is getting darker earlier every day, so we are spending more time reading. Current favorites include"Bee Bim Bop," "No" featuring Bobo the monkey, and "Olivia" which spurred a visit to the Frye Art Museum last weekend. It illustrated our individual aesthetics. I loved a 3 dimensional video installation series from Istanbul where we could all see ourselves dance in 3 sided mirrors accompanied by films of a dance ritual. Andy was engaged in the CHID (Comparative History of Ideas)-like exhibit of Napoleon. Elizabeth was transfixed by a 7 minute video from India of china cups breaking. Oh boy.

Now, whenever it rains, Elizabeth declares "I go to the museum like Olivia." At least she's not smashing cups in emulation of her favorite art piece.

Last Blasts of Summer

2008-09-09T10:39:00.001-07:00

Yes it's true. Elizabeth and I sit around the pool, eating bonbons and wondering what happened to the pool boy in the waning days of summer.

We also play hide and seek with the ever-patient George the dog. Here is one of Elizabeth's favorite hiding places.

It's tough to tell where she is but eventually hunger and thirst take over and she emerges looking for milk and popsicles.

We take George to the dog park, where there are also ....goats. Elizabeth scaled the 5' fence and almost made it into the goat enclosure. Here's a couple more photos of our "staycation" (I know, how trendy are we?) This is our day trip on Vashon Island. Finally - good news from Nancy's Dad this morning. His Dr. reports that the surgery was a success. The tumor margins were clear, it was a small nodule, they got all of it, and no further treatment is required. Of course, he is still recovering from the surgery, is taking "a ton of medications" (a direct quote from Dad) is supposed to walk, rain or shine, and that it will still take a while. But this is good news.

Oh - and last night Elizabeth informed me "I want to be called Betty." OK!

First Big Girl Hike

2008-08-31T21:20:00.000-07:00

When we were getting ready to bring Elizabeth home, all our friends with kids said "Do all the things you love to do now because your time to do those things will be very limited." Aside from eating out, seeing lots of movies, plays and music, there wasn't much Nancy and I stopped doing without getting a sitter or just bringing along EXS.

Except long hikes.

Gone are the days of waking up, getting the 10 essentials, putting on the sneakers and REI-End-of-Summer-Sale bargain clothes and driving out to the mountains for a nice day hike then collapsing at 8PM. EXS is now strong enough (2 years, almost 4 months, 37 inches, 40 pds) to walk a mile and a half without the stroller.

It was just a flat loop with a lunch inbetween but what a great family outing. Below are some pictures and a video near the end of the hike. What a big girl.

Bonus Feature: EXS showing what a bird does
1/2 way through the video.

Walking the Dog

2008-08-27T09:04:00.000-07:00

As we've mentioned, Elizabeth LOVES George the dog. She has taken to walking him around the house on his leash. To wit:

In other news:

My Dad is at home (with one ugly looking scar apparently) after a one-day detour at an inappropriate rehab facility. I think everyone is relieved to see him return. Keep your fingers crossed that he continues to improve.
I am without cell phone. Why? I dropped it in my coffee this morning. We're heading out to the ATT store for a replacement. 3rd new phone in 1 year.
Andy spent last night at the Grand Ole Opry during his Tessitura conference in Nashville. If he returns home with a spangly guitar we've got a tough conversation in front of us.

Still In, But Much Improved

2008-08-24T19:39:00.000-07:00

Dad is still in Brigham and Women's. He is walking several times a day without the aid of the "damn walker" as he calls it. There will be an assessment tomorrow to determine if he needs to go to rehab (cue up Amy Winehouse, go ahead) or head home. He's betting on home , which was confirmed by my brother Peter, who is currently there on driving duty.

I am currently in Seattle after a week in Boston. Elizabeth grew an inch while I was away and is talking in clear, compound sentences. She startled me today by correctly reading letters from the alphabet off of a playing card. Smart kid.

Dad Tuesday Update

2008-08-20T06:28:00.000-07:00

Well, they woke Dad up yesterday. Western medicine can be miraculous. Monday night, Dad was out. Tuesday morning, he was concious but all tubed up. By 2 pm, he was sitting up, talking and telling bad jokes.

It took him a while to understand it was Tuesday, not Monday. He said "Well I woke up at 10 minutes to 11 and I thought, well they got finished right on time." He had no recall of Monday's activities. We told him about the surgery and subsequent events. He wanted to know what was happening in the world, and was impressed that Musharref finally resigned. His nurse, Sonya, made him sit in a chair, watch some television (cartoons!) and he took a short (like 20 steps) walk last night. Amazing.

His recovery of course is a step forward, a half-step back. The ICU nurse told us this morning that he had a hard night last night, coughed lots of phlegm and was in a lot of pain, which is a bummer, but I guess par for the course. I think they'll keep him in the ICU for another day or two.

My mom is doing better today. We are off to the hospital this morning with a side trip to Marshall's on the way up. Nothing like a little retail therapy.

I did talk with Elizabeth on the phone last night. Nainai and Dad are keeping her busy for which I am incredibly grateful.

Nancy's Dad and his surgery

2008-08-19T05:35:00.001-07:00

Hi all, this is a departure from our usual happy-baobao posts. Nancy's Dad, Paul, had surgery yesterday to remove a tumor from his right lung. (The short history: he smoked 2 packs a day for 30 years. Subsequently he has enjoyed cancer in his colon, bladder, prostate, lungs. It's all directly linked to his smoking.) We are all relieved to get this procedure done; it had been delayed a couple of times over the summer.

The good news is his surgery itself went well. Dr. Sugarbaker at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston removed the tumor, and half of Dad's right lung. There are clean margins around the tumor, which means it hasn't spread. Dad woke up from the anesthesia alert and asking to eat (always a good sign.)

The hard news is post-surgery Dad has some internal bleeding as a result of scar tissue that built up from his previous lung surgery (this is his third on his lungs, and the second surgery on the right lung; the surgery team called it a "re-do.") Rather than engaging in a second surgery, the post-recovery team put him back under sedation, inserted a breathing tube, all in the hopes of allowing the bleeding to slow by administering stronger painkillers and keeping his blood pressure low.

We were able to see him in post-recovery. While his color looked good, bleeding tapering off, and blood pressure and heart rate normal, he was out cold. The nurses said they are keeping him "snowed," which is probably good for his pain level, but sounds pretty scary to me.

Please keep your fingers crossed. This is an unexpected complication, and a major letdown after the initial good report from the surgeon. My mother is incredibly stressed.

My public (and obnoxious) service announcement: if you smoke, quit. Now. You and your family do NOT want to go through this.

UPDATE: Doris (my mom) called the ICU this morning. Dad had a quiet night, and they are going to try to remove the breathing tube this morning, wake him up, and see how he does. We are heading in this morning to see him.

Big Girl Bed

2008-08-07T15:40:00.000-07:00

She's been saying, for some time now, that "not a baby, Mama. A big girl." That was confirmed today as she sacked out on her new twin bed. I am conflicted as all get-out about this inevitable development.

Seafair and our Water park

2008-08-06T15:43:00.000-07:00

It's 80 degrees in Seattle (which is scorching here) and we've set up a tiny water park for Elizabeth in the backyard. She plays with her usual determination. This includes dousing the dog.

It was Seafair last weekend, and after 4 days of the Blue Angels buzzing the neighborhood, Elizabeth took the "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" approach and declared "I LOVE the Blue Angels Mama" and flew around the house with her Blue Angel wings.

As comparison, click here to see Elizabeth a year ago in the same pool.

What we did in July: 14/48, a wedding and hanging around

2008-07-30T09:08:00.000-07:00

It's been a very busy month here in the Jensen household. Andy participated in 14/48 http://www.1448fest.com/, where he apparently was naked in one play, and then smashing a guitar in another. (I know this was a big deal because Tommy, Elizabeth's favorite babysitter, told me about it. )

Then he jetted off to Las Cruses NW to attend our friends Patrick and Emma's wedding. We decided that while it would be great to attend as a family in theory, in practice Elizabeth's dislike for heat above 75 degrees would entail staying inside most of the time.

So Andy went and had a college reunion-ish weekend with Pat, Chris, and Aldo, and Nancy stayed home with Elizabeth and visited with friends and family, in between trips to the pool, the gym and of course, the dog park.

Goodnight Gorilla

2008-07-24T09:43:00.000-07:00

One of Elizabeth's favorite bedtime stories is "Goodnight Gorilla." Here you can see her and her father making the gorilla and Mama faces, respectively.

How to Get a Toddler up a Hill

2008-07-02T22:51:00.000-07:00

Tea Party and the Aftermath

2008-07-02T10:13:00.000-07:00

The sun finally came out here in Seattle. Elizabeth has been taking advantage of this by hosting tea parties outside with her doll Baobei and of course Elmo.

The party always starts out in a civilized manner. They devolve quickly. They remind Nancy of several of her single girl adventures.

Happy Weekend!

2008-05-30T19:40:00.000-07:00

In honor of my Grandma Irene:

She could not frame a shot if her life depended on it.
She also like horn-based big band music.

Memorial Day on Friday Harbor

2008-05-28T21:11:00.000-07:00

Andy's mom lives on Friday Harbor, WA and is it a great place to visit. Here are some nice shots from mom (she has a degree in photography) of Jensenfest in action.

Striking a pose for posterity Chillin'

These were at the same beach. Yes it was great.

and then bao bao was ready to go home.

Birthday #2

2008-05-14T22:00:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all the kind messages from friends and family and other EXS fans celebrating Elizabeth's second year on the planet. Although pictures and videos were hard to come by at first,

we made sure we got some for you, the EXS public.

Here's to a great year 3. Strongbad? Please cue the montage music:

And did you really think we would post this day without some video?

EXS asked for tacos and cupcakes for her birthday dinner. We obliged.

This one especially tickled Elizabeth's fancy.

Good night everybody!

Bao bao, play us out.

What does that mean? Those aren't even words, Dada.

Yes, they are sweetie. Now play us out.

What? There's something wrong with your mouth, Dada. I don't even know what that means.

It means it's the end of the post, honey.

(Scowl)... Fine, Dada! I'll just play my harmama and END THE POST!

What a good idea, sweetie.

Give me the harmama! We'll do it live!

Happy birthday, bao bao.

Uncle Beibei Gets Hitched

2008-05-01T08:04:00.000-07:00

We've been traveling! My brother Peter (who Elizabeth calls Uncle Beibei) got married in NYC last weekend to his perfectly matched partner Angela. So, we all flew out to witness the ceremony at the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens, and then Nancy and Elizabeth took the train to Hanover to spend a few days with Grandma and Grandpa McSharry.

Trip highlights: Peter and Andy went out for a beer blast the night before the wedding. By that we mean, they had to go buy the beer for the wedding reception. Here's Pete on the street in Midtown. Andy scared off free-loaders. We'll post more photos later, meanwhile, here's a video clip of her and Grandpa gardening, and some additional photos of baby and mama taking much needed naps.

Aunt Lolo brings the weather

2008-04-19T17:07:00.000-07:00

In just one week, Aunt Lauren came up for a visit and we got the strangest weather. That family shot in the last post was taken on top of the lifeguard's chair at the beach in 69 degree weather after I got off work.

The next week brought this:

That puddle back there? Snow.

And this:

Most importantly, the week brought us this:

Sister Lauren second from right and Andy's Mom on the far right. You probably know the other folks. Lauren is up for work and brought terrible weather but awesome news. She's been accepted to Southern Illinois University's Counseling Psychology Program. That's right, in 5 years, you may address her as Dr. Lolo, Dr. Jensen if you're nasty.

Go Salukis!

Spring Flings

2008-04-11T06:53:00.000-07:00

And by flings I mean throwing the dirt around - literally. Here'd a few photos of Elizabeth's recent forays to the library, where she hung all the computers within reach, the beach, and using the big girls swing. The family photo was taken from the top of a lifeguard chair on Lake Washington.

Talking Baobao

2008-03-28T08:55:00.000-07:00

Elizabeth is talking up a storm. Here's an example of her asking for more silly songs. Please ignore the cheer leading Mama.

She's also into dancing in circles. We are afraid she will become a Phish fan but ultimately it's her choice, and of course that's better than becoming a Deadhead.

Only Babies Use Highchairs Mama, and the New Car

2008-03-13T14:43:00.001-07:00

If it's a good day (i.e. if it isn't raining and the temperature is above 40 degrees) Elizabeth insists on eating her lunch in the backyard. George the dog accompanies her and almost always scores a snack of some kind.

Here she is modeling her interpretation of Northwest Sherpa wear. We're submitting her designs for the next round of Project Runway. If Christian Siriano can win, than heck, Baobao could whip him in a heartbeat, and offer colors to boot.

Oh yeah - we bought a car, too. It's new to us, has every chrome option available, tinted windows, and a GPS which has turned out to be surprisingly handy. Elizabeth races toward it whenever we head to the garage, hangs out by her side of the vehicle and repeats "new car. new car. new car. No George George. new car."

A Year and A Day

2008-03-07T09:07:00.000-08:00

That's how long we've all been together. It hardly seems possible.

The Busy Bee

2008-02-24T15:16:00.000-08:00

One of the many names we have bestowed on Elizabeth is "The Busy Bee" as she is in constant motion. Here's a couple of short video clips of her in action.

A Walk on the Beach... in February

2008-02-16T14:13:00.000-08:00

It's a balmy 50 degrees in Seattle, only one of us has a runny nose and it's a 3-day weekend. In our house that equals... HIKE!!!

One of Elizabeth's favorite stories is about a Goblin who hears a spooky noise and hides in a tree. She was more than pleased to provide a reenactment for us. We were pleased to watch even with odd stares from passersby wondering why two folks would encourage their child to sit in moss.

We got to the ocean and saw a bird diving to get a fish. We looked intently at the bird off in the distance and we probably looked something like this:

Then we wiped our noses.

Happy Hair, Tea Party and finally some documented smiles

2008-02-08T14:53:00.000-08:00

We got through January in the Pacific Northwest in the Jensen household, which is always a milestone. 6 more weeks until spring, whoohoo!

We've been amusing ourselves by letting Elizabeth cook, hosting her first tea party and of course, messing with her hair.

Also please note that she is actually smiling on a couple of these photos. She doesn't really like cameras, other than to toss them around, so this is a big deal!

And Happy Chinese New Year to all! It's the Year of the Rat, where the Rat is associated with aggression, wealth, charm, and order, yet also associated with death, war, the occult, pestilence, and atrocities. Yow.

As a first hand illustration - Nancy is a Metal Rat - no, not the head banger kind, the Wu xing kind, where the Primal Spirit is represented by a White Tiger. I don't even know what that means, but rwor.

First Haircut

2008-01-11T13:37:00.000-08:00

Elizabeth's hair is fine and thin. As a result, we haven't given her a haircut, in the hope that it would grow.

However, she started to look a little shaggy, so we scheduled her first cut at the children's shop down the street. Andy's Mom, who Elizabeth calls NaiNai, was there to document the proceedings, thanks for the photos, Susan!

Between the crazy race car chair, the My Little Pony dolls and the video player, Elizabeth was too distracted to make much of a fuss, and now we can see her pretty face again. And yes, Mama ensured that we would do this again by topping off the visit to the Madison Park Bakery and getting some lemon cookies. I am not above bribery.

Happy New Year 2008

2007-12-31T19:31:00.000-08:00

1999 had nothing on this party.

Or this one

Or this one

Or this one

This one got a little out of hand, but it's cool. I can stop eating yogurt whenever I want. But I'm not going to stop eating yogurt because it's New Year's Eve and you know there's a 19 month old on Prince Edward Island who is pounding all the eggnog he wants because he's just coming off his Boxing Day buzz. And he's all like "It's midnight in Amsterdam, Mom! Lay off! It's not like you have to worry where I am. What am I going to do? Steal your car? Go ahead and put me in my crib, 'cause the party is where I'm at!"

Time for bed. Happy New Year to one and all.

And keep your pets warm this winter. Love, Elizabeth

Merry Christmas 2007!

2007-12-25T09:16:00.000-08:00

Some pictures for EXS fans around the globe. Since Andy is putting these up, there are more pictures of Nancy, who is very pretty.

This one is from Hanover, MA a few weeks ago at Nancy's folks' house. We wish we could be with the McSharrys, East coast West coast andOmaha (no school like the old school) Jensens and all far-flung members of our family this Xmas but we will settle for our overcast Seattle skies.

Aside from sports teams that don't live up to expectations, another Winter tradition is the Christmas ships. They drive around to various points on Lake Washington with lights and carollers. Despite the picture, EXS really liked it.

Our friend Martin also liked the Christmas ships and, as always, was a great help to us playing with Elizabeth.

Yesterday, we got a surprise visit from the Eastside Andersons and Bixbys from Missoula, MT & Factoria, WA, respectively.

Clockwise from left, Aunt linda, Uncle Larry, EXS, Tee Tee, Susan (Andy's mom), AJ, Nancy, Cousin Joshie (yes, he's 30 and a successful web animator but he will always be Joshie. Sucks to be you, dude), Maddie-Moo, (Jessi's daughter) Amber, Joshie's girlfriend*, and cousin Jessi. Not pictured are Parker, Jessi's husband and their son Duncan. There was screaming and a timeout in the car. That's all I know.

*They've been together for more than a few years and own a house together. So it's not like "What's her name again? Oh HER? Well, she can take the picture. Wait, that might be awkward... We'll just figure out how to use the timer."

If we got our Christmas cards out on time, we would've used this one.

Not this one.... Or the one after that.

Dancing with Grandpa McSharry

2007-12-13T08:58:00.000-08:00

Here's Elizabeth keeping her Grandpa on his toes

Visiting her grandparents in Hanover

2007-12-11T10:13:00.000-08:00

Elizabeth is a well travelled child, and is currently on her third trip to the East Coast to visit her McSharry grandparents.

She is having a wonderful time here. Grandpa (whom she calls gege) has taught her the polka (video tk) and Grandma races around after her as Elizabeth pushes her doll Baobei in the little carriage. They all takes naps in the afternoon while Mama checks out the Christmas Tree Shops and enjoys Massachusetts ' lack of sales-tax on clothing and gifts.

It snowed here and it seems our daughter, while snow a
verse, digs the puddles.

Snow in Seattle

2007-12-02T19:04:00.000-08:00

Seattle got its annual snowfall yesterday and we took the baobao outside in her snowsuit (courtesy of her friend Tessa.) We are pretty sure she's seen snow before - she told us "snow!" as soon as it started falling. She also responds in a similar fashion to Nancy's brother Peter (sorry shushu!)

The Timer

2007-11-29T13:35:00.000-08:00

As many of you know, Andy and I have, uh, somewhat different time management techniques. I admit to using the timer to give myself some parameters when working on a task. I think I went too far here, though

A Baobao Thanksgiving

2007-11-24T14:51:00.000-08:00

We went to our neighbors, the Jelaco's for the holiday. Elizabeth was in fine form. She is coloring a turkey here early in the day- she's working with a mono-colored palette currently.

She scarfed down the stuffing and turkey to the exclusion of everything else, and shouted Yum Yum at the end of the meal. She topped this all off by giving her mother a real kiss - the first one - right before bed. As you can imagine, even the most pragmatic and stolid New Englander would have cried, and so I did.

The next morning, after refueling on leftover pie, she ran around the kitchen saying "E Ar, E Ar, Nee How, Nee How Mama!" which is Mandarin for "One Two One Two Hello Mama." Andy and I were bent over laughing. This was two days after the destruction of my cell phone, which she pile-drived (piledrove?) into the floor of the local grocery store. So now, I have a beautiful new cell phone, my thanksgiving present from the baobao. Andy is seen here recovering from the turkey, his cold, and a week home with the family.

Action Video: Crawling

2007-11-18T14:47:00.000-08:00

We've been meaning to post these especially for EXS fans who live far away. The crawling segment took place August 1 and features George the dog - a bonus!

The rocking segment took place sometime is August. I think - it's all a blur.

Santa Barbara and The Wall: a Short Story

2007-11-17T11:16:00.000-08:00

So we decided to spend a week in Santa Barbara and hang out with Andy's dad, step mom, brother and sister. We rented a cottage and all went well for 24 hours until Elizabeth discovered a tiny hole in the drywall in Mama and Dada's bedroom.

"Hmm," she mused, "that hole is the perfect size to push through all the shiny items Mama has left around." Elizabeth staggered around the bedroom in a juice induced frenzy of activity. "Those hair clips - those will fit. So will those pennies." Her eyes lit up as she spied Mama's emerald ring. "Wow," she thought "that will be a tight fit but I bet I can do it."

Just at this point, Mama, who was reading the newspaper and wondering whether the sun would ever some out (it did, whenever Elizabeth was napping), paused and asked Dada "Have you seen the baby? It's awfully quiet." They stared for a moment, called out "Elizabeth" and raced to the bedroom, just in time to see her pushing something into the wall.

Elizabeth pai pai sho'd (clapped her hands) with glee. "Mama, wall!" she cried.

Dada fished out a hair clip and asked "Have you see your ring?"

No ring in sight. Mama asked the baby "Baobao, did you put the ring in the wall?"

Elizabeth replied "Ooo goo" and pointed to her mouth.

Mama persisted. "Elizabeth Xia Shuang" and now the baby listened for Mama only used her whole name when things were dire "did you swallow the ring?"

Elizabeth shook her head no.

Mama asked once more "Can you show Mama where the ring is?" and Elizabeth ran into the bed room and pointed. "My Wall, Mama. My wall!"

You can see the before and after pictures of My Wall here, as well as Mama and the ring.
After that, we went to the park after breakfast every day. The End.

Halloween Roller Derby Queen

2007-11-17T10:55:00.001-08:00

We planned to go as the Axis of Evil, but given the current political climate and Saddam's demise, it seemed like bad taste, even for us. So instead, Elizabeth went out as a Rat City Rollergirl. She wasn't entirely sure why she was dressed this way, but liked going around with her little pumpkin. For a kid who went to a dozen houses and stores, she raked in quite a haul! (The bruise is makeup btw)

Red Sox Jensen Nation

2007-11-17T10:52:00.001-08:00

Elizabeth and George the dog watched the Series with consternation and confidence. They knew who was going to win!

Fall Photos

2007-11-17T10:46:00.000-08:00

She's walking now so we've been BUSY racing after Elizabeth, as she went straight from placidly sitting on the floor to running everywhere with absolutely no fear. She is 16 months old in these snaps. She's napping once a day, after lunch, and sometimes in the car if we get lucky. The middle picture is a good example of "baby stink-eye" which she gives us whenever we attempt to thwart her will.

New Pictures with No Irony

2007-08-30T16:46:00.000-07:00

Just some groovy recent pics of EXS growing and growing and growing. Imagine these pictures walking. That's what she's doing. I suppose I should change the title to "15 month old daughter."

I'm so fast, when I turn out the light, I'm in my crib before it's dark.

Update my Blog... NOW!

2007-08-20T17:16:00.000-07:00

But sweetheart, when you started walking and crawling, mom and I had less time to spend uploading your pictures. If someone knows how to upload video, I'd be happy to show everyone your first standing attempts and sustained walking.

JUST KNOW WHEN I PUT YOU IN A HOME, I'M GOING TO MAKE YOU SIT IN WATER!

I understand you're angry honey, but it was so hot, we had to make sure you didn't overheat.

I'LL SHOW YOU WHAT OVERHEATED LOOKS LIKE!

I know your overheated face, honey, when it cools off, you can show me your chilly face.

CHILL THIS!

My Goodness, that's a loud voice. Let's see how loud you can be in your crib by yourself and then we'll compare notes tomorrow morning.

Eat, Crawl, Walk, Talk

2007-06-22T20:17:00.001-07:00

Since we returned from my folks house 2.5 weeks ago, some major changes have occurred with the baobao.

She wants soup for dinner. Every. Single. Day. Not too hot (we learned the hard way) but always with noodles and carrots. She likes Grandpa Paul's chicken soup the best.
She decided that walking (and by walking I mean a Peter-Boyle-as-Frankenstein's-monster stagger) holding Mom and Dad's hands is a great way to get around.
She is crawling - forward. Finally! The incentive to get her moving: one of George the dog's toys.
She is talking up a storm (considering her parents, no surprise.) See the Word Count list on the right hand toolbar for the running tally.

Now that she's mobile, we've invested in a playpen. So far she hasn't started singing "Dad I'm In Jail. I like it here. It's nice" so I guess we're doing OK though I'm sure Was Not Was would love the residuals.

Where's she been?

2007-06-01T14:36:00.000-07:00

Hey we've we been? Well, we had her Santa Barbara relatives up for visits. Then we had to prep for Elizabeth's first birthday, which went great. Finally, we all traveled to the East Coast to see her grandparents there. So we've neglected her blog, but not her!

She has been delighted with all the attention and now wonders why the world doesn't cheer whenever she sits, stands, crawls or simply does her baobao thing.

Her one year dr appointment went well. No early intervention needed, which is great! She now weights 27 lbs (see Nancy's biceps for proof of that) so both parents are hoping she'll be ambulatory soon.

Jensenfest: The Early Years

2007-04-29T20:20:00.000-07:00

Aunt Lauren (see below) took this photo of us on the South Shore of Seattle's beautiful Discovery Park. We're not starting a band but if we were, this would be our album cover. George was here too (see Nancy's right hand).

This would be the cover of the ghost-written tell-all biography of EXS' book:

And this would be her comeback album cover after having a successful turn on that VH1 show where they have celebrities from 15 years ago in a house living together. What's that show again? Not that Flava Flav one, yeesh, I don't even want to think about that. The one where Christopher Knight hooked up with America's Next Hot Model from a few years ago... Jose Canseco and that crazy old model were on it too.

And then this is just a cute photo of her in the sink. Nancy came up with the brilliant idea of trying the sink. A little back story. EXS hates getting clean. She would scream and shoot daggers at us. If looks could kill, we'd be lying on the floor, we'd be begging please please baby don't hurt us no more: but only if looks could kill. Fortunately, they can just make you feel kind of bad inside. And then you can talk about it, and then it's okay.

I figured "she hates it no matter what. We might as well use a hose." But Nancy was right and baths are a pleasure to behold and she seems to dig being in the sink. And then she pees on me.

Party with Auntie Lauren

2007-04-22T18:10:00.000-07:00

Who needs the paparazzi when you've got a cell phone? Thanks Cingular now AT & T Wireless!

While mom relaxed at home, Andy Lauren and Elizabeth went to Club Heaven and danced the afternoon away. The baby is crying so I must go, but here's a picture from the dancing.

I'm glad we were there at the time. EXS is looking at some two year olds who were giving her the stink eye.

Auntie Lauren in the house!

2007-04-22T10:01:00.000-07:00

Andy's sister Lauren is visiting for a few days. She has been a huge help with Elizabeth, who immediately took to Lauren as soon as we met her at the airport. Perhaps it's the family resemblence between her and Andy?

At any rate, they all went to Baby Loves Disco while Nancy took a shower, a nap and a chill-out session watching "Ugly Betty" on the DVR. The Baby Loves Disco contingent reported that it was a great party, even though Elizabeth fell asleep in the middle of it (she was strapped to Andy's chest in the Baby Bjorn, always a guaranteed way to lull her to sleep.)

Elizabeth is cutting tooth #8 this morning, and is eating apple slices (with the peel off of course.) She is crawling (backwards) and rolling all over the place. So our days of the peaceful baby playing on the floor are numbered!

Easter and now Dad's back to work

2007-04-09T12:14:00.000-07:00

Hey the bunny came and left us this baby! We had a wonderful friends and family Easter celebration. Our neighbors Courtney and Louisa, friend Jim and his son Martin and Andy's mom Susan and Aunt Kay were all here to initiate her into the rites of spring. (As usual, we pulled this all together at the last minute - sometimes that's the best way, as Andy's mom says!)

Elizabeth had a great time, got 4 eggs on her egg hunt with Grandma Susan and has added this accessory to her growing wardrobe.

Andy went back to work at SCT today, and so far, so good. Elizabeth and I dropped him off at work, checked out the Pro Club so I can potentially get in a couple of workouts in the coming weeks, and I got her down for a nap by myself (we have been relying on Andy's tried and true nap technique.) A good spring so far!

Our Halloween Costumes

2007-04-05T11:32:00.000-07:00

It's never too early to plan. We've decided that we're going as the axis of evil, with Elizabeth dressing up as Kim Jong Il.

Partners in fear

2007-04-03T14:43:00.000-07:00

She's crawling. Elizabeth is working very hard: she grunts and yells as she does each pushup. It's like she's at the gym, expect she periodically stops for a game of Pai Pai Sho (clap your hands) in between each rep.

OK, she's only moving backwards right now. But she started propelling herself yesterday and is incredibly proud of her new skill. Mom acts as lead cheerleader ("Do it! Do it again") and Dad is the physical therapist )"OK time for a break.")

All of a sudden, the cats are afraid. Very, very afraid.

Baby's First Kiss

2007-03-30T16:26:00.000-07:00

We've been told that babies start to offer up kisses at 9-10 months and Elizabeth is right on schedule.

Her first love: that's right, Big George. She grabbed him by the muzzle and planted one on him this morning. Mom and Dad are delighted she is showing her affection, even if they have been passed over for the dog.

Doctor's Report and Things That Scare Giant Babies

2007-03-28T19:31:00.000-07:00

She's big and healthy. That's the short story. Here's a picture of her first time on a swing in the U.S.:

If one weighs a baby naked, as the fine folks at UW Pediatrics do, one gets a more accurate measure of girth. EXS is 24 pounds (97th percentile for 10 month-olds) and 30 inches (95th percentile). Her weight-for-length ratio is on track from when she was first measured at Ping Jiang at four months.

But even giant babies hate getting blood drawn. Especially when the technicians poke each arm and still can't find a vein. At least she has matching purple bandages for her 6-inch pythons. EXS calmed down pretty quickly and was a peach the rest of the evening. We even went to the swings. (See above)

Know what's scarier than needles? A pig puppet glove and a crocodile hand puppet choking on a rattle.

So two of my awesome co-workers from Seattle Children's Theatre (www.sct.org) bring food and gifts for the family. They sit down and we play with EXS for a while. Now these are trained drama instructors for children ages 3 1/2 through high school...

Using EXS's toys, they tell a story of the 5 Pigs (a cool glove with pig heads on the fingers) who go to market, go home... etc, etc... but they bump into a crocodile (2nd co-worker's naked hand with entertaining crocodile voice) who wants to eat the pigs. The pigs run away, find a rattle that EXS loves playing with, and feed it to the crocodile so the croc cannot eat the pigs. The pigs dance and celebrate. This is totally standard fare for 3 1/2 year olds in a drama class and they eat this stuff up with a spoon. Did I mention these are really good teachers?

The story was awesome, with funny voices and characters and lots of action. When the story was over, EXS paused and slowly turned to look at me.

The story totally freaked her out. Her face wasn't just "Daddy, this is scary." She looked at me to say "Why the hell did you let these people in the house? Animals eat each other? Do I have to eat an animal so it won't eat me? What the f*&%?!?!?"

After 2 minutes, everyone was calm and we fed EXS. All was well. And the care package my co-workers brought was excellent. Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout... spinach lasagna, and cornbread among other goodies.. mmmm.

Thanks SCT!

Spelling Corrections

2007-03-28T19:13:00.000-07:00

Paternal Grandmother is "nai nai" and paternal grandfather is "ye ye." Thanks to our Mandarin speaking relatives for the correct spellings from the post below. No one has any translation for "Nai nai's lifetime partner?"

C'mon, give it your best shot... Nai nai's lifetime partner...

Anyone?

Grandma Susan's Visit

2007-03-26T10:44:00.000-07:00

Andy's mom Susan and stepdad Steve made the trek from the San Juan Islands on their way to Portland to play with EXS.

Grandma roots for UCLA, EXS for Florida. There was just a hint of tension.

As a sign of goodwill, ni ni Susan (paternal grandma in Mandarin) fed some peas and mixed fruit. All was well.

After dinner, ni ni and yia yia (paternal grandpa; "Grandma's Life Partner" in Mandarin anyone?... Anyone?) played on the carpet, EXS stared and tried to figure out how to best express her excitement over such an awesome Final Four Tournament coming up next weekend. Two ones and two twos? While having two Pac-10 teams would've been exciting, (nice game, Oregon. Tujuan Porter, where were you?) the four best teams in the tournament will play next weekend. Everyone agrees, and that makes for an awesome playdate.

Friday night at home

2007-03-23T20:17:00.000-07:00

EXS can't sleep. Perhaps it's the many contradictions she is experiencing: that she hates bananas, but scarfs down Mom's banana bread? That she offers the dog crackers, but he'll only lick her hand (because she's clutching the cracker too tightly and he won't bite her.) Perhaps it's that for someone so small and sweet, she can smell so incredibly bad?

Oh no - it's just that she can't decide which team to root for in the NCAA playoffs.

George, Maggie, Uffe and Elizabeth

2007-03-22T15:40:00.000-07:00

While we haven't yet captured it on film, the kitties and EXS are getting on well. She loves to pet them. Shockingly, Uffe, who is skittish, lets her do this. George the dog takes up guard whenever she cries, get a diaper change or regsiters aything other than perfect contentment, and Maggie the cat comes running. It's very amusing to see the animal brigade swing into action.

Photos, photos and more photos

2007-03-21T17:22:00.000-07:00

Here we are with Mr. Chen, the Ping Jiang Child Welfare Center Director. This is about three hours after we met Elizabeth. He told us that we have our hands full with an active inquisitive baby who loves to be outside. If I knew Mandarin for "Have you met my wife?" I would have said it. After this photo, he kissed EXS on the head, said goodbye and walked out the door.

We never got the chance to say more than Thank You for the excellent care EXS received under his guidance.

Elizabeth actually took this picture. Did I mention she has her own blog? At least two of us are thrilled as we're about to go into our 4th hour of being a three-headed Jensenfest.

Our first night in the Dolton Hotel in Changsha with EXS. We got her down and out in just under an hour. It's Tsing Tao and room service Moo Shoo Pork Time. Your standard hotel room hallway into the room makes an awesome dance club if the music is hummed very softly.

This is at an Embroidery Museum. Those aren't paintings on the wall, it's needlepoint. Really really good needlepoint.

We call this picture ba ba, bao bao... Mao!

That's Mandarin for Daddy, baby... Mao!

Did I mention the Baby Mandarin classes we took a few months ago? It made all the difference in the transition. You really should check out the link on the right. It's pretty cool.

Ma ma and bao bao at Martyr's Park in Changsha. A huge park (96 hectares) in the middle of a city with 5.5 million people. The monument in the middle has plaques and bios of 88 Martyrs who gave their lives in the Communist Revolution.

Our fabulous WACAP Adoption Liason, Wendy was not with us to translate the different monuments. It would have been interesting to learn some history that is not exactly on Jeopardy in the US. "I'll take 'Proletariat Potpourri' for $400, Alex." Folks in the park were really nice and were impressed that we knew "bao bao."
Taking a taxi back to the Dolton Hotel, we spoke with some really nice students from the University who had lots of questions about EXS. She informed them "wo wo wo" and "da."

Back home. The lady wearing the Hanover Town League hat is now sitting on my lap and needs must be met. By needs, I mean single grain rice, mixed veggies and applesauce. A game of Where's Daddy? may be played. More pictures later in the week.

We're home we're safe...

2007-03-16T08:59:00.000-07:00

We're sleeping.

Over the last two days, we traveled on two planes in 16 hours over 8 time zones and three countries. You want a crib? How about daddy's arm on an arm rest? How about peeing, puking and pooing all over Mama on NW Fight #8 lavatory? Sorry about the blanket, Northwest Airlines.

Or how about a pleasant diaper changing experience? How about smacking the back of your head on the floor of the men's restroom of the Tokyo-Narita International Airport with no shirt on? Then immediately sit up (awesome abs, baby!) bury your head in Daddy's left thigh and scream it out.

Those are just two highlights in an otherwise uneventful journey.

OK, three. After clearing Chinese security before boarding the plane for Tokyo-Narita, the stone-faced female officer gave us the okay for our bags and then played with and gushed over EXS while the line backed up behind us. EXS simply basked in the glory, never giving away that she was actually 12kg of pure China White. College fund, baby!

I'm kidding, Homeland Security.

More pictures from China (Thanks, Canon!) to be posted soon.

YUM

2007-03-12T20:45:00.000-07:00

We are home on March 15 and can't wait to see you all in Seattle. EXS says MMMMMM!

The Banyan tree temple and another cute picture

2007-03-12T20:32:00.000-07:00

EXS loves walks outside and yesterday we went to the Temple of the Six Banyan Trees. The temple was built in 1098 and has a pagoda with nine stories. Each level has a wraparound balcony overlooking Guangzhou. It is amazing to be surrounded with so much history and culture and then see neon signs and big TV station satellites just outside the temple walls.

As you go up each stairway, the ceilings get lower and the stairs get steeper. The lesson being "The higher you go, the more humble you must be."

That's what I got from it anyway with a freakin' 26 pound baby strapped to my chest.

Posting in Mandarin

2007-03-12T20:23:00.000-07:00

The action buttons are in Mandarin so I posted before I put these pictures up. I'll put the following photos up and try to add some highlights:

This is just outside our hotel, The White Swan. Shaimin Island in Guangzhou looks like New Orleans. Very humid here so we're glad we're here in March. Our fabulous liason, Wendy says that it gets to 115 degrees in the summer with 100% humidity. The statue behind Nancy and EXS resembles a photo of Nancy and her two brothers, Paul and Peter from when they were kids.

Guangzhou noodles... mmmm

2007-03-12T20:00:00.000-07:00

Some new pictures and bullet point events since we left Changsha on Sunday, flew for an hour, (very uneventful; some might even describe the experience as pleasant) and landed in Guangzhou. It is Tuesday, March 13, 11am here.

EXS likes everything but bananas. Inbetween mouthfuls of rice and noodles, she really likes apple juice, her AD milk formula (same as she had at the Ping Jiang Child Welfare Center; it works) and a few ounces of water to wash it down. She smacks her lips and says "aaah."

She passed her immigration physical with flying colors:

Blood pressure: Normal

Body tempature: Normal

Length: 76.5 cm (almost 30")

Weight: 11.7 kg (26 pounds)

She's many cms and kgs bigger than the same girls that came from Ping Jiang. Some of them are almost a whole year older. That's one big buddha baby. The families in our group have dinner together, and will often ask if EXS needs leftovers.