Yesterday was "one of those days"... you know, the kind where you never seem to recover household equilibrium after one little disaster/adventure...

snapshot scenario: it is late supper time, but supper is still in the making. The girls decide to play with water. Grace in the bucket off the kitchen, and Jasmin in the bathtub. Both are happy and Mommy is relieved that they are not hovering for supper.
But, Grace doesn't take off her clothes first and then comes running to show the results. In process of cleaning that up Mommy discovers Jasmin took a roll of toilet paper into the bath with her... and, in trying to cover up her failed experiment, filled the bath with slimy white seaweed-like bits of paper.
I was impressed that Mommy's response was to want to try make paper or use the mess like papermache rather than exasperation.... But, since she was in the middle of two or three things already, she had leave Daddy the joy of sieving the bathwater to rescue the bath drain from a major clogging, and regretfully "waste" the opportunity for paper making - though we did form a ball with the first big handfuls...

More pictures from Michael's phone. This was an office fun day activity. The girls were beside themselves with the thought of bowling and pizza...

Although Grace still found it loud, she didn't totally back out like last time. She was quite ready to learn how to bowl from Daddy. They both took it quite seriously!. Jasmin was just so proud she could manage to carry a ball to the foul line even though they were much bigger and heavier than last time.
And this time she was more interested in actually rolling the ball and watching for pins being knocked over. Grace quickly caught on to score keeping - though her understanding was limited to running to see the numbers change after each ball, and continually asking whose number was higher! Both of them took home respectable scores - but then, all of us on their lane did as we had the gutter rails up!

A few Sundays ago we discovered a green space. Total accident on our part - we were out to explore yet another new mall in walking distance - but just on schedule on God's part. Our hearts all breathed a big sigh of relief, and we just stood there taking in the delight of sky and green space together. Then we all ran around a bit to celebrate.
(These pictures were taken on Michael's phone and it took me this long to remember at the right time and place get them off!)





Many plans to return, but so far we have not made it back. I don't think we can stay away for long though!

We were blessed with some "hand-me-down" clothes recently. One prize was a silk suit for Jasmin. Once we figured out that Jasmin would only wear it with an undershirt - she doesn't like the feel of silk! - they were excited to go to church "all Chinese." Grace even asked me to "make her hair all wavy" - something we read about recently in Little House in the Big Woods.

Just in case you thought "What sweet little 'china dolls'!"...
Unfortunately, Grace is fast outgrowing this dress. The one we have for her (another prize from the hand-me-downs) won't fit her until she's 8-10 years old, so we might have to find one for the meantime.