Family Bowling

In the Wagoner family, everyone can bowl.....except me. My goal for each game is to break 100 , or at least get in the 90's, but 80 is kinda close to 90, right? Somehow my parents took my brothers bowling a lot more than me. And so, they are very very good. They often invite me along just becasue I'm family, and they don't want to leave me out, but I am NEVER a factor in the competition. Thankfully, I married a man who is a little better at bowling than I, but on a bad day, I can beat him....which is all that matters to me. Since we have been here, we have yet to go bowling . Sometimes, in OKC, we would go bowling as a family and have a great time using the bumpers. (I always score over 100 when we use those) Thursday night we decided to check out the local bowling place. It was small, only 5 lanes, and it was empty. Perfect. For $12 we got to bowl for an hour and had shoes too. It was great fun. However, there were no bumpers. So, my kids are having to learn how to bowl for real....which is not a bad thing.
As you can see in all of these pictures, our form is not great yet, but we will work on it. In fact, we were just trying to get the ball to go straight down the lane and not end in the gutter every time. But it was still a lot of fun. The locals all thought we were great to watch and gathered around the glass wall to watch us.

Because frankly.....we all look a little odd when we bowl. Rob took all the great action shots, this last one was my attempt to "capture" his bowling moment. Which as you can see, I got his arm covering his face. :)

Happy Bowling....

Thanks Mr. Larry

Recently, we had some friends from Tennesse come for a visit. On that team was Mr. Larry. He very thoughtfully brought some special gifts just for my kids. He brought Hudson a tool set, complete with a retractable knife. HE LOVES IT! He has been using his tools for all sorts of things. His imagination goes on and on. Last week, some friends or ours left for America, and we had a goodbye party for them. Hudson decided to make a sign, complete with a frame. So, he went outside and "chopped" down trees with his new tools to have "wood" for the sign. It was an all afternoon project. (he loves projects) Here is the result. (Rob had to go down and help him on one tree, it was too big to saw in half....I am sure the people in our apartment appreciated this project)

Then he decided to build a fort. He cleared all the leaves off a fake tree our landlord had on the balcony (hope she doesn't mind) and used the branches to make his fort.

For the first time EVER, Hudson has declared that maybe he might like to be something other than a professional football or basketball player when he is older. He has declared that now he is going to be a scientist becasue he LOVES science. Actually he loves to make and do things with his hands, so I think it is a great thing!

This week, after homework was quickly finished, he asked if he could run to the store and buy some coke and mentos. (you know what is coming?) He said he had money so I didn't have to spend my own. (what a sweet kid....of course I gave him money). Then, he called AB, the trusty sidekick and told her to come over it was science time, and went to the store for coke and mentos. The funny thing is our little store didn't have mentos, so he bought doublemint mints. (not so good). Thankfully I had one mento in an old purse. (random) Here is my little scientist preparing for the experiment.

One of the best parts of our apartment is the bathroom, becasue whatever happens in there can be sprayed down and forgotten. A great place to let little scientists experiment. It was a fun time had by all! Now my scientist has decided on weekly science experiments to do after school. I helped him find a website with experiments for kids, so he has his "science journal" that he writes down all of his steps and results, and he has assistants. His friend AB is his sidekick and her little sister is the assistant.

So....thanks to Mr. Larry and his tool set, Hudson is using his hands and his mind for all sorts of new things! Fun times at casa de science!

It is good to be known....

This week my sweet sister-in-law, Heather, sent me a very special video. It made my day, no, my week. We are so happy to be where we are, but there are many things that we desperately miss, especially when it comes to family. Reese was 7 months old the last time we saw her....now she is 18 months, talking and walking and exploring her world. Click Here for the video just for us, the family in the computer.

One of many mornings

Last Friday morning as I walked out the door, I grabbed my camera. The result of my camera following me to school, is this post. We have been pretty busy lately with "work", none of which I write about here, so you are stuck looking at pictures of us doing our "normal" thing.

7:00am.....the chef in the kitchen (someone is not quite awake) making breakfast for the kids.

8:00am....Hannah is out the door and reading as she walks down the 6 flights of stairs. (I promise when she fell down the stairs a few months ago she wasn't reading and walking at the same time)

8:05.....Since Hudson raced down the stairs to be the first one out the door (see here) , he is now waiting at the bottom for the girls to arrive8:06.....chef becomes carpool dad

8:06.20.....and there is carpool mom (we "take" in the mornings, our friends "pick up") Hudson and AB usually talk nonstop on the way to school.

8:07 - 8:15.....the ride to school, live and in living color.

8:15-8:30.....the adults make their way to study before school, here are the people I waited with at the intersection that day... some walking, some riding electric bikes like mine, some riding motorbikes. Please note in the top middle of the picture....the golden arches, which was where we were headed.

8:30am.......Rob ordering at McD's. This lady behind the counter knows us well. Rob usually goes upstairs and studies for about 3 hours here. No need for the English menu. "Yi hao can, yi da bei ling du ke le...." 8:30-9:00.....review vocab words, begin intaking caffiene so you can stay awake in class for the next 3 hours.9:00am-12:00pm DAILY......this is the view from where I sit for 3 hours a day, every day. (minus my teacher who is usually in the chair). This is my classroom. Looking at this reminds me....gotta go study!!!

Normal-Kind-of-Love

from Rob

Every parent loves their kids. It’s a basic human impulse, one that can only be overcome by another impulse of fallen humanity… selfishness. I love my kids. Most of the time more than words can describe. But as with everything, familiarity evens out the high and low emotions and I grow accustomed to an everyday, ever-present, normal-kind-of-love. (I think that may be the opposite of a groovy-kind-of-love, but I’d have to consult Phil Collins to know for sure) Sometimes living in this routine, everyday, normal-kind-of-love causes you to miss just how deep this love runs. And then along come special moments that remind you.

This week Hudson and I have been in Hong Kong getting some dental work done. About two months ago we came for a routine cleaning and discovered that Hudson had a deep cavity into the root. The dentist said that it is too early to pull the tooth and so began a root canal. Not pleasant, especially for an eight-year-old. Because of swelling in the nerve, accompanied by increasing pain, she was unable to finish at that time. She repacked it temporarily and told us to come back and she would finish it up. Two months later we returned.

Monday we returned to her office to find that Hudson remembered both her and the unpleasantness she brought. He got in the chair and just melted. There was no way she was doing anything in his mouth again. So she recommended that we go to see a pediatric dentist who worked with kids and could sedate him if necessary, which by the way is what he wanted.

So, through another long series of events, early this morning Hudson found himself in the chair of another dentist, but this time he had an anesthesiologist (yeah, had to use spell check on that one) along side. This second doctor told him that he was going to put a tube in his hand to put in medicine to make him go to sleep. Hudson immediately got nervous. He was torn because he knew this was the only way to go to sleep and avoid the real pain the dentist was about to inflict, but yet to willingly allow someone to stick something under the skin on your hand was not his first choice either. He tore his hand away from this new doctor, buried his face in his hands, and tears began to fill his already sweaty little palms. And so my moment began.

I leaned down next to his face and convinced him to turn his hand back over to the nice doctor, and just to look at dad. As I held his gaze and gently stroked his face they were able to slide the IV in easily and quickly. (The little shot of laughing gas they gave him to calm his nerves might have helped too, but I’m writing this and I choose to be the hero.) But that was the easy part.

The doctor said he might twitch around a little as the medicine began to do its work. This doctor spoke English, but as a second language and must have lost something in his own translation, because "a little" was a serious understatement. As the medicine entered Hudson’s body He scrunched his eyes tightly, let out a small moan and started slowly swinging his head around. As I held his head the rest of his limbs followed suit with increasing energy. Soon both doctors, two nurses and myself are restraining swinging arms and legs, protecting expensive dental equipment from a fateful kick, and trying to keep Hudson from launching himself out of the chair. Just about as quickly as it began, he let out a huge yawn and relaxed completely. I stepped back and one nurse began to prepare for the work ahead while another quickly escorted me to the waiting room. The whole thing, from climbing in the chair to asleep took about seven minutes.

In the waiting room I collapsed into a comfortable chair. Until then I hadn’t noticed the metallic taste of adrenaline in my mouth, nor did I notice the beads of sweat popping from my forehead or the fact that my hands were quivering uncontrollably. A wave of exhaustion crashed over me as I buried the back of my head deep in the back of the chair. Then I found myself scrunching my eyes tightly to hold back the rising tide behind my own eyelids. I wouldn’t want the young lady behind the desk to think this huge foreigner was a total basket case.

And so my moment concluded. I love that sleeping kid in there. I love him with an indefinable yet tangible, all-consuming, overwhelming, extraordinary-kind-of-love. The mere thought of anything happening to him makes my knees buckle. And yet, it’s a pretty cool thing that the Father lets us experience this tremendous and humbling love in normal, every-day size bites. Because I’m not too sure I could handle many more moments like this.

By the way, two hours later, after I had regained my composure, Hudson woke up just fine and wondered when they were going to start working on his teeth. In another hour he was back to his fun-loving, care-free, crazy-question-asking, every-day, normal self. Man I love that kid.

The Long Journey

This post is dedicated to "the little package that could".

I have a friend named Tarrah. She and I have been friends since 1980. Except for one other girl, Tarrah is my oldest friend (though she is younger than me). We used to play together on Sunday afternoons, and shared two family vacations together, one to Galveston and the other to Disneyworld. Tarrah was in my wedding and in the last few years we have gotten to spend a little time together catching up and staying in touch. Now she is "all grown up" with a great husband and 2 beautiful girls, and is expecting a little boy in a few months.

Now about the package. December 10, I think, she sent the O Fam a Christmas package. All of the favorite O Fam things were in this package. I remember when she sent it because my brother and sister-in-law sent us a package the same day. All of our Christmas boxes arrived the week of Christmas, and my brother's package...Dec. 24th. But, Tarrah's package never arrived. I waited, and waited, but nothing. Finally last month..Tarrah's package arrived....back in Texas. Not good. Apparently it had made it all the way to our country....taken a look around, and decided to go back to Texas. After much debate/discussion/friendly urging with the post office in Texas, they agreed to ship it free of charge back to us....they agreed to put it in a new box (apparently the old one had been through the ringer) but they couldn't change any of the contents of the box.

Today, March 11, when I arrived home from class.....there it was. Christmas Box from the Z Fam (Tarrah and co). I was so thrilled. Wouldn't you know everything looked great. The cheetos may all be a little smashed, but other than that....PERFECT!! The best part is (for me)....this morning, I ran out of coffee creamer....but this afternoon more arrived, via Tarrah. Perfect Timing!!!

THANK YOU TARRAH, JIMMY, ANNA, & SERENE!!!!

Mother's Day Out

Sunday night at 9:00pm I left the country. I left my family. My husband and my kids stayed behind. With my maps in hand, I walked across the border about midnight, and by 2am, when I finally arrived where I was going, I was tired, exhausted, and just thankful for sleep.

OK, maybe that was a little dramatic. You see, my brother, Reagan, came for a visit along with some other friends from TN. On their way back to the USA they were scheduled to go home via Hong Kong and had a day to spend there. So I went with them and acted as tour guide/shopping expert for a day and half, since none of them had been there before and it is a rather large city. The best part was getting to hang out with my brother in HK! We even shared a hotel room.....staying up late every night talking. We saw all the sights and walked until our feet were sore, but it was so much fun. We went up Victoria's Peak, navigated the subway, walked up and down and up and down stairs, left our mark in Stanley Market ( I was quite pleased to find they had Limited Too and Gap clothes at random clothing stalls to outfit my ever growing children), then ate at Outback (YUM), caught the light show, then ended the night at the street markets. It was a LONG day, but enjoyable. I must pause and say that my sweet husband is the most detailed, know-the-best-route-to-take kind of guy. He provided me with everything I needed to get everyone all over town without any mishaps. Thanks Rob!

After a very long day, the group had to leave for the airport at 5am. So, I accompanied them, said my goodbyes (pausing to mention again.....goodbyes at airports are not my fav)....then I went back to the hotel and slept until 11:20. WHAT!!?!?! I can't even begin to tell you how long it has been since I have slept in, let alone slept until almost noon. Then after showering and checking out.....I had a whole day to myself in HK.

And wouldn't you know it....I planned my own day to a tee. I ate lunch where I wanted to eat, bought a book at the bookstore, and becasue I had that store's customer card, got the book for half price....yippee. So, I sat at lunch in a crowded restaurant by myself and read my book. EXCELLENT. Then I went to the import store and bought my family some Deli Turkey and other assorted items, then....I went to a movie, in a movie theater, which is something we don't normally do here. I had a coke and whoppers, which I shared with no one. By the time my movie was over, it was time to go to the bus station. I arrived at 4:04, and the bus left at 4:15, AND they checked me in for my flight right there....AND there was a starbucks right across from the bus station. SCORE. With 5 minutes to spare I got my starbucks and started heading for home. Upon arrival at the airport, I found a Starbucks ( do you sense a pattern in my life?) and sat in the fine coffee filled establishment for another hour reading my book.

I will skip all the details about my flight being 2 hours behind schedule and not arriving home until about 11:30. As I was pondering my "Mother's Day Out" and the joy of having some time to myself, I realized again how much I love my kids and my husband. Life is more fun and enjoyable with them in it. While it is nice to choose your own restaurant, and no one to call you "mom" for 24 hours, or drink your coke in the theater, etc, etc..... It is so much better to be "MOM" and "Wife". As I walked in the door last night, my sweet husband had waited up for me and had 2 dozen roses waiting for me letting me know I was right.....it is better to be together.