Kitchen tour

I've gotten a lot of positive feedback on my last post "To Market We Go", so I will make an effort to share a bit more of our day to day with you all. So much of what surprised/shocked/scared us at first is so normal now that we forget just how different life here is from America. 

Today I'm going to knock your socks off with a tour of our kitchen. What once seemed like it better suited an RV, now seems spacious. I think NZ is conspiring against me with this small kitchen business. Now when we move home to our house, my previous plans for kitchen expansion seem silly. I can totally work with what we have there..all it needs is a facelift. Saving my husband money. 

You're  welcome, honey.

Here's our kitchen in all its glory.

All 200x240cm of it. 

Here's my view while washing  and drying dishes. 

No dishwasher here. I AM the dishwasher. We've got a small dish rack on one side of our sink, that is currently drying Carla's chew toys. I sanitize them in a vinegar and water solution. Speaking of sanitizing, I also use that concoction for cleaning our floors, fruit and veggies etc. 

Vinegar is my BFF.

The soap dispenser was awesome while it worked, but it was made in China. Need I say more? It's been replaced with a jug of soap that now lives on the sill next to our three knives (paring, bread and an all purpose one) so that little hands can't reach them.

Jealous yet?

Here's our microwave and cutting board storage. Up above is our Tupperware and stainless bowl set. We have six glass storage containers to our name. The benefit? I don't lose many lids.

Down below I've got my appliances. All made in China, and definitely up for grabs before we leave here. China has different voltage than the USA so we've bought cheap appliances that get the job done, but they are definitely not Cuisinart quality.

What've I got in there? I see you peeking.

A two slice toaster, a blender, a hand mixer, a juicer and a crock pot. The crock pot and juicer are my favorites. The toaster is temperamental and the blender makes me want to fork out money for a vitamix  when we get home. I'm so over shoving utensils inside to keep it blending.

The next cabinet houses our pot and pans. A singular pot. Primarily for pasta cooking and soup making. I've got a small saucepan for rewarming things and also three fry pans. One needs to be thrown out, because it suuuuucks, but the other two larger ones are great for our needs. The apartment came outfitted with a rice cooker. Sal has used it as a piggy bank, and now many coins live in the bottom of it, never to be returned.

Above the pot and pans, I've got two gas burners. They have three settings. High, higher and scorching. Want to simmer something? Good luck.

Next to our pot and pans cabinet live our spices. Some purchased here and some smuggled from home. We love garlic salt. How can you not bring a costco size shaker back? 

The most popular cabinet in my kitchen has to be the kid's cabinet. Sal opens it a dozen times a day to empty it and find juice cups. 

And yeah, I totally cleaned that up before taking this picture to share with you. It still looks messy. 

Life with kids, yo.

Last but not least, (don't laugh), our oven. 

Yes. It's a toaster oven. 

It cooks at whatever temp it wants to, and sometimes the timer works, and sometimes it doesn't. It turns every meal that succeeds into a miracle. I've mastered cakes for the most part, and NZ finishes off a mean filet mignon (after pan frying the outside) in this little oven. 

Above the oven you can see that we aren't really set up for entertaining. 4-6 of each setting. These dishes break so easily that we've had a few losses over the last year and a half. Want coffee? I'll  have to wash the cup when I'm done so you can use it. We can't both drink at the same time, cause uhm....we only have one coffee cup. (In all honesty, neither of us drink hot tea or coffee at home). 

On the opposite side of my cabinets, is a sliding door to our pantry room. Our refrigerator and NZ's surfboards live there along with our food.

So, there you have it. 

Our Chinese kitchen.

Oh yeah.

Farewell Hedder & fam

 Life as an expat family is a unique experience. Most of us come over with contracts for a set amount of time, and once that time is up, we head back to our homelands. It's a revolving door of people coming and going around here. 

I've done alright with the goodbyes we have had to say thus far--although I won't lie-- they were difficult.  Now I'm staring down the barrel of our next goodbye and it's going to be the hardest one yet. 

I met Heather two weeks after moving to Wuxi. Nick and I were walking a restless 5 month around our compound when we spotted another white couple on the playground with a little boy. As we approached the couple, I remember being hopeful that they spoke English. That's when I heard a sweet southern "hey ya'll" from the woman who would go on to become one of my best friends here. 

She immediately took me under her wing (she had already been here 18 months) and showed me how and where to get groceries and introduced me to new friends. Even better yet, she had a son that was a year older than Sal. 

Sal and Aiden became buddies, and we spent many of our days hanging out together. She has become a second mama to Sal and he affectionately calls her "Hedder". Most of our good times and memories include Aiden and Hedder.  

In just a few days, their family will return to the states....

For good. 

Goodbye Ratliff family--so happy to have shared the past 18 months with you as our second family. You will be greatly missed. 

A walk down memory lane...

The boys at one of our many Starbucks trips. Don't look so excited, Sal.

Sal and his Hedder watching fireworks for his first birthday. 

The day we thought it was a good idea to go grocery shopping in the snow together...

After a long day of pediatrician visits and lunch in shanghai...

An afternoon finding rock treasures...

Sal's first friend, ever. 

Baking days at Heather's. That's Sal in the kitchen "mixing" with her...

At one of the many parties Heather hosted. This one happened to be a holiday cookie exchange, which equalled heaven for a pregnant girl. 

We're seriously going to miss them. 

Like. Seriously.

Fanfare

Today is a big day in our household.

It marks the "official grand opening" of the company that NZ has come over here to get started. He's been hard at work for the last 18 months, dealing with surprises around every corner. If there is one thing about China, it's that nothing is straight forward, and everything is convoluted and even simple day to day tasks are difficult. I think he has earned a few gray hairs in the process, but I am very proud of him for giving his 100%. 

The owners of the company flew out for the affair, and Sal and I were invited to join for the ceremony and lunch. As with anything over here, there was an overload of red and gold, streamers, fireworks and a ribbon cutting with some "important people". Although Nick's speech was good, Sal was the star of the show, as always, with his big American eyes and soft white skin. 

It is hard to put into words what this experience has been like for us as a family. I know Nick would have a completely different description of his day to day experiences vs mine as a stay at home wife and mother, but one thing I do know, is that what he is doing, and has done, is no easy feat. There is still a ways to go....so don't get your hopes up, we aren't headed home yet...but having the opening today is one step closer to the end zone. 

A child lives here

For so many years, I kept a simple house clear of clutter. Simple design, with just a touch of ourselves. We still enjoy the minimalist style, however, I can't help but smile as I sit on my sofa and see the mess in front of me. Never in a million years did I expect a potty chair would reside in my living room, nor would a half eaten apple, a shoelace and a tonka truck be saddled up along side crumpled boardshorts that just needed to come off then and there.

And I have to say, as much as it tests my OCD tendencies, I wouldn't have it any other way. 

No doubt, a much wanted and very well loved child lives here. 

She's FOUR

On Saturday, our daughter would have been four.

Four years! Where does time go? Some days it feels like just yesterday that I was calling my husband on my way to the hospital uttering the words "she's dead. She died" and wondering how on earth life would go on. 

Four years later, life has been going on.

I am so grateful for the time that has passed. Most days are great days, filled with happiness and loving my life as a mom to Sal. There are some situations and comments that still take me back to the darker days of grief, but I seem to bounce back from those moments much faster. Instead of tear filled days, I give myself "moments".

This year, we were a day late in "celebrating" her memory, and NZ wasn't able to partake in the release, but Sal and I found a beautiful grassy park to send two balloons off to Heaven for Denise. We went to the party store and I let Sal pick out a balloon (he chose green with stars). 

He's too young to know what we are doing, but I think this is a good tradition for our family on her birthday. I picked out another balloon, and to my surprise the clerk told us the balloons were free because Sal was so stinking cute. I so wanted to tell the guy what they were for, but instead got teary eyed and extra thankful as we headed out the door to find a special place to release them. 

Someday, Sal will have questions, and we will answer them as they come. The loss of Denise has shaped us as parents, right down to our decision making, our vigilance for safety and gratitude for each day with a child here on earth. We want Sal to know just how much of a miracle he is for our family.

Wuxi zoo

Auntie Stephanie is here!

We've been busy showing her around our side of the world the last few days and look forward to a whole 'nother week with her before she has to head back Stateside. I think she will kiss the ground when she lands on US soil. Just kidding. She has acclimated and adjusted better than I would have expected someone who has never been out of the US other than Tijuana. She even mastered chopsticks while eating jiaozi with us tonight! (Go steph!)

Today was May Day, a national holiday.

NZ had today off, so we loaded up the car and headed to the Wuxi zoo, just outside of town.

We weren't sure what to expect of a Chinese zoo. Would conditions leave us feeling sad for the animals? What kind of animals would we see?

Lets just say that PETA would have a conniption fit at the "beast show" we watched at the central stage. Bears on bikes, dancing to Gagnam style, then jumping rope with their trainers...after that came lions and tigers, followed by monkeys riding bikes.

Sal showed some interest in a couple of exhibits, but for the most part, NZ, my sister and I made our way through the crowds ( Sal was quite possibly the most popular exhibit at the zoo), from habitat to habitat trying to get him excited for the lethargic looking rhinos, or the sad looking flamingoes who barely had a puddle to stand in.

Although the habitats could have been kept up better, and the crowds were a bit thick at times, we still had a good time walking the park and will probably go back when Sal gets a bit older.

Yep. A bear on a bike.

Giraffes

Forget the zebra. Check out the laowai.

A horrific picture

Did I get your attention?


Imagine the horror of the Chinese grandmas when we passed them with all ten toes exposed, and the baby feeding himself a whole graham cracker sheet. Despite the warmer weather, jackets and mittens are still the standard attire in Wuxi this week.

I on the other hand, am welcoming the warmer weather and wiggly toes!

Bring on Spring!

I dip, you dip, we dip

I couldn't help but bust out with a little Freak Nasty lyrics when Mrs. Georgia proposed having a "dip" party.

"I put my hand upon your hip
When I dip, you dip, we dip
You put your hand upon my hip
When you dip, I dip, we dip"

She throws all sorts of fun parties for those of us who aren't slaving away at a 9-5 job. Some parties hosted have included a baby shower, a cookie exchange, a Pinterest inspired potluck, a brunch and now, "da dip" part-ay.

It's a lot of fun, and it is one of the "pros" of living here. Living in our apartment complex is like living in the college dorms. There are many stay at home wives and moms around during the day..and one might think we get bored but the truth is anything but. I actually feel bad for the guys and girls who do work the 9-5's and often miss out on the fun. There is ALwAYS something going on, and its not unusual for our husbands to come home to stories of what fun we had that day.

Rubbing it in..does it get any crueler?

Anyways, here's an example of what NZ will be hearing about tonight. If he's lucky his loves will bring home leftovers.

Mourning mornings

For the last two weeks, I've been in denial.

Each morning, I tell myself that the previous days were flukes...

That surely, my son will take his morning nap.

Such is not the case.

Morning naps, sadly, are a thing of the past.

Just like that, one snowy morning, he decided that he was done. No more morning workouts, showers or breakfast in solitude for his mama.

Why nap? I gots lots of playin to do.

And I admit it....I'm mourning his morning naps.

He has adjusted well, making up for the lack of morning nap by taking a longer afternoon nap, but it's me who is having a conniption fit trying to re-configure my morning routine which I had grown to love.

For now, it's mid-day workouts (right after I put him down for afternoon nap), followed by a shower and lunch. So, I apologize to anyone who sees me before 1:00pm, I will be shower less and disheveled for another week or so until I manage to get my act together and get my shower in before he wakes for the day.

I'm also relishing in his long afternoon naps for now-perhaps I can actually start a project and finish it! I know its just a matter of time until he decides that afternoon naps are also a thing of the past, but I'm hoping to string them along as long as I can.

Think its possible to have him nap til he's in grade school?

When did your kids stop napping?

Parrrrrrty's heeyah

 

I've been sitting on the computer this evening, editing pictures from yesterday, and I can not believe our son just turned one.
 

I am ONE.

We had a couple other birthday celebrants join us for a small lunchtime party on Saturday. NZ had a birthday last Wednesday, our friend Pere had a birthday on Thursday, and Anna shares Sal's January 13th birthdate, so we had them over to join us for spaghetti arribata, sushi, cookies and cake in celebration of all their years of life.

Cookies from sweet creations by Stephanie

 

Sal & Neil (newest baby on the block)

            
            Sal ate cake, opened gifts and played with his new toys before a nice long nap.



yes,  that's most definitely a boog hanging from the nose.
(He's had a cold all week and finally gifted it to me today)

Dad had to help with the blowing out of the candle.
Sal was obviously mesmerized by the mamarazi.

 

As the day turned to night, we met up with more friends from our apartment complex to light off fireworks to celebrate Sal turning ONE!
  

This one's for you, kid.

What we did on Christmas Vacation

Well, not exactly Christmas vacation, but PRC observes the New Year as a holiday, and includes a few extra days surrounding January 1st as off days. This means that NZ actually had a few days to relax and hang out with us. Nevermind the fact that when China has a few days off, they then work through the following weekend to make up for days off---so yes, NZ will be working 9 days straight this next week.

But, it's been great to have him home for a stretch of time. We've really enjoyed some lazy mornings playing video games, and cooking while Sal naps--then heading out for a walk or errands afterwards.

Here are some pictures of what we did on our Christmas vacation.

Sal got another haircut

Our sous chef hard at work

We walked by a city garden

NZ made meatuh-balls



We had our first snow watched TV in sweatpants

We saw a scooter driving down the escalator

And got lots of hugs from dad

A nice way to send 2012 out, and welcome in a New Year.

Football Night

Being 16 hours ahead of California, we miss most of SNF ( it's more like MMF here). The Steeler game inevitably comes on at 8 am, just as NZ is getting his shoes on to leave for work.

 

I think this makes Monday's even harder to leave (=

 

Thankfully, Australia Sports Network replays MOST NFL games during the week, so although we don't get to watch live football, we do get to catch the game at some point.

 

My favorite are the six o'clock replays.



Sal tipping one back. No idea where he learned how
to drink with such enthusiasm.

I pull Sal's high chair into the living room, order pizza, grab a couple of beers and we all kick back and watch the Steelers game.

 

It's a small taste of home that I am so glad to have.

Grateful: day 1: SAHM

I'm jumping on the bandwagon and going to do my best to do a "grateful" post every day in November. Most years I probably wouldn't have the time to sit down daily and write a blog post...which leads me to  the first thing I'm grateful for...

At the Park

I am grateful that we have the means necessary to allow for me to be a stay at home mom. All my life growing up, if asked what I wanted to be, my answer was "a mom". I wanted to be just like my mom. I wanted to grow up, have a husband and children, and be able to take care of them. I wanted to send my husband off to work in the morning after a home cooked breakfast, and then spend the mornings going on walks to the park, reading books to my kids, and keeping our home tidy. Then in the evenings, when my husband would get home, I'd cook supper and we would all eat together, give the kids a bath, then curl up on the couch watching tv together after the kids were asleep.

And guess what?

I finally have the life that I've dreamed of.

my little Nacho Libre and me on playgroup day

And nobody knows better than I do, that this life that I've got right now is not owed to me. It could change at any given moment, and this is why I wake up every single day, grateful for the opportunity to be a wife and a mother if just for one more day.