A New Life--First Glimpses of Kunming

I have tried my best to take our camera around with me when we go out, but I tell you, the cloud of distraction that seems to follow me everywhere also applies to taking pictures.  I'd have to say that learning to do life with two small children is a learning curve that does not go away when you move to a new city in a new country.  I wouldn't say the curve has been made worse by being here, but the things I'd like to be doing (taking pictures, calling family to describe all the sights and sounds, trying out the local restaurants, etc) are just not happening at the pace I'd hope for.  Oh well.  One step at a time.
Here are some pictures of the life we have been living thus far!

 Kunming International Academy

Michael's classroom is on the third floor in the middle section.

 Here is the entrance to our neighborhood, called a xiaoqu (say it "shaow-choo").  Our building is down to the left about an eighth of a mile.

 Primary playground at the school.  I take Evie here a couple times a week.

 Our water delivery guy.  He's pretty strong; those water bottles are heavy, and he hauls them off his scooter and up into your building (we have an elevator, but still...)

 Our building--number 67, 10th floor.

 Living room

 The gang, in the kitchen

 Emma, sitting in her Bumbo "floor (please don't sue us, it's a FLOOR)" seat

 Some friends took us up to the hills on the west side of Kunming.  There is a magnolia tree park there, and we enjoyed a picnic, sunshine, and a little strolling and lolling about.

 "Spring City" doing its thing in January.

 Please appreciate the lawn.

 This is the lolling I was talking about.

 We got to enjoy some traditional dancing in honor of the New Year holiday coming up.

So this is some of our new life.  For having a young family, it's quite lovely.  Most of our needs are in walking distance, so we walk a lot; I'm counting on that baby weight just melting away... :-)  Most days, Evie and I cook together, do some art, play with friends, visit Dad at lunch time, take a walk, and have nap or "quiet time."  It's a good rhythm that I enjoy with her.  I am learning that to eat the foods we like and have a nutritious, cost-effective version of them means that I have to make it myself.  Thus we regularly make yogurt, kefir, and kombucha (for good gut health and keeping us healthy), as well as bread, tomato sauce (you can buy this, but I try to supplement with my own because tomatoes are fresh here year-round), and tortillas.  I'm enjoying this type of resourcefulness, and I think we will be healthier because of it.  Milk is not a Chinese food, and it is imported.  Note: when your milk comes in a box that does not need to be refrigerated because it has been so highly pasteurized, it is no longer milk.  It is white liquid with fat and protein that is now super difficult to digest.  We quickly made a family decision to stop drinking milk (sadness) and switch to home-made kefir and yogurt instead.  It's been a fair trade-off, and we all have excellent digestion as well!

The kids are doing very well; I hardly recognize Emma from her newborn pictures; she is getting fat and sweet.  She smiles and gurgles a lot and has recently found her fist to put in her mouth.  She is a strong baby and does not hate being put on her tummy.  It's a lot of fun to watch her and Evie develop a relationship; they like each other, and Emma smiles and squeals when Evie dances and sings for her.  I have also decided that two is one of the weirdest ages for people.  It's this morph age between baby and kid, where your kid does both baby and kid things simultaneously.  Like telling me a reasonably long and complex story with pretty big words and then lapsing into silence to take a draw on her pacifier.  Or "reading" through a book from memory and then informing me that she needs a new diaper (potty training is on the horizon...)  And even though this stage of life can be really tedious and boring, I am so thankful to be able to stay home with both girls.  Wow.  What a privilege these days.  Thanks to God for that.

I think they will be good friends.