3-0 GO Favre GO!!

We are loving being able to watch the Packer games lately, especially the 3-0 record. So far I have not had to worry about Peter spiking the baby which is a stark contrast from last year.

Here Ty and I are during this week's game

Oh, in case you can't get a hold of us for a while here is a hint as to what we are up to

Truf and Josephine will hold down the fort while we hang out at the beach.

Cool! Our First Typhoon!

Yes, you heard me correctly. We are expecting Super Typhoon Wipha to make a direct hit on Shanghai in the next 24-36 hours. Exciting stuff I tell you. I just thought we were having a rainy spell.

As luck would have it we have 6 men in our yard laying sod today. The pictures of the whole sod story to come in another post. They do everything by hand and shovel. Breaks your heart really if you know the machinery they could be using. I felt badly for them today as the temperature has finally dropped to the low 70s and they were getting drenched. I brought out some green tea (lu cha) and made some blueberry muffins for them.

Thank goodness Peter was told at work that they may cancel work Wed or we would have never known a Typhoon was coming. So is our life with no real English news. Never a dull moment. Never thought I would be able to check "brave a Typhoon" off of my To Do List. Well, it wasn't really on the list ;)

Anyway, not to worry you as this is much like a hurricane I guess. And yes Mom, I have ordered extra water to be delivered and am heading out to stock up on some food. Peter would argue we could survive for months on my stockpile. Should make for an exciting few days.

TV Alert: Survivor CHINA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Seriously! I was surfing the web today to catch up on all the new shows for the Fall Season and ran across Survivor. I did not know until today that it is taking place in CHINA!!!!!!! How great! I really hope it is a good one. Perhaps it may give a new perspective on what life here may be like...well I am sure we do not have it that bad compared to the Survivors.

Check it out, you know we will be glued. Thursday nights on CBS.

Oh, and for those of you visiting us soon, I promise you do not have to sleep outside nor will I feed you anything funny. :)

Cheeks!

I could not resist...this is the most fun and cutest time we have at home.

Truffle's Haircut!

Okay, you may not be as excited as I am but it has been 7 months since Truffle's last haircut. The unbelievable humidity really put us through our paces this Summer as Truffle's fur decided to mat and knot in a manner I have never seen. Peter and I diligently worked almost daily to brush Truf and free him of his knots. Many times getting the scissors out to help the knot break up. At one point we even resorted to getting out the buzz clippers I had used on Peter. Truf took all of this like a champ...big surprise :)

Well my 6 month quest for a groomer that would be kind to Truffle (seriously a problem here) finally paid off. A great lady who was originally from Phoenix with 20+ years of grooming experience buff, puffed, and polished my beloved "Pookie." She took two and a half hours but did not shave Truf one bit. I am so thrilled at the result!!! Truffle is too and it is evident in his prancing.

One less thing on my Treasure Hunt for things I need to find in Shanghai!!

Preparation for the Big Game

Okay so I am a little behind in posts, but I think this video is cute enough to merit a late post.

Last week as we anxiously awaited the Packer's Opening Game Tyler busted out his finest pair of Packer jammies and did the closest thing he knows to spiking a football. Hey, Peter takes what he can get at age one. I am certain by the time the football season is over, Tyler will know that we throw footballs when the Packers play...let's hope in excitement and celebration. Maybe he needs a pair of Bucks jammies?

He does have cheering down pat.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7yrEvNwX2s

The Next Van Gogh??

For Tyler's birthday, I searched high and low for the Crayola Store in Shanghai. Luckily I found it and was able to buy crayons, eashable markers, and fingerpaints. All with the knowledge that these were non-toxic. Super important if you have been reading the paper or watching the news lately. If you think the US has problems with toxic stuff, imagine what they keep for their own citizens. Okay, maybe don't imagine. I don't want to scare away our future visitors ;)

I tried a few weeks ago to introduce Ty to the wonderful world of coloring with crayons. He was more interested in eating the crayons--glad they are non-toxic. Today I thought we would try our hand at markers. He LOVED them! Even managed to get some of the colors on the paper. I have now officially turned Peter's college dorm room table and our old IKEA coffee table into Tyler's craft tables.

Here is a pic of the big guy in action:

A Shout Out to the Yas!

Here is one of Tyler's latest moments caught on tape....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKM1teyrwO0

The Ball Pit

A few months ago Tyler discovered the ball pit at our clubhouse. He loved crawling around but he loved throwing the balls out even more. A few weeks ago I stumbled across some balls at our Walmart--yes we have one but do not get too excited. An Active Graco Pack and Play and 500 balls later, Tyler's ball pit is a reality in our family room.

Here is some video of Ty's very own play land. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7oIBeJhBuY