It's hard to believe we've already been to the US for our summer visit and are back in China to start our second year. We all battled a stomach virus soon after our arrival last year and it appears as if the same is holding true for this year. It's hit Katie and I the hardest. Coupled with the stifling heat, about which I'm not complaining, merely mentioning, we've had a rough few days.
The flight back to China, which I was dreading due to the fact Larry wasn't with us, was long but tolerable. The girls are travelling troopers and can basically have fun anywhere with anything. Those screens on the back of the seats are life-savers or at least sanity-savers. We watched movies, television shows, listened to music and played games. I pitied the poor souls whose systems didn't work. They were offered "credits" or SkyMiles, but honestly, anything less than a free flight or upgrade to first class would not cover the loss.
Larry was waiting with an arrival sign "The Sunny Girls" in hand. We were so happy to be together again, but beyond tired. Unfortunately, we all got our second wind when we got to the house and it felt like we were never going to fall asleep. I unpacked two of the eight suitcases before the high wore off. I don't even consciously remember lying down, but I woke up around 3 a.m. That whole day was a blur. We went to get Rosie, who'd turned into a cat in a month, but she was healthy and still friendly so I was pleased with the care (considering the cost, she should have received VIP spa treatments). By 3 p.m. the Whitfield women, including the cat, were down for the count. And so the routine continued for the week.
Larry left for Dalien, but he really didn't miss much with us. I welcomed the morning sun each day and pittered out by dusk. We ventured out one late afternoon in an attempt to stay awake. It wasn't pretty. Sarah fell asleep on the way there and almost passed out into her dinner plate. Bribery by ice cream helped, but we only prolonged our day by a couple of hours.
The heat, about which I'm still not complaining, makes everyday tasks a bit more sticky. I mean that literally. The humidity is ruthless. Cleaning house takes place first thing in the morning. Laundry is actually not bad, things dry outside in about fifteen minutes. Thankfully, we got some good news that our neighborhood pool opened. It's an indoor pool that right now is quite refreshing. We've been a half dozen times as an afternoon 'pick-me-up'. The girls are quite adept at swimming and many of the other residents stand there watching them, which they of course relish.
It took about ten days to get my internal clock situated, just in time to get hit with a stomach bug. Katie came down with it first and missed a day of Mandarin camp at Dulwich. I thought she was faking, but when it hit me I profusely apologized before running to the bathroom. We took turns for the next forty-eight hours. She's feeling better so I guess there's light at the end of the tunnel for me. Larry's lucky he's in Korea this week, but we did manage to squeeze in a birthday celebration for him before he left.
The girls start school in a week and tomorrow I have to go buy their new uniforms. The twins are going to have to learn how to tie a tie, which means I guess I'll finally have to learn how to tie a tie. Linda and I have resumed our Chinese/English lessons. Rehearsals for Snow White start in a couple of weeks. It's still difficult to comprehend sometimes that we're actually here getting into a routine of sorts, but we are.
And so begins our second year...
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