The safari on wheels

Here are more photos of the Safari Park

They had a train going through a open area where the animals roamed free.

The boys loved it.

Here are the zebras, a couple of feet from the road.

They allow you to drive your own vehicle - if you don't mind camels spitting on you.

Do you think we should try this when our car arrives?

Xiangjiang Safari Park

A day at the zoo started at Panyu square

We found out later is was 2 metro stops too far.

Live & Learn

Daniel wasn't too excited about holding the parrot - Marc on the other hand was.

Isaac was happy to see all the animals.

Oliver napping - I laid him down b/c of the heat/sun.

It's rare that he's not being held or in a Bjorn/sling/ergo carrier etc.

I think he'll graduate from NINO (nine in, nine out)

Kangaroos - that never jumped, not once.

They had over ten koala bears - with a set of twin babies.

Isaac enjoyed the back ride while Oliver slept.

Look at the chub . . . on Oliver

Random elephants were walking all over the zoo

The boys were wiped-out. Here they are in the metro, sleeping.

We actually purchased tickets to the crocodile park but we decided we would see it another day. We didn't even see 1/2 of the zoo - nor did we see the water park, the amusment park & circus show. So much to see with only 2 years to do it.

Dongshanhu Park

Last week the boys, Karen, & I headed to a park near our home.

"Come on"

A little like the Koi at the Arboretum except here it's all you can eat.

Daniel participating in the over-feeding.

Isaac and Karen joined in the fun.

Karen is my new "A yi" (aunt in English). She does everything - much better than I.

She cleans, irons, washes dishes, does laundry -all before lunch. Then she helps me with the boys the rest of the day and then cooks dinner. I don't know how I survived before Karen enter our lives.

The playground that is really a mini-outdoor gym.

They have these all over Guangzhou.

This gym was quite funny,

Several older women were "working out" until we came along.

I hope we didn't interrupt any serious training.

Lost in translation

This tree was amazing.

It was trianed to grow over the path into the lake.

Who knows how many 100's of years old it is.

Hey sailor

Oliver

He's 5 months and 20+ pounds.

Someday I'll be able to blackmail him with this photo.

Tug-a-war

Sport's Day ended with this tug-a-war

It was slightly off-balanced with all the American Dads in-front and our Finish anchor, Arnie.

Our new British friends Honor & Emily did try.

It was a short war that ended with Emily falling over the cones

and Arnie falling over -and taking the entire team with him.

Daniel - who's very happy to be eating cookies.

Baked goods are a rarity in our house since all of our stuff is still on a boat headed to China.

Sports Day

Daniel's School had a Sports Days

The banana toss

Marc, I mean Daniel, stuggled with this one.

Isaac had to try - he was so sad until he was able to participated.

He loved sitting with Daniel's class -

There's Josi - The boys' best friend.

Elevators

We live on the second floor so when we have the stroller we take the elevator

Here's Daniel TO'd that I pushed the elevator button. Woops -

Typhoon Neoguri

Our first typhoon

The rain and wind shut us in for the weekend, but it wasn't bad enough to prevent us from speaking in Church on Sunday.

Isaac loves the rain - opposite of Daniel.

He also loves to pretend he doesn't hear us telling him to come in.

He finally came in

Notice his chinese sandals with Whinnie the Pooh - and

Yes, they are already broken.

Taxis

Our new mode of transportation. Taxis!

Daniel now thinks all cars have TV's in them. He even knows how to adjust the volume.

We went from three cars seats to none.

They don't even have seatbelts if we wanted to use the car seats. Taxis are the only way we can get around. Buses are super crowed and I have no idea how to read the bus schedule. The only good thing about the crazy traffic, is accidents are usually minor. I've actually never have seen one - which is crazy since they don't obey ANY traffic laws.

Isaac enduring the humidity

I need to learn "air conditioning" in Chinese

Yuexiu Park

We decided to vist Guangzhou's largest park: Yuexiu.

We thought it was just lakes, statues and horticulture sites but to our surprise they had a few rides for the kids - It was so random to find these rides in the middle of this park.

Marc and I (along with Oliver in the Bjorn) rode with boys in these tiny bumper cars. Our legs were ways too long and we couldn't even steer b/c our knees were in the way. I was laughing so hard I was crying.

This was also really funny.
We were walking along and out of nowhere there was a log ride.
We had to try it. Marc went first with our little dare-devil Isaac.

Then I took Daniel.
We opted out on taking Oliver, even though they probably would have let me.

Another ride was this little roller coaster.
They let the boys go alone - and it was going pretty fast. Crazy.

Oliver enjoying a snack. He loves the taste of his fingers.
Check out the mosquito bite on his chubby, little hand. The next day he was attacked on his face. I now have a mosquito net over his co-sleeper so he's a little protected.

Supermarket or Pet Store?

The seafood section of the most "western" grocery store in Guangzhou

Daniel's playing with the live turtles

Frog legs anyone?

Now the boys think a trip to the supermarket is a trip to the zoo or pet store.

The Window game

It really hot here so all my boys hang out in their underclothes. Don't be shocked if all the indoor pictures look like this. Anyway, Our apartment is constructed so that we can see eachother from 2 of our bedroom windows. The boys will run from window to window, laughing super hard, for at least 30 minutes - which is eternity to them. I had to capture this game.

Daniel also likes to jump onto his bed and hang on the curtains from that window.

The view of Isaac

Now, the view of Daniel.

Chinese Haircuts

Because of the hot weather and the 70ish look of the boys, we decided to try out the hair salon in our apartment complex.

The action shot

Daniel liking the results. Marc and I not liking them so much

Isaac's turn. He continue to LOVE haircuts.

Chubby Oliver is on my lap in the background.

Well, we did learn something from the whole experience. Marc is not getting his haircut there. Our boys look like little Chinamen. I think I may need to buzz their hair