We arrived back in HKG on Sunday 8/10 at 11pm and were up til 4am unpacking, etc. Needless to say, our sleeping schedule was erratic for a few days until we adjusted. School started Wed and just like that, both kids were back to the school routine... Alex has the same teacher Maggie did in 3rd grade, Mrs. Loo.



We moved our office near the kids' school and kept busy setting it up those first weeks of school. Now, I'm back to volunteering in the classroom and around the school as a rep for the parents association. Next up, exercising regularly, ha!

Celebrated Alex's 8th birthday with a cake in the classroom on the actual day

and had a get together with the boys at home over the weekend. The kids all played Wii and NDS games first while Paul and us moms chatted and nibbled. Later it was the adults turn to try out Wii Fit.








Had dim sum with the Siew family - Cadence is a cutie, but takes a bit to warm up...

From Back in HKG

Got a haircut and replaced the spectacles I've had for several years - whaddya think?


Thanks for reading - I'm sending this out via Yahoo groups this time to compare with the Google groups format. Sometimes the photos don't post. You can always have a look at the website to look a photos only:

http://picasaweb.google.com/beckyleesu

Summer 2008 wrap-up
The last of summer photos from Picasaweb



We drove back down the 5 from Marin County with stops in the city to drop things off at Christina's and to see Eddy one more time, Mountain View for milk tea with boba and pizza at Linda's zPizza, and Gilroy for gas and books for the rest of the trip. Haven't been that way (over 152) in a long time and it sure has been developed with a lot of stores and restaurants when in the past it was all farmland. Stopped at a couple of farm stands to check out their fruit, but nothing appealed. Made it home for dessert - Catie waiting for us...

The end of our trip consisted of stocking up at Costco, Target and the like and visiting Kathryn, my cousin Mike and his family, his brother Terry, who drove down to golf with their brother Martin and his wife, Eva, who flew out from NYC for the week. Also stayed with my college friend, Stefania the same weekend she was having a party for her big family so I got to see her mom, sisters, their kids, aunts and uncles. Everyone enjoyed swimming and BBQ. The kids had a nice time getting to know each other and Maggie especially liked Stef's dog Piccolo, a Papillon. So that made it her summer of dogs - there was

Chloe

From Summer 08 #2

Maxwell

From Summer 08 #2

Eddy

From Summer 08 #2

From Summer 08 #2

and Piccolo

From Summer 08 #4

I suppose someday we will have one, too.

We are wrapping up our time in Northern CA - went bowling with some new friends, the grandchildren of my parent's friends mentioned in the last post. Got a chance to upload more photos and a video of Alex trying step aerobics on the Wii Fit. Didn't go outside much due to the smoke from the fires - hard to believe over 2000 fires started by lightning during one storm on June 21 burned over a million acres! (fr CA Dept of Forestry and Fire Protection) Driving back to the Bay area for the weekend, then SoCal on Monday until we head back to HKG.

Click for more photos from Summer album 3!

Summer update #2 The kids with great-grandma "Bak-Bak" From a Pasadena park puppet performance - how's that for a tongue twister? After Utah, we enjoyed time in Northridge: swimming with cousins, playing Wii, a little shopping and a morning at a luxury spa for me! For Independence day we went to Wall-E and had a BBQ then went to the neighborhood display of fireworks in Porter Ranch a few miles from my in-laws house and were awed by the explosions just overhead while patriotic tunes were sung in the background. The next morning, we drove up to the Bay area to spend a week with friends and relatives and a couple days "glamping" at Costanoa. (Look it up.) I prefer to call it luxury camping and for your hotel pricing there is a wood-framed tent cabin with furniture including bed, heating pad, linens and towels. The only inconvenience is going to the "comfort station" for nature's call. While there, you can lounge in front of fireplace or hit the sauna. We went for a few hours of walking after breakfast in the restaurant (another luxury) alongside a grove of eucalyptyus trees, on the bluffs overlooking the Pacific, in the sand dunes, on the rocky tidepools (where my trusty Canon met it's demise) as well as a sandy beach. One of the last photos taken with the Canon - anemones Kids get to play CP side by side! Now we're in Redding hanging out with "Poa Poa" and "Gong Gong" for another week. The kids and their grandparents have been competing for the Top 10 on Wii Fit games. We met up with one of my high school friends in town visiting his parents and went for a swim in their pool. We also met one of my parent's NY friend's daughter and kids for dinner and may get together for a playdate next week. We had dinner at Grand Buffet in Redding. Summer is flying by and we'll be back in HKG right before school starts on the 13th.

We're back in California now after a short trip to Utah. We stayed at Snowbird for a couple days and at the Wyness' for a night. Enjoyed an evening picnic and performance in Pasadena. Just enjoying our time here. Click for some photos (link updated)! link to other photos I have at Picasa

Since we finished school Thursday, there's been a slew of people coming and going for playdates and sleeping over... Here's Gavin at our place for his first sleepover along with big bro, Ethan and Jeremy - so that was four in the room.



Here's Jeremy trying to sleep in the loft bed


Ethan and Alex reading a story


Bedheaded boys



Maggie had Tiffany over and she stayed at Sarah's, too. Others we saw or who visited were: San San, Priscilla, Minami, Hugh, Ryan, Henry, Arthur, Sam, Aidan, Conner, Colin, Timothy, Jonathan and Joanna. Did I miss anyone?

Have a great summer everyone!

Here are some recent photos since the last update(s). The kids finish school mid-June then we will be heading back to the States for summer. Plan to go to Utah for a couple days then SoCal and NorCal. Hope to see some of you then.


At a friend's birthday brunch



Our handprint tile on the wall at our NSB


Maggie's birthday "cake" - egg tarts



Maggie's birthday dinner with the girls and another "cake" - mango raspberry swirl cheesecake



Alex long jumps at Sports Day

We had a get together on Friday night enjoying a pot-luck dinner and games galore!