Roaring Birthday Fun

Molly turned 8 this month! She decided back in March that she wanted a Jungle Safari birthday party, and she began making plans. We had endless conversations about decorations, games, food. There were multiple checklists involved.

She had her heart set on dressing up as a lion for the party, and Hudson played the role of safari guide.

We ordered a cake from a bakery across the street, and it was no problem for them to match the lion on our decorations.

 Molly enlisted the help of Kevin's mom to send vines and paper leaves along with various other jungle-related decorations. We tried to camouflage our newly installed internet cable wire with Happy Birthday letters.

Molly created a coloring station for her friends. She drew a crocodile, lion, monkey and elephant that we photocopied for the kids to choose one to color.

Kevin was a big hit as storyteller! Hudson helped him hold the visual aids.

 Children representing six different countries attended.

After eating cake, the kids went on a treasure hunt for gold coins.

Molly changed into a zebra outfit and took pictures with her school teachers (above) and her summer tutor (below). 

We held her party the weekend before school began, and her birthday fell on a Monday this year (Labor Day in the USA). I baked brownies and she celebrated together with her classmates that day.

 

 Each student made a card for her and presented it during their afternoon celebration.

 It touches my heart to see how loved Molly is by her many friends, classmates and teachers. This was her fourth birthday to celebrate in China, and she has blended her language, gifts and talents into this hospitable country we call home. Happy birthday, Molly!

~Dayna

A Wedding to Remember

A neighbor asked Molly and Hudson to participate in a friend's beautiful wedding. It was quite different than the traditional Chinese weddings we've attended in the past. We learned the groom had lived in Canada for eight years, so many Western-style elements were added. The ceremony and buffet reception were held outdoors at a golf club.

Here's a 27 second video of their walk down the aisle:

Molly told me the emcee is saying: "Welcome the cute, beloved babies walking down the aisle with the rings. I hope they have a wonderful day. Now, show the rings!"

I was amazed by the amount of flowers! Typically, artificial flowers are used at weddings, but not this time. They were gorgeous!

The kids carried the actual rings tied to the flowers.

Can you spot them?

Musicians played beforehand, and there was a fancy juice table. (We arrived at 9 a.m. and the ceremony began at 10:30. Lunch followed.)

Dozens of people were taking photos.

The kids had a fun time, and we were thankful for the chance to participate.

April 25 Day Camp Bonus Pics

In the post below this one, Kevin shared lots of photos from our most recent Day Camp. I had a few more on my phone I wanted to include, and also take the opportunity to say how thankful I am for my part-time job here. Working as a teacher for ladies training to be live-in caregivers in Canada has given me an abundance of friends who are eager to volunteer and gain hands-on experience.

Two of the ladies, Zoey and Sarah, took turns hanging out with Molly and Hudson during the Day Camp. When they weren't in the main room with the group, they were downstairs in a special play room. Fun times for our kiddos!

Knowing our kids were well taken care of made it possible for me to focus on talking with the moms and grandmothers. They were sharing how meaningful it was to see their children having fun at the Day Camp together with other kids they can relate to. One mom mentioned it was important for her son's independence that he learn to communicate with others in society. She appreciated how the kids connected with the volunteers since they are usually afraid of strangers. Another mom shared that the kids don't have friends to play with (only small toys) because they aren't treated well by others.

It was wonderful to see the women exchanging contact information and supporting each other.
~Dayna

Autism Day Camp

During today's day camp, we met many new families and had several new volunteers. Although differing in severity, all of the children have been diagnosed with autism. It was a very active day.

Afterward, I joined Dayna and the kids at a Toy Story birthday party for the son of our Brazilian friends.

~ Kevin

Molly is 7!

Molly turned 7 on September 7, and China was nice enough to have a national holiday weekend at the same time. :) It's the Mid-Autumn Day festival, and nearly everyone had a three-day weekend to celebrate. We didn't have our usual English classes for adults and children with disabilities on Saturday, and there was no school on Monday.

Since Hudson's birthday is later in the month, we decided to have a joint birthday party for them to celebrate together with their friends in mid-September. That made this weekend about quality time together as a family, and we made the most of it. The highlight was playing at the mall near our house.

Molly has always wanted to jump on this big trampoline, and she decided she was definitely brave enough to try the two-story ropes/obstacle course as well.

She went up, over and across all manner of tightropes and swinging bridges. A worker followed closely behind to attach the ropes of her harness to the various sections of the course.

Molly said crossing these wooden posts was the hardest part, and she felt her heart racing:

And this is my favorite video because you can see Hudson bouncing on the trampoline and watching Molly:

Happy 7th birthday to our sweet girl! She has learned so much this year, growing in confidence and ability. We love you, Molly!
~Dayna