Getting normal???

Hard to say what is normal these days but I am getting a sense of settling into a new routine.  The boys are up by 6:15 am (with the exception of the Great Sleep-dini - Mason) and meet up with our driver by 7:15 for a 30 to 40 minute commute to school.  I am travelling in the North East region of China this week and Cynthia is managing the household.  Sounds pretty normal.  Cynthia is starting to stretch here social butterfly wings and has two invites to "coffee" today with a couple of different women's groups - one in the morning and one this afternoon.  She is meeting people at the school and beginning to connect with a few other moms.  People seem to make friendships very quickly here.  I think it is out of sheer necessity and survival that bonds are made so quickly.  This really is a "foreign" experience and you need the support of others speaking your language and experiencing some of the same culture shock to make it through.

Cynthia baked her first chinese cake and learned that 350 degrees F is actually 180 degrees C.  The cake was good nonetheless even if it was a bit uneven. It did not survive the evening thanks to our three boys.  Mason has been starting to network a bit and may have found a tutoring role for students taking French.  Nothing firmed up yet but a good start.  Once he has his schedule from Fudan he will be better able to plan and hopefully start making a bit of spending money.  However, Dad is a pretty convenient "human ATM".