Sports Day

These last two weeks have been about getting back into a routine.  Grace, Emma and Josh have started some weekly activities and Sarah is getting into a schedule during the day which has been helping her sleep through the night consistently (woohoo!!!) Today we had some more firsts...we went to Tai Po Waterfront Park with some other families.  This park is a wonderful place to ride bikes or walk along the waterfront...but it also has grass to play on, something we miss. So we all brought our soccer balls, track balls, footballs or rugby ball (we were with two S. African families, an Aussie family and a family from New Zealand) and had a marvelous time just running around playing.  Well, the kids and the dads played, and the moms mostly chatted:) It wasn't the nicest day...overcast in the low 60's...but it probably kept the crowds away and it was just so nice to picnic and play.

The other "first" we did today was order McDonald's for delivery.  We got home later than we wanted to, so it seemed like our best option.  I really miss my take-out options...I'm sure there are other options out there that we haven't yet explored, but you have a sense of what we have going when we are picking McDonalds.

This week was also interesting because the elementary school had their Sports Day on Friday.  It was located off campus at a large Sports Grounds (stadium) about 10 minutes from their school.  Josh and Emma were given a color to wear.  Emma was on the red team...easy, we have lots of red.  Josh was on the yellow team...not so easy.  We had one yellow shirt in the whole house...an adult XXL tshirt.  So, thank goodness for neighbors:) The bus dropped them off at the sports grounds and they were there all day.  They got in their team and rotated from station to station, just like what they are used to.  But, unlike the scenario where "everyone wins", the top two finishers in the 60m race from each team were given a gold sticker.  These contestants made it to the finals of their grade, which was run at the end of the day.  When I got there, Josh had a sticker on.  When I asked him what it was for, he had no idea.  Then I found Emma...she had one too and told me what it was for.

What was interesting to me was something said to me from another parent...another "western parent." It was an observation I had already made...I made it in about the first 10 minutes of being there.  Sports Day was a day in which the "western kid" had the chance to shine.  There were a number of children who had never kicked a soccer ball, or jumped in a long jump pit or thrown a Frisbee...and you could tell. But every time I saw some awkwardness, it was difficult not to think that this child probably was a straight A student with a very high IQ. That they spent all their free time on their studies and had no time for anything else.  The parent that made the comment to me wasn't being prejudiced...just making a realistic observation.  Many of these Asian children are highly successful in the classroom...but it is because that is all they do.  They work very hard, but have little time for anything else.  This is not how most "western" families operate...not this family.  While we encourage our children to do their best, we want them to be well rounded.  BUT, we come from and will most likely be going back to the "Land of Opportunity".  The children in Hong Kong are competing for fewer opportunities against millions of others...different mindset, different circumstances. So the competition starts early, and the challenge for us is to not compare, but to continue to do the best we can without making academics an idol.

So how did Sports Day end? Well, Josh ran a good race but did not finish in the medals (oh yes, there were medals) But my Emma tied for third and got a bronze.  They each had a great time, should have worn more sunscreen, but were grateful for a "day off" to play and do things they were comfortable doing. A place that they felt they were on level ground with their classmates...unlike academia in which their peers have been going to school since they were two.  Yes, field day in January...and it was good...different, but good.

Re-entry to Hong Kong

This past week was our first since coming back to Hong Kong from Christmas vacation at home.  It was a bit rough with the jet lag, but for the most part the kids got back into a routine...and so did me and Andy. While it was fun seeing snow, our weather here has been beautiful (mostly sunny in the 60's and 70's) which has enabled me to get back into running and for us as a family to spend some time outside. In fact, today we went to the park and played soccer...Grace and I lost to Emma, Josh and Andy...but it was a good game nonetheless and nice to enjoy the weather.

Early in the week, my attention was focused on getting my children signed up for some activities.  I was able to get Emma into a gymnastics program before we left for vacation, but I really wanted Josh to be able to play soccer....our family room has been his "field", which always makes a momma nervous! Well, no one told me that the spring season begins mid-January..but I was able to find something for my son.  Of course it's at the same time as Emma's class, and same day as Grace's soccer, but we'll figure it out:) Some things don't change, no matter where you are living.

I was also able to catch up with friends...one gathering even happening spontaneously, which I believe is challenging to do in Hong Kong, but something I am keen on doing. Usually schedules are packed and people live far enough away that you have to be intentional.  Luckily, I have two friends who live close enough that we are able to support one another and do things together spur of the moment.  And finally, Andy and I were able to go out to dinner by ourselves...something we haven't done since we moved here.  This was a huge blessing!!!

Finally, this past week I was able to reflect a little bit more on our whirlwind vacation in the states and re-entering Hong Kong once again.  We had a wonderful time visiting most of our family and lots of friends.  To me, it felt like we hadn't even been gone...like Hong Kong was a dream.  Yes, there was a lot that we had missed, but there was enough that was the same that things felt familiar and comfortable. In fact, we had our list of restaraunts we needed to hit and I had lots of coffee with my favorite creamer and Chobani...both of which I cannot get here.  I still could have used a couple more days, but when time is up, its up.  My goodbyes, for the most part, weren't nearly as tearful.  Not because I won't miss people, but I wasn't six-weeks postpartum and I just experienced how fast time flies, and I knew that another 5 month stretch will go fast again.

The other huge difference is that we came back to Hong Kong as a complete family.  We came back to a home ready to live in. We came back to a school the kids were already familiar with.  We came back to a helper who missed us and who we missed.  All of this just reminded me how hard September was for all of us...especially Andy, the kids, and our dear friend, Rebecca.  So re-entry was much easier this time around, and for that we are all thankful.

Our Trip Back and Jet Lag

So we are now back in Hong Kong after being in the US for two and a half weeks.  We had a wonderful time with family and friends, and although it was a whirlwind of a trip, we are so glad we did it.  There were times it felt we had never left..that this Hong Kong adventure was just a dream. But then you realize how much has happened since you have been gone...life does go on.

Andy and I both felt that we could have used a few more days to see people and get some things done, but time was up and the kids needed to go back to school-three weeks off was enough! We also found out we would not be coming back to our house in the summer, so with the huge help of my mom and some friends, we were able to finish that chapter, as well.  We packed up our five kiddos, a ridiculous amount of luggage, and traveled the two and a half hours to Newark, NJ to catch our afternoon flight.  Unfortunately when we got there we ran into a little bump in the road when we had to redistribute some items in our boxes...yes, checking in took about an hour! But our kids were relatively patient and nobody had told Sarah that it had been four hours since she ate.  After getting through that fun, and then security with relative ease, we ran to our gate with about 20 minutes to boarding.  Andy got us some soft pretzels and we ate some snacks before getting on the plane.  Because we had one business seat, we boarded with the first round.  Andy blazed the trail through all the anxious travelers, as the rest of us followed like we were following the Piper.  You should have heard the comments being said as I strolled Sarah through the masses.  One man actually said, "you better keep that binky in your mouth." It was all I could do not to turn back to him and let him know that it wasn't Sarah he should be worried about:)

Once we were on the plane and found our seats, I could breathe a bit better.  We had the same configuration as on the way over...I had a back seat in the business section and the rest of my family were in coach (economy plus).  The trip went pretty well...Sarah ate and slept much better on this trip, and the lady in front of Abby only had to ask her once to stop kicking her seat (although I heard she wasn't very nice about it-but she was too young to have kids). Everyone got some sleep, and we were happy to have landed 16 hours after we took off.  We collected all our luggage, found our shuttle, and were home pretty smoothly.  Marina welcomed us with open arms (she missed us) and we were relieved to have made it back in one piece. Then the fun begins....

We all were pretty awake, but went to bed around midnight. Abby woke up around 3pm with the others to follow around 3:30-including Sarah.  After I urged the others to go back to sleep, they finally did...but not Sarah, who thought the day had just began.  I finally got her back to sleep around 5:30am.  We have just done three consecutive nights with this routine.  Although two nights ago the older four got about 12 hours of sleep, last night they had a party going on from 3:30am to the morning.  Sarah has been consistent about waking from 3ish-5ish, which makes things extra challenging because at least the others can entertain themselves.  Not to mention, I have noticed that she and I are more dehydrated than usual, which makes for a challenging time nursing.

So tomorrow is our first regular day...kids start school again, Andy goes back to work, and I figure out how to live in such a drastically different place.  If I'm honest, it has been a bit harder in some respects than I imagined, leaving home after being reminded of what we have left.  But Emma reminded me that this transition was so much easier than the first go around in September...we are all together coming back as a family, our house is ready to be lived in with no hotel stay, we have Marina, and we know a lot more than we did then. So we will be thankful for the safety and relative ease of coming back that the Lord has given us...and we will continue to pray for more sleep!!!!

My First "Hong Kong Moment"

Thursday, October 18, 2012

My First "Hong Kong Moment"

What do you mean, "Hong Kong Moment"? It's a phrase that I heard often when I first came almost three weeks ago. Andy, Rebecca and the kids would use it when things went a "little differently" than planned. OK, sometimes it was a lot differently. Our favorite story so far occurred before Abby, Sarah and I arrived. It was sometime during the first two weeks, the kids were challenged daily with the amount of homework they were getting, and therefore, what time they were going to bed. They were also struggling with all the pressure that went along with these changes, sometimes resulting in breakdowns. So as my oldest was having one of these meltdowns at 10pm, she woke up daughter #2, who had already been asleep for over an hour. When Emma woke up, she started crying out , "This is NOT going to work!" Yes, Emma can be dramatic, and we can laugh about it now, and we often use that phrase when we are having a "Hong Kong Moment."

So my first major "Hong Kong Moment" came today. I was going to my friends house to have our weekly get together and prayer time. I live for these times. So I was so excited to get there, greet her two younger children, and take all my "stuff" off...including my purse, my baby (in the front carrier) and my diaper bag...uh-oh...the diaper bag (a book bag) was not on my back! I immediately knew that I had left it on the train. I hadn't been at my friend's flat for two minutes before she was dialing the MTR to call customer service and see if they had found it. Luckily, her MTR stop is the last on the line, so they often sweep the trains before heading the other way. Sure enough, the person on the other line asked, "Does it have a bible in it?" That's the one. So I headed back to the MTR, about an 8 minute walk, to collect my bag. When I got there, I told the man that my bag was there and I was there to collect it. He repeated, "the one with the bible in it?" Yep, that's the one. He went back and brought out another man who had my bag in hand. I identified it again, and to myself I was thinking how blessed I am and how easy this was. Then, he asked for my Hong Kong ID card. I hadn't gotten mine yet. Then, he asked for my passport. I didn't have that either. Andy had taken it because of some paperwork and had not returned it. The man could not believe that I didn't have either in my possession. He then asked if I had my passport number. Maybe I'm the only one who doesn't have her passport # memorized. Didn't have that either, but I told him I would try to get it. Now I am feeling very alone. Very unprepared. Very frustrated that I have no ID on me. I called Andy to see if he had my passport on him. After finally pulling him out of a meeting with my four calls and "urgent" text, he tells me he left them at home. Now I am upset and tears are starting to stream down my face. Granted, I have just been through a month of cry-fest with all the change and being postpartum, but this emotional reaction kind of took me by surprise. Finally, Andy asked me if I had my Hong Lok Yuen (our community) card. This has my picture and name on it. Yes I did. I handed it over, and the man said that he would check if it would work. He went in the back room and came back two minutes later to let me know that it worked. He finally brought my bag out to me and had me sign for it. Needless to say, I will not be walking around without my passport until I get my ID card :) Lesson learned...and I survived my first, but probably not my last "Hong Kong Moment."

First Week in Hong Kong

Saturday, October 6, 2012

First Week in Hong Kong

It has been a crazy busy week...trying to cram lots of information in my tired head before our live-in saint, Rebecca, left for home yesterday. Navigating the MTR (train system) wasn't too difficult, as I remembered a lot from our trips here in May. The thing I struggle with the most, I realized, is the aspect that you are not in control. I dislike being late, and sometimes it doesn't matter how far ahead I plan, the bus from our community to the MTR station could be running late...or the trains could be so packed that I cannot get on the first one that comes. All of this is stretching me, and pinpoints my need for control. There are lots of other areas of needing control...but this one seems to be at the top right now.

Another thing that has been most challenging is the homework. It was a difficult decision to come to Hong Kong in shifts, but I am so glad the older children didn't miss any more school than they did. The homework here is intense, and we are still trying to get a handle on it. It is getting a little better now that they are catching up on what they missed, and getting used to it, as well. But it is not uncommon for Josh, 1st grade, to have an hours worth of hw, Emma three hours, and Grace is often up until 10pm. The other night, when Ron, Rebecca and Andy were out running errands, I was trying to figure out how to help all three. I figured out that if I can get Emma done (who usually just needs encouragement, anyway), then she can help Josh (who usually has Chinese-which I can't help with, but Emma can) and then I can focus on Grace.

Finally, yesterday we said goodby to Ron and Rebecca...even writing this brings tears to my eyes. It's not that I don't think we can survive without them...in fact, just this morning the Lord brought to my attention 2 Peter 1:3 (His divine power gives us everything we need for life and godliness...)but there is still a loneliness that I face, and even more importantly, I just appreciate and am so grateful for all that they did for us. It was incredibly sacrificial of them to give a month's time of being together so that Rebecca could come to Hong Kong. She encouraged, nurtured and loved on my older three children, watching out of for them and seeing them through this transition...all the while, trying to figure out the ins and outs of living here. She supported Andy, pushed back when needed, and balanced him out when necessary. And this past week she was incredibly helpful (cooking all week), making sure I knew pertinent information, and giving me opportunities to try things on my own, so I could have the confidence to know I could do it. And I could never had flown over by myself with my two littles, six 70lb bags/boxes and three carryons. He was extremely patient and held a baby more in the last week than he has in his entire life. Not to mention all of his technology expertise and being my husband's best friend...it was such a gift!

So our first week alone is upon us. Abby begins school tomorrow and Andy and I are planning to ride the bus with the four kids, at least her first couple days. I'm sure I will let you know how that goes...

Here are some pics from our travels and first weeks here...

Abby's First Week of School

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Abby's First Week of School

So it's really hard for me to believe that it's only been a week since we have been on our own without our friends. I feel like this week has been an eternity! The biggest hurdle has been Abby going to school. Just like Andy did with the older kids, he and I decided we would ride the bus with her on her first day. What I didn't realize was she was scheduled to be on the bus for an hour and a half! I didn't find this out until that morning when I received an email from the bus contractor. As we were on the bus, I couldn't help but pray and wonder if I was supposed to home school my four year old. If you know me, just thinking about it was a big deal for me. As we arrived to school, all I knew was that this situation needed to change...and Andy felt the same way.

From there, Andy went to work and I went to meet a new friend. Andy and I briefly spoke and came up with an alternative idea, but didn't know if it was going to be accepted. As I met with my friend, the bus contractor called to see how the morning went. When I shared my concerns, he was totally understanding and was supportive of our idea for Andy to bring Abby to another stop later in the morning to catch the bus, and therefore, only be a rider for 25 minutes. This give me great peace, especially since she loves school, and loves riding the bus...and yes, I still can't believe I put my 4 year old on a school bus!

The other part of this, of course, is that I need to pick her up everyday. There is no bus that brings her home. As Rebecca and I figured out before she left, there is actually a bus that will help tremendously in this situation. So, my commute to pick her up entails : bus from our community to Tai Wo MTR, train from Tai Wo to University MTR, then bus from University to Heng On MTR, which is right by Abby's school. I will never complain about picking up a preschooler in the states again! This takes me a little over an hour(one way), but I have found that I don't mind it, as long as I am not stressed about timing. The pressure of timing still weighs on me, and I liken it to carrying a weight in the water vs. on land....the weight/burden is much heavier on land/when I'm running late vs in the water when it is lighter/when I have plenty of time. Who knows what the future will bring, but for now, it is working for us. And Sarah just sleeps the entire time in the carrier...such a sweet girl.

The other big thing for me this week is that my friend, Bernadette, asked me if I wanted to meet, pray and read through 1 Corinthians together on a weekly basis. She is from Australia, and her and her family have befriended us, even before we arrived. The way we connected is for another post, but her four children are about the same ages as our older children, and Grace and her oldest have especially connected...a huge blessing for both of them. Bernadette and Robb have been a huge encouragement to us...being there when Josh needed stitches, helping with furniture stores, and Robb, being an IT guy, has been a great resource when it has come to trying to get wifi in our house. We are so blessed by there friendship, and it has been fun to learn some "Australian lingo" along the way!

Well, everyday is an adventure here. I also attempted the grocery store and finally went swimming in the pool with Abby. We are incredibly blessed by the many ways the Lord has showed up for us in too many ways to count. Thank you for your prayers and encouragement as we continue the transition process.

Two Months Ago

Saturday, October 13, 2012

Two Months Ago....

Two months ago today, our family was blessed with another sweet baby girl. We welcomed Sarah Jane Puffenberger into our family on August 14th at 6:06pm. In order to remember her exciting birth, especially amidst all the other craziness going on in our family, I am sharing her birth story for this post...it was one we will never forget...but just in case, I wanted to record it.

On Monday, August 13th, we had scheduled our air shipment to leave for Hong Kong ahead of us. This was a big day because we had spent weeks deciding what to take, give away, throw away, or store away. When the packers came, we finally were able to get a big hurdle out of the way and see what would fit in our weight allotment. Luckily for us, we squeezed everything we had hoped to take...whew! We were also relieved that I had not had the baby before then...not sure how we would have handled it if we had. We did schedule an induction on Wednesday...for a couple reasons. 1)we were trying to balance family time, and if I had the baby on Wed I would be home by Friday, and thus, we would have had two weekends together before the "first shift"left for Hong Kong. 2)When you have four other children, it's nice to be able to plan childcare. 3)Wednesday was the 15th of August, and we had three other children born on the 15th of the month. So Wednesday was looking good!

On Tuesday, my sweet grandmother had planned to take my older two daughters for pedicures for their birthdays. She had missed Grace's b-day in June since we were at the beach, and Emma would be in Hong Kong for her birthday. The salon was in Hockessin, closer to where my grandmother lived, so I joined them...to bring them home, and I wanted my toes to look pretty, too. As we were leaving at 4pm, I experience a larger than normal flow of liquid leave my body. Now, having four babies, and being pregnant with a fifth, it is not abnormal to have incontinence...so that was my first thought. But, this was a little more than normal, so my second thought was that my water broke. Now, my water had never broken outside the hospital before, so I began to try to remember how much time I had and if there was anything else I was supposed to do. I did ask my grandmother if she had any towels in her car, and when she told me she only had tissues, I told her what I thought was happening. She was so excited and gave me her flannel blanket she uses for picnics. I didn't know how absorbent it was, but it was better than nothing...and I had a 30-40 minute drive home!

On the way home, Andy called to ask what we should do for dinner, and I suggested that we stay home since we will need to get ready to go to the hospital...crickets. "Are you sure?" Yep!
So I decided to lay down, since I had only had one contraction on the way home, while Andy was cleaning up the kitchen. We also had decided that I was going to try to give him a haircut before we left. Yes, I know. A haircut when you're in labor? But Andy needed one and contractions were not too intense...yet. About half-way through, I had to intense contractions, so I told Andy that that he could either get the rest of his haircut, or a shower, but we didn't have time for both...we needed to go! He chose the shower, I called my brother to come watch the kids, and we were off by 5:15. By the time we had been in the car for 5 minutes, my contractions were 1-2 minutes apart. I was busily texting in between contractions. Our friend, Melissa, is the nursing coordinator at the hospital and was on that day. She wanted to be notified when we were coming in...so we let her know, with all the details. I also texted, and Andy talked to, our friend Jocelyn, who is the pediatric hospitalist and was on that night. As Andy talked to Jocelyn, giving her details of how close my contractions were, she was telling him that she could meet us on the side of the road. When I would ask him what she was saying, he was telling me that I was going to be fine...he was doing his best to keep me calm during our 40 minute drive, during rush hour, to the hospital.

As we arrived at the hospital, it was like a scene in a movie. Both Melissa and Jocelyn converged on our car at the same time. Jocelyn had come from the parking lot and grabbed Andy's keys to park the car, and Melissa had come out of the hospital with a wheel chair for me. As she wheeled me pass the from desk, they handed Andy a blue sheet to be filled out later and told us to go on back. When we got back to triage, I remember the hallway being lined with nurses saying, "this is Puffenberger," as they directed us to the room, where two nurses and a doctor were waiting for me. Melissa had done a great job preparing them for me! In seconds, they had me in a gown and getting checked, only to find I was 8cm. Without an IV, they called my doctor and rushed me upstairs to labor and delivery. When I got up there, two of my doctors were waiting (shift change). They checked me, and told me that I could push during my next contraction. One contraction/two pushes later...Sarah was born. Eleven minutes after arriving at the hospital...the fastest eleven minutes of my life! I remember feeling like "what just happened?" But she was beautiful, already pink and crying, and she looked just like the other four...amazing!

So Miss Sarah came with a bang. She had to, she's the fifth. But in the midst of moving to Hong Kong, I wanted to make sure that we don't forget this amazing miracle that we have been blessed with, and I am trying everyday to enjoy her. She is growing so fast...and she has been such a trooper.

She was great on the 15 hour flight, travels with us during long days...including every day to get her big sis from preschool, goes food shopping with me, and is eating and sleeping well. She has captured our hearts, and we ALL are head over heels in love with her. While Hong Kong is not the easiest place to have a newborn, I could not imagine doing this without her. So here are some newborn 2 week pics (taken by my good and talented friend, Brianna) and some more recent 2 month pics. Hopefully you can see that she is chubalicious, and we are enjoying her smiles!