Defending the Fanny Pack

I was traveling via subway today and realized why it's so easy to wear a fanny pack in China. I mean, it's very practical when you need to haul paraphernalia associated with 4 children. A diaper, hand sanitizer, tissues (most public restrooms do not have tp), various snacks, rabbit foot (jk), small toys and the like. It's also home to the wallet, phone, keys, maps, and other necessities. But beyond the infinite practicality, there's another reason. How can you feel bad about wearing a fanny pack when there are so many other 'bag violations' for guys. I snapped these photos in about 7 minutes time amongst random people in the subway. Check it out.

The Satchel.

Even if this guy pleads that he was simply holding it for his girlfriend, you NEVER sling it over your shoulder. At minimum, adopt the "football" hold and abandon the strap. But of course, there is no love for securing the pigskin here. Pity.

You might find American guys with a bag like this, but if you're going to sling it over your shoulder, compliment it with a teddy bear sweater.

Minor infraction.

Now, this doesn't look quite so offensive, does it?

Bowman Vacation

Hey y'all, we had a nice respite in Southern China. We returned to the exact same hotel we stayed at twice before (in the firstChina Tour of Duty). In fact, I think we had the same rooms this time as last. See pics for some scoop. Thanks for checking in!!

Always on the cutting edge of practical fashion, kickin' the fanny pack.

Tiered.

"Stay hydrated Elijah."

Sisters.

Rachel stays hydrated

Samuel did well in his ring.

Action shot.

Anna in torpedo position.

Elijah got the camera and snapped photos of every furniture piece, hinge, floor board and lego creation he could find.

Catching shade at the beach.

We spent 1/5 days at the beach. The kids preferred the pools. Mom and Dad liked the sea water because of the cooler temp.

With camoflauge.

We picked up googles for these 2 in Shanghai. I don't think they ever came off their noggans.

Googles galore.

Hope you are doing well! And we have confirmed that we'll be back in the US mid-July to mid-August. Hope to see many of you then!!

Park in Songjiang

We visited a park with some old gangster friends of ours, the Meyer family. See below for details.

The Matriarchs.

Lots of stone artwork in the various walkways.

We liked this outdoor hallway.

Big door versus Little Rachel

Some of the crew. Fortunately, no one got wet despite lots of water hazards.

They had a dozen or so Bonsai trees, all blooming in various colors. This one looked beautiful until we put Aimee next to it. Then, it seemed a bit dull.

And for the final picture below, (not sure why I can't place the caption below), this was a neat picture frame.

Aimee's Birthday @ Shanghai Botanical Garden

We partied in the evening but visited the aforementioned SBG in the day. It was as a good a birthday one can get without extended family. We made the most of it but miss you all in the USA!! Here are some highlight pics.

Statisticians have shown that the probability of getting 1 adult and 4 children under the age of 9 to look at a camera simultaneously is 1 in 14,732 (includes the father yelling threats). We did not have time to take that many pics.

The park was extremely well done with millions of flowers and well sculptured bushes and shrubs. Edward Scissorhands manages the sculpting department.

Happy Birthday Mom from the kiddos!

Brothas.

My peeps. (Not the kind sold at Easter.)

Aimee and Rachel dodging a garden mass transit bus.

Really cool bridge. It's impossible to get this shot with no bystanders. I didn't even bother trying. The guy in the foreground was thinking the same thing.

No picking dude.

Goldilocks.

Brothas at it again.

When in doubt, post pictures

'First Visitor' trophy has been taken

Friends of Ma and Pa Bowman, the Barnett's, were passing through on their way to Korea this week. We managed to squeeze dinner into their "recover from jetlag" schedule. What a blessing to have some mutual friends to spend some time with. And so encouraging to talk to as well. Thanks John and Bonnie for a wonderful night and we also say a BIG thank you for the box of Cocoa Puffs! And a small plug: you can check out John's ministry website here.

We need to post some pics of last weekend as the kids found a super fun playzone at the mega-mall in downtown Shanghai. More to come.

Oh, and we are also giving out a "2nd visitor" trophy as well.

Japanese Noodles in Shanghai

Aimee and I really enjoy eating Ajisen Ramen noodles at their restaurants around the city. We found them a few subway stops away tonight. We last ate there with all 4 kids and basically had to feed each of them for lack of their chopstick skills. There was no silverware to be found. Kindof zaps the whole eating-out-for-fun thing. Followed up with a caramel frappacino (sp?) and Aimee was flying high. Oh, and that's the restaurant mascot below. Maybe Shoney's little sister?

orphanage

Saturday I had the privilege of going to Huge Grace, an independently run orphanage in Shanghai with others from our church. It was such a blessing to be there! It was a large, clean, light, beautiful house where children with special needs are loved, and cared for. It was amazing!!! So different than the picture that I had in my mind before we arrived. I am so thankful that God has provided this home and staff to love these beautiful children. It was a fun morning of loving on and interacting with these kids. When we arrived, it was lunch time so I had the privilege of feeding the little boy in the above picture. At first, I didn't know what to say because we speak different languages but quickly realized that he was a child who loves to laugh so we just made silly noises and laughed together. So fun! I wish I could have taken him home with me! The rest of the morning held coloring, and just observing the children as they did their normal daily life of playing. What a blessing! This was truly a dream come true! I am praying for an opportunity to more regularly volunteer in an orphanage--waiting for God to show me which one and to work out all of the details.

Time to get our school day rolling!