ARCs, Phones and growth spurts

So many things have been happening what happened just yesterday is Tom called me to tell me that he can no longer have an ARC...(Work permit) to live in Taiwan. Ok so this is confusing right as Tom is Taiwanese...but he's not really. He came he on his British passport to avoid military service. Which was all above board and fine...however they change the law in Feb this year (with out us knowing of course) which means that he can no longer do that. He has to do his military service or he can't have an ARC...his ARC ran out today so he has had to get a quick flight to Hong kong and get out of Taiwan fast. nightmare. So he is now flying to Hong kong just to flight back here and get a landing visa, which is for 90 days only...what a waste of money and time. He will literally go there and get the next flight back..crazy stuff. we don't know what will happen after that but it seems crazy. Poor Tom, what a nightmare.

Bar all this big drama of the day, over the past month we've been busy getting a new phone, with a lot of help from Anna and Steve...We went to get it sorted out and it was a bit of a nightmare, if you can't speak Chinese you really can not sort it out by yourself..plus if you apply and you are foreign then you have to pay even more as a deposit so you don't just leave the country.
Never mind.
I have been hunting for flights and trying to sort out a way to get back home, and i will go i have enough money just but it's tight so i was stressing over that. However it's way too important for me to go home, there are tons of things happening right when i want to go back so i have to go i feel really drawn to go back.
I miss my family and friends, but i don't miss the weather...goodness knows what i will pack..Sarah will have to wear lots of tights with trousers i guess. bye bye cute summer stuff that we can normally wear until November and hello British Autumn time...great. Sarah's skinny i can't believe that she would cope to well if we went in the winter, she was freezing this morning after half and hour at the water park...and it is and was HOT out there. bless her. She's had a big growth spurt lately and has been eating for England..so when I took her to the orphanage to see Asher, who's been sick for like forever *he has a cold. I thought i know i will show them what a great mother i am and weigh her there as she must be a lot heavy...nope still just 10 kg.. she's gotten taller she's gained like 2 cm in a month (ok nothing compared to Essies kid but seriously even her feet have grown so much i can see the difference!).
Sarah's nanny lost a bag of Sarah's stuff the other week..which had in it one Spot. So Spot is the little cat Sarah loves and takes every were. Fortune has it that Heather (who we miss and want to come back) gave her a duplicate, or doppelganger Spot last year. So Sarah has two. We only ever take one out and i always try to get her to take said doppelganger. She did and her nanny lost it. So sad. She was really upset as she sleeps with two (she says three for two ..not sure why, she's started to correct it and say two spots). Anyway we went to the nanny on Monday and the nanny had been online and brought Sarah another Spot...this time rather bigger, not the same colour and with strips not spots...however it's the same company. It must have cost a lot as the ones that both Heather and i got were far from cheap (now wishing she's attached to a cheapy thing). This nanny is really quite poor, i feel so surprised that she did that its a big shock and must have been hard for her..i can't even tell her how much Sarah loves it as i don't speak enough Chinese..
I guess she saw as Sarah had a dog with her which as soon as she got the big spot she dropped on the ground like a bit of litter!
Ok thanks for reading so far...i just could keep going but i think i should stop and do some prep for work..i start in 20 mins!

Hair dressers

So Sarah's obsessed with Hair dressers...i've said it before but she is in love with them. we walk past on and she's standing at the window staring in as quick as a flash. She could spend hours just watching..even when not much is happening. I always have to pull her away. she points them out when ever she spots even a tiny glimps of one. So now she has my hair dressing playmobil in her room and she loves it. she brushes their hair, and her own with the tiny little brushes. she blow dries there hair too, and answers the phone..which she discovered was so small she can in fact put it in her ear...not so good but she's done it just the once...i am hoping we don't have to take her to the drs to remove it one of these days.
So on tuesdays i have the day off work, and i've been wanting my hair cut for a while..it's been a long time since i had it done as i (unlike Sarah) am not a big fan of hair dressers and the alike. So my friend Kelly has just gotten back from Russia, and she was going to get her hair cut, so i said i would like to join her. So we did.
We all went in together and Sarah was stoked! She sat there between us while we got her hair washed and asked again and again, my hair dressers? my hair dressers? over and over.
So Kelly said that she would like to treat her to a hair cut if that was ok. how could i turn such an offer down. Sarah was SO excited, it was SO funny and amazingly cute to watch her get her hair washed and then trimmed. Every time the hairdress left she asked where's the man gone? (man where?). She loved every minute of it. it was so cute. i asked that they don't really cut much off just trim it and they did.
My hair however..i asked for it to be a bob, then i felt lots of hair falling on the floor..you could practically hear it! I ware glasses so i can't really see what they are doing when i get my hair cut..i can just guess..so its a suprise when i put them back on.
So here it are some photos of out girls day out at the hair dressers. i have never done that before and it was so much fun i will do it again some time.
Ginger came with us, Kelly's friend and took photos, and translated for us. She was a blessing as otherwise we'd have no photos and look how cute they are!
Thanks to kelly for our wonderful hair cuts...well her's and Sarah's are great i am liking mine a bit too.

trip back home

life as a dyslexic:
Planning to go back to the uk in October..thought that the flights we well cheap...turns out what i was looking at is one way and for one adult.....oh dear when will i learn to read! back to the drawing board!

cycling

So we've been cycling this last couple of weeks. we have a bike on loan from a friend who has gone back to Canada for the summer (Thank you Nevada).
I want to try it out and see how Sarah liked it before i thought about getting a baby seat for her.
She LOVES it, really loves it. i am so glad. we cycled for 30 mins and we get off and she just says again again? and gets upset that we can't go on it again until tomorrow! bless her.
The problem with cycling is that in Taipei you can't take the MRT (underground) with your bike during the week you can only go on it at weekends or holidays...which i find a little annoying and strange to say the least. peak times sure but all day? and night during the week?? that's a little over the top no? also you can only take it on half the mrt the other half your not allowed...go figure.
Tom went with us for a bike ride and got rather hot, we went out at mid day...not the best idea ever, but i hadn't planned it that way it just so happened that by the time we got there Tom finished we finished eating ect..it was mid day. never mind.
We went to get the helmet for Sarah with Tilly and Anna, Sarah loves the helmet and wanted to wear it that day even though we didn't have our bike...her and Tilly used the bike stand to make believe it was a bike..or a horse or what ever they thought it was. cute.
Sarah has also taken to requesting a Tail. We have three cats currently...hopefully the kittens will go soon. But she is always saying my tail, where's my tail. i tell her she doesn't have one..but now she does she has a long sock of mine in the back of her skirt/shorts ect...and she walks around with this Tail..she loves it and even wants to sleep with it...go figure. i will take a photo to show you.
We also had a great trip yesterday to a shopping mall and Tom got Sarah some new very cool sandals. that she loves. she was miss bouncy to say the least yesterday. cute but so tiring!
the other day i got Sarah some sunnies and she wanted to wear them on the way home in the taxi...it was dark every dark out...still she wore them and told me , "bright lights."

photos of the good bye Hammonds

Saying good bye to the Hammonds. We went to the roof top pool and had ourselves a little pool party, our last evening with them before they left for the states and then for Japan.
We miss them a lot but have lots of great memories stored up!

precrime

Tom reminded me that i told him a story about Sarah so here you go.
We were at Tilly's and Anna's house and Tilly and Sarah were both being naughty and climbing on the coffee table then jumping on the sofa. Tilly got told off as did Sarah, she was put on a time out as per normal, so she sat with her hands on her lap for a few minutes then i say ok what do you say, she says sorry and we kiss and tell each other "i love you". So then 2 mins later Tilly climbs on the coffee table again, Sarah see's her and says "no no Tilly", looks at me and i say don't do that you've been told, and Sarah sits down with her hands on her lap on a time out...she didn't even do anything wrong. but i am guessing she thought about it!! haha precrime working at its best! (Of course i told her to get up and she'd done nothing wrong)

Just got a text from Anna saying that Sarah sung herself to sleep after eating all of her lunch..every last bit! so cute. I gave her loads of food too, she's really on a growth spurt.
this is sarah's new bedroom. before she'd always sleep with me but now she's in a big girls bed and a big girls room. Thanks to miss Heather for the lovely bed. Yes Sarah is banded from climbing up the ladder...does it stop her? not really!

Quack, quack, Quaaaaccckkk!

ok so the pity party has been over for a while..but still i can't upload my photos from my sd card to the computer...and thus can't get it on line. will have to solve this problem soon as it's driving me mental.
Sarah has been loving the new summer arrangement, she has been going to Anna's house on Monday's wednesdays and fridays. She gets to play with he friend Tilly and have Anna as her nanny, i mean what more could she ask for. She loves playing here and its so good for her. i totally 100% trust Anna..unlike most of the nannies that Sarah really has. its also nice to be able to hear what she's been up to and know if she was having fun or not. it makes a big difference being able to talk to the person that is looking after your kid! She wrote about Sarah on her blog so cute. i love my daughter's clean ways...i wish i was nearly as neat as her! it can be a tad embarrassing to say the least when she points out mess...as if my place is spotless....far from it. At least her real nanny doesn't understand what she is saying as there house is a Tip! to say the least!
i took a cute video of sarah saying I love you to the camrea...which sounds like i lu loo. its cute. She has stopped calling Tilly Titty...which she did all the time, she now says Tilly quite clearly. I miss Titty, it was so cute. She also never says wherwher for water any more, she says it quite clearly Water...
Today at church a kid couldn't have a toy for some reason Sarah gave it him and his mum gave it back to Sarah, and he cried. Sarah said quack quack Quaaaaccckkkk...like in a cartoon, you know when its tough luck. it's hard to write what she said, but its a well known sound a bit like a duck but three times and the last time is very long....
I don't know where she got this from but it was sure funny to listen to her use it in this situation! She also stated that oh a lot of stuff...when packing away her toys from Church ..all four of them!
Ok best go, got to fix this sd card somehow its annoying!

inadequate

This weekend i had Asher again, and got tons of things delivered from Heathers old place. A new bed for Sarah (she now has her own room,she's a big girl and i post on that later).
However this whole weekend has me now feeling darn inadequate as a person as a mother as a well every aspect that i think about.
And no this isn't just so people will say oh your not so terrible.
I just have to get it off my chest and this is the best way i can.
So as you all know, or should. i started my PhD and almost finished...to the point that i had written 95% of it...then i became a mother...
And not it will take a lot more than 5% to get it finished. this is weighting rather heavily on my mind of late as i am hoping to go back to England in the Autumn and thus meet everyone again that knows full well that i gave up so easily.
I hate it. i hate myself for giving up, i have no one not one person to blame bar my own darn self...
My good friend has just finished his and this makes me realise that i am so incredibly rubbish as he started 3 years after me... aggghh
I hate it.
I also feel really rubbish about work, i can't quite believe that i am teaching English when i can't even spell. i also was almost late today for the lesson as i didn't bargain on traffic at 8am in the morning...yes i know its really stupid of me and everyone knows there is traffic then..i forgot.
I was looking for my keys this morning, and couldn't find them anywhere...then i thought maybe they are in the front door..and low and behold they were there. so super safe i am! I've done this before back in Nottingham, but normally i was drunk, out late or stressed out as my nan died...but this time..well nothing really.
I went in to buy a drink today for 7 -11 and picked it up and just walked out of the shop...then walked back in the shop as i realised i didn't pay for it. what a idiot.
I was carrying Sarah in the sling as she was rather sleepy and it's just quicker a woman stopped me and said wow she's really big she can't walk??
Agghh go away. i just smiled like i didn't understand and walked away.
i was teaching newbies today so teaching the ABC, i forgot how to right the A..i forgot that you go down up and down and then across....so i first taught them up down across..then my co worker/boss said isn't it down up down across?? oh yes.
But answer me this...why? why do we do that its a waist of time. also with the B down up around around why not up around around??
I don't know. its all Greek to me!!
and i am the native speaker...i am, i am just not a native writer, speller, reader...speaking i have down!
ok enough moaning and groaning...sleep deprivation has got to me. i have told the orphanage that i can't take Asher this weekend. poor little thing. i just need a break before i break the law or get broken in to...wow a play on words when i am half asleep is quite an achievement..i feel better about myself already!!
ps can't be bother to check it if it doesn't make sense sorry...i will go shot myself. :P

Hammonds Head Home...

So the Hammond family are leaving at 4 today and i don't know when we will see them again. Soon i hope.
As much as i love having online friends, physically present friends are way nicer. It's been so lovely to hang out at her place, really we just chill out and relax. Its like we've always been friends. Our daughters play together like they are siblings...ie they laugh have fun then hit or bite each other!! they bath together, even when it wasn't planned...(Sarah takes off her clothes and tries to get in..)
Last night we went to the hotel that they are staying at and said our good byes. We stayed over for swimming and food. Then the kids when to bed and Sarah and i chatted with Heather (Sarah still bouncing around happy as Larry at 10:30, her kids didn't nap..what a difference it makes!)
I decided that i didn't really want to reminisce and think about all the fun things that we have done and the not so fun things that have happened in the past 2 years. We just chatted. When i think about i probably talked way too much and should have listened more..but i often think about that. Sorry heather.
So we inherited lots of cool things from the Hammonds, i don't know how i will repay them for all that they have done for me. Sarah will have bunk beds, a toy cupboard and a chest of draws. This is on top of the hundreds of things they have given me over the past year. Even if you don't think of all these "things" they have given me SO much more. really i can't even put it in words. I pray that i will be able to stay in touch and meet up again soon, as it would be just too sad to never see them again.
Sarah hasn't worked out that they are gone gone, i tried to tell her and she said no no, miss heathers house. go miss heathers house? needless to say this will not be the last time that she says that.
So i am just trying not to cry, and not to think about it. God has a plan and who am i to question that. :)

As much as i would love to share the photos i took last night...they won't upload. i don't know why but they won't.