Jasmine's Gotcha Day

Today, I want to let my new mei mei (sister) tell you of her first day with Mommy and Daddy.

Jasmine Hope Chunhua

She cant write yet, but she dictated the following to me.

I’d like to start at the beginning, but, frankly, I cant remember back that far.

As long as I can remember, I was living with some people. I don’t know who they were, or where it was, but they had food, and they took good care of me. I'm sure they loved me because I loved them and they took very good care of me.

I stayed with them for a very long time, until one day some other people came and got me. We went to another place that had a lot of other babies and children. It wasn’t at all like the first place. It was louder and had way more people. They looked like the people at the first place, but I didn’t get to sit with them as much.

I didn’t like this place as well as the first place, but there was food. I stayed here a very long time, too. Maybe for one or two weeks, or maybe more. Who knows, and I lost track of the days. These people took very good care of me, too.

Then just as the weather was getting warmer, someone came and got me, and we got in a car and rode for a long time. I didn’t know where I was so I couldn’t tell where I was going, but it was a long way, and the people seemed happy to be going wherever it was that we were going.

They had put some different clothes on me, and some new shoes that made a squeaky sound when I walked. They also had some cookies and a new water sippy thing, so I thought we were just out for a nice afternoon drive.

Eventually, we stopped and everyone got out. We went into a building and then we went into a closet, and the doors shut. I didn’t like this closet, so I started trying to tell them to let’s get out, but all they kept saying was boo coo…boo coo… I couldn’t make them understand that we had to get out of the closet because it was moving! Finally, the closet quit moving and the door opened. We all got out of the closet, and that was good.


We went into a big room where we could sit down and eat cookies and play. There were some other people there. A man, a woman, a little girl, and a baby boy. The man and woman looked strange to me. They didn’t look like anyone I had ever seen before. They seemed nice, but I didn’t want to stick around to find out. I stayed with my people and left the other people alone.

After a while some more people came in. Two men and a woman. One of the men looked like men I had seen before, but the other man and the woman were strange looking like the other strange people in the room. Unlike the other people, these people came over to us, and started talking to me. I don’t have any idea what they were saying. It all sounded like gibberish to me! I thought they were crazy, and I had no idea why they were talking to me!

After a few minutes, they started talking to the man and the people that came with me. Some things sounded familiar, and others were downright strange. My people put me on the floor so I could walk around. I walked a little bit, but it was hot, and I was tired so I made them pick me up again. I really wanted to go to sleep, but there was too much going on. The strange man was pointing a thing at me that kept making bright flashes like lightning, and everyone was talking, but no one was listening!

This whole scene went on for a long time, and then the strange woman came over to me and took me from my people. I didn’t like it, and I tried to tell them to help me, but they started with that boo coo…boo coo stuff again! What is up with that? Can these people not hear what I’m saying? If they could, they didn’t pay me any attention, because the strange man and woman started walking out the door with me!


Down the hall we went, until we got to the closet!!!! I cried, not again!!! But, sure enough, we got in the closet and the doors shut. I screamed to get out, but these idiots didn’t seem to be afraid in the least. Then the closet started to move!!! They just acted like nothing was happening! I could not believe the insanity of it all! I don’t know how long we were in the closet, but suddenly it stopped moving and the door opened. We got out of the closet and I was so relieved that I almost forgot the strange people who were carrying me away from there.

We went out of the building and got into a van. We cranked up, and started driving. I bet we drove for hours and then we stopped in front of this really tall building with men in uniforms standing by the door. The men in uniforms opened our door, so we got out and went inside.

When we got inside, the man started saying strange things to the strange people and then he left. Then the strange people started walking towards a bunch of closets! I simply could not conceive that this was happening again! They walked right up and got into one of the closets. This one was bigger than before, and had lots of mirrors on the wall, but it started moving, too.


I screamed to get out, but it fell on deaf ears. These strange people acted as if the room was not moving. Are they insane, I wondered? For a fleeting moment, I thought, perhaps, the closet would stop again and we could get out, but I couldn’t be certain. This was scary, and I was possessed by insane and strange people. Just when I thought we were trapped for good, the closet stopped. A moment later, the door opened and we got off. I couldn’t believe we had been that fortunate, again!

The strange people took me down a long hallway, and just as I thought we were going into another closet, they opened the door to a beautiful room. Inside was a beautiful baby bed with a canopy on top like a princess would have! There was a very large window that looked out over the city, two beds made up with shiny red linens, and a sofa, desk and chair. On the desk, the strange people had a computer, and in a cabinet beside the desk was a TV! It was quite the place!


As soon as the door shut, the strange lady took off my squeaky shoes, and then my shirt and pants! I screamed for her to stop, but she didn’t listen. She proceeded to take me into another room where there was a huge tub of water with toys floating around. She put me in the water, and then put some stuff in my hair. She started to rub the stuff in, and in the mirror beside me, I could see that my hair was turning as white as snow! I kind of liked the way it smelled, but I liked my hair like it was, not white! I told her to stop, but she didn’t act like she could hear me because she started up with the boo coo stuff again! She started to put some of the water on my head, and instantly, the white was gone, and my hair was shiny black again. Well, that was a relief! I don’t know what the white stuff was, but I was happy to be shed of it.

Next, the lady began to rub my body with a cloth with some other sweet smelling stuff on it. I didn’t know what it was, or what it would do, so I screamed for her to stop. Yep! You guessed it. Boo coo….Boo coo…

After a few minutes she stopped and let me play with the toys floating in the water. I liked that pretty good, and since she wasn’t messing with me anymore, I decided to enjoy the toys until I could get out of there. It didn’t last long, because she picked me up and started rubbing a dry cloth all over me. This was okay, since when I got out of the water, it got pretty cold very quickly.

She wrapped the big white cloth around me and then got some machine with the breath of a dragon that she blew all over my hair. I thought the dragon breath was burning it off, so I screamed for her to stop…boo coo…boo coo!

Eventually, she stopped and took me back into the big room where she dressed me in some new clothes. I liked the new clothes, but she must have thought I was chunky because they were too big!

She gave me back my sippy thing and some cookies, so I relaxed a little and began to check things out. The lady was watching me and the man was starting up with the flashy thing again and typing on the computer. I stayed over in a corner so I could keep an eye on both of them since they were so strange and had already proven they were insane.

We kicked back like that for about an hour or so, and then they picked me up again and we headed out the door. I thought to myself that this would never end, but maybe they were taking me home??? We headed straight for that closet again. I knew it was no use, but I had to try anyway, so I screamed not to go in, but they didn’t listen. Again with the boo coo…

When the closet door opened this time, the other man was there and he took us to the van. We rode for a while and then stopped. I could smell food, and I was hungry, so I took this as a good sign. Sure enough, we went into a place full of people and food! We ate, and ate, and ate!!!


Now this is something I like, and these strange people finally figured out how to make me happy. They kept the food coming until I had to say BA. They didn’t hear me so I said BA again, only louder. That’s when they understood and we were finished eating.

The other man came back and off to the car we went. Instead of going home, he took us back to the big building again. He let the strange man and woman take me inside, and I guess he left. We headed right for the closets again! Boo coo…Boo coo…Boo coo…
I AM TIRED OF BOO COO!!!! I AM BEAUCOUP TIRED OF BOO COO!!!!

This time I was reasonably certain that we could get out of the moving closet, and we did. And we went back to the big room. Now I’m full of food, and I’m tired, so I just let them put me in the princess bed with the canopy and I go to sleep.


Perhaps, I’ll wake up back home...

Mommy, Daddy, and Jasmine are Home!

I know I have been away for a while, but Mommy and Daddy have been in China, and did you know that Blogger is not available there?

It's true.

The site is blocked so that you cant see my blog or make any posts to it!
So, since Daddy wasn't helping me, I just decided to wait until they got home to start blogging again.

This is my new baby sister, Jasmine Hope Chunhua (sounds like shune-wah).

Jasmine Hope Chunhua

She is from Huang gang in Hubei province, China. Mommy and Daddy were in China to get her!
She is a Valentine's baby, and she turned one just this past Valentine's Day!

Last night we made spaghetti. I think she enjoyed it!


After spaghetti, Mommy gave her a ba-ba and sang her the ba-ba song like Daddy used to sing for me when I was little.

If you dont know the ba-ba song, here are the words:

The Ba-ba Song
(to the tune of Oh My Darlin')
Eat the ba-ba.
Eat the ba-ba.
Eat the ba-ba.
Eat the ba-ba.
Eat the ba-ba.
Eat the ba-ba.
Eat the ba-ba.
Eat the ba-ba.

It's a good song, and I always enjoyed it when I was having a ba-ba.

The only problem is that baba is Chinese for Daddy, so she may be confused, but I think she'll understand in a day or two.

While Mommy and Daddy were in China, there was a huge earthquake.
They were a few hundred miles to the east of the quake but they still could feel it.
Mommy told Daddy that the bed was moving. He, of course, said she was just dizzy from being sick. Then he felt it, too, and said he thought the building was swaying, but that was all. Later when they went to eat, their guide asked them if they felt the earthquake and then they realised that was why the bed was moving. The next day they were travelling to Guangzhou, so they didn't see how bad it was until that afternoon. Maw-Maw said everyone was worried even though Daddy had posted on Jasmine's site that they were okay....

Not everyone is okay, though. A very many people have lost their lives, and we should pray for their families and those injured, too. After you've been to China, you get a special feeling for them, and something like this hurts your heart. Elvin started crying when the group told him they would be praying for him and his people.

The Famerse Elvin, our guide.

Elvin took the whole group out the first night to a place that is famerse for roasted pigeon!

Roasted pigeon!
(Yes! That is his head!!!)

Here are a few other delicacies offered at that place!

Really big fish.

Beetles

Worms

Prawns

Lobster

Larvae

As you can see, China has many diverse and exotic foods!

Jasmine liked the Pigeon!

There is just so much to tell about a trip to China, so I will save some for later!
For now, I'm just glad to have them all home!!!!

The Bargain Hunter

I just had to share this with you, because I thought it was cool!



The picture above is a dinner plate from Wade China of Japan. The pattern is called 'Diane'.

I always try to check in the Goodwill store to see if there are any 'gems' hiding there. Yesterday, I stopped by and found 8 plates, 8 salad plates, and 8 small bowls. I grabbed a basket and loaded all of it in as quickly as I could, as if all the other shoppers there were trying to get it before me!

And the price, you ask?

A mere $5.00!

Is that cool, or what?

Now this isn't fine china you'd pay $50 just for a plate, but it does make a nice change for everyday use.

It has blue flowers, tan baskets and scrolls, and a platinum trim on the edge.



This pattern was popular in the 1970s and was once offered as a grocery store premium. Shoppers earned "china points" with each purchase and when a given amount was earned the shopper was able to purchase a place setting at a discounted price.

I like to think that somebody's mother watched every penny she spent at the A & P so she could get each piece. Every week, she'd get one more until she had enough for each place at her Thanksgiving or Sunday Dinner table. This was probably the nicest set of dishes in her home, and you can tell she took very good care of them because they are in such good condition. How beautiful that simple table must have been with her special china and all the delicious home-cooked food! Cant you just picture her with a contented look on her face as the family gathered around to enjoy the meal?

Now, almost forty years later, perhaps she has passed on, or moved to a retirement village. Her children and their spouses have helped clean out her home and dispose of the items they didn't desire themselves. So her china ends up at the Goodwill because, perhaps, they didn't fully realise just how valuable it was. But only to her.


~Hon's Daddy!

Getting Ready to Go to China!

Mommy and Daddy have just about got everything ready to go to China!
Mommy's a bit anxious, but Daddy is really cool.

They've spent A LOT of time here these past few weeks.

So much time, in fact, that Daddy got in trouble and now he's not allowed in the Wal-Mart anymore!

You see, Mommy was MAKING him go every time she went, and he was getting a little bored. So he was getting a little mischievous and went a little too far.

The manager at the Wal-Mart sent Mommy this letter:

Re: Mr. Roy Xxxx
Multiple Complaints

Dear Mrs. Xxxx,
Over the past several Weeks, your husband has been causing quite a commotion in our store. We cannot tolerate this type of behaviour and have considered banning the entire family from shopping in any of our stores. We have documented all incidents on our video surveillance equipment.

Three of our clerks are attending counselling from the trouble your husband has caused. All complaints against him have been compiled and are listed below.

15 Things Mr. Xxxx has done while his spouse is shopping:

• January 15: Took 24 boxes of condoms and randomly put them in people's carts when they weren't looking.
• February 2: Set all the alarm clocks in Housewares to go off at 5-minute intervals.
• February 7: Made a trail of lemon juice on the floor leading to the ladies restroom.
• February 13: Walked up to an employee and told her in an official tone, 'Code 3' in housewares. Take immediate action.... and watched what happened.
• February 15: Set up a tent in the camping department and told other shoppers he'd invite them in if they'll bring pillows from the bedding department.
• February 23: When a clerk asks if they can help him, he begins to cry and asks Why can't you people just leave me alone?'
• March 4: Looked right into the security camera; used it as a mirror, and picked his nose.
• March 14: Moved a 'CAUTION - WET FLOOR' sign to a carpeted area.
• March 10: While handling guns in the sporting goods department, asked the clerk if he knows where the antidepressants are.
• April 3: Darted around the store suspiciously loudly humming the "Mission Impossible" theme.
• April 4: Went to the Service Desk and asked to put a bag of M&M's on layaway.
• April 6: In the auto department, practised his "Madonna look" using different size funnels.
• April 18: Hid in a clothing rack and when people browsed through, yelled "PICK ME!" "PICK ME!"
• April 21: When an announcement came over the loud speaker, he assumed the fetal position and screamed "NO! NO! It's those voices again!!!!"
• April 23: Went into a fitting room, shut the door and waited a while; then, yelled, very loudly, "There is no toilet paper in here!"

I think he'll be a different man once he gets back from China!