As we've been here in China for almost 10 months now, we've been re-evaluating how we are doing collectively as a family. We're still feeling like our main area of need is for the kids. They really are doing great overall, but they definitely have missed (as I've mentioned before) the social outlets that they had when we were in Dallas. So one of the main things that we're considering is the older two going to the international school here in town this next year. We've filled out applications and are waiting to hear back about the potential for a scholarship, as the tuition is REALLY high and definitely not within our budget. We probably won't know anything until later this summer, right before school starts at the end of August, but we are hopeful that Karis and Eli might have the chance to go to an English-speaking, and even Christian-based school!
So while we're awaiting to see what will happen, we are trying to make the most of our summer time, too. We have been working on finding a Chinese tutor for the kids, as we've been a little disappointed at how little Chinese they've just "picked up" by interacting with others. Noah is the one exception. He seems to understand as many Mandarin words as he does English, probably due to the fact that he LOVES our ayi who is here three days a week and she is constantly talking away to him (in Mandarin, of course). But the older three still need some intentional teaching, we feel. All that to say, we do have another lead on a potential tutor who could work with them, so we're excited about that possibility!
And this week Karis started her first piano lesson! We have some friends here who let us borrow their keyboard several months ago. And our neighbor in our apartment building, a precious Korean woman who is also a believer, is a kids' piano teacher! She and her husband asked us in the elevator last week if we would be willing to exchange English conversation lessons with their two teenage boys for Karis to come and take piano lessons! My first response was no, being as our schedule is so full and I didn't see how we could fit in another night of commitment. But Kevin thought it was a great idea and said he was willing to do all of the work involved to make the English lessons work out! So now, each Wednesday afternoon, Karis is taking piano lessons from a precious Korean woman who speaks some Chinese and no English, and Kevin meets Wednesday evening with their two boys for an hour to practice their spoken English. Karis is thrilled with the trade-off, and is loving practicing her "homework"--a practice and theory book, both written in Koren, which neither Kevin nor I can read as it is totally different from Chinese characters!! We've decided on a month-long trial period, so we shall see what the next three weeks bring. . . :)
On a different note, we had a good time being reminded of how relational things are here in China. I had class in the morning and then had plans to go out to lunch with my teacher and one other friend after class, kind of to celebrate the semester being over. By the time our friends went home, we had literally spent twelve hours straight together! The girls came over to our apartment to hang out with the family and have dinner after we'd had lunch out. Then they stayed later to talk about things and ask questions of Kevin and me once the kids were in bed. It was such a sweet time, and a great reminder of how blessed we are to be here and have the friendships developing already that we do!
