what I appreciate

First, some pictures... This is how I spend most of my time (carrying Kate in my arms)... oh, my poor back! Ben has been dealing with a bit of homesickness the last couple days. I don't think I'm homesick, but there are some things I suppose I miss about home. From my traveling these past several days in China, I have learned to appreciate (or re-appreciate) a number of things...

1. 110 voltage: With all the things we brought that need charging, one power converter barely covers it.

2. US tap water and milk: We cannot drink water in China, except bottled water... which includes no brushing teeth with it, eating fruit or vegetables washed in tap water, open mouths in the shower, ice in our drinks, etc. And because of the recent problems with people getting sick from milk in China, we're avoiding milk... and the boys love milk. Not that they don't love getting to drink Sprite all the time, but we all miss a nice cold glass of milk these days.

3. Laundry facilities: With the 44-pound weight restriction on baggage and the limit to one checked bag on flights in China, we only packed for one week and are now on week two of our trip. This means we have been doing laundry, some of it Amy has been doing in the tub and others were done by a laundry service. I put on some of the "professionally" laundered clothes today and they smelled less than fresh. On top of that, after several hours, my skin started breaking out in a rash! Apparently I'm allergic to the detergent the laundry service used (thankfully, my underwear was washed in-house!).

4. Traffic rules: I experienced this quite a bit on my previous visit to China, but there's no way to explain the driving here. Traffic rules here are, at best, traffic "suggestions." Pass on a double-yellow line? No problem (even with oncoming traffic headed right at you). Honking is not rude or angry; it's merely necessary to let other drivers know you are close. The confluence of cars, vans, bicycles and motor bikes is amazing, indeed. (However, train travel--like in Europe--is so nice... I really wish we utilized this more in the States.)

5. The 112 miles between our house and Mimi's: I love my mother-in-law and am so glad to have her help with the boys on the trip. She does a great job with Ben and Will, and I think it's so great that they've gotten to experience this. But after so much non-stop time together, I think Mimi and I will both be happy for a little distance when we get back home.

6. Variety in food: I think I've done a good job of eating. If you know me, you know I can be a picky eater, but I haven't complained about the food. We've had breakfast buffets at our hotels, which always have bread or toast, eggs, OJ, and some other things I like (plus, I'm not much of a breakfast eater anyway). For other meals, we've tried a number of places. We ate at a hot pot place a couple days ago (very spicy); we were served lunch when we visited the orphanage; we ate at a noodle place tonight; and a couple other "local" places along our tours. We are certainly getting our fill of rice. There are a few other options, too... McDonalds, Burger King, KFC and we found a Papa John's, too. All in all, I'm getting burnt out on these limited options though. I could really go for some good home cooking right about now (or at least a Cracker Barrel).

7. Media: This goes both ways. I appreciate the distance from the media because it gives me a break from the political circus (commercials, coverage, phone calls, polls, etc.). It also helps me deal with my heartbreak over the Cubs not being in the NLCS or World Series (at least I don't have to watch the horrible Phillies play the games the Cubs should have been playing). But I miss my cell phone and text messaging, college and NFL football, ESPN sports radio and updated podcasts, and the new episodes of Heroes and CSI.

8. Self-sufficient children: Now that Ben and Will are old enough to take care of themselves so much, I didn't realize how hard it was going to be to go back to taking care of every need of a toddler. On top of that, since I'm the only one Kate has totally bonded with, it's left to me to feed her (which is sometimes tricky, especially liquids), bath her, diaper her, cloth her, rock her, tuck her in, supervise her playtime, give her medicine, brush her teeth, sit with her in the van, carry her on the tours, and be there at any moment she wants something. It makes it harder that she can't tell me what she wants but still gets mad at me when I don't get it right. I love Kate so much and have totally enjoyed being her beloved Daddy, but now after six days, I'm ready for some help :) I hope she bonds with Amy soon!

These (along with soft beds, air-conditioning, and non-tonal languages) are just some of the things I've grown to appreciate more over the last 10 days.