Ready for a break!!

First off, I must apologize for my lack of posting here. I had been so proud of keeping up with it, but as summer started the time has been slipping away!!

Anyways, we are all doing well. Rilynn is done with school on the 23rd. Chad will be leaving on the 20th for a long trip and won't be home until July 1st. And then July 2nd we are coming home for the summer!!!!!! Just like every other expat here we are vacating this unbearable heat and heading home :) I can't believe it will have been 8 months since we have seen all of friends and family! Chad will be back for 3 weeks and then will come back here, however the kids and I are staying until August 17!! It's worth flying solo in order to stay the extra 4 weeks :)

Since our house is being rented we will be spending our time staying with our parents and a week in a hotel. It is going to be very strange driving past our house and not being able to go 'home' :( However, it just gives us more time to spend with our families.

After my 'China Day' today I'm ready to just walk into Target, Cub, and Olive Garden and know exactly what I am getting and expecting...

This morning Brady and I went shopping at City Shop. This store is great for import food, however also comes with a hefty price tag.. I walked out of there today with one bag of snacky food and paid almost $100!!! And Chad wonders where the money goes :)

 68RMB= $10.48

The ONLY men's deodorant that I could find for Chad here!! That's what he gets for not bringing a larger supply :)

24.50RMB= $3.79

 Our boxed milk- It's imported from New Zealand. Very strange buying warm milk!! Thankfully, when it's cold the milk critic (aka Chad) approves :)

 79.80RMB= $12.30

My guilty pleasure!

64RMB= $9.87

And if you were to buy 'Honey' instead that would cost you more :)

 58RMB= $8.95

Making cookies here is very expensive, but so worth having some good homemade yummies!!

48RMB= $7.40

And Doritos are $9.50.

42RMB= $6.42

If you are willing to pay the price (which we are!) they actually have a great selection of these in the import stores :)

 58RMB= $8.95

Love making egg salad sandwiches with the incredibly cheap breads here. A loaf of bread here is just over a buck and a bag of pita bread is under $2.

In our fridge you will always find shredded cheese, refried beans, and tortilla shells. We love our bean burritos! You'd think that would be a cheap meal, but you'd be wrong.. LOL- Believe it or not, but I would estimate we spend close to $90 a month on cheese!!!!!! For a small bag of Sargento cheese it is 54RMB= $8.30. But we LOVE our cheese so really we'd have to buy it no matter how much it was..

So after our shopping we met some friends at an indoor playground for the kids to play. The weather here has been really rainy, so we've been spending a lot of time at these places. Usually, it's great.. However, today I was VERY annoyed, mad, frustrated, etc....It first started off with them making my friend pay for 2 socks for her girls. Fine, cheap enough. However, totally unreasonable after what we saw that they let people get away with!!! My friend and I were sitting watching the kids and I noticed a kid standing up on the ledge of the ball pit peeing in a water bottle that his mom was holding for him!!!!! I kid you not, right there in the playground when there is a bathroom right outside the door.. So I head over to the 2 young girls working and point to them. She slowly walks over, says something, and that was about it.. The mom then puts the cover on and puts the bottle of pee back in her backpack where she had all his snacks!!! Then about 10 minutes later we see another mom doing the same thing but in a plastic bag at the end of a tunnel right in the middle of the playground! Once again point her out and nothing happens. The mom ties the bag up and walks it out and puts it in the trash can.. UGGGGH. Our final straw was when a mom was chasing her kid around with a baked potato in hand trying to get him to eat it. I really don't understand this, but for whatever reason they are constantly shoving food in their mouths. The kid was not interested at all, but she literally was chasing him. There is a huge sign that says no food or drink and we usually see them disregard this all the time. However, today I was already annoyed so pointed her out to the girl again. Girl went to talk to her. Girl looked away. Mom looks at girl and then runs to boy with potato. Girl sees her. Girl talks to her. This goes on about 4 more times. It was totally ridiculous!!! So after that we left :)

Thankfully my day got better.. However, I am really excited for a break and to see everyone and escape all this for a bit!!!

See you soon :)