5 Days Back Home

Since we arrived home last Friday morning at 1am, we have been enjoying some quiet time as a family. We are gradually getting accustomed to the time change. We are no longer getting to bed at 4am and waking at 1pm, reminiscent of my university years!!  We seem to spend a lot of time in our PJs and we are learning a lot about the new member of our family. Firstly, we did not adequately baby proof our home. Compared to Amélie, he is a lot more busy investigating our home and if it is not bolted to the floor or locked shut, Jacob will find a way to open, empty or throw... he is a REAL BOY!!

Papa hanging with Amélie and Jacob

Very yummy fruits covered with chocolate, thank you Leggett Family

Morning or is it afternoon....a little dazed and confused!

Another Habs Fan and yes these locks are not baby proof!!!

Retour au bercail Home Sweet Home

Chers amis,

Nous sommes finalement de retour à la maison avec un sérieux décalage horaire. Nous avons été accueili par Nana (Pauline, la mère de Sonya) et Brian, le parrain d'Amélie. Ce fut une grande et chaleureuse surprise de les voir à cette heure aussi tardive. Nous nous sommes finalement couchés vers 4AM ce matin et avons réussi à dormir jusqu'à 11AM. Jacob est en pleine forme et découvre rapidement son nouveau chez-lui. Nous réalisons rapidement qu'il y a encore quelques ajustements à faire pour la sécurité accrue de Jacob dans la maison. Nous afficherons des photos plus tard. Je vais aussi établir un lien avec nos photos sur le web éventuellement.

Jacob derrière la barrière menant au sous-sol...

Nous avons passé un excellente escale à Toronto en compagnie de Carolyne et Garo (la marraine et parrain de Jacob) et leurs enfants Matthy, Ben et Ella ainsi que la mère de Carolyne, Mme Bayly. J'ai même attrapé une période de hockey entre les Bruins et Tampa Bay. Je retrouve nos affaires à la maison et ceci fait un bien énorme. 16 jours en Chine c'est plaisant mais assez!! Le gazon est très long et les pissenlits sont radieux!!

À bientôt!!

Martin, Sonya, Amélie & Jacob xxx


Dearest Friends

We are finally back home with a severe jet lag. We were warmly welcomed by Nana (Pauline, Sonys'a mom) and Brian (Amélie's god father). We hit the sack around 4AM and were able to sleep until 11AM this morning. Jacob is in great shape and is quickly discovering his new home. Our baby-proofing job is not quite there yet but it's coming. We will post pictures shortly of our homecoming and will likely post our pictures on the web once sorted out.

Happy camper!!

We also met up with Carolyne and Garo (Jacob's god parents) accompanied by Matthy, Ben and Ella as well as Mrs Bayly. I even caught a period of hockey between the Bruins and Tampa Bay in Toronto. It's finally great to be back home in our things; 16 days in China is great but greater to be home. Our grass is quite longs and load of dandelions happy to be growing...

So long!!

Martin, Sonya, Amélie and Jacob xxx
 

We are finally in Toronto

The Forbidden City... Emperor and Empress

At the North Entrance of the Forbidden city where the Emperor would keep his concubines...

Amazing roofs!!

Two trees in one that comes together to reinforce each others just like bonds within a family!

Some stone sculpture

And scary handle

For Prosperity and longevity!

Long lasting... a dragon head with a turtle body... symbolic!

At the exit of Tienanmen square with the family!!

Our two families - the Latour and Mailhot-Lessard

Visite chez le médecin, dégustation de thés et Promenade en Pousse-Pousse

At SOS medical clinic in Beijing for medical check-up

Huifan is not too happy to be weighed and measured

Happy Boy after a his examination.

On Monday morning we had an appointment at the SOS medical clinic in Beijing for Huifan. We were happy to see Dr.Lucy Chen who is a native Montrealer from Roxboro. Huifan was not as impressed to meet her and everyone in the waiting room could hear him as he wailed everytime the doctor tried to examine him. She said he was a very healthy boy with a good set of lungs!

Tea House Entrance

After the medical exam we visited a tea house and participated in a tea ceremony tasting 4 different teas. The ceremony cost us a lot less than the tea ceremony Martin did three and half years ago, which is a story to be told another time.

Learning how to infuse tea

Papa sampling

Huifan who didn't have enough tea

Mimi smelling the aroma

Amélie and Élise intrigued by  birds

Getting ready for a hutong tour of old Pekin

A tour through Pekins' (Beijings) hutongs gave us a look at the how the locals live the old part of Pekin (Beijing). The area we toured is approximately 400 years old. We visited with a family in which they were the third generation living in this home. It is built in such a way that there is a court yard in the center surrounded by six buildings which included the kitchen, living area for the parents, a bedroom for the oldest son, bedrooms for girls, a storage building.

The girls enjoying their ride together with Papa Richard

The girls watching a chinese board game

In  the eldest sons bedroom

Amélie taking a catnap

10 min break to observe an officials residence in old Pekin

Beautiful door knockers

Water break on an above 30 celcius day

Amélie expending ever last ounce of energy

The Wall of China avec nos amis québécois

The last two days have been wonderful, second time over.  Many of the things we are doing this week in Beijing we did three and half years ago when we came to China for Amélie; however, it is very different this time.  Perhaps it's because we are less stressed than our first trip to China or that we are seeing things through the eyes of Amélie and Élise, who are 5 and 4 years old respectively.  We are happy to be traveling with another family from Sherbrooke, Quebec.  Suzie and Richard are traveling with their 4 year old daughter Élise, the grandmother Jocelyne and the newest member of their family Myriam.

Famille Mailhot - Lessard et Latour

A magnificent view of the wall of China

Les mamans et bébés

Camera shy camel

The girls are happy to have each other to play with, especially with both mothers devoting most their time to the new babies.   On Sunday Afternoon, following a morning of shopping and bargaining at a Jade store,  we spent a couple of hours walking a very small portion of the wall of China.  The wall covers nearly 6000 km and the section we visited provided us with a magnificent view of the mountains and valleys below.  This was truly a test of agility climbing and descending the stairs with nine and half kilo’s strapped onto me.  Two days later I am still feeling the effect on a select group of muscles.  The girls enjoyed the view atop of their papa’s shoulders and we could not have asked for better weather conditions.

The ultimate stair workout

Huifan is biting papa's finger....oops he thought it was a cheerios!!

Mimi's beautiful smile

Pics from Shanghai

Visit at the Old Town God Temple of Shanghai

Our Family of Four Strolling around the Old Town

Ornamented walls with Starbucks getting richer by the second...

Part of Old town with fishes ponds surrounding it

At the Yutuan Garden

With gorgeous carved stoned walls and entrance ways

And dragons....

With our sympathetic guide Mingming

And Stoned warriors

And beautiful roofs

And carved woodwork outside

and inside

The Antenna Tower of the CCTV the National TV station (s) of the Pudong

Our family with one player taking a nap!