Success at this point means being able to use your hands to eat everything except the sprinkles! 

Too cute... and she was so persistent. 

Marlo trying to eat her doughnut off the string being very careful to keep her hands behind her back. 

Two happy trick-or-treaters. 

James playing tinker toys with the girls on the floor in our apartment. 

Halloween 10/31/05

Life has been busy as usual. Last week James came down with strep throat and I spent most of the weekend sad for him and annoyed at the same time that he would dare get sick so he couldn't help me. The girls had a great time at the ward Halloween party on Sat. night. Zoe was a kitty and Marlo was a princess. They were the same things for Halloween. At the party they desperately wanted to do the doughnut eating contest and finally got their wish. I had a hard time getting pictures because they kept spinning around in circles trying to get their little mouths over the big doughnuts. James stayed home in bed so he missed all the festivities. Sunday we spent the day napping to make sure none of the rest of us got sick.
James has been doing well at work. He is two for two at passing his tests. The big one is yet to come and he has to take it the day after Thanksgiving of all days...they have tried to cajole and protest them into letting them take it early with no luck.
I started language training today. Pretty much they told us that Chinese is so difficult to learn don't get your hopes up at being more than a beginning speaker after 30 weeks if you work really hard, and I am only going to get 8 weeks....so I hope to be able to at least buy groceries or tell the taxi where to go. :) Tomorrow we get our first language lesson- today was orientation with learning style tests and paper work. It worked out well though because it allowed us to leave early and pick up the girls to head out to the Corbett's house to go trick-or-treating. They only lasted an hour which was plenty of candy.
We keep getting little bits and pieces from the people we have made contact with in Chengdu and most everything is positive. With all of the upheaval in the world I am excited to go to a new and interesting place where things seem rather calm at the moment.

Zoe's Hospital Visit

Well,
I just wanted to post an update on what is happening with us. Early this morning I took Zoe to the hospital and checked her in for outpatient surgery. The nurses and everyone there were great. They just loved Zoe and took such good care of her. They were so careful to help her feel special, safe and aware of what was going on. Zoe was so brave and the only time she was really sad was coming out of the anesthetic. She only wimpered for a while and I just held her in the rocking chair. They even pushed us in a wheel chair back to our room so that I didn't have to put Zoe down.
Everything went smoothly according to the Dr. He said that in one of her ears the fluid was really thick and goopy.. we figure it had been in there a while. Her adnoids were large and blocking her ear canals, forcing the fluid back there so they came out too. So far she has only complained once- after the pain medication wore off this afternoon. I am hoping to start hearing a difference in her speech, I should probably record her now and then I will have something good to compare it to. I figure her ears have been plugged on and off her entire life. Already she has said things are too loud so that is a good sign.
We got our official orders sending us to China this week. We are getting excited. I am trying to make child care arrangements for the girls so that I can study Chineese for 6-8 weeks before the baby comes. I think I have it all worked out. I just have to go sign papers. Marlo is going to stay at the after school program at her school, and Zoe it looks like is going to go to the daycare at the training center. That will make it really convenient for getting to and from drop off points.
Monday I went to the Dr. for the first time for me and the baby since we have been here. There are only 3 Dr.s that deliver out in Warrenton and they have a brand new labor and delivery floor. Everything looks beautiful and the people I met there were all very nice and understanding of my small children. Dr. Myers seems like he is going to be fine. He is very easy going and talks a lot, which I prefer to the silent type. I guess we will just see how things go...you never know really until you start to deliver what is going to happen. He didn't do an ultrasound but we scheduled one for Nov. 8th when I have my next appointment. I think that we are just being tested on our patience-- waiting to find out what this baby is. I would love to have a boy, but the girls are lobbying for another sister. Either way, as long as it is healthy and the delivery goes well, I will be happy.I think James is having the hardest time waiting to find out, which might be keeping him more involved in the pregnancy than he otherwise might be....
Feel free to post and cast your vote as to what the baby is. Grandma Fowler has already weighed in for a boy. :)
We recieved an email yesterday from a family in Chengdu. They are members of the church and the husband is there working for Intel. They have two little girls- 6 and 3- perfect. I am excited to get to know them and get as much information as I can about how to prepare for this new life. I have to say I am really enjoying living here in Virginia... except for the laundry, but that is a complaint for another day.
Things have finally cooled off and we are enjoying some cool, rainy weather.
We think about you all often and wish you were here.
Michelle

--
Michelle Fowler
[email protected]

Marlo posing as a pilot in a little Cessna they have setup for it. Downstairs they have a model Cessna in a wind tunnel hooked up to controls so you can fly it. It is quite fun actually. 

Paper airplanes - horray. 

The girls really liked the fountain. 

Fountain in front of the Library of Congress. 

This is my favorite picture of Zoe in a long time. This is another from Saturday's trip to Air & Space. 

Oct 16, 2005 Arlington, VA
This has been a busy week. James had Monday off and so did Marlo for Columbus day so we were brave and took the girls into the city on the metro. I think the train ride its self was their favorite part. We went and saw parts of the American history museum and to the geology section of the natural history museum. They have a map there that shows every earthquake greater than 5.0 on the planet since 1975. It was incredible to see how many there have been. Red blip after blip all over; I think the really amazing part was that fewer people have not been killed by them, but that is no consolation to the people in Pakistan right now.
I took the girls to the ENT on Wednesday and Zoe is scheduled for tubes in her ears this Friday. The doctor says she hears out of both ears as if there is a pillow over her head. I am excited for her hearing to get better- and that it will help with her speech.
Saturday I went to a skills day for the women at church and James took the girls down to the Air and Space museum. It looks like they made paper airplanes- no wonder Zoe has been asking me to make some for her since they got back. They were exhausted when they got home as they had to walk a long way to park.