Intervention Needed

We have now been living in our house for almost 9 months and this week we finally went for a swim. A little pathetic I know. It has been a bummer to stare at the empty pool all this time but after getting in once, we were completely addicted. We have a serious addiction and have been for a swim at least once a day every day since and I think only some sort of 12 step program can help us now.

About midnight last night I finally heard from Erik. He and our friend Mark left for LAX around 9 pm on Monday night, boarded a plane a 1:40 am on Tuesday morning to Beijing, flew for 12 hours and 40 minutes then boarded another flight to Chengdu and another 2 hour and 40 minute flight. When I talked to him at 12 am this morning they were just getting settled in the room in Chengdu, what a trip! Mark and his lovely wife Yvette started a program a few years back and go every summer for almost 2 months to teach children circus arts and see that they are continuing in school. As Yvette is currently very pregnant, Erik travelled with Mark this year to visit the families of the children involved with the program. I was reminded that anything with Mark involved is an adventure as they packed a suitcase full of unicycles and fire torches.

Over breakfast this morning the boys asked if we could go to China to see Daddy, they miss him already, but the above itinerary does not easily yield to a mom with three small children. Thus we will patiently await his return on Monday, July 14. The return will definitely be the tricky part for Erik as he will return before Mark, who speaks Chinese, and I know as well as all of you that Erik is a man of many talents, however speaking Chinese is not one of them. Shocking to be certain.