Mark Your Calendar, Olympics 2028

William ready to swim
Practicing his strokes

Children's park in Ningbo

William being the gunner on the boat

Shopping with the ladies

Turtles for sale at the market

"No, I'm not touching them."

Treat from Happy Meal at McDonald's

While being in China and living in a hotel has it challenges, one of the great benefits is that I have been able spend a lot of time with William, my little buddy. I was having some serious mother's guilt when we were getting ready to come to China. I felt like my children were orphans, being taken care of by everyone but their parents. Running here, going there, traveling to China looking for a place to live, constantly being left behind or put in front of the cheapest babysitter, Noggin, otherwise knows as brain-cell killing T.V. I am pretty much convinced my children were emotionally starved during this period, so being able to spend time with them has been so much fun for me.

William and I do a variety of things while the girls are in school. We go on walks, explore the fabric market (which was completely overwhelming for both of us), binge at McDonald's, read Richard Scary books over and over and over while stuck in traffic, run lots of errands, shop in various markets, visit children parks and go swimming. Here at the hotel they have a very nice swimming pool, however, swim caps are required. I have never, ever, in my entire life had the occasion to wear a swim cap. When I put mine on, I almost shrieked at the bald monster in the mirror. Because I have an unfortunately long face, adding a rubber egg shape to the top creates nothing short of an alien from Star Trek. The sacrifices we make for our children. William, on the other hand, looks so cute that all the women gather around to ohh and ahhh at the "beautiful boy."

He loves to run and jump in, but actually getting him to let go of me once he is in the water is like trying to get super glue off your fingers with a wet wipe. It doesn't work. He is so cute because when we are swimming he morphs into a variety of people or animals: a dolphin, Ruth or Grace, or one of his friends from Iowa, Andrew or Arianna. They are on a swim team and we went to one of their swim meets. Because he saw them wearing swim caps, he is convinced he is racing like them and swimming, "fast!" Of course, it is nothing more than me walking or swimming faster. Who knows, maybe he will be a Michael Phelps repeat in 2028. If he puts the same amount of determination into being an Olympian as he does into holding onto me while in the water, he has a very good chance.