Christmas Break

Sydney started her 2 week Christmas break from school on Thursday. It has been very cold and wet here lately so we've been staying in alot, and have started suffering from cabin fever. Luckily, the weather was very nice on Thursday and I didn't have much going on at the office so I came home and took Sydney out to lunch at Element Fresh. It is one of my favorite restaurants in Shanghai --- good food and fast, friendly service. Sydney had her first taste of hummus, which she liked, and olives, which ended up on the floor. Our good friends Sam and Dom came over for dinner tonight and Sydney received her first Christmas presents of the season. She didn't nap well that afternoon and was exhausted by the time Sam and Dom came over so she wasn't in a friendly mood. However, she wasn't too tired to rip open her presents, which included 2 of her favorite things --- puzzles and balloons. Sam has been my guardian angel here and have taken great care of us. He's been a translator, a tutor in Chinese culture, a sympathetic listener, and the best partner in crime anyone could ask for.