People say they want to know what it's really like living here. (They may change their mind if I tell too often though.) Well, one thing that still keeps me shaking my head is how much it takes just to do the "usual" stuff. And before people tell me that the kids should help, trust me, these kids of mine help more than any kids I know. 
Today they folded at least 6 loads of laundry. There are now two ready to be folded and one load needing to go in the dryer, and I spy that one of the laundry baskets in our sorter is getting close to full...again.  Part of the problem I know is living a western lifestyle with Chinese appliances. You know, little things like showering more than once a week, wearing clean clothes every day and wearing pajamas to bed, or at least not wearing your clothes to bed. (Of course my expat friends have not read this far because they are still stuck on the word "dryer". Yes, I know I am lucky and very, very spoiled. If I weren't a Christian I would make the dryer the center of our family shrine. I do know how lucky I am.)

While I am in the website updating our wishlist (please go see our Homeschool Wishlist...please?), I feel guilty if I don't post something. So, you get a little update (and please look at the wishlist, too, okay?). Now, you are going to think that life here is fun, fun, fun, because this is going to be another post about something fun. Just to be clear though, it isn't always fun. Sometimes it's lonely and boring, sometimes it's really hard and frustrating. Sometimes it's heartbreaking and sometimes it's just stupid stressful. Okay, enough reality -- sometimes it really is fun. Here is what we did yesterday....we went to Bring Me Hope's Nightwalk event at SIAS University in XinZheng. 

But it was during the day. Which really seems to throw some people, but trust me it makes sense. :) First though some helpful vocabulary:
Bring Me Hope: Totally (like TOTALLY) awesome organization that works on college campuses in China to educate and engage Chinese college students about the needs of orphans in their own country. Something most have no idea about it. It's awesome. Bring Me Hope Clubs go to local orphanages and foster homes (including Eagles Wings) on a regular basis during the school year to build relationships, have and fun and well, bring hope and good news. Bring Me Hope Camps are staffed by local students, foreign volunteers and the Amazing, Awesome, Astounding Bring Me Hope staff to run week long summer camps for orphans in several cities around China. (If you don't know about Bring Me Hope, definitely check them out.)
Nightwalk: Bring Me Hope's once a year major fundraiser to raise the money (oh, yea, that money thing) to run the summer camps. Groups gather all around the world at 10pm Eastern time to walk. Well, that doesn't sound very fun, but knowing these BMH people I am sure every location was a total blast. Check out the website for photos from this year's NightWalk.

So...what does that have to do with us?  Well, at the same time the people in the nighttime part of the world were walking to raise the money for camp, there were groups throughout China having FUN during the day, celebrating a great year of Bring Me Hope Club and anticipating the fun to come when camps start in July. Our eaglets have gone to camp for four years now, and they LOVE it. It is probably the best week of the year...away from home, on their own, no ayis to make them eat their veggies and read books. Noooooo, instead there is ice cream, bubble tea and volunteers to take them swimming, play games, sing silly songs, lots of arts and crafts, lots of hugs and more attention than one kid can hardly soak up, all in one week. 

But back to NightWalk...so we brought 31 kids to Nightwalk (and thankfully we also brought 31 home, I love it when it works out that way). There were probably 100 college students and foreign teachers waiting for our bus so they could whisk the kids off to a great day of running around the SIAS campus, playing in the waterfall, eating in the dining hall, tossing waterballoons, rolling around in the grass, singing and shouting BRING - ME - HOPE, eating ice cream and laughing and laughing and laughing. So.Much.Fun. See for yourself.