Beijing > Blogs > Beijing Blogs >

Family Matters

Cakelicious
Posted Jul 25th 2008 4:11p.m. by smileybella (Family Matters)

They only end up eating the icing anyway…

My daughter Ella is turning eight tomorrow and she wants a birthday cake with bunnies on. This has sent me into a little bit of a cake quandary. Rabbits? I mean – how? Especially in Beijing when the selection of birthday cake paraphernalia ... Read more »

We’re All Going on a Summer Holiday: Day Twenty-Seven
Posted Jul 24th 2008 3:54p.m. by smileybella (Family Matters)

McDonalds fries taste the same – everywhere

Ah, McDonalds. Great when you’re in a pinch and need to sate the enormous appetite kids have for school-holiday fun. And McDonalds is SO fun – especially the queues. Boy oh boy, do the Chinese love cheeseburgers. This franchise is making a whopping great ... Read more »

Chinese Street Gyms
Posted Jul 23rd 2008 5:03p.m. by smileybella (Family Matters)

This ain’t no Ozone Fitness club

Do you know the Chinese gym equipment dotted in pockets along the streets, all over Beijing? My kids love these things. Elliptical trainers, stationery bikes, stair-masters, lat-pulls, they’re all there. It’s just that they’re made for grannies and everyday ren ... Read more »

Disney Lives!
Posted Jul 22nd 2008 12:44p.m. by smileybella (Family Matters)

Princess power proves popular in Peking

On Sunday, we went to see Disney Live! – three princess fairytales including Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella and Snow White (personal favourite). I mean, come on. How could we resist?

I was probably the person in our group who was the most-enchanted during this ... Read more »

This Blasted Beijing Heat
Posted Jul 21st 2008 10:08a.m. by smileybella (Family Matters)

Cat in the Hat - what can we do? Stuck inside while the sky is blue.

I love Beijing in autumn and winter. They are my favourite times of year.

In autumn, there is a thick, palpable change in the thinning air. The leaves are turning and tumbling to the ground ... Read more »

Exploring Beijing’s Ancient Sites
Posted Jul 18th 2008 10:04a.m. by smileybella (Family Matters)

Revisiting the past, kiddie-style

There’s a place in Beijing called The Forbidden City. It’s a big, flat, gray succession of red-roofed halls stuffed with dusty chairs, dull stone turtles, imposing red doors and the odd big copper pot. Ho hum.

There’s also a place in Beijing called ... Read more »

The Bicycle Queen
Posted Jul 17th 2008 11:11a.m. by smileybella (Family Matters)

Another milestone conquered in a young girl’s life.

It’s not your imagination that has the power to limit you.

It’s your self-belief.

Tania McCartney Read more »

We’re All Going on a Summer Holiday: Day Twenty
Posted Jul 17th 2008 9:11a.m. by smileybella (Family Matters)

I’m cracking up. Physically.

Last week was smooooth. This week, so far, not so. I mean, it’s not terrible but it also ‘aint easy. And, awful to say but it’s true – it’s my son Riley’s fault.

Why do boys have to need the outdoors and ... Read more »

On yer bike!
Posted Jul 16th 2008 8:15a.m. by smileybella (Family Matters)

A long overdue seven-year-old ditches the training wheels

It’s seems hard to believe that my seven-year-old daughter can’t ride a bicycle without training wheels. When I was seven, I was racing my bike down the Big Hill near our house and jumping over ramps with eleven-year-old boys. And ... Read more »

  • pjsheeps i can swim and bike but give me a knitting needle and I'm utterly useless. My hemming doesn't look so hot either...
  • smileybella It's funny... although, like most parents, I've had 8 years of varying daily degrees of parental guilt (usually enforced upon me by everyone else's beliefs and expectations ...
  • dnmoggy Alishan, perhaps I have missed the point of your post...but I do feel that as parents, we are constantly make to feel guilt for so many things. "mother guilt ...
  • alishan Ok for the parks, which did not know. I am sure you will both do a good job :) Good luck
  • smileybella alishan - I know, aren't we disgraceful, neglectful, terrible parents?! But don't worry yourself a moment longer... we're onto it! Watch this space... PS: I trust you are ...
The Harried BJ Housewife
Posted Jul 15th 2008 7:39p.m. by smileybella (Family Matters)

Even with an ayi, the housework in my house is never-ending

Okay, this is going to sound like a ranting whinge. And I suppose it is. Maybe you can relate to it, maybe you can’t. We shall see.

Everyone, whether they are a full-time-housewife, stay-at-home-mum, self-employed-dream-job-slave, part-time-worker, full-time-worker, full-time-shopper ... Read more »

  • smileybella Contraction of belly muscles creating pain from laughter!! Have done exactly same thing... Oh, the curse of the delightfully persistent yet stubborn housewife.
  • dnmoggy Relate to it......I'm living it! I will run the vacuum cleaner over a piece of thread on the carpet for 20 minutes....absolutley refusing to pick it up ...
The Chef Triumphant
Posted Jul 14th 2008 5:23p.m. by smileybella (Family Matters)

How a small kid trounced the kitchen in a fine culinary debut

Hallelujah! By Jove, she did it. My seven-year-old daughter can cook. (Someone is looking after me up there; I’m one happy Chez Ella patron!)

Before I tell you how scrumptious our meal was last night, I have ... Read more »

  • smileybella "I eat, therefore I am pizza." - Rene Descartes, Discourse on Method Revised (after a trip to Sicily, 1632AD)
  • leemack you're a pizza, pjsheeps :)
  • pjsheeps I want pizza. Actually, I want Ella to bake me a pizza.
  • smileybella Oh my goodness - brilliant! Right - who wants to fund it? I know a very bright, up-coming young head chef!!
  • leemack A restaurant for kids, by kids! Beijing needs this!
The Reluctant Chef
Posted Jul 13th 2008 1:40p.m. by smileybella (Family Matters)

Teaching kids how to cook

I like to cook. Very much. But not every night. And I’m really more of a baker, in truth (I lurve to bake). While I do like to cook, nightly dinners kind of undo me after about… a week. Inconvenient considering I have around ... Read more »

  • smileybella Apparently chopping the basil leaves bruises them and also they don't release the aroma as well as tearing does.... Stay tuned for the culinary results this afternoon....
  • pjsheeps Can't wait to find out how it went! Why can't you chop basil? I always tear out of laziness, but if there's another excuse I can use ...
Hurry up and grow up!
Posted Jul 12th 2008 9:12a.m. by smileybella (Family Matters)

Kids seem to be little for soooo long…

My son Riley is five and a half years old but he still wakes before 6am. I can hear the groans of empathy through the internet airwaves, thank you, moms.

Sometimes, just sometimes, he makes it to 7am and I think maybe ... Read more »

  • pjsheeps I think i just got a little more sappy reading this blog... and I don't even have kids.
It's Showtime
Posted Jul 10th 2008 1:35p.m. by pjsheeps (Family Matters)

Entertainment hotspots for kids in Beijing

The Olympic Games are nigh and Beijing will be imminently flocked with tourists keen for the spectacle of world-class sport. Fortunately, when it comes to entertainment for tourist-y rugrats, Beijing is certainly able to deliver. If you are visiting Beijing, have visitors in town, or are just stuck here for ... Read more »

Raising Vegetarian Kids
Posted Jul 9th 2008 4:56p.m. by smileybella (Family Matters)

But Mom – I don’t like eating animals…

What would you do if a seven-year-old announced they didn’t want to eat animals any more?

Let me set the scene. I don’t eat red meat. I haven’t for over twenty years. It’s not an ethical thing (though ... Read more »

  • smileybella Wonderful - thanks, grace2maine! And thanks for the Ella smart cookie comment... my husband will tell you she takes after him, but of course, we all know she takes after me... ;)
  • grace2maine oh! my links didn't work :( www.vegansocialclub.com http://www.cityweekend.com.cn/beijing/listings/dining/contemporary/has/baihe-vegetarian-restaurant/
  • grace2maine I knew Ella was a smart cookie!! There are many good restaurants in BJ and even a vegan society here. Check it out: here There is a fabulous vegetarian restaurant ...
  • smileybella I was going to use her fluffy chicken but it just looked too terrified!! ;)
  • pjsheeps best. photo. ever.
We’re All Going on a Summer Holiday: Day Ten
Posted Jul 8th 2008 10:13a.m. by smileybella (Family Matters)

So far, so good…

We’ve come to a standstill this morning. The house is quiet after a whirlwind first 9 days of the Summer Holiday 9-Week Debacle. All I can say is, I have a new found respect for Americans. Rumour has it their kids have 12 weeks off ... Read more »

Acts of Kindness
Posted Jul 4th 2008 12:51p.m. by smileybella (Family Matters)

How three toy-laden shoppers were rescued on the second ring road

Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Looking back at our rescue, it was all so easy and so stress-free, but of course, it wasn’t at the time.

Picture this. You have just spent a few thousand kuai at Hongqiao ... Read more »

The Kids Fashion Snob
Posted Jul 3rd 2008 8:24a.m. by smileybella (Family Matters)

What is it with Beijing’s fashion choices for kids?

Oh, the bedazzlement. How overcome I was when I first saw the kids clothing available in China. The sequins, the lace, the ruffles and frills. The neon, the mesh, the English language slogans in chronic need of a sober proofreader ... Read more »

Beijing Planetarium Super Rides
Posted Jul 2nd 2008 5:29p.m. by smileybella (Family Matters)

Day Three of Summer Holidays takes us into outer space…

There must be something about the number eight.

We three mums piled eight kids into a bus to visit Beijing Planetarium today (10RMB entry) – on a mission to outer space. It’s one of those places I’ve always wanted ... Read more »

Kung Fu Panda Kicks Asps
Posted Jul 1st 2008 7:20p.m. by smileybella (Family Matters)

And monkeys, tigers, cranes and praying mantisesesses…

Today I took eight children to see Kung Fu Panda. I figure eight is a lucky number.

Actually, they were stunningly well-behaved kids, aged between 5 and can’t-tell-their-age-because-they-are-teens-going-on-22 (the sophistication is scary!). But despite my well-behaved posse, the experience was nonetheless surreal ... Read more »

  • pjsheeps i agree. It was my first time at the cinema here in China as well... and it was perfect.
  • smileybella Believe it or not, this was the first time I'd ever been to the cinema in China - have been meaning to for years! but just never got around to ...
  • grace2maine This movie is a breath of fresh air! I am so impressed with the positive depiction of China--something you rarely see in Western films. And the story and characters were ...
  • pjsheeps I loved the movie too!!! I loved the part where Master Wu Gui is blowing candles... Do you think Wall-E will be playing in Beijing anytime soon? All I've ...
We’re All Going on a Summer Holiday: Day One
Posted Jun 30th 2008 11:49a.m. by smileybella (Family Matters)

The Dreaded School-less Olympic Period Commences

I’ve just made home-made playdough. Blue, pink and green.

I know, I know. Desperation levels already. And it’s only Day One of nine very loooong weeks of summer holidays. We were going to check out the water scene at one of Beijing ... Read more »

  • smileybella SO easy. It's so much fun and actually, it doesn't ruin your pot. Just seems like it at the time; it does wash out but soak it for ...
  • pjsheeps how do you make homemade playdough?
Yabber Yabber Yabber
Posted Jun 23rd 2008 2:31p.m. by smileybella (Family Matters)

How a young boy began to speak

When we first came to Beijing, our two-year-old son Riley didn’t talk much. His comprehension also seemed shady, so we hired a wonderful Western speech therapist, who gave us a full assessment on his capabilities. Via this assessment, she told us that ... Read more »

A Toddler’s Survival Guide to Beijing
Posted Jun 21st 2008 3:10p.m. by smileybella (Family Matters)

Tips for the newly arrived under-twos

It’s moving day and your family must leave for China by 10am.

Sleep in for the first time in your life. Be grumpy and incoherent to any request or instruction. Be completely noncompliant during passport photo examination at customs, then charm the pants ... Read more »

  • smileybella ...tee hee! Isn't it true that a woman's genetic makeup has an inbuilt memory-eraser, similar to the one that kicks into gear after childbirth? Isn't this why ...
  • dnmoggy Now that I have stopped laughing I can finally type! As the mother of a 2 year old thumb sucker who should have had some shares in SOS I can ...
Water water everywhere…?
Posted Jun 18th 2008 5:08p.m. by smileybella (Family Matters)

Learning to value every precious drop

The gasping summer heat has got me thinking about irrigation. My home country, Australia, is thirsty. Its edges are crusting up and curling. People are shuffling from the crackling dry Outback to the marginally wetter shorelines, gasping for H20. Residents have to report water ... Read more »

  • smileybella And again... http://english.mep.gov.cn/Policies_ Regulations/policies/waterpollutioncontrol/ 200710/t20071023_111696.htm http://english.mep.gov.cn/environmental_ education/club_kids/games/200712/t2007 1218_115192.htm
  • smileybella They are not working for me either - may be a server thing, depending on where you are accessing the internet. Both these links have always worked for me until today ...
  • pjsheeps The links work for me...
  • chrisbert Nothing really new but very useful article, SPREAD THE WORD!!! Please update the links, they seem not to work (at least for me) and maybe include the Chinese originals.
White Shoes
Posted Jun 10th 2008 10:05a.m. by smileybella (Family Matters)

The un-ending, mind-bending battle with BJ’s dirt

My five-year-old son has a white shoe obsession. Nike, Adidas, Puma, Lacoste, Converse. All good, so long as they’re white. Blue will not do. Nor will grey. Brown? Forget it. And red? Ha ha hee hee ha ha ho!

Now, normally ... Read more »

  • zachary_franklin Beijing will scuff your white kicks — I've never known a city to be so punishing to light-colored sneakers. As an all-white Air Force One connoisseur, wearing my freshest pair ...
  • siennapc haha. I just bought new sneakers, which I'd been waiting to do for months and was VERY excited about. Unfortunately I couldn't find ANYTHING that wasn't white ...

51 Articles

Editor's Pick Events

Top users

in Beijing

  • jessica0000
  • adidasxk
  • xigor
  • mirlin168
  • club_obiwan
  • chrisbert
  • duncanshaunsmith
  • luminouzity
  • kelvin_tanimoto
  • tombschrader
  • jenniferthome
  • elsiecakes
  • rictownsend
  • slushy21
  • bj_expat37
  • cynthjeany
  • tiffany
  • zachary_franklin
  • sangzi
  • go_swiss