Cats & Dogs

It is raining cats and dogs here today.  We've had plenty of clouds and drizzle but this is the first day of significant rain since our move here.  Since I still have to take Lily to school in a taxi I gave myself extra time since finding a taxi in the rain is not easy.  We did get Lily off to school on time and I made sure the taxi waited for me so I wouldn't have to stand in the rain trying to find an available taxi, which any New Yorker can tell you is close to impossible when raining. 
 
Charlie and I made it back just in time to take the apartment shuttle to Kerry Park Side mall.  I had hoped to go to the Super Brand Mall, but with the rain the shuttle just seemed so much easier.  With so few toys here and our air freight still in Mexico, at least that is the last we've been told, I thought I would treat both the kids to a new toy.  Charlie got some new Duplo Legos, which he had fun carting around the apartment in a bag I gave him and Lily got a new art kit. 

I met a woman and her little girl on the shuttle to the mall.  Vicki is from the UK so English is her first language and I was so grateful to have an adult to talk to that I could understand and that could understand me.  We chatted a bit at Baker and Spice, think Panera Bread, about adjusting to life in Shanghai and I ended up coming home with some great tips and a promise to get together again.  It will certainly be much easier for me once I meet other mom's in the area.  To help that along joined Shanghai Mama's today, so hopefully soon I will meet other moms and maybe Charlie will end up with some friends of his own. 

Lucas has just informed me that our sea freight has cleared customs and is being held in storage until our apartment is ready for us.  Ironic that our sea freight is here before our air freight when it should be the other way around.  So glad I went through the trouble of figuring out what to ship by air freight to help us out with our temporary housing.  I seriously feel like someone should get a refund for this incompetence!