by Amy
In most apartments in our city, heat is government regulated. That means they turn it on on a certain date and turn it off on certain date. Most homes do not have a thermostat so individuals cannot regulate the temperature of the home. The cost of heat is based on a flat, per-square-meter rate.
Last year when our friends were explaining the fee, etc, we considered not paying for heat at all. Everyone we talked to thought we were crazy! The insisted we would definitely need heat. And, if we didn't want heat, we still had to pay about 33% of the cost. So, we decided to go ahead and pay the full amount so we could have heat. So, on Nov. 5, of last year, the heat came on! It was on in our home for about 4 hours, then, Brad (who had watched the maintenance man flip the "on" switch after we paid) turned it off and opened the windows! It never came back on again.
This year, we felt a little more experienced in the heat arena. We didn't ask for any advice; we decided we weren't waisting that money again! And, thankfully, the people who didn't want heat only had to pay about 15% of the heating fee, instead of the 33% like last year.
It is absolutely amazing how toasty warm our 13th floor home is! It is about 35 degrees F outside right now, and I was sweating in my "unheated" home until I opened the window. Brad woke up the other night at 1am, burning up and couldn't get back to sleep he was so uncomfortable and hot! It is crazy! We will have no problem teaching our kids the concept of hot air rising!
On a different note, though, you may remember last year this country had a huge snow storm at the end of January and many travelers were stranded in train stations and airports for days and days. This storm lead to a shortage of coal. Well this year, the government has cut back the number of days they'll provide heat and increased the price. Our "turn on" date was delayed 10 days and our "turn off" date will come 1o days earlier. And, the price went up about 75US cents per square meter. In a country where an average job pays less than $200/month, that's a HUGE increase! Although our family is happy for the 20 less days of heat, and only had to pay less than $80, many people here are not in the same boat. Their windows leak and are poorly insulated. Their homes are too cold without paying for heat, but they cannot afford the increase....
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Saturday, November 15, 2008
The Perfect Gift
by Amy
Not long ago my dad told me he had a surprise he planned on mailing me. I tried to probe and figure out what it could be, but his lips were sealed. Well, last weekend a box arrived....My dad mailed me the manuel and supplies needed for a Wiltons' Cake Decorating class!! I love to decorate cakes for my kids' birthdays or special occasions, but I've never taken a class. I've never even had the cool icing tips or know how to use them. Now I have the instruction manuel!
So, this past week the kids helped me make some sugar cookies. I figured cookies would be a great way to practice many of the techniques in my manuel, since flowers, stars, bears, shells, and bows might not all make it on one cake. So Wednesday night, Brad took the kids out to eat some local food and I decorated cookies for them to eat when they came home. It's definitely not as easy as it looks in the book, but it's really fun! Then, yesterday, we made half a cake and I decorated it as a rainbow. We shared it today with some friends that came over.
So, here are a few pics ~ Thanks Dad!!
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
A New "Du"
by Amy
The other night in a taxi, Savannah was chewing gum and it fell out of her mouth. She couldn't find the gum, but she figured it was OK. About an hour later, we found it -- in her hair!! So, when we got home that night, I cut the gum out before she went to bed. The next morning I had to even things out a bit and here's the result! I think she actually looks pretty cute with shorter hair! It can still be put it up into a ponytail, so that's helpful.
About 2 years ago, before we moved out here, we spent the weekend with my college roommate Lori and her family. Savannah is convinced that since her hair is shorter now, she looks just like Lori and insisted that we email her a picture! Sure enough, it's pretty close!
The other night in a taxi, Savannah was chewing gum and it fell out of her mouth. She couldn't find the gum, but she figured it was OK. About an hour later, we found it -- in her hair!! So, when we got home that night, I cut the gum out before she went to bed. The next morning I had to even things out a bit and here's the result! I think she actually looks pretty cute with shorter hair! It can still be put it up into a ponytail, so that's helpful.About 2 years ago, before we moved out here, we spent the weekend with my college roommate Lori and her family. Savannah is convinced that since her hair is shorter now, she looks just like Lori and insisted that we email her a picture! Sure enough, it's pretty close!
Thursday, November 6, 2008
A Minor Miracle!
by Amy
When Savannah was 3 or 4 years old, she did not like to eat broccoli. So, Brad and I would make sure we didn't have company over when I served broccoli. The rule was - she had to eat the one or two pieces I put on her plate. She wasn't allowed to be excused from the table until she did. This rule worked well... There were several instances where she cried a bit and ended up spending an hour at the table, but she would get it down. Now Savannah likes broccoli.
When Peter and Alex started eating solid foods, we implemented the same rule. But Peter would often sit at the table for 2+ hours. Actually he often sat there until bedtime. Then, I'd put the same food in front of him for lunch the next day. If he didn't eat it, he wouldn't get anything else. That usually worked. Only once did I have to reheat the previous day's food it for lunch and dinner on that second day. Then, Peter added a new element to the "game." He would often put the food in his mouth, but not swallow it. I remember him sitting in his high chair for 2 hours with a Mandarin orange in his mouth! (Do you remember that Dan Brown?) It was crazy! We tried everything we could, but there's no way to physically force a kid to swallow. (You can bend his legs and force him to sit, but we couldn't figure out how to make him swallow.) I remember one day we were at a party and I gave Pedo an oreo. About 45 min later he was running around playing with that oreo still in his mouth! He didn't want to swallow it!
Well, when we moved here, we decided to change the rules a bit.... We figured all of the food would seem strange, so we weren't going to make him eat it for dinner if he didn't eat it for lunch. (We eat local food for lunch and western food for dinner.) But, he had to swallow what he put in his mouth or get disciplined if he had to spit it out before nap time. Then, he wasn't allowed to have an afternoon snack, if one was provided..
Well, one of my favorite veggies is broccoli. So, at dinner I often will steam broccoli and melt a little cheese on top -- mmmmm!! Peter, of course, wouldn't eat it (or swallow when we made him take a bite). So, I would often plan to have broccoli on dessert night so he'd have a high incentive to eat it. Well, I'm happy to report that now my son likes broccoli! Tonight Peter came into the kitchen to watch me make dinner. When he saw the broccoli and rice in the soup I was making his said, "Mmmm! Mama, that broccoli looks good!" The he was the first one to finish his serving of soup!
So, all you mom's out there! Don't give up the food battle! If I Pedo will eat broccoli I'm sure your kid will too! It may just take 3+ years of persistence!
When Savannah was 3 or 4 years old, she did not like to eat broccoli. So, Brad and I would make sure we didn't have company over when I served broccoli. The rule was - she had to eat the one or two pieces I put on her plate. She wasn't allowed to be excused from the table until she did. This rule worked well... There were several instances where she cried a bit and ended up spending an hour at the table, but she would get it down. Now Savannah likes broccoli.
When Peter and Alex started eating solid foods, we implemented the same rule. But Peter would often sit at the table for 2+ hours. Actually he often sat there until bedtime. Then, I'd put the same food in front of him for lunch the next day. If he didn't eat it, he wouldn't get anything else. That usually worked. Only once did I have to reheat the previous day's food it for lunch and dinner on that second day. Then, Peter added a new element to the "game." He would often put the food in his mouth, but not swallow it. I remember him sitting in his high chair for 2 hours with a Mandarin orange in his mouth! (Do you remember that Dan Brown?) It was crazy! We tried everything we could, but there's no way to physically force a kid to swallow. (You can bend his legs and force him to sit, but we couldn't figure out how to make him swallow.) I remember one day we were at a party and I gave Pedo an oreo. About 45 min later he was running around playing with that oreo still in his mouth! He didn't want to swallow it!
Well, when we moved here, we decided to change the rules a bit.... We figured all of the food would seem strange, so we weren't going to make him eat it for dinner if he didn't eat it for lunch. (We eat local food for lunch and western food for dinner.) But, he had to swallow what he put in his mouth or get disciplined if he had to spit it out before nap time. Then, he wasn't allowed to have an afternoon snack, if one was provided..
Well, one of my favorite veggies is broccoli. So, at dinner I often will steam broccoli and melt a little cheese on top -- mmmmm!! Peter, of course, wouldn't eat it (or swallow when we made him take a bite). So, I would often plan to have broccoli on dessert night so he'd have a high incentive to eat it. Well, I'm happy to report that now my son likes broccoli! Tonight Peter came into the kitchen to watch me make dinner. When he saw the broccoli and rice in the soup I was making his said, "Mmmm! Mama, that broccoli looks good!" The he was the first one to finish his serving of soup!
So, all you mom's out there! Don't give up the food battle! If I Pedo will eat broccoli I'm sure your kid will too! It may just take 3+ years of persistence!
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