Paper Cranes

Today the elementary school at ISB organized the folding of 1000 paper cranes in support of the people of Japan. I volunteered in D's classroom to help out. I had a quick folding lesson and joined the fun in kindergarten.

 For the last 20 minutes of the day the kids were allowed "free choice" time. One choice was more paper crane folding, led by me. It's a shame I didn't get more practice beforehand because I only half remembered how to make them and the kids gradually gave up on their cranes, leaving me with a pile of origami papers half folded into squares and triangles.
 D and I made our way home and our driver greeted us at the gate. He noticed my handful of papers and asked about them. I then remembered that he has folded cranes for my kids in the past. So, I handed the papers over to him and 20 minutes later, we had 6 completed paper cranes!
 We'll add them to the display at school on Monday and post a photo of the finished product. It is likely to be pretty spectacular!

New Toy!

C is ready to ride on his new Tag Along bicycle!

 We've enjoyed lots of laps around the lake in the last week. C can reach the pedals when they are level but can't reach to rotate them yet. He'll grow into the bike. For now, he really enjoys being towed along and greeting everyone with a friendly "Good morning!" or "Saw wat de klup!"  It's really fun having him back there and definately makes for a better workout!

Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig oraibh!

Dublin came to Bangkok yesterday! We celebrated the holiday with shamrocks, singing our favorite Irish songs, waving our Irish flag, and enjoying green beer. We even had a visit from a leprechaun or two. No gold here though! Somehow, we also got a couple of days of Irish weather! No joke! Throughout the day, we had grey skies, wind, rain, and a temperature of 19C (66F)! No one was complaining as we all spent the day in jeans and sweatshirts- a rare treat in this hot and humid place. I was able to wear the feather boa above to an outdoor party and enjoy wearing it, rather than loathing the feeling of all those feathers stuck to my sweaty neck.
Thanks to the McDermotts for a great St. Patrick's Day party! Slainte!
Well, I shouldn't say no one was complaining. This unseasonably cool weather had the Thais in shock. Our driver was literally rubbing his hands together and blowing warm air into them as though he might get frost bite otherwise.
Hope everyone else enjoyed the day and no one got pinched!

Just So You Know

I am normally a frequent Facebook user. I like it. A lot. It keeps me in touch with family and friends all over the globe. But, I chose to give up Facebook as my Lenten sacrifice this year. It hasn't been easy, but it can't compare to what Christ gave up for little old me (and you!). So I have resisted every urge to check my news feed.

I've been told it's a bad time to be out of contact (I'm not really out of contact. I have email, and a phone) due to family and friends wanting to be reassured that we are safe and far away from the devastation in Japan. So, just know, we are no where near the devastation in Japan. Closer than you maybe, but still a good 3000+ miles away.

I do still blog here at www.whattheedsallsareupto.blogspot.com. In fact, I have more time to blog now that I'm not screwing around on Facebook all the time :). And my blog posts import to Facebook. So, if you have something you are just dying to tell me about the posts, or anything else for that matter, I won't see it until Easter if you post it on Facebook. But you can go to my blog directly and comment there, or just email me.

See you on Easter Sunday friends! And there better be heaps of photos from your wild St. Paddy's day parties and Spring Break getaways!

Dusit Zoo

The kids and I took our first trip to the local zoo this past Saturday. It was another interesting Thailand experience.

Giraffes are always a favorite with us. Especially when you show up right at feeding time. Love these animals!

I like to point out what could be sibling animals and make them examples of good behavior for my kids. Sister monkey and brother monkey. So kind to pluck bugs frome eachother's hair. Yay for cooperation!

Sister hippo and brother hippo. That's some good sharing there!

We took a break for lunch and playtime. Offered were a variety of Thai sausages/hot dogs on sticks and sweet corn waffles. Lucky it was hot, so none of us had much appetite anyway.

Do playgrounds turn all little boys into lunatics or just mine?? Can you hear his evil cackle when you look at this photo?

Fun path to the playground.

Imagine that! A photo of my kids feeding elephants! Cucumbers this time.

And finally, the Acrobatic Kenya Boys Show. It was unusual. I won't go into too much detail. Should you choose to go, be prepared for hip-thrusting and uncomfortable eye-contact. And don't sit in the front row.

Our First Slithering Visitor

I had painters in today to make a few changes to the wall color. They were outside cleaning their brushes and rollers when one of the ladies popped back in shouting, "Maa nee!" (Come here!)

I would think Thai people would be calm about a little snake sighting, but they were more upset than me! One painter brought our guard and he promptly came trotting down the drive with the ultimate in snake-catching tools, a broom and a dust pan. They proved to be effective though and our small, slithery friend was removed from our yard.

And I know now (after watching the painter slip cash into the guards pocket) that snake wrangling is a gratuity-worthy task in Thailand! Will be sure the tip him as I head out in a bit for school pick up.

Chocolate Mousse

Inspired by the dessert selections at our local Sizzler restaurant: D does chocolate mousse!

Beware! It's very chocolaty!
For recipe, click link below.
http://www.cooksrecipes.com/dessert/easy-chocolate-mousse-recipe.html

Hands Up! Baby Hands Up!

A few months back, we discovered our driver had his own homemade mix CD in the car. Today, at C's request we bypassed the Veggietales and put in Bub's mix. It seems Bub and Tess have been coreographing some moves with C en route to school in the morning.

Consequences

Someone at our house decided to cut her own hair at school this week. Not a lot of hair, but in a poorly chosen location. Someone also decided to make up a story about someone else cutting her hair. Someone's teacher got to the bottom of the whole story and informed someone's mother about what really happened. Someone's mother was not happy. Someone had to write 10 times, "I will tell the truth always." Who knew someone's mom was so old school?

Someone's mother dated and kept the page for future reference, as any old school mom would!

Sunday's Game Plan

With this past Saturday being all about the International Food Fair, I thought it wise that the kids and I have a fun day together on Sunday. So, Bub came in and took us downtown to church, then on to Siam Paragon where we visited Siam Ocean World, and then home for some mom and kids baking time.

We've been to Siam Ocean World once before and really enjoyed it. We were even more pleased this time to see they had added some cool new stuff. There is now a hammer-head shark nursery, a big collection of amazing giant clams, and a fun video feature near one of the snack areas.
The kids ate their popcorn and enjoyed being in their own shows!
Here, you can see them in the bubble.

Snorkeling! Submerged.

Admiring the fish.

When we returned home, it was time to bake! D chose a yummy recipe from Junior Masterchef Australia about a month ago, and we just now got around to it. Chocolate Fondant with Raspberry Coulis and Fresh Berries.

C lasted about 5 minutes- long enough to pose with the large block of chocolate.

D pressing stewed raspberries through the sieve.

Delightful!

http://http://www.masterchef.com.au/chocolate-fondant-with-raspberry-coulis-and-fresh-berries.htm