Home Again

We have returned from our Vietnamese holiday and are back into our weekly routine. The whole family had a marvelous time and we have around 500 photos to prove it! I think I'd have to blog three times a day for a month or so to tell all the fun stories and share the moments.

We spent 2 nights in Hanoi, taking in the cultural sights of the city. We had a marvelous guide who the kids really enjoyed and he planned a really nice experience for us.

We then flew to the central part of the country for a 5 night stay in a beautiful resort in Hoi An. We toured the town on foot and on bicycle. (That's a story!) and took some great photos.

We also had clothing made by fantastic tailors, purchased some art, and did A LOT of swimming.

Vietnam is an amazing place with beautiful beaches, gentle people, and tasty food. I will sort out all these photos and post more fun stuff soon!

Spring Break Next Week!

 In the coming week, Thailand will celebrate Songkran.

"Songkran is a Sanskrit word in Thai form which means the entry of the sun into any sign of the Zodiac. But the Songkran in this particular instance is when the sun enters the sign of Aries or the Ram. Its full name is Maha Songkran or Major Songkran to distinguish it from the other ones. But the people call it simply the Songkran for it is the only one they know and in which they take interest. It is their traditional New Year when they can enjoy their holidays to the full with no economic hindrance. Songkran is a fixable feast on the solar calender. It begins on the 13th April and ends on the 15th April, but occasionally in certain years on the 16th April."

(http://www.thailandlife.com/songkran-festival/index.php)

 We have been told that the highlight is people running around squirting and pouring water on each other. There are water guns for sale everywhere!! It's supposed to be taken as a blessing when someone douses you with water, and good, wet fun on these hot and humid days. I've even heard that you must keep your car windows up and your car doors locked or people may "bless" you while you are on the road. Sounds like a dripping good time, right!?

 Well, we won't be here for the blessings this year. The family is off to Vietnam tomorrow for a week's vacation! 2 nights in Hanoi and 5 in the Da Nang/Hoi An area. Lots of fun stuff planned, a beautiful country to see, and yummy food to try. Maybe we'll stick around for the blessings next year!

 Will be sure to blog and share stories and photos!

Funarium

2 weekends ago, I decided to take the kids to Funarium for a special treat after church. We had been there once before for a birthday party and it was such a hit. For BKK peeps, if you haven't yet been there, it is fun fun fun!

Bikes, balls, slides, soft play, magic show, good food!, balloon animals, all kinds of great stuff.

We also explored the outdoor sand and water area. My 2 loved it!

 Will have to go back soon, need to arrange some playdates when T heads out of town again!

Art Fair

D took part in her first art fair at school last week. She was really proud of her work. I as lucky enough to be the Mystery Reader in her class last Wednesday, so I got to tag along on a visit to the gallery and check out all of the elementary school kids' work. Here we go!

D's colorful fish.

D's jungle safari picture.

A really fun and clever display. D was not a part of this one, but I like it anyway! H'Andy Warhol.

I forgot how much I loved art class. Great job ISB Elementary kids!

Best New Shopping Buddy

While in the fitting room with me at Emporium today C seemed to like the dress I was trying on. He gets to go shopping with me from now on after saying, "You look like a new princess!"
And then, when I tried the 2nd dress, "You look like more princess!"
Then, he was tired of dresses and ran off to play tag with the salesman.
That gave me a few quiet minutes to decide on buying both princess dresses.

Daddy is Home!

T has returned home after 6 weeks of working in Indonesia. He's glad to be home, and we are so glad to have him home! I thought about making big, fun plans for the weekend but what everyone really wanted was to chill at home, enjoy the pool, and spend time together.

D and I worked hard on our posters. I think they made T feel loved and special. D was adding finishing touches at the airport. So sweet!

C and Bub waiting for the first glimpse of dad.

Hi Daddy!

T and C went for a ride on the new tag along bike. They went out around 5:30 Saturday evening only to be stopped by a kind neighbor who informed T that C was falling asleep on the back of the bike. Sure enough, when T looked back, C was drifting off. Scary! We learned our lesson- family bike rides in the morning when C is fresh!

And with swims in our pool both Saturday and Sunday, T was thrilled to see how the kids swimming progress is coming along. So was I.

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!