Bangkok Camping

roasting a tiger

The creativity of the girls can really amaze me. This time I came in to find a campsite all set up with an overturned chair as a tent, a stuffed tiger hanging from a string over a deflated pool floater "fire", plenty of clothes for their adventure, and some books and toys because those are necessary for any occasion.

Mattresses on the Move

Most days we don't fight bedtime. We do the routine, say goodnight and close the door. They usually proceed to stay up playing until they decide it is time to sleep. We're ok with that, I guess. But, sometimes, we find them, let's say, not how we left them.

Joel at Two Months

 So this guy isn't getting too many pictures taken of him. Whoops. 

Life with Joel in the family is good. The first two weeks are always hard as the baby figures out night and day, and I try to establish breastfeeding (didn't go well again, unfortunately). But, we made it past that. J went back to work, and I quickly realized that the only reason I am surviving kids spaced 15 months apart is because I have full-time help here. I have a new level of appreciation for all of you out there who have kids that close together and do/did it on your own. Wow. Seventeen-month old Paul is currently a major hazard to himself, his brother and our possessions. Luckily, at the same time he is SO cute and fun.

Anyway, we made it through the first six weeks, and Joel started sleeping better night and day (and smiling!). I took him for his 2-month check-up, and he is 12 pounds, so I have started to let him cry at night, and he usually falls back asleep on his own. Today was the first day I took all four kids to a friend's house by myself. It was fine.

I think we will really turn a corner when Claire starts school in 3 weeks (YAY!) at an international school that is supposed to be fabulous. I'm currently soliciting ideas for nut-free school lunches that can be prepared the night before.

Claire's Mango Tree

One day in April, Claire had eaten a mango and asked me if she could plant the seed. We happened to have a pot where something else I had tried to plant had failed to thrive, so I said sure. I forgot about it after a few days and the pot was in a corner of the balcony where I couldn't see it. I guess our helper, Nita, continued to water it because two and a half months later, Claire says to me, "Look at my mango tree!" Wow.

We won't mention to her that we went online and found out it won't bear fruit for seven years.

Our Independence Day Weekend

The embassy had a family event with food and games on Friday, and we had a waffle breakfast for some of our American friends on Saturday. On Monday, J took Claire, Sylvie and Paul with an adopted grandma from church, Tacie, back to the Open Zoo. I had a great day at home with Joel feeling very independent. :)