Farewell 09/10 School Year

I aspire to be more like this woman who, when faced with a room full of boisterous 4/5 year olds, continues to speak more and more quietly until the noise level slowly retreats to meet hers. It magical.

Mrs. Cook has been Kohen's KA teacher this year and regularly amazed me with her consistent uses of positive reinforcement and redirecting- Kohen has simply thrived in such a positive and encouraging environment. He had ample time to create all sorts of 'projects' he imagined up and the supplies to do it and Mrs. Cook was his greatest cheerleader. Even for the picture she went and found the card Kohen had given her to show it off.

Unfortunately Kohen's KA class came to an abrupt halt on Wed. around 11am when the CDC decided that 2 confirmed cases of Hand Foot and Mouth were enough to shut the class down. So we all came and gathered our disappointed students and I had Kohen home 2 days earlier than expected. Thankfully he hasn't been too upset about the water fight and ice cream party he missed out on. Other than that, Kohen's year = amazing.
I contrast that with Kennedy's year in 1st grade. When the girls in the class informed her that they had all been together since preschool so they were not going to be her friends, I think she was a little shocked. Especially after her Kumbaya-esque year in Kindergarten. I think I was shocked too. At first I thought things would iron themselves out over time but the girls held firm.

Eventually the teacher and a parent were involved and things got better. For about a week. Then the off and on games started and have continued throughout the year. About once a week Kennedy cries after school, sometimes she'll tell me how there are X amount of weeks left and she still doesn't have any friends. Not to make this about me but wow, can you say gut wrenching? And having to act the opposite of how I feel as I try and teach my daughter to forgive and be kind to those who hurt her, hoping she doesn't see the Mother Bear I'm fighting to keep contained inside....NOT EASY.

And I know I am biased but what's not to like about Kennedy?! Seriously, she is a smart, nice little girl and a loyal friend. The only cruel tricks and antics she knows now are the ones that have been used on her this year. It makes me sad. I am praying for a true friend for her next year.

Anyway! Much of the friend drama took place during recesses. During class things usually appeared to be okay. Kennedy loves school, especially reading and science. The school's science program is amazing. She would come home inspired all of the time wanting to recreate experiments.
Kenna brought home a CD with over 1,000 pics from the school year and it was fun to see so much of what went on during their school day.
Overall Kennedy enjoyed 1st grade. I am trying to block out the social failings she experienced and hope she overcomes them with ease next year. Meanwhile I find myself at 30 yrs old, resisting the juvenile urge to draw horns and scribble out a few choice faces on the above picture.

Hey, I'm a mom. I'm not perfect.

Mosquito Bandito

Here's the thing. Over the last 9 months we have had a menagerie of different disgusting bugs come parading through our home. The only reason I have refrained from blogging about them is because I have hopes that some of you will come visit. A less selfish person might've just said "because I didn't want to gross you out in case you were eating breakfast" but, this is me after all.

Of all the creepy crawlers, I have found it is the tiniest irritators that are the most rage inducing. Mosquitos. I loathe them. And Taiwan's climate enables Mosquitos to be prolific reproducers. Have I ever mentioned I hate mosquitos? Don't mind if I do.

I think I hated them the normal amount until they started playing dirty and attacking us at night. Like the morning Aly woke up looking like she had a bad case of the Chicken Pox but no, it was just 30+ mosquito bites, twelve of which were on her right upper arm. I was livid. How can you fight something in your sleep?!! It wasn't as if our home was inundated with them, all it takes is a few glutinous suckers to make a smorgasbord out of you while you're out cold drooling on your pillow.

And it's not like I'm stingy about my blood, heck I've given it to the Red Cross plenty of times. I'm just saying if something is going to come suck my blood, can I make a request it be this ^ guy, or maybe one of his brothers? I may not be a "Twihard" but I know a better deal when I see one.

In the mean time I've had to come up with a plan to defend our family. First I tried the "clap!" method. This is where you chase after the mosquito, who, by the way, flies like he spent a little too much time at the Cantina. When you finally get close you *!CLAP!* your hands together and then quickly survey them in hopes you've just made a Skeeter Sandwich.... Dang. Nothin. At least 85% failure rate.

Then theres Nathan's method. I have to share it because, well because I've never seen this technique before and I suspect I know why. He chases the weaving little bugger around the room and all of a sudden with one hand he' ll grab! at the air and then he'll start scrunching up his fingers in his fist like he's trying to pulverize the mosquito in a motion that looks like he's scraping a sticker off his palm with one hand or something. Very unique technique, 100% fail rate so far but it sure does entertain the whole fam watching him employ it.

*I think we both sensed we were overwhelmingly getting owned by something miniscule, so Nathan took action and went and purchased us some weapons. Game on.

It's become a family effort, the kids often spot them first and ring the alarm Beyonce' style. I have good eyes but wow, theirs are better. Anyway, I'll go get the Racket of Death, two if I'm feelin feisty, and we hunt the offender down until we hear the most satisfying *ZAP!* - a sound that gives me a high I could easily become addicted to. Never mind that I just took out a bug that I am roughly 200 x's bigger than, by swinging around a large bolt of electricity. Over kill? I think not. Not when they play dirty and leave behind a reminder of their silent assault for days after they are gone.
These are our battle faces. Don't mess.

A Snail Tale

It might be a little hard to know the real focal point in these top pictures but the kids were insistent I get some shots of them with their new pet snails.
After some unusually cool temperatures this spring the heat, it seems, is finally here to stay. The proof is on Weather.com where it says the current temp. is 91* and with humidity feels like 103*. So we can all call me an idiot for wishing for warmer swimming weather just a few short weeks ago. On the up side the kids are loving immediate access to the pool and I'm loving the new 'motivational' tool I have for them to get their stuff done.
Anyway, I came out to find they had all adopted pet snails which they were quite proud and defensive of.
They had made them each a bed of flower petals,
then jumped back in the pool, content that their new family members were making themselves at home......

Never, have I seen 3 snails move as quickly as these guys did. They must have sensed their minutes would be numbered with my kids.

As sweet as this face is, Iiiiii don't know how much I'd trust it either.

Sometimes, there are no words....

For a kid like this.

Gerber = Gold Bullion???

You are looking at the Gold Bullion of Taiwan. After I discovered the price of baby food here I realized investing in it could be a great way to diversify our portfolio, though not if I intended on feeding it to our son since that would be akin to flushing our money down the toilet.
68 dollars for a stinkin little jar of baby food?! Well, NT dollars anyway but still. That is about $2.15 U.S. on a good day. Granted, a lot of imported foods -and basically much of the food we buy to make our meals- is actually quite expensive but that is a story for another day. When I realized how much I could end up spending in baby food I indulged a slight panic attack before getting my hysteric breathing under control, putting down my brown paper bag and reminding myself that I used to make baby food for Aly so... I can do this... I think.

One of my favorite things here is this little truck. See that cement dome in the back? That is an oven where they cook a couple different kind of potatoes. One or two nights a week Nathan regularly picks up baked sweet potatoes for dinner. They are delicious. Not only that but they are a super food, highest nutritional veggie score thank you very much. Don't believe me? Click here.

Seeing as Ander's favorite food is Sweet Potatoes, this vendor makes it very easy for me to augment (10 points for word usage) his diet with them, with little difficulty.
For as expensive as foods are the produce is actually better, thankfully. I have been steaming and pureeing carrots and green beans etc. for the little guy but as reported before the green beans are not his favorite. If I put a little with the carrots he doesn't gag as often and will eat them without the afore mentioned tears. So, progress?
It does feel good to feed him something that I know is fresh. And nutritious. I save a few jars of baby food for emergency's but it feels good to avoid it with that price tag. One interesting tidbit, Ander does so much better eating with a regular sized spoon. I'm not sure why but it's SO much less messy when I just use a regular spoon. Bonus!
And finally, I am pleased to announce that Ander is going to have a little baby...........tooth! What did you think I was going to say? Ha! Definitely not that. Yes, after literally MONTHS of drooling we have spotted a little tooth poking through. Finally! Proof that all that drool "ain't been in vain for nothin."

Anyone know that movie quote? anyone???

Yangmingshan Calla Lily Festival 2010

I am grateful to have friends in the know. Otherwise the Yangmingshan Calla Lily Festival would have come and gone and I never would have been the wiser. Thankfully I got to go up The mountain to have lunch with a few friends and see the sprawling fields of Lilies all in bloom. It was exquisite.
We took some time to snap some pictures though it's hard to do the scenery justice. I felt like I was in some scene from a Chinese movie or something. I would have hardly been surprised to see people flying/fighting through the air.

All of us minus Cici, on our way to go pick some lilies of our own!
I don't know why I love this pic of Aly so much. Maybe because it's so reAlyty. A new word Nathan and I have cause to use frequently with this one.

When I saw this guy walking by I wanted to ask how much for that bouquet? They are all so perfect and beautiful even in an old bin, I'm thinking I like lilies in mass. We actually picked our own which was fun, especially at only 10NT, or roughly 30 cents a lily. Even Aly got to pick a few and add them to our pile. It was such a beautiful and unique way to spend a morning. So glad I got to go!

Proof of Mobility

As I've reported Ander is on the move. I am glad I snugged him up as much as possible while I could because he is way too busy these days to be bothered with such idleness. Even when he is strapped securely into his high chair while the rest of us whirl around him going about our day, you can see it in his eyes that he is sitting there solving the Yang-Mills existence and mass gap. That or plotting his escape a la Basil of the Great Mouse Detective.

Quick Story: I recently tried to trick him into eating my freshly pureed green beans by giving him bites of his favorite sweet potatoes in between. That worked for about 3 bites until he started straining to see over the edge of his chair to check which food I was putting on his spoon. Seeing he was on to me I reverted to several bites of sweet potatoes before slipping him another bite of greens- as he realized what I'd done he just burst into tears! I felt SO bad! Of course I ditched the beans at that point and stuffed him full of sweet potatoes. Teaching him to "eat his feelings" young you know.

In an effort to share some proof of mobility I video'd him ejecting himself from his car seat like he does the instant the bottom buckle unsnaps. It's about half of the time his arm will get stuck like it does here, and though I helped him it normally doesn't take him very long to escape on his own. But to to expedite the process, I helped okay?

This short video you will probably have to watch twice. Why? Well, you'll realize at the end that you got distracted and missed what I told you to watch for, which is Ander pulling himself up and standing around like it ain't no thang.

It's also a video that proves my life is a lot like the people who say they have "voices in their head" except the voices all over in my life are decidedly out of my head, making me literally out of my mind- (aka: the Jensen Insanity Theory, solved in 2006, proved daily. No monetary reward has ever been given.)

Anyway, enjoy.

Rant Canceled. I'm Too Tired.

Kohen literally refuses to wait for Ander to get bigger so he can play with him. I would rescue Ander more often except that he pretty much loves it.

The Fount of all Sass, both cute and naughty.

This is how I found Ander after a drive-by-dress-up from his brother.

Needless to say, there will never be Gak in the house again. In case you're wondering it took 45 minutes and quite a bit of Goo Gone to fix this debacle. And I still have no clear answer as to how Kennedy got the gunk in her hair in the first place.

After all of the random pictures I have here I was planning on writing a whole rant on how our kids have turned into Holy Terrors in the last few weeks, but I find my resolve slipping away with the minutes until my bedtime. Suffice it to say that Nathan and I have both found our selves saying shouting things at our children that we distinctly remember our parents saying to us in impotent frustration.

In an effort not to be a total Debbie Downer I won't begin to list all of the recent offenses, there are too many to list anyway. But it kinda gets me down when my job right now is being a mother, and it's obvious I'm sucking at it. Sorry, I shouldn't write the "S" word, we don't say that at our house. And I suppose somebody should be following the rules. Anyway, don't cry for me Argentina, it's just one of those days, weeks, months.

Papa John, Pixie and Justin Visit

At the beginning of April my parents and brother were able to come and visit us here in Taiwan. Due to Kohen's low tolerance for anticipation, we kept it a surprise until the morning my mom and brother walked in. We had a great time, though never enough time for exploring and enjoying Taiwan.

My dad arrived for the last week and Justin was able to take them down to Taichung and show them around where he taught on his mission and meet some of the people that he had written home about. We took my dad for his first massage EVER, a foot massage, and had a really nice time. It's always fun to have someone with you who speaks Chinese. Nathan does more than alright but Justin gets pretty much everything so we laughed and joked with the guys working on our feet.

Otherwise we played with the children and snuggled Ander to pieces. It was all just over too fast. Only solution is for them to come back soon!!!

One Man Band

If the whole modeling thing doesn't pan out, it looks like Kohen could have an illustrious career as a street performer...

Maybe he should have a Plan C... just in case.

The Moat is Moot

As you can see the Taiwan worker guys have been *SUPER* hard at work on the moat mess at our front porch. The pile of white bags next to the guy leaning against the truck are all full of our porch guts so I guess that's proof that they've done something. After the guys poured cement in the moat I looked out the window to find they were casually laying some random bathroom tile down, like that'd be fine. Apparently our Bob the Builder moonlights as Martha Stewarts Taiwanese stepsister- the miserly one with zero sense of color palatte.

A flurry of calls ensued - Me to Nathan- Nathan to Realtor- Realtor to Landlord- Landlord to Lazy Workers- The Lazy Workers (coined such by our Landlord and the only PG name of many he gave them) started swearing and pulling up the conspicuous tiles, smoking like chimneys all the while. They packed up and left and it was gloriously quiet for a few days. *bird chirp*

Then one tranquil afternoon the (!!!!!!)jack(!!!!!!!)hammering(!!!!!!) started(!!!!!!)again (!!!!!!)and(!!!!!!)waxed(!!!!!!)annoying(!!!!!!) Apparently we were getting new tile on our whole front porch rather than 10% of it. Great.
Having so much noise and mess hasn't gone unnoticed by our children. ^This is Ander's impression of the Lazy Porch Workers.

And this is Ander showing those fools how it's done! I give you: The face of motivation- no translation required. This kid is rolling, sitting, crawling, and just plain showing off by pulling himself up (albeit wobbily) on anything he can get his hands on. At the rate he's going he might figure out how to finish the porch before the other guys do.

And I Do My Little Turn on the Catwalk

So the modeling that the kids have been doing a little of has finally paid off in the form of the catalogs we've started to receive. Especially this one from Why and 1/2 where Kohen showed up on the cover :) I don't care who you are, if your child is on the cover of anything -minus maybe an America's Most Wanted poster- you're gonna be beaming with pride. Don't worry though, it's the really humble kind of pride, where I only take full credit for having created such amazing creatures, their inner light, trilling laughter- huh? what's that? God and Nathan?..... Fine. they may have been involved as well.

This particular brand of clothes are bright and bold and kind of eclectic. They are also pricey in my opinion, I'm not willing to pay $30 ish for a t-shirt. But the clothes are mostly cute and made well. This is the only company where the shoots are more than 2 or 3 hours. They take you on location and feed you lunch and your children work off and on all day. It's a long day but the children don't seem to really mind and the company is very professional. And of course you have the really nice catalog :) - there's that humble pride again......

Anyway, for a limited time some of the pictures from Why and 1/2 will be on their website if you would like to take a gander at something other than the picture of a picture you will find below.

Click here for the Why and 1/2 website

It often takes a good 20 seconds to load, fyi. You can just click around on the Chinese characters to find the pics or I will briefly explain where they are: When the site first comes up you'll see a cartoon bear. On the bottom of the page there are chinese characters separated by stars. Click on the second one. A list of ten chinese characters will come up. Choose the second one down that says Mini and then chinese. Aly is in this one. The 5th, 6th and 8th ones down have lot's of Kennedy and Kohen.

My Very Own Mote

Apparently though we didn't feel the earthquake a few weeks ago, our home did. Consequently we had water bubbling up from under the house, aaaand that's not good.

So after two days of NONSTOP jackhammering right outside our front door we had our very own mote going on that would fill up with water. Every princesses dream come true so what do I have to complain about, right?

There have been lot's of workers scurrying about and I have no idea what is going on but that is typical. I think I've gathered that it was a broken pipe??? Perhaps we should should look into a bridge for our newly minted mote.