Toroko By Plane

Do you remember our video from last year on our trip home from Toroko? This year, in an effort to never repeat such horror, we looked for alternate routes to Hualien. Guess what? There is a 25 min flight to Toroko. We may never travel there any other way! It was such a thing of beauty! (minus the extreme stress before the flight when it was discovered enroute to the airport that our family friend Paige, did not  have her passport with her. It took two taxis and a scooter borrowed from a friend for Nathan to make that turn around time, CRAZY!).

 Our neighbors the Stathams were traveling with us, with their 5 children and a babysitter, Cecily, who you may remember from when we went to Thailand. We were quite a spectacle.

 Upon arriving in Hualien a mere 1/2 hr after leaving Taipei (!!!!) we were able to rent a minivan for each family and we were off! Oh wait, where's Ander?

 ....Cuz that's pretty much always the question these days. Fear not, I actually brought the leash this time; remember we were headed to Toroko Gorge, by definition we'd be hanging out on the edge of sheer cliff drop offs that go on for miles. The leash was definitely warranted.

 Cool building in Hualien

 Paige getting her first taste of baozi . To be fair, I didn't think they were very good, as far as taste goes, (that's me saying they were disgusting). But Paige was super adventurous when it comes to food- get it girl!

 Kohen's been here too long to appreciate and respect the fine piece of culture that has been laid before him for lunch. And also, these were a bit big to capture by using your chopsticks properly.

We kind of took over the little shop, and spilled out into the outdoor seating. I guess there were 16 of us.

 Scarlett, will you share your snack with me? Mamas hungry, lunch was a bust.

 Cool shot of how they steam the baozi.

 Then we all went around the corner and tried these different fruit juice things. They really were just fruit puree'd and they were quite good.

We headed up to Silks Place and the children all swam themselves into exhaustion. Both the babes like the same blanket and they like to tease and pull blankets away from each other but they will, on occasion, share the same one. It's about the sweetest thing ever. The above picture was a highlight of the weekend for me. My two babies snuggled up with me, sharing a blanket, fast asleep. This kind of thing just doesn't happen in real life!

Grrr.

Frustratingly enough, Blogger is giving me fits. And my technology whisperer is out of town... again. He will arrive home, whisper sweet nothings to whichever computer or app is in rebellion and it will magically begin working again. Touch of the masters hand.
Meanwhile, I am sicker than a dog so I actually have time (if not the will) to blog. Maybe I can get a little credit for good intentions??? Anyway, all should be well in a few days. Hope all is well with each of you!!!

Halloween 2012

Scarlett set the mood on Halloween with her black and orange outfit. I still struggle to get her to sit still for a decent picture...

Aly wanted to be a "Vampire Girl" at the last minute so after raiding the neighbors dress ups and using make up to make her look vampire-ish and give her fangs (since I had no idea where to find them or if they are even to be found here). She was pleased with the outcome and posed creepily all day.

Kohen was Superman. You can tell by how he did his hair, right? He combed down a little piece on his forehead and was certain it made all the difference.  He has really been working out to prepare for this role.

Ander. Ander refused to be anything. I tried to tempt him with different costumes or swords but he wouldn't stay interested in anything for more than a few minutes. So when the time came to head out the door I pulled out a pirate hat and he wore it about 10 minutes after the pic was taken. He did go around, all on his own, taking his hat off and doing this dramatic sweeping bow that was about the cutest thing ever.
Good thing people keep their standards of costume low when trick or treating and no one gave him a hard time. I joked he went as a Teenager. Didn't want to dress up, wanted candy, and STUBBORN.

Kennedy was a Carmen Miranda inspired Brazilian dancer. As with all costumes, it's always a challenge for me to find supplies to make stuff. Asians don't get too crafty so what you can find is random. Having said that, I was pleased with how the head piece turned out. I found this dress online on clearance last year. I sent it to my sister and she brought it when she visited last Nov. The things we do!

K, have you ever put a little mascara and lip gloss on your ten year old and then about freaked out when you get a glimpse of her a few years down the road? I swear it was just yesterday I was counting down the days until my Halloween due date with her...

Here's the whole crew ready to head up to Yangmingshan for a little trick or treating. If you notice Nathan's shirt, he was Ironman thanks to an Asian Nerd connection who hooked him up with the defining "chest RT" (chest repulsor transmitter) that looked pretty cool in the dark. Several Asians recognized it and completely geeked out over it, it was awesome.

Our friends further up the mountain opened up their home to all of us as a base for the night and so we all ate food and visited and they had some freaky halloween movie playing. It was nice because they offered to keep Scarlett for us when we went out to T or T so we all actually had a great evening.
The best part? The kids throw out about 1/4 of their candy because it's Asian candies that are like coffee or tea flavored. That leaves them with about a quart size bag, about perfect if you ask me.
Happy Halloween!

Kennedy Turns 10!

 Making cupcakes to take to school are always a trial. If the cupcakes turn out after my finicky oven, you begin the battle with the frosting which turns watery and melts off due to humidity. It's always a race getting them to the school before they turn... special looking.
So when Kennedy said she really wanted Costco cookies and chocolate milk I declared her my favorite child and said DONE. It worked out perfectly in her class.

 Kennedy had a great day with her fam. She was super excited to get to the good stuff, presents and cake. If you are looking at her cake and thinking the top looks a bit burned, wrong! It's "ombre" which is totally in style right now and I completely did it on purpose. It had nothing to do with the afore mentioned finicky oven. Nope, totally planned.

 I went to great lengths for Kennedy's present. This past summer when we came home I snuck her American Girl Doll with me and once we were to the states I sent the doll off to be cleaned up and have her ears pierced, knowing that Kennedy would be getting her ears pierced too this summer.

 Of course she noticed her missing doll once we returned and she worried that Ander had done something terrible to Molly. So she was so relieved and surprised to find Molly all spiffed up with her cute new earrings.
Her other gift, I decided not to put a picture of, as she is worried about getting teased. When she first saw the Justin Bieber pajamas online I think that was why she wanted them so bad, because then no one would see them who might tease her. (Plus she liked that his ears weren't pierced yet on the pj's, oh the irony!) Anyway, her reaction was huge and she adores her J.B. pj's.

It's strange for me to reflect on being a mom for a decade, that Kennedy has survived the learning curve of her parents. She is such a kind girl. She loves playing the piano, I never have to ask her to practice. She loves music and leans towards being obsessed with Les Mis - like her mama was. She is an absolute book worm (love that about her). She is responsible, and reliable and helpful.
Sometimes I think Kennedy is a little overlooked, easy to have happen when your brother and sister are the more outgoing Kohen and Aly. But though Kennedy is somewhat shy and more quiet by comparison, once you take the time to get to know her, she is such a genuinely kind hearted girl.
I'm so humbled and grateful she is ours!

Thank you Columbus

This Columbus day our kids were in school but many of the expat men had the American holiday off. Nathan gets a mix of American and Chinese holidays, mostly just the Chinese ones where everything shuts down, and the American ones only if he doesn't have trainings or meetings. This day the stars aligned and after more than 3 years we finally got to go to the infamous Hidden Hot Springs.

 Our fearless leader Carrie led us deep into Yangmingshan National Park and down through bamboo forests and past many signs threatening big trouble if we went further.

I know, you're thinking, "But Erin! You are such a crazy rebel!" And you are right. I really am. I marched right on past all of the stunning scenery and ominous signs of my impending pauper-hood due to the massive fines I would incur if caught.

We descended down into a narrow little valley that opened up into a beautiful Hidden Hot Springs.

 I had to include this picture because though it is a bit blurry it shows the true color of what the water looked like to the naked eye. How cool huh?

 We all slid in to different little pools with various degrees of hot water. We would sit in hot ones until we needed to go cool off in the cold little stream that runs along next to the springs.
There is this silt that was as soft as silk (but smelled like sulfur) and we noticed our fellow asian hot spring dwellers using it as mud masks so we followed suit. It did actually make your skin feel super soft.

 This was one of my favorite shots of the day. I love how you can see so much of the beautiful area. But I also love that we got a picture of the umbrella hat lady. Bottom right hand corner of the pic, the maroon umbrella... there is a lady under there, and the umbrella is attached to her head. Awesome.

 The hike out we passed more beautiful sights, including this river with rad sulfur-orange rocks. I felt so lucky to finally have the chance to see this place...

... and share the day, sans children, with dear friends. A treat as special as a hidden hot springs.

(ps- now that the secret of the Hidden Hot Springs has been revealed to me, I could take special visitors should they come visit!)

As Promised

As Ms. Mei was trying to figure out how to master walking we noticed this funny thing she started doing. Her little tongue sticking out has become a staple of anytime Scarlett is trying to accomplish something; like balancing as she toddles across the room, reaching the toilet brush back behind the toilet, getting the lid off of the shampoo, pulling my plate off of the table, you know, the good things in life.

I know she'll grow out of it at some point... 

But that'll be sad.

 So, I choose denial... and smooch and snuggle her up any chance I get.

A Crash

A little over a week ago my friend Brandie and I were on our way to the school, congratulating ourselves that not only were we going to be on time to our 2nd graders reading celebration, we might even be early. We were about 10th back in line at a red light and had been stopped for about 15 seconds or so when WHAM! someone rear ended us. 

Both Brandie and I's necks were hurting almost immediately. But we had to call our leasing company so that they could call 119 and get the police to the scene. Coincidentally the woman who hit us was a European expat, not an Asian, so she was in the same boat as us. The police came and took pictures then moved us off the road where we waited for the International Police who actually speak English. Anyway, an hour later Brandie and I made it up to our kid's class just in time for the closing tradition of the Chicken Dance. We gave it all we had...

...Then went home and crashed on our respective couches. I had an unrelenting migraine and pain down my neck and back. I got the kids off the bus but only made it an hour before calling Nathan and asking him to come home.

Long story short, we both have some nice whiplash going on and we have spent the last week getting all manner of treatments, all of which will be covered by the other lady's insurance. 

This was my first acupuncture experience. It was so awesomely Asian. After I met with the Dr., he felt my neck and shoulder and said two words, "Like rock." That pretty much summed it up.

Next you go into the little closet and they shoot super hot herbal tea steam on the afflicted area. The steam comes out of some sweet jerry rigged beakers with Wilcox style bungee cords and old tubes and funnels. You can see it better in Brandie's picture below. (I feel like Brandie would appreciate my disclaiming that we had both basically rolled outta bed and into the office for our "treatments")

After I had steamed for a bit the dr. came in and put the needles in my upper forearm, actually. Doesn't hurt... but I'm also not sure yet if it helped. I'll have to go a few more times to know I think. 

We have also had several massages. Massages are very popular and inexpensive, generally. They can also be shady or a bit inappropriate. My R.S. President tells a laugh out loud story about the time she had more of her "pecs" massaged than she had intended. Thanks to her forewarning I have narrowly missed that specific service 3 times in the last 2 weeks. 

But generally, massages are just a safe, relaxing, therapeutic escape from reality. 

Yesterday our sweet husbands sent us off for 2 hour full body massages, hoping to help us get our backs/necks back in shape. It was a fabulous 2 hours, topped off by the most hilarious Chinglish I have yet seen. Since the picture is likely too small to read I will transcribe verbatim what was written as their spa rules. Enjoy!

1. This store is a professional SPA guild, don't do porn service item, please match with.

2. In order to have regard for other honored guest's rightses, this store drinks to store customer Don't do a reception.

3. When the professional teacher of this store contributed efforts to the honored guest, please don't have     Not appropriate action.

4. Before honored guest's curriculum starts, please tell first whether once had already begun Shu or the body other conditions, the in order to prevent causes unwell and injury.

5. When pregnant woman did a curriculum, please tell first, is evaluated by the professional teacher Its safety.

6. The product that this store curriculum use all comes from an advanced technique Switzerland. France. Italy. Indonesian etc.... The foreign import makes. 

7. The tool that this store honored guest use all pays attention to personal hygiene, A set a person is used up to namely disinfect, and provided the abandon type the article.

8. Our company preserves the correction power of the activity of special curriculum.

Ander turns 3!

May I please preface this post by saying that although Ander suddenly looks "special" with his crossed eyes, he has been seen by both a Chinese and American opthamologist and we've been assured that he is fine. Supposedly as he flexes the muscles to focus his eyes he is flexing one harder than the other. It changes which one he pulls. It started 6 months ago, went away after a month but is suddenly back again. Why? So that he could look so memorable for his 3 year old birthday pictures, obviously.

 We had been prepping Ander for more than a week about his upcoming birthday and he was super excited when we came into his room singing happy birthday to him. I will spare you the video since A: He is locked in his tent when we come in (awkward) B: His eyes are crazy crossed and the whole scene is just comical. What matters is that he appreciated the songs, right?

 What is noteworthy here? That he had a cake. Seriously, I wasn't sure it was going to happen!

 And finally, after more than 3 years, we have located a place to blow up helium balloons. If you only knew the lengths we've gone to acquire balloons, and finally, to actually find the place that supposedly does it. Can't even count the wasted hours. But finally, SUCCESS!

 Ander has been 100% uninterested in toys until 6 months ago. I was convinced that he was going to be my only child who didn't really do imaginative play. Then suddenly, like a light switch, he started playing with Kohen's toys. He loves all things Imaginext, so he was excited to get some of his own.

The big hit of his birthday was noise makers that Nathan found. We had a noise maker war where we tried to get the thing to unroll right into someones face, while laughing really hard, and avoiding their horn in your face. It was a noisy but fabulous time.

At 3yrs Ander has finally potty trained. I had attempted once about 6 months ago but he refused even though it was clear he could do it. A few days after we got home this summer he walked up to me one day holding a pair of underwear and asked to have them on. And that was that. It was truly just a matter of things being on his terms.
He is still my cuddliest child which I take advantage of on a daily basis. There is nothing quite like an Ander snug. He has started speaking a lot more and he loves to dance, especially when we have dance parties, he always grabs whatever is near (a water bottle, spoon, shoe) and plays air guitar like a rockstar.
Ander remains a natural problem solver. In example, when Nathan took him to the eye Dr. in the U.S. and there was a projector putting images on the wall and Ander had to say what they were, like, tree, car, horse etc. The images continued to get smaller and eventually it got so small that Ander turned around and looked at the projector to see what the image was. The Dr. chuckled and said, "I think your problem is that he's just smart."
He's your typical boy as far as being active and physical, and he freaks everyone out when he jumps in a pool without hesitation. He calls himself Nemo. He is also a big eater, his favorite food since he was about 11 months old is a spicy Thai Curry. And last but not least, he is surprisingly gentle with Scarlett, helping her keep her balance as she learns to walk and always stopping to give her kisses.
Seriously, this boy is one of a kind. We love the dynamic he brings to our family. Cutest cross eyed 3 year old EVER. Love him!

Scarlett Turns One!

Our little tradition of waking up the birthday child with the whole family singing to them is a fun one. Scarlett was so surprised and looking around like she was confused why we were all in there but then she broke into a big ol grin. Hopefully she understood this day was going to be special.

 We all gathered around to watch Scarlett get her first taste of real deal American sugar and chocolate. But she ended up being more like Kennedy was, not real interested in getting her little fingers messy. After I smooshed her hand in the cake she was a bit distressed and quit using it altogether.

 Instead she would lean forward and try and get a taste without using her hands. She kept us pretty entertained.

 I took 24 pictures of her in this adorable dress, just trying to get one good one. 24. I counted. So hopefully between the ones I am posting, you can get the general idea of the cuteness. It's fluffy and full and too adorable.

 Scarlett has been a sweet little baby girl. She is developing normally, if not louder than usual. Happy or sad, you are gonna hear about it. She sucks her ring and middle finger and likes the same pink silky blanket that Aly imprinted on (and Ander too, truth be told) and crawls around the house pretty confidently. At her first birthday she was starting to pull herself up and get her balance and now,  a month later, she is taking her first steps... and getting her first bumps :(

Lately as she has been working hard on mobility, she sticks her little tongue out A LOT, in this little gesture of concentration. My mission is to catch this in a picture or video asap. It's pretty dang cute. Just like my newly minted one year old. I am so grateful she is a part of our family.

First Day of School 2012

Here Comes 

By: Shel Silverstien

Here comes summer,
Here comes summer,
Chirping robin, budding rose.
Here comes summer,
Here comes summer,
Gentle showers, summer clothes.
Here comes summer,
Here comes summer-
Whoosh- shiver- there it goes.

Kennedy starting 4th grade with Mr. Hudson

 Kohen set up this too cool for school pose for his picture. He is starting 2nd grade with Mr. Kowalec.

Aly starting 1st grade with Mrs. Walters

 At the bus stop, bright and early at 7am. 

Our little lane has plenty of kids to fill up the bus.

I have always loved Shel Silverstein and "Here Comes" is one of my favorite poems because it exactly expresses how summer is so anticipated but over in the blink of an eye. We don't get the shiver around here quite as much but the bus whisking my kids off to their first day of school is as tell tale as anything. We are off to a great start this year. Love these hard learning kids.