Group Photos Hua Hin

 Whoa...four smiling kids....almost.

Family Fun Photo:

O and T...blue eyed boys

All the kiddos minus Gabrielle

Soph and E

H and Bella

Running, Date nights. Chinese New Year

 I knew GM would run with me if I asked. We have now run together in several different countries. We ran about 4 times and got lost about 3. Even with our phones and GPS that wasn't quite working.

The first run we stopped a few times because of dogs surrounding these Buddhas. When we came out on the other side, the sign said it was a dog shelter. Not a place I want to run through in Thailand (highest case of Rabies in the world). Our last run we got way off track because of a simple fork in the road and our jabbering mouths. GM speaks Thai, thankfully. We ended up at a little shop and the lady said: "why you so far from home?" Good question.

We took off in the right direction but ended up getting on the back of a moto with a gray haired ex-pat from Czechoslovakia. His English was not great, but he seemed harmless. Aren't we glad we hitched a ride, because we were far from home! My running App gave me a pr in my last few kilometers, just don't tell it I wasn't running!

We celebrated Chinese New Year! The M family was way more prepared than we were for this and even gave our kids 'red envelopes' with money.

It is the year of the sheep or goat, or sheepgoat, you decide.

 

We also had double date nights. We did leave our littles at home and went into town. We had strict protocols, The older girls helped. Baby G was already down. We would leave around 7:30 and come back to a house of sleeping kids. Not kidding. 

We look a little tipsy in this photo, I assure we are not.

Date nighting with these two is loads of fun, we uncovered many topics and laughed a lot, listened a lot, and shared our own tales.

On actual New Year's day we went to Black Mountain water park. I took NO pictures. It was awesome for our kids, and quite hard for Gabrielle. Tobin and Bella did a BIG slide on a tube and loved it. I got to do all the slides since I am not pregnant this go round. And we even did a 'wipe out' course in the lake nearby. We then met up with the M's friends also on vacation and ended up leaving their kids (six)with ours (5+4) (except one) at the house, while we went to dinner on the beach as three couples and their 16-year old. Another date night. We came back earlier that night, bigger kids still awake, as anticipated, but everyone safe and sound. LOVE a community of responsible kids helping each other out.
(we don't trust just any one to watch our kiddos, and we pay babysitters well!)

Back to the pool: Love this;

O and Tobin armed and ready:

The yard

 The clothes dryer: line drying

Up stairs to two more bedrooms not attached.

the balcony

 The views!!!

More Hua Hin Days

 Pool play, daily!

Movie nights, or movie afternoons: often. This was Swiss Family Robinson and was only on our computer so they had to crowd to watch the little screen. An Oldie but goodie.

Baby G did play in the water.

Bella started unsure but resumed her fish like swimming fast.

yes, momma was there too, "will you snap a photo of me so my kids will know I was there!"

No coffee pot? No problem. We became baristas.

 Dave's turn. Makes a mean cup of Joe.

mid-day read aloud and down time.

 night time performances in the girls' room

HuaHin, Thailand with 13

Last time we vacationed with the M family, this little squeaky girl was in my belly. She is communicating some, her personality is coming out, and a lot of times it comes out in squeals and screams. Let's hope they will vacation with us again. It really wasn't too bad, look at that grin!!!

This time we rented a house, on the cheap. And it was about 15 minutes from the main beach, but had its own good sized pool that was perfect, one depth throughout and not too deep, plus a little jacuzzi pool too. And this house was super cheap, especially when splitting it with another family.

Sophia and H wrangle the alligator. We did see one snake, many geckos, and many other bugs, but no real surprises.

We bought groceries, and often ate lunch out if we had gone to the beach.

We went back to the mall and ate pizza and Dairy Queen...G loves the cone.

Tobin loves the mess

Sophia loves the photo opp, Bella, the silly. This is a fave photo.

 Tobin and O are close in age and had fun together.

 E and Bella are close in age also.

 This screen door was a literal life-saver. "Please let me play too!"

TukTuks and Sticky Rice

Our kiddos would have been content to drive around all day in a tuk tuk (a three wheel motorcycle type thing invented for tourists, I think). We had about 12 doctor's appointments in two days so we did ride on a tuk tuk or two but we also grabbed a taxi too.

various meats on a stick, dee Lish. With sticky rice. Love.

And after doing so well at the dentist of all places,

 We went to Krispy Kreme! Sugar up those clean teeth.

Once a year my friends, if that.

Loss of Baa Baa and other travel tales

The day we left for our return, the girls and I had to catch a bus at 3:30 a.m.
Yes, people actually drive at that hour.

We sat in the Starbucks at the Bangkok airport while the girls watched the entire Frozen movie and I typed up my notes of all I had learned at the Homeschool conference.

After those two hours we switched venues, read-aloud some, and started texting with David around 7:30 a.m.

We reunited with David, Tobin, and Gabrielle in the middle of a gazillion people trying to get to their check-in counters. Gabrielle loved on me and then scratched my face in anger, leaving a nice little mark on my nose.

Toddler G is at a very difficult travel stage, so these plane rides were interesting, and mostly uneventful. It was great to be together as a family again.

Then tragedy struck. Getting on our flight home Tobin could not find his 'Baa Baa'. We thought we knew where it was, I ran back to look, but it was gone. Gone. This, for him, is like losing your favorite puppy. He was sad.

We used diversion tactics, told him he was becoming a big boy earlier, and all that jazz. But that night at home David had to lay down with him. He wasn't hysterical, just sad. And really, we all were, because he was so sincere in his love for BaaBaa.

Night two, crying ensued. At this point, because I was coming down with my flu, and things were in chaos we offered him alternatives, ones he had rejected before. This time he took 'bear bear' a blankey just like baabaa but a bear, an easy substitution. David and I said we wouldn't do it, but we caved. And Tobin sleeps well again.

Also upon arrival home. During some unpacking and before my sickness, our house helper came over to tell me she was quitting, Going with her husband to work in another province. Leaving the next day. Niiice. But to her credit, she found a replacement. She started today and I have been too sick to train her. But she is here and helping, and what a blessing.

Home. Sick.

We are home!
All my intentions of unpacking, organizing, starting a new home school semester, and planning for time with Poppy and CC came to a halt after one day when I came down with the flu, or whatever gunk various people had at our conference.

David met someone whose kid had fever/chills five days, they thought it was Dengue, but probably just the flu. If mine follows suit I have two more days. Yes, Tylenol does help, but read your labels, folks. I just read you should not take more than six in a day. OOPS. David has quarantined me to our bedroom and wondered if in midnight delirium I may O.D. But I have not. Though the mid-night delirium is not far off. When my fever broke last night you could literally ring out my clothes from my sweat. Was that TMI? I just don't know any more. This whole post could be a mid-fever-what-the-heck-is-she-babbling-about kind of thing. This is the first day my brain has even had any flow of actual thought, it is day 3. Don't give her a computer, people!

But I did get my computer! So I can actually try to do SOMETHING: Menu plan. Retreat plan. Blog. Email. Stare at screen while listening to David do some masterful parenting. That is not sarcasm, I am serious, I texted him and told him so!

The blog journal of our escapades last month will commence soon...watch out, they may be unedited.