Our Thursday playgroup has been a highlight for me and the kids ever since Hunter was about 9 months old! Not only did it provide us with friendship and playmates, information and inspiration - it also provided me with an outlet to connect people to each other and exercise hospitality - two things that I realize God has placed in me to work out his love. Without this opportunity, I probably would've been a bit unhappy or felt unsatisfied during my life as a mom in Taipei. I believe we each have our own unique personalities, gifts and talents and that when we don't exercise those giftings we can just feel a bit 'off' or 'purposeless'. Well, facilitating this group was a blast and I really enjoyed the ladies and children who have been part of our lives through it.... so this was going to be a somewhat sad good-bye for me. On the last Thursday in May, we met at our apartment building for our last Hoorah! It was an all out madhouse since it did rain a bit... but what's that in Taipei - we expect it?!? We did get outside for some of it... We had a pizza party with enough food to feed an army... plus all the fruit and snacks... (and my attempt to have the kids make icecream by kicking a can around with all the ingredients - total flop! but fun to watch). WOW... we made a bunch of noise (and mess) in our lobby, but one of the residents thought it was so cool to see so many moms and kids gathered that she brought down some treats for the kiddos... how generous (this was after we were asked to move from our side of the foyer because we were too loud). The kids rode their bikes - inside and out... and then Cynthia presented me with a super cool scrapbook made by the moms as a memorial to our times together!!! Really, super touching and such a great present...
Rachel and her two - Micah and Caleb - braved the commute to say good-bye...
It was Michael's birthday too, so Hunter and Hilo wore their matching shirts (unfortunately Mikey's too far up the slide to notice his is the same) in honor of their buddy!
Then we just had to try... we had to try to capture one last large group photo of the kids... oh baby, what a process...
If anybody actually got a good one, I'd love a copy... but anyway - we can see most of our friends somewhere on the slide!!!
Suzanne made a non-birthday Thomas cake for Michael and Hunter... I think Hunter wants something like this for real on his next birthday - we'll see if I can muster up the guts to try...
After the mess was tidied up we made it back outside for a bit more steam burning... Ellie, Tilly and Hunter found a slice of nature in the big city - caterpillars!!! Just keep it off your skin... you may get caterpillar dermatitis!!! (Really, I got something itchy called that on my tummy last year, the doc said some caterpillar fuzz must've got in my laundry... yikes!!! And that was from the 7th floor of an apartment... what will happen on the NZ laundry line!?!?)
Farewell, Conrad... enjoy Taipei!!!
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