It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas...

Our complex staff has been working hard to transform our neighborhood into a winter wonderland... our kids are delighted!

but we do live in the city and there are some effects of pollution... or is that radioactivity from the north?

We did get out to Tienmu to see a live Nativity production on Sunday night... it was well done with a real horse and some angels in the night sky, so the kids were able to see the Christmas story unfold. Hunter was right into it... and he loved playing on the stage with the baby Jesus when it was over.

Yes, it is Christmas time... time to enjoy the ones you love, time to reflect on the One who loves you. We hope you make it merry!

Tony's Bike Race

So... after a few months of Saturday rides and mid-week training, Tony participated in his first cycling competition in years! We decided to make it into a family event, so we got the kids up and out of the house by 6am and packed into vans from the Howard's Bike Shop. While baba was out working his tail off, mama was kicking back drinking coffee and eating donuts while two other women took care of the kids... okay... there wasn't a drip of coffee nor anything that resembled a donut, but there were two other women who helped take care of the kids for a couple of hours and that was like a mini-vacation. Tony enjoyed the race, the kids only melted down when we got home, so all in all it was a really good day out! Especially thanks to Judy & Jennifer!!!

For more photos (mostly of the kids) check out this website:
http://album.blog.yam.com/coliformskimo

We're looking pretty chipper at 6.15am with no coffee (do I sound like an addict? really, I rarely even drink the stuff, it just sounds like the thing you're supposed to do on early morning outside adventures). Judy, covered by Hunter's seat, was one of the women who hung out with us during the race... she was really good with the kids... I should get her number, hmmmm...

Tony's flash bike with a little hand that's not supposed to be touching...

My hunk of a husband (can I say that on here?)

Like our swim events, there were heaps of cyclists (over 600) so this is the first group to get started... can you see Tony?!?

There he is..
Then once they took off, that was the end of that... we spent the rest of our time at the playground.

She sure is a little princess, but not your ivory tower kind... she's a slide-climbing, rock-eating, tree-hugging (just kidding) variety... she's a real go-getter!

and I love the little tongue action these days... it's just so darn cute!!! (notice the rocks in her hand... maybe she's just licking her lips in preparation)

Here's the happy family congratulating baba on his completion of the 42km ride... well done, Tony!!!

Daniel is another Kiwi that Tony's met up with and he's been really helpful with training programs and motivation.

Here's our 'team' enjoying a Chinese feast after the big ride.

A Spontaneous Streak...

Strangely, the first couple of weeks in December were left unplanned... no doctors appointments, no scheduled playdates... basically I'd wake up in the morning and ask Hunter "what should we do today?" and then we'd either do it or not... and you know, it was great! I think because I'm usually such a planner - you know the kind with list upon list of things that need to get done, people you want to see, projects you want to start - that there was something somewhat freeing about not having to go or do anything. So we actually got all the chores done (well, the typical things that need to be done for everyone's health and basic hygiene) and had a bit of spontaneous fun...

We went to pick up Tony from work one night and Hunter picked out his Chinese New Year outfit (thanks, Nicholas)... you should've seen the looks he got along the street, but hey, even the kids should get some spontaneity too.

Having already spent a lunchtime watching the excavators (see the entry "Cheap Entertainment"), Hunter wanted to have lunch at the airport... what the heck, let's do it...

Well, of course I forgot about tighter restrictions so in fact we couldn't eat our lunch and watch the planes arriving/departing because you have to have a ticket (or at least it seemed like you had to) to get into the boarding gate waiting area. So we ended up having a picnic outside on an absolutely gorgeous day! This fountain provided a bit of entertainment in between the two take-offs we did see (and hear) from the distance. I think we will go back when it gets warm again... it's a nice MRT ride and this fountain area is quite comfy and safe enough for the kids to hang out in.

We were fascinated by the sculptures hanging from the ceiling in the MRT station...

and the ride to and from has the best view of the tarmack... so all in all, it was a fine little outing... I'm just glad I didn't wait for a rainy day to discover this was not a rainy day activity.

That same day, after naps, we got a call from Suzanne saying they were on their way to the sandpit... well, spontaneously we joined them... and the kids had a blast (playing with their friends and making new ones... it's all about who's got the most interesting sand toys)!

And though it was a stunner of a day, there was a chill in the air, so we moms had our fleeces on while our kids were barefoot in the sand.

Since we've been talking up our trip to NZ, Hunter kept asking about going camping... so I decided to let him 'practice' by taking our tent out to Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall park. Again, I packed up a lunch, some books and a couple of toys and we walked over to the park ready for a big adventure. The kids played with the other local kids nearby and then we decided it was time for lunch. Hunter could've stayed in his tent all day... Helena, however, wanted nothing to do with being restricted inside... she's an intrepid explorer. I even had to zip us in at one stage, but I was sweating up a storm (isn't it supposed to be winter, you're wondering?) so that was the end of our camp out...

but we had fun on the walk home taking pictures at the Yahoo! display near NYNY.

That is one other perk about living in the city, there's plenty of marketing bits and pieces that keep the streets interesting.

Hunter did not want to sleep in his room... in fact, he seemed to be refusing to sleep at all until I ignored him long enough that he just fell asleep on the office floor while I was working on something (not this blog)...

Our unscheduled streak finally ended on Thursday with our regularly scheduled Playgroup... thanks ladies for giving me something to look forward to and actually get back to the reality that there are timeframes in life... worthwhile ones at that!

Cheap Entertainment

We've almost managed to escape living on this side of town without any major construction projects right near our apartment - but just this past week they've started tearing down a building at the local high school which happens to be on our side of the apartment complex so now we've got what most people in the area have had - noise, dust and a bit of vibration... but we also have CHEAP ENTERTAINMENT for two little kids and a free-fun loving mom!!! We've been stopping to look as we've walked to the supermarket or 7-11, but today I purposely packed our lunches and we went to watch the big machines in action!!! One of the kids LOVED it... the other enjoyed her lunch and me taking pictures of her! I don't think this will be the last time we do lunch here!




We had prime seats right in front of the real estate office and the opening to the project... where else could you find such seats!!!

Okay, we enjoyed lunch there so much, a few days later I packed up breakfast!! Are we addicts or what?!?

With all this male machinery, what could possibly make Hunter cry so hysterically???

The naughty dog that snatched his breakfast sandwich right from his hand then slopped it up right in front of him as to rub it in!!! We've been talking about the 'naughty dog' ever since... and believe me, if we see that dog again I have half a mind to give it a good spank for making my son cry so hard...

Here's the view from our balcony while I'm hanging laundry... hanging laundry with all this going on outside - no wonder why we're sneezing a bit more lately!

To tell you the truth, I think I'm just as fascinated by these machines as Hunter is... I'm beginning to see how "Transformers" got their inspiration.

And as a side note, this little lovely girl brought her little headband to me this morning to put in her hair - it's the first time she's worn it without complaint or removal! How funny is that - she's not even 18months yet and she's got her own fashion sense! That's nuts!!!

We Are Thankful For................................

absolutely so much!!! Our home here, friends who are family, family who are friends, opportunities to learn and grow, work, church, travel opportunities, bikes, playgrounds, MRT elevators, newly flattened curbs/ramps, comfortable weather, the stroller raincover, delivered water, 7-11, the grocery man, Lin Xinsheng, generous neighbors, skype, Costco outings, Helena's predictable naps, Hunter's occasional naps, BSF, construction work nearby... the list goes on and on...

We celebrated Thanksgiving Day on Thursday with 2 celebrations! The "big party", as Hunter & I called it, was a lunch adaptation of traditional classics (you got it, turkey sandwiches) with the Playgroup friends... we had at least 12 women each with at least 1 child over for lunch!!! As we sat around eating, we told each other what we were thankful for regarding either Taiwan, our husbands or our children... it was fun to hear the comments around the room... but that's why I love Thanksgiving... it's a time to reflect and really adjust our attitudes towards gratefulness and what we have been blessed with rather than complacency or complaining. If only everyday were thanksgiving... well, actually, I don't think my "healthy lifestyle" can handle Thanksgiving every day... we did get our share of feasting in.

So celebration #2 was a buffet dinner at the American Club! New friends Andy & Christily invited us to join them for this festive occasion so we met up on the MRT and rode out together past the airport (if he had his way, Hunter would've stopped there and waited for us to finish dinner) and then enjoyed a pre-dinner brisk walk to the club. It was a delicious meal (though I must say I ate more fish than turkey) and good company... and even the kids were sitting still so we could actually talk. We didn't completely 'roll' home, but we did eat enough to make it feel like a holiday!

The Thanksgiving Crew!

Thanks, Andy & Christily, for a great evening... we really enjoyed it!

Bringing Home The Bacon

Well, Helena's starting to earn her keep around here with her modeling jobs... just kidding... she doesn't really make that much money for doing it, but it is something scheduled once in a while and it gets us out of the house to a different part of town. This photo shoot was at a bigger studio so Hunter came along. I was a bit nervous about managing both of them, but she was so busy either being photographed or being changed into the next set of clothes that she was pretty occupied... and Hunter... well, he always finds ways of keeping himself busy. Thankfully there was another boy Helena's age alternating with her so while Helena was on, Hunter was chatting with Leo. Overall, it was a smooth day and I was so relieved that the kids held it together throughout the bus rides as well! Well done, Helena & Hunter!!!

I guess I'd cry too in an outfit that made me look like a cow-girl...

or a clown?

But the Minnie Mouse look was actually kinda cute! This was the same designer that Hunter modelled for last year this time - the ridiculous "Rock n Roll" summer (for kids?!?!)... so yeah, we wouldn't be rushing to the shop to buy these but they make for cute photos.

So one thing Hunter found entertaining were the collection of make-up brushes. I ran one across his face (since he wouldn't really get that opportunity at home with my sporadic make-up wearing) and he got all tickly... we had to put them away because he thought they felt so funny.

Then halfway through the shoot he just jumped up to the piano like he knew what he was doing and began to pound out a few notes... it was loud, but kinda cool to see him so confidently setting about it. He especially liked it when Daphne Jie Jie came to play with him.

A Little Too Much Excitement

Last Thursday we went to the Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony at the Taipei Hyatt Hotel... it started out to be a very pleasant evening - the kids loved the choir, the tree, the crowds... but when the official lighting took place and the canons went off with balloons and streamers falling from the sky - both of the kids absolutely FREAKED OUT - screaming, crying, yelling in Chinese "I want to go outside" over and over... Who would've thought it'd be such a high tech production? Who would've thought they'd react quite like that... but they did get to get a little gift from Santa and Hunter even got to eat a candy so I think all's even now!

Clark Catch Up

For some reason I've just been slack in updating this blog... it could be because I've been busy trying to publish the first few years of the blog into a photo album... it could be because I've been doing my BSF homework during 'naptime'... it could be there hasn't been a whole lot to update about... NAW... it definitely isn't that - I'm leaning toward the fact that Hunter is not as predictible in his nap routine lately and is actually trying to make himself comfortable on the office floor while I do this now - I won't be here long!

On a non-rainy Saturday in November the kids and I went out to Marlin's school for my 4th school festival!!! It's hard to believe this will be my last... but it was a fun morning seeing her students and letting the kids get their pictures taken with those brave enough to ask in English (Marlin's the English teacher so there's some motivation there).

Hunter thought the "money" stickers would look better on Uncle Richard.

As with any well planned school fair, the military showed up with a bit of promotional material... Hunter found this guy interesting...

but Helena was downright scared!!!!

The kids & I had passed Outback Steakhouse several times through the month and saw they had an anniversary sale on steaks - $299NT for a sirloin steak meal - so I got Hunter to ask baba to take us out to steak. It was pretty cute hearing him say "Baba, I want steak!"... and you should've seen how excited we were all day preparing for our big steak dinner. Too bad Tony ended up working a bit later and we were pretty much finished with our meal by the time he arrived to join us... nonetheless, we all enjoyed our beef quota for the week!!!

Tony & I decided a while ago that we need to get out more - just the two of us! So we've sucked it up and found a couple of folks who can babysit for us and help out around the house a bit so we can have a "Date Night"... our first of such nights, however, we chose to spend with some friends from our cellgroup at a delicious Indian restaurant in Tien Mu...

Excited to be out of the house, Tony even prepared some entertainment for our group... Tony the Incredible Magician turned up and learned a few things from Richard & Edu about his delivery... Yes, I guess we do need to get out more!

In October, Hunter started hanging from the bars by himself... way to go! And now he slides down the pole like Fireman Sam or Uncle Matt - the tricky part is that I should be standing closer to him while he's showing off his new skills, but Helena has her own interests at the playground as well... so... hopefully he'll be okay!

We also try to get down to the putting green a couple of times a week down in our courtyard... Hunter loves his 'golpclups' Grandpa gave him and has already thrashed the carrying case and lost all the balls... so we use ping pong balls instead! He's even gotten the ball into the hole a few times, but most of the time I'm a bit nervous he's going to whack Mei mei in the face as he's a bit more like a baseball player.

She's lovely... she loves to get out there too and have a whack!!! She's more than just a pretty girl on the sidelines... that's for sure!

Speaking of whack... Helena had her first black eye in October... she tripped over me while we were playing on the floor and landed on a space station... bummer! Thankfully it missed her eye!!! And thankfully it was the week before her second photo shoot!

In the journey toward greater health, I borrowed my friend's juicer - Hunter was my assistant - and loved his job more than his product! But you can tell by his little green moustache that he did occasionally drink the healthy elixir!!!