Typhoon Day

This has nothing to do with the post below.  I just think she's cute.
I would have posted it at the end, but having tried 3 or 4 times unsuccessfully
I am just giving in to blogger which seems to think this picture should be at the top.

 When I was little, we looked forward to snow days.  Now here in Taiwan it's typhoon days that give that little extra, unexpected holiday.  Kaohsiung doesn't usually get the worst of the typhoons and all the building here are strong and safe, so mostly it means holing up inside or going over to a nearby friend's house and enjoying the fact that you don't have to go out in the rain -- or, if you do venture out to visit someone or pick up some food, there's a comfy snug living room waiting at the other room and not a room full of noisy little kids who have been cooped up inside all day.  Yeah, it means a day's wages down the drain, but snow days meant an extra day at the summer end of things so nothing is without its price.

Jonathan hangs out in his basket on this typhoon day and enjoys his
very own milk tea (bought so mommy can enjoy her latte in peace).

Of course, here in Babyland, Typhoon Days mean family days.  Often they involved a few tears (infant and parental), but usually they are more fun then not.  Today hasn't been too bad so far.  Jonathan and daddy had a good round of "Ah!  You got there first!" which involves daddy's computer chair.  Jonathan runs up and sits down in it and daddy makes a big deal about it and then bodily removes the boy.  While daddy is making his way back to the chair, Jonathan runs by and sneaks on, thus prompting daddy's response of "Ah!  You got there first!"  Of course, the only problem with this game is the dispute over regulation length between the player and the daddy.  One thinks it should go on indefinitely, whereas the other things 6 rounds earns him a break -- and I bet you can figure out for yourself who is on which side of the debate.  Jonathan, of course, got really angry when daddy actually managed to get there first and wanted to remain seated.

(And now, a message from Vivienne Irene, who really, really wants to type -- or, at least, to sit on the laptop's computer: 
vrb           y µ© ÷ºπ f
What a precocious child.  Even mommy doesn't know how to type half those symbols.  I wonder what keys she sat on.)

The best part of the typhoon day was that the kids' free toy arrived at the nanny's house and she made a special trip out in the rain just to bring it to them.  I'm not sure how it is in the US or UK, but in Taiwan, if you buy multiple packs of diapers/nappies at a time (or cans of formulas) most stores have free give aways, often fun little battery operated made-in-China toys, which are fun in their way, but having bought A LOT of nappies and formula cans this past year and a half, we're rather drowning in them.  And so, a few months back I was very excited to notice what I thought was a really good deal at Costco.  They were selling Huggies Gold (our favorite brand) in huge boxes of three packs, and it looked like they had a special offer.  Now, since everything is in Chinese, I can't always tell with these things, but it looked like if you bought six huge boxes of diapers, you could send away for a really cool, well-made free toy worth having.  I figured that Costco has good prices on things and regardless of whether or not we managed to get the toy we would have to buy the diapers anyway, so we would give it a go and if it didn't work, all we would lose in the deal is a few extra cheap, made-in-China toys, which I could like with.  Of course, only having a scooter meant multiple trips to Costco and some creative bungie cording over the course of a month, but I did it.  

Just some of our nappies
waiting to be used.
(We bought six of those big, red boxes.)

Then came the fun part.  I collected the proof of purchase cards from the six boxes and asked the nanny to help me figure out how to send away for it.  She can read Chinese but couldn't figure it out.  She sent me to Costco to ask.  I didn't understand some of what they were telling me, but it looked like they didn't really know much more than what was on the card either.  So I went back to the nanny who then took the cards to Costco to ask herself.  Finally, it seemed like she figured it out, but the special was just while supplies lasted, so who knew if we were on time or not.  However, the nanny persevered and eventually she told me to expect the toy in a few weeks.  I wasn't going to get too excited until I actually saw it, but sure enough.  She called me up today saying it had just arrived, typhoon day and all, and that she was going to bring it over.  Which she did.

Jonathan got pretty excited when the nanny brought in this big, colorful box.

The nanny shows Jonathan how to use
the steering wheel panel.

It's called "Grow and Go Ride On" and it's designed to be used from 3 - 36 months, making it a pretty useful toy.  The top steering wheel panel has different songs and lights and phrases and can be detached, making it good for little babies.  Jonathan, however, gets really worried if it's not on the handle bars of the main body.  The two yellow curved parts on either side can be used either to make a rocker or to make a little bike out of it.  All the attachments are really easy for parents to change around (though I haven't yet gotten the hang of securing the side curved bits on the other way around to make it a rocker so we're just using it as a bike for now).  It doesn't really roll that well, but they have nothing else to compare it to, so they think it's great.  

Hey, Jonathan, can I see, too?

Even the box is cool, mommy.

It does pose the same problem the walker does.  Every time Jonathan sees Vivienne using it, he wants to try it, too, and this is NOT a bicycle built for two, so she sometimes gets a bit squished and upset.  However, she had her turn with it when he went down for a nap.

Vivienne gets her turn with our awesome
new typhoon day toy while Jonathan is napping.

Vivienne is demonstrating how the parts can be used separately.

Let's just say we had one pretty exciting typhoon day around here.  

Little blessings ...

What is the opposite of Murphy's Law?  What do you call it when you come so close to everything going wrong but it goes right instead?  I was thinking about this the other day.  Stephen was in the kitchen making Jonathan's bottle before bed.  (Yes, our 1 3/4 year old still takes a bottle -- and it's not even real milk.  It's formula.  And we put him to bed with it.  The mommy police have a warrant out for me, I'm sure.)  Jonathan and I followed him in there, and I asked Jonathan to give mommy a kiss.  Just as Jonathan stepped out of the way to give me a kiss, Stephen dropped the formula can or the bottle or some such thing in a very dramatic way exactly where Jonathan had been standing seconds before.

I thought of this again today.  As a parent, things are often chaotic.  Thank God we haven't yet lost Baby Giraffe or anything REALLY important.  (And I really mean thank God.  We've had at least one really close call with that one.)  But the first time we took Jonathan out to church we managed to lose my purse folding up the stroller in the dark as it was starting to rain, and who hasn't been out and found a really, really nasty nappy only to find shortly thereafter that the baby had removed all the diapers from the bag before you left the house?  (Fortunately when that happened to us I hadn't yet removed the old nappy and we were really close to home, but still ...)

But today, it worked out just right.  I usually get a piece of toasted sugar-butter-French-bread (loose translation) and a latte at the coffee shop across the street every "morning" (or at least, what passes here for morning).  I call down for it, and Stephen usually picks it up for me since he's nice like that (and I am the one up past dawn with Vivienne who takes night-owl-ism to a whole new extreme).  However, some days (like Tuesdays) Stephen is barely at home, what with church meetings and private teaching and his job, and if we can manage to get up and out (and find where Jonathan has left keys and shoes and other such things), I load the babies into their Cadillac (a.k.a. double stroller) and go pick up breakfast myself.  Then we stop at the Cultural Center to eat and usually head on to the playground in a near-by apartment complex.  (Or, today, mommy's Chinese isn't as clear as it could be, we get milk tea instead of coffee which Jonathan's "sip" turns into almost the whole cup while mommy is distracted talking to another mommy at the Cultural Center and we go back to get mommy's latte again before proceeding on to the playground by way of the really cute-and-cheap baby clothes sidewalk display, but you know how that goes.)

Today, the other mother I was talking to warned of rain, but we went on anyway.  After weeks of typhoon/tropical storm induced rains and thunderstorms, overcast counts as practically sunny.  At the playground, rumbles of thunder could be heard, but we had already made it so far, it seemed a shame to waste the trip.  Jonathan wasn't too into the playground today, but he ran around for a bit and then he and mommy went on the big, double bench swing where the first drops started to fall and I finally decided to heed the signs and start home, which was several blocks away.  Now, I had two umbrellas with me, but in a tropical downpour, I am not sure how much of the massive stroller we would be able to cover.  Fortunately, it barely rained the whole way home and the two canopies on the stroller were more than sufficient cover.  Shortly after returning home, the floodgates of heaven opened, but we were safe and sound.

It's so wonderful when everything that can go wrong doesn't.  I guess that's just when you say, "Thank you, Jesus,"  and count yourself as blessed.

Top Ten Updates from Babyland...

While there is still no sign of the long-awaited first word, there are still signs of progress in Babyland.  (OK, second word, but he's even stopped saying "bye-bye" because he finds a hand wave is sufficient.  Apparently he doesn't like redundancy.)  Here's a summary (for those who missed by Facebook status updates where all the real action occurs).

1.  Princess Vivienne has added the consonant "d" to her firmly established "b" -- which means 9 month old Vivienne is about halfway to where 21 month old Jonathan is speaking wise.  We're taking bets as to which will speak first, though you'll have to check with my husband as to the odds.  She has also figured out clapping.

I love her slightly-awkward movements next to Jonathan's confident ones.
It's great seeing her starting to doing things competently
and starting to express herself intentionally.

2.  Today, I spent about 20 minutes searching everywhere for my keys while the baby sat in the middle of the room screaming and Jonathan stood up in his stroller and proceeded to pull everything off the table with great glee.  Finally, in desperation, I pulled out the spare keys and shook them.  "Jonathan, do you know where Mommy's keys are?"  Giggling, he ran off into daddy's room ... and emerged with mommy's keys.  Houston, we have comprehension!  This kid could come in handy.  (Of course, I'm pretty sure he was the reason the keys were missing in the first place, but oh well.)

Jonathan reenacts his amazing find.

3.  Prince Jonathan has less hair than before and Princess Vivienne has more.  Last week I asked the nanny if she knew how to cut hair.  She seemed pretty uncertain about the idea, which is why I was pretty surprised to come home to a little boy with a rather short fringe/rather short bangs last night.  (See the picture above.  Now that's a lot of forehead.)  Truth be told, I would have kept the hair long in front, but I think he looks rather cute rocking' the hairstyle of a medieval monk (though if I come home and find him sporting a tonsure, I'm asking for my money back).  I'm a bit sad to have missed his first haircut, but whatcha gonna do?  At least people should stop asking if he's a girl.  As for Vivienne, Rapunzel, she 's not.  We still have a while to go before people will be sure about her gender, but at least we're seeing less and less scalp on top.  Until then, when I really don't feel like answering if she's a boy or a girl, it's super frilly dresses and hair bows to the rescue, which brings me to ...

Look, hair ... sort of.

4.  I finally got around to getting my anniversary/Mother's Day gift.  Does Taiwan have a different Mother's Day than America?  No.  It was May 13th.  It is now August, but that's just how we roll here in Babyland.  What was this amazing, incredible gift that took three months to arrive?  A guilt-free  shopping spree for Vivienne at my favorite day market that sells discounted Western brands of baby clothes, 'cause really, her clothes are so much more fun to buy than anyone else's.  You see, my love language is totally gift-giving (I guess -- I never actually read the book) and my husband's most decidedly is not.  So most of the time I tell him what I am going to go buy.  But the day market is, well, during the day (mostly morning), which is when everyone is asleep here in Babyland.  However, last Saturday after playing clapping games with the Princess of Babyland 'til about 7 am, the Queen was not at all sleepy.  (We had napped a bit together earlier.)  So I decided to stay up 'til 10 and sneak out.  The vendor even threw in two tank tops and some shorts for free (including the outfit she's wearing in her clapping picture above).  Here are some shots from our try-on/photo shoot session at home.  (Even the prince got a new shirt sporting BOTH FOOTBALLS in honor/honour of his dad.)

Although I mostly went with practical play clothes,
I did allow myself one proper princess dress.

If you look closely you'll notice this one says, "I want a pony."
I hope she's kidding.

5.  The King and Queen of Babyland had their first real date (that did not involve a hospital) in a really, really, REALLY long time.  We highly recommend the specials at T.G.I. Fridays followed by BATMAN!  (Thanks to the wonderful Duchess Katie Beth who came over to play with the royal children.)

6.  Jonathan has begun to point to things when asked, though not always the right things, making it all the funnier.  (Also, this is his cool new shirt with the two footballs.)

"Jonathan, show me Vivienne."
(He's pointing to the picture of the
baby in the book.)

"OK, now show me the mommy."
Um, not quite.

7.  The Prince's Taiwan adoption is ALMOST FINALIZED.  A social worker from the office his birth mother's father first visited came with his birth father's grandmother (who is the family member we have contact with) to follow up and to make sure the child is where they said he is.  We had a nice chat (I think -- it was all in Chinese), and I showed them the letters (which are also all in Chinese so we can't actually read them), and as suspected, we have the final declaration of the adoption from the court.  Now all we have left in Taiwan, I believe, is to switch his household registration (which we'll work on once Stephen and I have our renewed resident cards in hand, hopefully by the beginning of September), and then the fun begins.  USA and the UK.  Sigh.

8.  The Court Jester of Babyland Baby Giraffe (who keeps us all happy by keeping Jonathan happy) has gotten an official understudy in the person of Mr. Hippo, or Mr. Po, for short.  Now, there is no danger of Baby Giraffe being replaced any time soon (as is quite evident at bedtime), but we thought if he cuddled them together for a while we could have an extra one for on the road or if, God forbid, something happens to Baby Giraffe (and He has so far -- Baby Giraffe has had at least one really close call).  So, although Mr. Po does not yet bring about sweet, blissful sleep and is not able to stop the flow of tears, he has been seen being carried around the living room from time to time, and he has the same cool loop on the back, the purpose of which, apparently, is to hang it on your big toe.

Giraffe on toe

Hippo on toe

9.  The princess of Babyland has always been a momma's girl, and, although she can now STAND UP (usually with support, but occasionally all on her own), this changes nothing.  Vivienne's motto:  Baby Giraffe (or, in her case, Berry Bear) may be fine for Jonathan, but this baby ACCEPTS NO SUBSTITUTES when it comes to mommy.  There are definite times I feel like a glorified teddy bear/pacifier.  Nursing is all well and good, but I have to say, having had one of each, bottle feeding definitely has its advantages.

Lately I seem to have a bit of trouble walking.

10.  The queen of Babyland has a sewing machine!  I have no idea how to use it or where to set it up or when in the world I might get to use it (see number 9), but it's a start!  And it was free!  I asked a woman at church if I could come around to her house to use a sewing machine some day, and she said that someone had left her an old Singer I could have.  So it may not be the newest kid on the block, but I'm happy to have it and excited to relearn how to use it.  (Except for a few scrunchies to sell at the senior fair in high school, the last time I used a sewing machine was when I took sewing lessons with a woman at church when I was about 12, so it's been a while.)  Here's an exempt from the beginning of the manual: "You are about to begin an adventure in creativity:  You are going to sew!  And, you are going to sew with one of the easiest to use machines ever made.  The following features have been included on your machine, promising rewarding hours of uncomplicated sewing pleasure ..."  Well, I'm glad they're confident I'm going to figure this out at least.  I'll let you know if it's as uncomplicated as they make it out to be.  However, at the moment I am really trying to finish up a cross stitch project before Jonathan outgrows the shirt I'm stitching on, so no new projects until it's finished.

So how do you wind a bobbin again?

Somewhere in Philly, Betsy Ross is turning over in her grave.

Dinner chez MDivGirl (a tutorial)

OK, so recently I've discovered the wonderful world of blogs, and in this world their exists a smaller world: the wonderful world of pictorial tutorials (nice bit of internal rhyme there).  I have never actually made anything by following ow, but they are so much fun to read and to dream about the things you could be making if you weren't a human jungle gym.  So, here is my first attempt at writing a tutorial myself: Open-Faced Toasted Cheese Sandwiches, MDivGirl-style (a.k.a. Dinner in the House of Craziness).

1.  Make sure it is well after midnight when you finally get around to talking about dinner.

OK, so this is when dinner was over,
 but you get the idea.  It was late.

2.  Lay out two slices of bread on the toaster oven tray.  Go to the other room to get your camera because the sudden urge to make a spoof tutorial has overtaken you.  Forget to close the kitchen door.  Rescue the toaster tray and bread slices from the toddler and baby, minus a little bite off the edge.  Lay them on the tray again.

If you don't have a readily-available toddler,
feel free to take a nibble out of  the bread yourself
so it looks like mine in the picture.

3. Spread the bread with some sort of spreadable cheese.  Pictured here are my and my husband's favorites (from Costco), but any will do.

Cheese spreads ...

... spread cheese

4. Cut some grape tomatoes into thirds lengthwise and place them on top of the spreadable cheese.  (Or, cut whatever tomatoes you have however you want to and put them on top of the spreadable cheese.)  Sprinkle with herbs.  (Heck.  Use fresh herbs if you want, but I'm doing well just having a dried Italian spice mix from Costco.)

Before ...

... after.

5.  Glance at your children who are lurking outside the glass kitchen door.  Notice the toddler is feeding his sister the bread slice you gave him to pacify him back in step 2 when you stole back your bread slices.  Or rather, that the toddler, in keeping with his latest toddler phase, did not eat the bit of bread you gave him but rather ripped it up in small pieces and spit the partially chewed bits out on the floor which his sister is now eating.  Substitute with something more baby-friendly, like "stars" (a.k.a. Gerber Graduates Puffs.)

Vivienne and her stars

outside the kitchen door ...

... a.k.a. Gerber's Puffs

6.  Return to kitchen.  Cut up slices of a more melty-cheese for the top.  I used up the last of the Brie and sliced string cheese, neither of which really melt (and both from Costco), but you can do better than that, I'm sure.  (Although, for not actually melting, these taste great, so if you have them, go for it.)  Sprinkle some pepper and parmesan cheese on top.  (I'm sure real would be even better than the stuff in the green jar.)

Ready to go in.

My not-so-melty cheeses.

7.  Put in the toaster oven for five minutes or so.  Go deal with the worst nasty nappy/dirty diaper the baby has had in a really long time.  (No picture available.  I'm sure you're disappointed.)  Check on the toasted cheese sandwiches.  Put it on for another three minutes or so while the baby nurses to recover from the trauma she suffered having her nappy changed.  Finally get around to taking out the slices and put on plates.

Coming out of the oven.
Notice the non-melted state
of my non-melty cheese.

These are plates.  Or dishes.
Or shallow bowls?  Not sure really.

8. Optional step: Drink.  (One day before)  Brew a cup of your favorite tea.  (My personal favorite is Jordan Pond Tea from Acadia National Park that my mother sends me most years, but use what you like.)  Go take care of your baby and never go back to the kitchen.  Notice the tea sitting on the counter the next night and drink a few sips during steps 1 - 9.  Take what's left and throw it in a cup with a capful of lemon juice concentrate and a few ice cubes.  Take it out to the living room and put it next to your pretty looking sandwich for your toddler to admire.

Poor, abandoned tea

Now we're ready, huh.

Jonathan stakes his claim.
He thinks that all drinks belong first and foremost to him.

9.  Eat the toasted cheese slices.  Or, rather, watch your husband enjoy his (even though, as he points out, they'd be better with some ham).  Watch your toddler pick at yours, only to have him spit out what he eats.  Pick up your toast to save it from your toddler.  Watch your toddler sneak off to the other side of the table with your cup of tea while you are busy with the toast.  Watch him continue past the end of the table and drop your tea on the floor.  Be glad that it mostly fell on Daddy's (dark colored) shirt that was waiting for new buttons.  Pick up the glass with a tiny bit left in it.  Watch the toddler try it and reject it ('cause remember, it's bitter tea and sour lemon with no sugar added).  Drink the one sip of ice tea that remains and realize that really, you're not missing much since it was reconstituted lemon juice and not real lemon anyway.  Give up eating together.  Grab your toasted cheese and retreat to the bedroom to begin your blog.

Happy daddy enjoys his sandwich
despite the lack of meat.

Jonathan's one sip

10. Many hours later, after bedtime and nursing and other such things, pour yourself a glass of ice tea from the bottle, find the last Mint Milano and enjoy.  Whew.  No wonder we usually eat out/get take-away.

Mmm ... Costco to the rescue again.

Vivienne eyes mommy's snack.

All's well that ends well ... and what better end to a diner tale can there be than cookies?  And so ...

A cookie of her own.

THE END