1. It's a good thing I am secure in the knowledge of Jonathan's absolute love for his mommy, because 9 times out of 10 when I ask for a kiss he shakes his head "no" and goes on being busy doing whatever it is he's been doing. Vivienne, on the other hand, will lift her face to be kissed 9 times out of 10 when asked -- and she often lifts it up repeatedly for kisses. The happy-joy dance when I got back from America, however, left no doubt at all about this little boy's love for his mommy.
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| And, of course, he loves his daddy, too. |
2. Maybe girls really are sweeter than boys. This past week, Vivienne has been waking up with yet more mosquito bites each and every morning all over her face and body whereas Jonathan, who sleeps in the same room, has none. Mosquitoes are more a winter thing here in Taiwan, but I've definitely still seen some around recently so I guess no one has told them that. My poor little girl looks like she's been breaking out in adolescence pimples about a decade or so too early, but other than that, they don't seem to be actually bothering her at all. (Jonathan's more a heat/diaper rash boy himself. Ah, the joys of living in a tropical summer.)
(Update: It now looks like the "bites" are pimples as Vivienne's skin re-adjusts to the hot and humid Taiwan summer after two dry, cold weeks in America. At any rate, it's not bugging her at all and should clear up soon, and it's nice to know she's not being eaten alive every night. She's still a super sweet kid, though.)
(Update: It now looks like the "bites" are pimples as Vivienne's skin re-adjusts to the hot and humid Taiwan summer after two dry, cold weeks in America. At any rate, it's not bugging her at all and should clear up soon, and it's nice to know she's not being eaten alive every night. She's still a super sweet kid, though.)
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| The sweetest face in the house, before the most recent mosquito attack. |
3. Speaking of tropical summers, the rainy season is on us in earnest now, and Jonathan is not a fan -- at least, he's not a fan of the sound the heavily falling rain makes on the air-conditioning unit in his room. If it's relatively early when the rain comes, he's allowed to sit up on daddy's lap for a while until it passes. Last night, however, it came at 4 am (a time daddy and mommy would rather be sleeping), and even his music, Baby Giraffe & Co., pacifier, and overhead light were no match for the tears. As a last resort, we put him to bed with the iPad. Apparently, Mickey and Dora videos and various puzzles and games chase the fear of rainstorms away and everyone ended up getting the sleep they needed -- but I think it's going to be a long, long rainy season.
(While I'm doing updates, we managed two rain-wake-ups last night without iPad therapy, so maybe there is hope for the rainy season.)
(While I'm doing updates, we managed two rain-wake-ups last night without iPad therapy, so maybe there is hope for the rainy season.)
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| The most spoiled kids on the block -- on our recent trip to America, grandpa got Vivienne her own iPad (though mommy gets most use of it). Aren't I lucky. Now I can listen to two different episodes of Dora at once. |
