Euphony

birds, Bach, U2, Josh,
"chance of blizzard in Japan"
...all, music to me.

Our Lousy Timing

Snow blankets Paris,
the Alps, Rockies and Mitten.
Japan, not yet. Urggh.

93 Blasted Degrees

Apologies for weather reporting, but it's so stinking (literally) hot today, as it has been most every day since reporting Thai winter's arrival.  Ha. That lasted less than a week, then poof... back to the oven. Using one of Al's recent vocab words, I implore winter to return. Half of the locals say it should return for a bit, and the other half say those 5 wonderful days will be all the winter we feel this year.

So we make lemonade & head to the beach. Enjoyed another lovely island (Kohn Sak) this Thanksgiving while at a work function Saturday.

Tropical ice breakers

Happy to report we were not aboard the above SS Minnow which sank some time ago.

While kids played reindeer games, I went exploring on my own.

Found a little fixer-upper with a sweet, billion baht view from its LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

Christmas flowers

Visiting vandals take to the ever flourishing cactii

A little patch of aloe vera running rampant... pale, as it was just rainy season, but cactus does well here

En route to island, we stopped at a floating barge in the bay...

... where we let complete strangers strap our youngest...

...to a parasail.

Just as she was taking off, the guy helping her Mary Lou Rettoned his way to sit above... impressive and wild and pretty sure back in the US there's some kind of OSHA law against his gravity defying technique

Ry taking in Pattaya over the Gulf of Thailand

LOVED it

Al went solo after a long wait... cute little kiddos got to go first, cute big kiddos went to back of line with the rest of Thailand.

No homework today!!!

Loved it as well.

In other news, Al (Lane 2) had her first swim meet in over a year.  She's admittedly not in her Holland Aquatic days shape, but still gorgeous to watch flying through water.

Riley enjoying her hamster

Al's gang... 7th grade is divided into 2 groups, and this is hers

Riley sandwiched between two of the cutest (and smartest) kiddos in Asia.

Sigh... yet another sunset dinner by the sea

Dined with some of Rob's other leading ladies... fantastic, hardworking goup. Waneeda, on his immediate right, is his right hand here.

Found French friends to invite for sleepover & gingerbread real estate. Tres fantastique to reminisce through them.

Amazingly, 2 weeks later, the ants have yet to come marching.

Joyeux Noel a tous!

Cool Breezes Blow

Ferry to Koh Samet last weekend

We had the boat pretty much to ourselves for the 20 minute ride

Rob & I hope to stay here next time, but girls aren't interested after last week's tsunami in Indonesia... peace to that poor place

Local Thai kids with cute "hallo"s spoke Allie's language & started water fights

Then turned to wave hopping

I awoke at 5:45 Saturday morn to this sky, sat by the beach & wrote

Whirling winds immediately kicked and gifted a heavenly quiet hour  

Too windy on our side of the isle for water play, so we rented bikes to venture out. Girls both asked if they could ride with Dad, "No offense, Mom." None taken, smart girls... without helmets, eek. I don't think there's a single one on this island, not an option. Felt like a bad mom, then realized sometimes you gotta flirt with danger to be a good mom

Monsoon season has nearly ended, yet puddles remain

Me & James Dean with our hogs (ha)

Dinner on beach... this flame thrower is probably younger than Allie

Awoke Sunday morning to more religion, watching Chinese woman Tai-Chi in powerful winds that still whipped

Homeward bound for Halloween

Rob's a palm tree

Rob bugged out of work last week for a bit to surprise Al for her cross country race

3K = 17.something minutes over hot, hilly, sandy, pineapple fieldy course

Ry's good buddy, Sophie. We wish she went to Ry's school

I'm still her bud, too

Today's Thai news headlines: Freeze warning for N & NE Thailand... may get down to 8C (46F) at dawn, emergency crews are getting blankets & winter clothing to people in need.

We woke on the island Saturday morn & nearly froze. It's been a little warmer since returning mainland, but still 70s & 80s.  Rob asked a co-worker how long to expect this to continue... a couple months maybe! Huh? It didn't do this last year. Last year was strange, no winter.  We are very excited to have Thai winter, as the days seem more like Michigan June instead of Arizona July.

Gotta get in shape for 40 days from today when we'll likely freeze, but my nearly 20 year dream finally comes true...  all 4 of us with matching passport stamps for JAPAN!  Our Nagano mountain is reporting its first snow. Somebody pinch me.

My Christina Kay

Back home in the States, I've got this really creative sister (a bunch of em, actually) who's not afraid to leap.  This summer she hung up the 9 to 5 along with her heels, and is now establishing herself as the photography artist she has dreamed for as long as I can remember.

She loves snapping kids, pregnant bellies, and animals, but can find beauty in darn near anything in this world. Check her out... site is still under construction, but you can get a taste of her work at http://www.christinakayphotography.com/

Her schedule is filling with holiday shoots, but there's still time to snap your family gifts & Christmas card pics. Mention Sawasdee Buikema and she'll give you Thai pricing, meaning your dollar will go far. Smiles to you all!

Sunshine

This is what our pool has looked like much of the past 2 months... woe is not us, I love rainy season & its moods

And sometimes stars line up... this rare day, girls matched sunshine with day off from school 

Il soleil... a French family has recently befriended us and stirred fond memories. At a sleepover this past weekend, Ry explained to their French daughter (who has spent most of her life in Thailand) the beauty that is pan chocolat fresh from French bakery. Wonder what American goodies and common Engligh or Spanish words & phrases will need explaining to our girls. I've already noticed several.

I was helping Ry with a project labeling flower parts, and then she took off & in a half hour's time, made a quiz for Dad. The girl is mad about science & animals, and will probably soon join PETA. Interesting how she picked the deer just a couple weeks before Nov 15, coincidence, as she knows not that hallowed Michigan date

I married a poet

Riley Mei (and Allie) came home this week with school pictures that had been taken a couple weeks ago.  Of course, adorable. But I ask Ry, what happened to the hairdo I did (for 20 painful minutes with my two left hands) that photo day? She replies, the photo lady took it all apart and redid it to make it look nice. Hmmm.

Another reminder that we don't all share the same tastes... Khun Nang and I were putzing around the house getting things done and my Tam - Rockin list was shuffling on stereo. I had to leave for school and asked Nang if she wanted my music while she worked.  She crinkled up her nose and said no. Politely. Now I feel bad for subjecting her to classic U2-Metallica-Kansas-INXS, but how can one not be a fan? We're even the same age.

Rob's not really enjoying Malaysia this week, but so goes his grind. Allie's getting along much better with her clarinet, we're ALL happy to report. Both girls rocked report cards & conferences last week. Ry cantered last lesson with her pony. I've learned to make the world's best pizza crust from a Venezuelan friend married to an Italian. 

The sun is shining on us, even though it rains.