thailand part 2: early morning impressions

For the last few days of our holiday, I got in the habit of getting up and out of the house bright and early. These pictures were taken on the last day of our time in Thailand. Here's a shot of a monk walking along the beach. I didn't want to be too obvious and so in my haste, the shot was blurred. I imagine his life a lonely one, I wonder what his life is really like...

I sat down on sun-bed that I didn't have to rent because it was still so early and just read a bit and took in the sunrise. I don't want to miss another sunrise when I am in such a picturesque place again. I am definitely more of a sunrise person rather than a sunset, as it's the beginning of a day and there's still hope and ideas for what might happen.

Oh that delicious feeling of toes in fine, wet sand! I took this picture because I never want to forget what that feels like. There is so much pleasure in the little things sometimes.

And now, here comes the sun...

--And here's the dog that took in this scene with me, I was pleased to get his profile just so. It was a great way to start the day and a memorable way to end our vacation.

thailand part 1: great family times

Okay, so one of the first things we had to do in Thailand was go to Swensens for ice cream. Eli had been talking for some time about "strawberry ice-cream with a cherry on top" and that's just what he got, with a cone thrown in, which he ate first.

Of course we had to get the exact same thing for Dana...

Scott got some kind of chocolate-y kind with pour-it-yourself fudge on the side.

Besides eating, we went and played either at the beach or the pool most days. This is a poolside picture in which the kids are playing in the showers...turning them all on and running through them like sprinklers, filling up cups and watering the plants nearby. (Eli also did a different sort of "watering" of the plants which I more than once pretended not to see...)

Eli and Dana in their "dragonboat" in the pool. Eli's sunglasses fit me too, I was originally going to buy them for myself, but they became Eli's when he tried them on. He wears them right side up most of the time.

We went out one afternoon to get pictures for the kids' visas as they had expired, so they had naps in the stroller as we went along afterwards.

Eli used some of his own money (given to him for Chinese New Year) to buy a toy "tuk tuk" which he fell asleep clutching in his lap.

Some of Eli and Dana's favourite foods at the restaurant where we were staying was spaghetti and meatballs. It got so we just stripped them down and didn't bother with shirts or bibs...you can see why...

And if one dropped a meatball, so did the other...we had a good conversation about the song "On Top of Spaghetti..."after this happened...

One of the fun things that Scott got to do for three afternoons was rent a scooter and go exploring. He almost made it to Burma one afternoon, and he came back later than expected. I was so relieved when I saw him, I was reallly already imagining him bleeding in a ditch all alone somewhere...the things husbands put their wives through! The helmet was too small for Scott, but at least he had one that at least looked more durable than a coconut.

Ahhhh...the best part. The ocean, and the beach where we played in the sand, and jumped into the water on an alternating basis. I would hold Dana in my arms and wade in and she would point to the middle of the ocean and say "DIS WAY!" she just wanted to stay in the water and keep going further out with me.

The kids got short rides on the scooter in our parking lot. They (especially Eli) loved it. I like how Eli is trying to figure out how the scooter works in this picture.

A good shot of Dana concentrating on her "rainbows" which are actually toy horseshoes.

I'll never forget chasing Eli along the beach with a pail full of water to dump on him, or dipping Dana in the water and singing goofy songs to her, Thailand was a very refreshing time indeed.