Happy New Year, Rats

Well, well, well... Team Gail and Team Ryan. The results are in. Details are sketchy. Here's what I know; Ryan won by one game. Extenuating circumstances include napping and a missing tile... a missing N, as was noted during their last tourney... So, these Taiwan games will always have an asterisk.

We visited Heather, Ciro, Dylan and Baby Maya today. We also went to Costco. INSANE. We just wanted pizza. Wow, you could barely drive around the building. I never understood why more stores don't open on New Year's to give everyone the chance to spend their red envelopes.

Ivo n Burl Say Good Bye to da Pig

BURL: HIVES (untreated and dissipated)

IVO: PINWORMS (treated -finally. Poor Ivo suffered a month of nightly multiple nightmares and overall poor sleep in addition to his declarations that "Dere's a mosquito IN my bum bum. It in my body.")

Ivo got a buildable/take-apartable Thomas the Tank Engine yesterday. He loves it. Karin came to play today.

Gail's almost finished with Burl's blanket!

Ivo n Burl Readying for da Rat

Good Day. It's the day before New Year's Eve. Ryan ran errands this morning with Gail and Ivo. Burl and I stayed home and mostly slept. Burl and I are a little sick... just a cold but an exhausting one.

This afternoon, Ryan and I ran errands together... CROWDED! Busy holidazers. And rain - for the 10th day in a row. When we left Burl didn't even cry! He's very happy to bao bao Grammie Gail:)

I'm too tired to write much about what Ivo and Burl are saying and doing. Burl eats fish now - it's among his favorites. The other day Ryan asked Ivo to do or stop doing something. Ivo said, "NO!" When Ryan repeated his request, Ivo said, "NEVER!!!!"

Ivo's awesome. In advance of the impending Year of the Rat, he's watching Ratatouille and giggling hilariously! Ratatouille was Burl's first movie and Ivo's 2nd, at the theatre.

Pics from yesterday.

Ivo and Burl Visited by Ethan and Joanne

Today we were very happy to have a visit from Baby Ethan and his mama, Joanne.

The boys played nice and cute (-ly).

Ivo is careful and protective of babies who come to visit. He is a little less committed to the care and protection of sweet Baby Burl.

Boys are doing great - lots of developmental stuff going on... Details soon:)

Ivo at the Jade Market

Ivo, Gail, Alison and Tessa were not 100% thrilled with the contents of this plastic-lined basket. Let's just say, not jade.


That's right... It's a basketful of eels! The proprietor of the eels kept trying to force, yes - force, Ivo to touch the eels. Ivo didn't even want to touch the proprietor!

Groundhog Day #2

I wish I wish I wish it could be Groundhog Day for a week or so... We are getting a lot of sorting and organizing done and Ryan and I got to go out to dinner by ourselves while Gail took good care of Ivo and Burl. For the record, that was Ryan and my 4th time alone away from home and our sweet little guys - for something other than work. While we were enjoying our Indian food, I remarked that I had reached the point in Gail's trip where I'm beginning to despair of being able to function without her. Ryan spoke of "losing" her ticket and such. Ryan reminded me that Gail wants to be home for Doug's 60th... What to do, What to do?

The other day when Ryan and Gail took the boys to the Science Museum, Gail had her first (this trip) run-in with a squatter toilet. When she got home she told me that that was one of the things she put on the "cons" list about Taiwan. But consider the alternative...

Ivo and Burl Groundhog Day

Burl, Ivo, Gail and I went to the breakfast shop and the park this morning. Taichung is feeling a little quiet, a little empty. Gail said she feels like she's seeing less ubiquitous smoking... like not so much driving a scooter and smoking. Then she thought, maybe cuz it's cold (15-18C) - that's probably what's happening. People are inside and when they're out they're not dilly-dallying with a cig...

Ivo Overheard:

• "Bender da best robot and Superman da best hero!"
  


• "I want some ice cream. I NEED sooome! I NEED SOOOME!!!"


• "Uh, Papa? You gotta come down and talk a me."
  

Sadly, Ivo is still intentionally running into Burl or giving him a shove in passing, which usually results in Burl falling down. But, happily, Ivo is discovering more mutually entertaining ways to play with Burl; they talk back and forth mimicking each other's sounds, they chase, they run into each other to bao bao, they can look at books together a bit and they can play along side each other pretty well.

Ryan took these great pics from in and around the Taipei Children's Recreation Center on 29 Jan. When we arrived, it was sunny and warm. As we were leaving the sky turned dark and dramatic. We stayed ahead of the rain though.

Boys and me on a stone slide...

Ivo and Burl Walk with Ryan and Gail

Ivo and Burl went for a long walk and play at the science museum this afternoon with Papa and Grammie. I got to sort thru my and Burl's clothes. Phew! They returned just as I'd finished - excellent timing!



Ivo has been employing this ride-along technique for a month or two. Quite clever and Burl loves seeing him up front.