the thailand twelve

Vacations are always so super fun to plan…and usually really fun DURING the actual vacation…but then sometimes the travel on the way home makes me question why we always do this every year! We had a good trip, complete with a few days in hong kong to buy stuff (see below) and eat krispy kreme doughnuts (also see below) but we arrived home thoroughly exhausted and ready to be settled at our own place again. Because of this fatigue, I am afraid my blog post trying to sum up our trip could potentially be likened to a tumbleweed rolling across west texas – nothing in sight can stop it.  So, I will take my very creative cousin Christa’s idea and turn this into my Thailand Twelve, tibits that is. Brief tidbits about our trip… Here goes:

1) We tried, as usual, to pack lightly so we could make room for the several things on our list (which I’m sure you read about before we left). When we checked in at the airport to leave asia-land, our suitcases were a paltry 30 kg (66 lbs). Well, as we left Hong Kong on our final leg of the 3 week journey, our 30 kg had mysteriously turned into 90 kg (198 lbs)!!! Wow. That’s some serious weight gain. Among the good buys in our suitcases were: a 5 lb. bag of chocolate chips, a 3 lb box of goldfish, new books for Emma’s birthday, and some extra toys…as if our kids needed anything else.

2) Number 1 prompts me to post number two – an official moratorium on collecting stuff. We have too much stuff. I will never, ever, ever buy anything else as long as I live. I simply have nowhere to put it. Well, at least I feel that way right now. We’ll check back on that in a few months.

3) Chocolate Croissants at Au Bon Pain. Sheer Bliss.

4) The other weight issue has not to do with my suitcases, but the person hauling around the suitcases and her weight gain. You can’t eat dozens of krispy kremes, chocolate croissants and ice cream from the Cream and Fudge factory without adding some fudge to your thighs as well. Josh and I went to the gym today and actually worked out (we found a different one that wasn’t so expensive…that doesn’t have filtered air, I guess). Hopefully in a few months, all that will remain of the krispy kreme’s will be in my memories.

5) Thank you, Thailand (with every hint of sarcasm showing here), for robbing Emma [and her mother] of the blessed naptime event. With too many fun things to do, kids to play with, things to eat…naptime seems to have become a thing of the past for Emma. That does not bode well for quiet afternoons at my house!

6) But truly, thank you Thailand for the time change! Even the one hour difference seems to help, and emma and mantha have slept till 8am or later the last few days! Hallelujah!

7) Eggs. After a visit to the pediatric allergist at my favorite hospital on earth, the tests showed that Samantha is allergic to eggs. Could have been worse – could have been milk, rice, wheat, soy…that seems like a nightmare trying to work those out of my kitchen. I’ve found a few substitutes for eggs in baked goods, so the next few days will see if they really work or not! We’re going to try to keep mantha egg-free for the next 3 months and see what effect it has on her skin.

8) When is a heart murmur innocent? Probably now, but to a mother, a heart murmur never sounds innocent. Maybe because the word “heart” is in front of it and everything that has to do with hearts seems very important. At Emma’s well-child checkup, the doctor discovered she had a heart murmur and called in a specialist to have a closer look. He was convinced it was completely innocent and may even outgrow it, but who knew? Certainly not me.

9) There’s a big, stinky bag of seashells sitting on my counter right now, awaiting a good soak and scrub. (Fortunately, I will not be the one doing it.) The girls had so much fun finding seashells, starfish, and snail shells while we were on the beach. Pictures will be posted soon – probably will be called Thailand 20, since who can choose only 12 pictures from vacation?

10) Discipline. Yikes. Three weeks away from home and routine seems to have convinced my children that obedience is no longer required and can be heeded at random. Oh boy, were they surprised when we got home!

11) My own room! Woo hoo! Not shared with kids! I don’t know how all the families in asialand sleep with kids in their rooms until they are 4 or 5. We both slept so restlessly with the girls sharing our hotel room. Every moan and cry and word uttered in sleep woke us up…anyway, we are glad to be back.

12) I must say this every time I come back, but it’s true: trips are great because you always come back home. We took a good look at our life this year in Thailand and came to the same conclusion – we are exactly where we are supposed to be and it brings us great joy to be here.

Stay tuned for the Thailand 20 coming soon…