Summer's Here...

This week marks the end of the school year for Henri. Spring flew by – It’s hard to believe that summer is here and that everyone is scattering for the summer months. Some are leaving just for the summer and some will not return.  My summer plans are still being ironed out – I can’t help but feel a little nostalgic this time of year – no matter what my future holds I know that when we all finish our summer vacations back home we will return to different circumstances (that I’m sure we will embrace, eventually…).

Here are a few pictures from the past month or so.  

Here's a picture from our Tianmu Tai Tai Tennis Tournament

Henri and Maxime playing a little soccer

If you can see Henri's face expression it's priceless - This was taken at a birthday party for two of his classmates - it was story time completely in Chinese.

Here is Henri with the girls right after church on Easter Sunday

Here are the kids on Easter taken just before our Easter Egg hunt

Henri at 3

I’m a month late in writing this… But Henri at three – He’s pretty awesome. Some of my favorite things he says and does are:

1.       Anytime someone asks him “How are you?” he holds his hand up and says “THREE!!!” He still can’t really make the correct sign for the no. 3 so it just looks like he’s throwing a gang sign. At first I tried to explain the difference between “how are you” and “how old are you” but it’s cute and I know it won’t last so I’m just letting it be.

2.       Henri LOVES to play hide and go seek (see first set of pictures below). He doesn’t really understand the concept 100%.  He thinks that as long as his face is hidden he is hidden – and when it is my turn, he wants me to hide in the exact same spot every time and instead of “finding” me he just stands nearby and giggles nervously until I jump out and say “here I am!”

3.       He is very concerned about Maxime and I’s feet getting cold and is constantly bringing us our slippers. Even when it’s 80 degrees outside and the last thing I want to do is put on furry slippers - but he waits so sweetly to watch me put them on…

4.       He always asks me if I’m happy. If I’m not he says “Please be happy, mommy.” It is a very affective way of melting my heart and getting at least partially out of trouble.

5.       Right now his favorite book is Steam Train, Dream Train. The child cannot get enough of trains. When I read it to him he tries to recite it as I’m reading it – He doesn’t really have it memorized so he really just says the last word or two of each sentence about a half second delay after me.

6.       He is getting really physical. His idea of fun involves lots of running, jumping, climbing and pushing.  At school they have a “dramatic play area” that they change up every month. Right now it’s a fairytale theme. They constructed a small castle that one child can enter at a time. Today his teacher told me that Henri likes to pretend to be the Big Bad Wolf who huffs and puffs and eventually knocks the castle over.  A lot.  

If you aren’t careful he will knock you over because another one of his new moves is running full speed at you and with all his might smacking right into you. Jumping on the bed (while reciting the accompanying song about monkeys jumping on beds, falling off and bumping their heads…) is a favorite activity. He often asks me to give him a hug so he can run at me and knock me over mid-hug.   

He is also testing out lots of new facial expressions that typically look kind of angry and then he growls and roars… the tough act is just a façade though – he won’t let us watch Frozen because of a “big snowman” and I have to fast forward through “scary” parts of certain G-rated Disney movies.

7.       He tells on himself. When I leave the room at naptime and later come back he informs me of how he’s been jumping on the bed, as well as turning his night light off and on.

I was telling my friend the other day that I feel like I miss Henri. My little baby has been replaced by a rambunctious little boy and while I’m so excited to watch Henri grow I’m also mourning the end of the baby stage. Hen is really becoming his own little person now.  He is such a great kid – he is concerned about other people. He wakes up happy and ready to start the day. I feel like I’m not doing him justice trying to explain who he is at three. He’s just a solid little guy who I love with all my heart.

First I must share with you some of his hiding techniques:

And here are a few recent shots:

Hen is now a skilled climber at the park.

Thanks to the relaxed nature of Taiwan's construction scene we are able to snap pictures of Henri with heavy machinery...

A recent play date with Henri's lady friends

Hen and Boots

Taipei 101 towering behind two boys obviously excited about going to the birthday party we were headed to.

The big tunnel slide no longer so big...

Henri at CKS

Scooting at the Airplane Park with friend Ryan who prefers scooting hand in hand with his mum

Train watching

This picture of a recent catalogue captures a bit of the little mean faces Henri has been practicing.

 

10 Years

In addition to celebrating Henri's 3rd birthday, last week Maxime and I also celebrated 10 years together. He comes home Thursday night and tells me to pack a suitcase. That instead of going out to dinner to celebrate our anniversary, which was the plan as far as I was concerned, we were going on a vacation somewhere warm (though at this point he would not tell me where). Instead of excitement I was initially very nervous. This is the same man who once gave me a gift certificate to go sky diving. The next morning at the airport I found out we were headed to Cebu in the Philippines. It was a very nice, surprise vacation. We really enjoyed spending time together as a family and I'm so grateful to have a husband who likes to surprise me - and who is so thoughtful. Here are some pics from our trip:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Birthday Henri

Earlier this month we celebrated Henri’s 3^rd Birthday! Our friends joined us for a construction-themed event. We are so fortunate to have great friends here in Taiwan with whom to celebrate. Henri has kept his birthday alive by continuously singing happy birthday to me as he hands me just about any random toy which he calls a birthday cake.  Here are some pics from his day:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Where to begin…

I feel like things have been a blur since Thanksgiving: Thanksgiving to Christmas to New Year to Chinese New Year. I love the holidays but I’m glad they are behind us…. for now.

Our trip to England flew by – It was wonderful to visit Maxime’s family. Henri loved riding the red double decker buses in London and was happy to go pretty much anywhere as long as that is what got us there. I loved being surrounded by beautiful architecture. We enjoyed just taking walks around Bath. When we got there the river that runs through Bath was overflowing – they were experiencing major flooding there upon our arrival.  The English countryside is so beautiful.

Looking out the window driving between Bath and London on the way to the airport I had this heartfelt oh isn’t this beautiful nostalgic feeling. I had to remind myself that it wasn’t my country and I may never live in England - but I’m glad I get to spend time there.

We returned to Taiwan and had about a week before the holidays started again. This time for Chinese New Year.  Signs of the holiday include the selling of mass quantities of candy at the stores, and decorations placed about including fake fireworks, Chinese lanterns and even  miniature orange trees . It seems strange to have no real feelings about the biggest holiday in the country where we live (beyond having to plan for stores being closed, my child having major anxiety over the fireworks and half my friends being away on vacation). Henri was out of school and so we had dates with friends and spent a lot of time at the park - the weather was gorgeous all week. This year I did notice a certain jolly atmosphere around town – people were dressed nicely and seem in good spirits – people are giving candy away like… candy – Henri gets pockets full when we go out. For the third year in a row we went to see the lion dance at Maxime’s hotel. Henri’s babysitter gave him his first red envelope with real money inside. Usually small children get gold coin chocolates in their envelopes. His money is safely tucked away in the piggy bank he was given in England by one of Maxime’s close friends. This led me to start worrying about how we will need to remember to exchange currencies in his piggy bank when we move… Which leads me to my current preoccupation which is the move.

Still no news or developments. All we know is that we should know something relatively soon. The not knowing is what’s hard and I think it is what is keeping me up at night.

Next week school is back in session – Maxime turns 37 – and our life as usual can recommence for at least a couple of months before Spring Break and/or a move...

Henri enjoying his daily espresso

Maxime and his sister

Henri's favorite part of the trip was playing with Crumpet!

Henri with his cousins (and Papa)

A great shot of Henri with his Grandpa and Papa