Holding Pattern Days

As we wait for our money to arrive
What are our days like?

Mom writes a daily list so we're not kicking around bored
Things like math review, a JAM hour, sweep the floor

JAM means working on animation for Jasmin
Sweeping the floor should happen every day if we don't want black feet

Music for everyone: piano and violin
And now beginning explorations in flute and guitar

A fend-for-yourself breakfast when ever we wake up
Early for Aiden and Mom; late for Jasmin and Grace

Tidying and cleaning in the morning
Maybe a world-wide "earthquake" and repair on our coffee table world map puzzle

Eager electronic message checking for news from Canada
Normal morning list routines beginning to fall into place

A somewhat late lunch
Cool, fresh fruit and veg - or supper leftovers

Computer hour, these days a server "game" of Minecraft
While Mom and/or Dad nap

An afternoon outing to Dalat school to spend time in their new library
An aircon cooled treat time, and time for Aiden to play with others on the playground

Or An afternoon swim, or a precarious indoor soccer game
Or maybe a shared lego city scenario played

Or maybe an exploratory outing
Trying out Chinese classes or music teachers

An early evening run for mom, and maybe Grace too
We all might go - Aiden to learn to ride a bike, Jasmin to be our biking water station

A later supper, experiments in Asian cooking with a ½ set up kitchen
Showers and prep for the night, darkness falls fast

Bedtime Bible time, goodnights
A sing-song time Grace and Mom, reviving choir songs or trying guitar-easy songs

Late-night conversations: jiggering things around to suit our waiting for money status
Or cross-world calls chasing our money down

It's the weekends that are more interesting:
Friday night we go to cell group
Saturday morning Aiden has AWANA
Saturday afternoon will come Chinese lessons
Saturday evening is Youth Group for the girls
Sunday has Sunday School, Chinese church, English church, lunch at church...
And then we need a rest!

Today Dad is at his school getting ready to start next month
Friday Dad is teaching at our cell group
Saturday we have to shop for Aiden's birthday beach party
Monday we go to try out violin and voice teachers
Tuesday hopefully is special with our money arriving
Thursday is Aiden's birthday
We'll have a Skype party with NiNi and YeaYea and Imma and go to the beach too

That doesn't sound like holding pattern any more
We hope not - we're quite ready to start this new life
Rather than sit waiting and preparing some more

Remarkably Unremarkable - yet

Normally considered a special day to mark
A 40th birthday
This is what it looked like for Mom so far:

Barely begun (as in just after 12 midnight)
We learn our visa application has been approved !!
Very big news, indeed
And sets in motion a string of must do's
To get those precious passport stamps
Rather awkward, as we still don't have access to our money to do anything yet...

A "sleep in"
Meaning the inevitable 7:30 sunrise waking is followed by more snoozing
(even two sets of curtains on the window doesn't seem to dampen the dawn sun much)
And Aiden not getting up until nearly 9
(he was up to 11 last night too)
And the girls don't stir until noon
(such is the result of Friday night small groups here)

A slow morning spent with the week's laundry and housecleaning
(can't be lax here if you don't want black feet and permanently smelly clothes)
Aiden and Dad off to AWANA by bike
A Skype call with NiNi

A brief lunch interlude of a full house
Dad and Aiden back from AWANA
The girls finally up and around
Tuna cracker lunch
And exchanges of arrangements

Then Mom is off with the kids via Grab
A trial Chinese class lesson for Grace and Aiden
A discovery of a local pet store for Jasmin
Sugar gliders, gerbils, and hamsters are on the short list of wanted pets
Though both of us would like to rescue birds, puppies, and fish from their crowded, noisy environment

The girls are picked up for Youth Group from there
A careful count of money means a purchase returned
Money needed for Youth Camp final registration tomorrow
A bus ride and walk home for Aiden and Mom
And creative thinking for the meals of the next few days
Come on, money, get here soon!

The girls'll get home about 8 tonight from Youth Group
We'll have supper together - an attempt at Koay Teow soup
Maybe Mom'll share her one slice of cheesecake Daddy bought her
And maybe she won't :o)
We'll celebrate better later, maybe joint with Aiden in two weeks

Running Contrasts

Last year in Canada                                         This year in Malaysia
40-50% humidity  average                              80-90% humidity average
Temperature mild spring/early summer          Temperature hovering near 30C
Between 6-7am start to beat the heat              5:30pm or later start time, once the day is cooling
 (and to make sure it gets done!)                      (can't do the mornings as I often have to go to market)
Usually alone                                                  With Grace
Don't usually meet anyone                             Share the road with fair number of walkers and runners
Run in one big loop of 5 km                           Run laps on a bit of dead end road behind our apartment
Listen to morning bird song                           Listen to evening monkey chatter
Less than ½ my run uphill                             More than ½ my run is uphill (much steeper too!)
5km came pretty easily                                  5km comes with complaining hamstrings from the uphill
I was reasonably aiming for 30min                I'm a loonngg way from 5k in 30 min right now...
I end with a completely red face                    I'm completely red-faced by the 1km mark
A time to sort the day out                               A time to review the day

I miss the cooler running environment and the morning starts.

I'm happy to have the weather consistency to run regularly.

I miss having a long route to run - more interesting.

I'm intrigued to be able to observe monkey family habits and new birds.

I miss running alone with my thoughts.

I'm happy that Grace is interested and wanting to run with me.

Aiden's Unfortunately - Fortunately

Fortunately, today is the day we move to our new house
Unfortunately, we woke up to a new government and an unexpected national holiday so all the deliveries were canceled and we can't get the keys.

Fortunately, this meant Mom and Dad took me to market for a breakfast date
Unfortunately, many stalls were closed and we couldn't get everything we wanted.

Fortunately, we still got yummy fish ball soup
Unfortunately, Dad put hot peppers in his big bowl so I had to share mom's small bowl.

Fortunately, we got to play a family game of Forbidden Island
Unfortunately, Mom and Dad had an operation to do in the afternoon so I didn't see them a long time.

Fortunately, we went swimming when they were done.
Unfortunately, only Dad came, Mom had to sleep.

Fortunately, I almost know how to swim
Unfortunately, my tooth fell out and it hurts there now.

Fortunately, Dad taught me to swim the front crawl
Unfortunately, it made me very hungry.


Fortunately, Mom was awake and had supper all ready for us
Unfortunately, Dad decided to go for curry and Grace takes a long time in the shower so we have to wait to eat anyhow.

Even though it started with a big disappointment, today was a pretty good day - medium for me.

Today's a Special Day By Grace

Today  (May 5th) is a special day
Grace's birthday!
Get up in the morning
And bike to the market

Today is a special day
A special breakfast today
Chicken rice and roti
Teh and Ice lime tea

Today is a special day
With a few mishaps
Roti onion instead of bom
Good thing the bom is small

Today is a special day
With iced tea and lime
Biking home after shopping
Up the long, hard hill

Today is a special day
First time biking up the long hill
The extra part is brutal
Can't even drink, because I'm panting too hard

Today is a special day
Back home and play
While Mom and Dad have
A late birthday talk

Today is a special day
Back on our bikes
But everyone this time
Off to the beach!

Today is a special day
Inaugural beach visit
Taking the same old spot
Delighting in the bouncy tree

Today is a special day
Build a huge sandcastle
To stand against the tide
But the tide is going out

Today is a special day
Swimming at the beach
But farther from our camp
Because of the new drain

Today is a special day
Crow mating season
Stealing firewood
Loud conversations

Today is a special day
We spotted a crow's nest
Orioles, too, and Jasmin
Tries to quiet the crows

Today is a special day
Hurry from the sea to supper
Self-cooking hotdogs,
Dough, and marshmallow

Today is a special day
Making s'mores and eating roll cake
But the roll cake is a pack of small
Individually wrapped ones- whoops

Today is a special day
Honey glazed marshmallows?
Birthday present time
The fire burns low
A great cooking fire




Today is a special day
Aiden and Jasmin's gift
Buying Minecraft for me
And all the Android phones

Today is a special day
Twelve goals to complete
By next year to celebrate
My coming of age

Today is a special day
Playing on bouncy tree
Teaching Aiden to climb
Sitting on the expert climber's branch
For the first time

Today is a special day
Resting in the hammocks
Lightning threatens a storm
Packing for home

Today is a special day
Mom and Jas will stop for ice cream
As we start off, Dad's bike breaks
Mom fixes it

Today is a special day
Biking up THE HILL again
I take the longer way
Dad takes the harder way

Today is a special day
THE HILL was much easier this time
I arrive home
In a much better shape than Dad

Today is a special day
My 12th birthday
The kids eat their ice cream
I remember the taste

Today was a special day
Time to go to bed
Tired and happy
Tomorrow is coming
What a special day!

A Fortunately-Unfortunately Day

Fortunately...
Dad found a copy of his old passport so we can fully reinstate our bank account.
Unfortunately...
The bank said Mom had to be there too. (Away from the kids most of the day...again)

Fortunately...
Mom was free to go join him.
Unfortunately...
Grab had no cars, so she had to take a bus.

Fortunately...
Mom didn't too lost.
Unfortunately...
It took a long time to get there. (She had to walk quite far)

Fortunately...
We had time to spare, so we went to buy a bike.
Unfortunately...
It took a long time to assemble, so we went to eat lunch.

Fortunately...
We had time to buy running shoes.
Unfortunately...
Mom's bike was too small and making her back hurt.

Fortunately...
We found a shoe store close by and got some good shoes on sale.
Unfortunately...
We got lost and had to keep stopping and backtracking.

Fortunately...
We were not far from the bike shop to exchange bike for Mom.
Unfortunately...
It would take too long so we had to take the small bike to the bank.

Fortunately...
We were in time - just before the bank closed for the day.
Unfortunately...
Dad's extra seat fell off.

Fortunately...
We were finally able to fully reactivate our bank account.
Unfortunately...
The money we thought we'd have immediately will take 3 more days.

Fortunately...
Mom had the new SIM card to get the verification code for online banking.
Unfortunately...
We did not know which SIM card had the correct phone number.

Fortunately...
We could call Jasmin on WhatsApp and get that from her.
Unfortunately...
WhatsApp was not working to connect with Jasmin.

Fortunately...
We could call her on the phone.
Unfortunately...
The photos were not clear enough to read the numbers.

Fortunately...
Jasmin could tell Dad the correct numbers.
Unfortunately...
It was not yet activated to receive Texts.

Fortunately...
We could put it in Mom's phone which has 4G to activate it.
Unfortunately...
The new password we put in didn't work first time we tried.

Fortunately...
Mom remembered the correct password and we got in.
Unfortunately...
We kept the bank worker ½ an hour over closing time to finish everything.

Fortunately...
We were not far from the bike store so we could go back to fix Dad's bike - just before it closed.
Unfortunately...
We got lost and Mom's bike lost a pedal.

Fortunately...
We passed a furniture store and priced out a good mattress for our new place.
Unfortunately...
It was now beginning to rain.

Fortunately...
We got to pick up Mom's now big enough bike
Unfortunately...
It was now rush hour and raining.

Fortunately...
We were near a place to eat so we stopped for supper.
Unfortunately...
It was rather pricey and not so good as other places.

Fortunately...
It gave us energy to bike the 8 kms home.
Unfortunately...
Google's way home was nearly all the wrong way down one way streets.

Fortunately...
We were on bikes, so it didn't matter.
Unfortunately...
We still got lost a few times.

Fortunately...
We finally began to recognize the streets.
Unfortunately...
We were so late that the kids were waiting at home so hungry for supper.

Fortunately...
We found an appliance store on the way and found a fridge and fan for our new place.
Unfortunately...
We couldn't buy them because we don't yet have the correct money available.

Fortunately...
We could now bike fast because we knew the way home.
Unfortunately...
It was now dark and mostly uphill.

Fortunately...
Our bikes have gears, so the hills weren't so bad.
Unfortunately...
Dad's chain fell off on the steep hill in the dark.

Fortunately...
Mom could fix it.
Unfortunately...
Now we had to start up hill with no momentum.

Fortunately...
All the running we did in Canada gave us strong legs.
Unfortunately...
We still got home very red, hot & tired.

Fortunately...
We got home!
Unfortunately...
We didn't get to rest right away but rather cook supper for HUNGRY kids.

Fortunately...
After it got started, Grace could cook the chicken while Mom took a shower.
Unfortunately...
The kids hadn't cooked rice, so we had to wait for that to cook too.

Fortunately...
There were fireworks close by to occupy hungry people.
Unfortunately...
There was a building in the way.

Fortunately...
There are windows in the hall way to see them.
Unfortunately...
We were locked into our apartment because the lock was broken.

Fortunately...
It was a grill gate door and we could reach through and unlock form the other side.
Unfortunately...
It took a long time and the fireworks were ending.

Fortunately...
We got to see a little bit before it stopped - and God gave us his own display with lightening.
Unfortunately...
It was all sheet lightening so not so impressive.

Fortunately...
We are all at home and fed and ready for bed.
Unfortunately...
We have to go out again tomorrow.