Tail end of Summer

 A quiet holiday week...

Applying creativity to hairstyles

Badminton on the beach

Cool treats to make it more like summer break

Rainy season cloud watching

The week was more quiet than expected because Mom was more often than not on her back on the couch because of a bad back episode, so it was extra good that we had planned to eat street food so Mom didn't have to cook. Over all, a week of things we wanted to do rather than things we had to do! 

School's Out

 We're finished school for the year! It feels both REALLY good, and rather a let down. Really good because it dragged on SO long and at times felt like it would never end. Rather a let down because we STILL can't go anywhere to celebrate - not even out to eat. Still, for the two weeks we have left of summer break, we do have plans to try make it somewhat special. 

Yesterday, for our first attempt, we managed to go for a short hike with a friend. Just girls and moms, as there are restrictions on the number of persons allowed in cars and under 12's are supposed to be out and about at all. It was short because it is the rainy season and the windows of clear weather are usually short - and we were all so out of breath on this new trail that goes pretty much straight up!  We just made it to a small trickling waterfall in the jungle and turned around. All the same, we got quite high and found some funky tree formations. In this one, three branches made a very comfy, springy seat. What you can't see is that the long branch Grace is sitting on goes around the tree in the bottom right of the picture and sort of turns into a root along the ground before shooting up like a tree again.

This next week, we've decided to finish the food we have in the fridge, and then enjoy take out from all the local stalls near by - roti, burgers, tacos (!yes! not sure what they will be like... its a new place), Thai, fried noodles, dim sum, chicken rice... A break for Mom and a festive feel as it's a treat to not have home cooked food.

Other ideas we have to make these holiday weeks different are thinks like another hike that is local, beach time, long put aside projects (the girls have another song video in the works), game nights, etc. But the best thing of all is simply not having things we have to do and not having the drag of unfinished work. That all by itself is a huge gift!

In other news, we were notified recently that this pastel drawing of Jasmin's was chosen out of 1000's to be the cover photo for the drawing group she's been posting to for her drawing course this year! A very nice encouraging surprise.

This Week

 - Aiden scared us with his very uncharacteristic behavior after a huge bonk on the head playing blind man's bluff in our crowded house. Mom slept with him that night just to make sure and he was fine in the morning - though with a beauty of an egg on his forehead!

- Grace and Mom had a downtown adventure working their way through an undescribed hospital system for a specialist appointment for Grace. It was a series of unfortunately-fortunately events, including discovering we needed her passport (which we hadn't brought) and that the doctor we were there to see only held his clinic in the mornings (we showed up at 3pm). Even so, we had the appointment and received the help we went for - and got to have a sort of date eating take out supper outside the mall.

- Grace finished her final course for the 20-21 school year! And Jasmin and Aiden are not far behind so next week we'll get to celebrate and begin our summer holidays for real.

- Jasmin got a new wardrobe as hers was slowly falling apart. Aiden enjoyed sharing the task of taking apart/destroying the old one for firewood and garbage. Hopefully soon we'll be able to have fires on the beach again....

- Mom wrestled with our more or less brand new sewing machine that is insisting on jamming, getting quite frustrated with the short job of hemming some shorts becoming such a long headache. But, she learned quite a bit more about sewing machines - we can't get to a repair shop or have someone in to diagnose the problem - and is hopeful that in the end she will be able to fix the problem.

- Otherwise the week is a happy normal of runs and walks for exercise, read alouds, school work, Aiden and his friend turning the living room into a battle field, food experiments, etc.

August Beginnings

     Coming to the final stretch of summer, we look ahead with a mixture of disappointment and hope. We are still unable to put together any kind of going away vacation because of lock down, and even planning a staycation is challenging when we can't eat out, picnic on the beach, stay in a hotel, or even take Aiden with us to any public space! We are weary, and yet...

Aiden sword fighting invisible enemies
Blind man's bluff games improvised in our crowded space
Cloud watching from our balcony
Dreams of "when we can go out" conversations
Elegant calligraphy creation to grace our walls
Fleeting meet and greets with friends at the gate
Gardening on the balcony
Hours of reading aloud together
Inventing new recipes, applying lessons learned
Jasmin drawing away the days
Kind neighbours who have not yet complained about our rambunctious play
Loud game times
Misty and clear mountain views of the mainland or our own hills, beautiful and mysterious
Neighbourly gifts of foods that we haven't tried before
Open relationships with each other - we're not driving each other crazy even after month of lockdown
Praise to the One who gives us life
Questions to ponder, investigate, and discuss together
Random conversations that could be about... anything!
Soy milk bought off the street at the bottom of our road, cold, sweet, deeply refreshing
Terance for Aiden to play with almost daily
Underneath are the everlasting arms, holding us strong 
Vegetable deliveries so market shopping is not too much for Mom (she has to go alone)
Walking as a family in the cool of the evening daily
Xtra apartment to spread out when our space crowds small
Yearning for heaven
Zoom calls with family, friends, church groups

... there is an awful lot to say thank you for and delight in!