Goings On

I am so far behind in blog posts!!!  One of my small people poured water all over my computer and it no longer turns on.  I have distracted Johnny with a puppy and commandeered his computer to catch up on the blogosphere.

Quite a bit has happened since I last wrote.  Since I'm tired and don't care to figure out a clever way to get all the updates in order in separate posts I will just write one long post in sections.

Section 1: Around the House

We've been a flurry of activity.  Zack had his second day of cooking.  He chose to make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, red peppers, and protein shakes.  He had to make the bread for the sandwiches.  What a guy!

Zack learned that it feels pretty good to get that ol' paycheck!

Gabey cuddling with his puppy dog.

Leia is settling in fairly well in the family.  She's definitely coming into her own.  She's digressed a bit with potty training, but we're still working hard at it.  She's doing much better sleeping at night and she seems to be growing pretty quickly.

We spend as much time as we can at the club.  There's a great gym, an indoor play area, and a huge pool.  Gabriel will sometimes swim, but he often opts to sit in the shade and play while Zack and I swim.  The kid knows how to lounge.

We finally nailed GF/EF waffles.  We had waffles for dinner to celebrate Daddy's homecoming from Bangkok.

We also decided to experiment with GF chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream. 

It was an immense success.  The boys didn't really like, though.  Johnny and I ate *way* too much.  Next time we'll go with plain vanilla again so the boys will help us.  We will also reserve ice cream making for parties: a) because cream is expensive; b) so we don't gorge ourselves on this irresistible substance.

Gabey finds all kinds of interesting ways to lounge.  This is one of my favorites.

 

My handsome police-man-officer

 Section 2: The Bus

We had a huge event for Zack this past week.  He started riding the bus home!!!  I take him to school in the mornings and he now rides the bus home in the afternoons.  He gets home at 2:30, which is actually faster than I was able to get him home in taxis.

The welcome committee waiting for Zack's bus to arrive

He made it!  

He was just tickled pink with himself.  I cried.  I'm not talking a couple little tears I'm talking all out bawling.  I cried more than I did on his first day of school.  I think there's something wrong with me.

Section 3: A Big, Big, Big, Like-Mega-Exciting Day

We got our UAB and car on the same day!!!

In a perfect world UAB (Unaccompanied Air Baggage) is supposed to arrive within a week or two after we do.  In India our UAB took 6 weeks and here it took 8 weeks.  That is a really, really long time to wait for stuff you planned on having a couple weeks after arrival.  But it's here now and we feel a little more settled.  UAB included the rest of our clothes (yes, we've been living off 4-5 days worth of clothes for 2 months), a lot of GF baking supplies, more of the boys' toys, some very important paintings (they all arrived in one piece, Momma B!!), scrapbooking materials, piano books, and other odds and ends.

I am so, so, so, so, so, so, etc. excited to have our car.  I was sick of taxis.  Zack has named our car "Kristen"after a cute girl in his kindergarten class.

It's been tough learning to drive on the right side of the car.  The hardest part is the turn signal.  I keep turning on the wipers instead.  It's also tough to think about the left side of the car and figure out how much room you have.  It really turns you around.  I'm fine with driving on the left side of the road after 2 years in India, but I had never actually driven a right-side car before.  

We hope to really get out and explore now that we have transportation.  I'm thinking one day each week Gabey and I will go on a "Mommy and Gabey's Fabulous Adventure" day and find new places and resources.  Stay tuned for those blog posts. :)

 Section 4: Pumpkins!

We carved our Halloween pumpkin yesterday.  Zack drew the design, Daddy cut, Gabey supervised, and I took pictures.  We're a team!

Our beautiful pumpkin, whom Zack has lovingly named "Daisy."

Section 5: Date Days

Saturdays are date days.  Fitri comes at 2 p.m. to watch the boys and we have until 9 p.m. to get into whatever mischief we can concoct.  Today our mission was to find a Batman costume for Gabey since I thought I had packed his costume in UAB, but it turned out I had, in fact, packed it in HHE (the boat shipment with the rest of our stuff), which will not come until, oh, the good Lord only knows. 

Our journey led us down a very busy road from Kebayoran Baru to Cilandak.  On the way we spotted a scooter with a side car.  It pretty much made our whole day worth getting up for.

Some yummy Pho at Pacific Place mall.

Me being Asian at a 7-11 in Kemang.

Johnny bought me these dorky coffee cups in Bangkok....

Not knowing that I had bought him these dorky cups in Sheridan and packed them in UAB.

We're awesome.

And I think that catches you up on the Thurow goings-on for now.