Playing with cousins

On my vacation I have been meeting grandpa, many aunties and grand-aunties and a great grandma. But I also met cousins. They are like the other kids at day care, but when I go play with them, mommy and daddy stay to play with us.

A and L live here all the time so I met them first. A is bigger and he likes to talk to the mommies and daddies and aunties. Sometimes he is a bit sneaky because L and I can't talk like he does. L is very happy to see me because now he can call me Nong T, and he does not get to call anyone 'Nong' (younger ___) He likes being bigger than someone. (but he does not look that big to me). L likes to play with me. He taught me how to play with a ball, and we played piano together.

Pe' A is my cousin from Chicago who is also visiting. Khun Chuen (great grandmother) is really happy to see all of the visiting cousins come and play. All four of us went to great-grandma's house to play today. And they taught me how to play with the walking beep-beep.

Playing with my cousins is fun, even if sometimes they are crazy. I want to play with them every day now.

A haircut by grandpa

My hair has been getting a little long, so grandpa decided I needed a haircut. But we don't have scissors. And grandpa had an idea. He will use his razor to cut my hair. I was a little skeptical.

So grandpa put on some soapy stuff on my head and started shaving my hair. And he took out a lot of it. Even more than daddy and other grandpa did. But he left a little in the back.

Now when I go on outings, everyone comments on my haircut. I don't know what they all say, but I still do a good job of making everyone smile :-)

First train ride

Grandpa and Grandma went on a trip today, so mom and dad and I went on an outing. But this outing did not involve a car, we went for a walk. Then we went up the stairs to a train station. I've never been on a train before! It moves like a car, but on its own roads. And it is big. It is so big that mommy and daddy and lots of other people can stand in it.

The first trip there were lots of people. We got in and we stood but the train was moving. There were lots of girls to smile at and they smiled and laughed back at me.

The second trip was going back. But now I am an expert train rider. I just copy daddy and I know how to hang on to the pole when the train is moving also. Daddy says that I will get to ride the train again and I think it is so much fun.

Walking to the market to get breakfast

My first day in Thailand I woke up after 3 hours of sleep. And the sun was up. That means it is time to get up and play (ed note: 6:00 AM after going to bed around 2 AM, and a thunderstorm that set off a crying session at 3 AM). But mommy was sleepy. So daddy decided we should go take a walk. And maybe Grandpa could join us. And who was waiting downstairs? Grandpa!

First we went to the spirit house to say good morning to the local spirit, and letting me sleep in his house. Then we took a walk. This was much louder with more cars and people than when I take a walk at home. And there was so much to look at and people to smile at. And everyone was smiling back at me.

Daddy and grandpa said they had a job to do. Get breakfast. So we went a few blocks and there was a street where many people were selling many things. We had to go visit many people to get breakfast. And I got to look at many people making food. And they all wanted to talk to me. Daddy made me practice putting my hands together and saying sawasdee khrap to everyone on the street. So I did that with the aunties selling food, the grandmas and the girls walking on the street, and the Ajahns who were also getting breakfast. Grandpa said I was doing a good job making everyone happy and smiling.


We were walking around for an hour. And when I met great-grandma later in the day and she asked me what I did, I had so much to tell her. And on our vacation I got to go to the market with daddy and grandpa almost every day. So much fun.

First flight

One day I woke up like I usually do when it was still dark. But mommy and daddy were already awake and walking around the house. And instead of feeding me and putting me back to sleep, they brought me to the car and we went on an outing. But it was dark outside. We never go on outings when it is dark outside. So all the roads looked different.

We went to a place with lots of people and waited in many lines. Then we went inside an airplane. The first trip was about an hour. It was so much fun and there were so many new things to look at. I liked to smile at everyone, especially our seat neighbor, except she was sleeping the whole time. When we got off she said I was a good flyer.

The second trip was much longer. But there were still so many new things. I liked playing with daddy and smiling at all the neighbors and the pretty ladies who came with food for mommy and daddy. And I liked to smiled to the neighbors across the aisle, and behind us when daddy would life me up in the air. We also took walks around the plane so I could find a place to play. I even found a new friend to play with. He taught me a new game to play with cups, moshi-moshi. (ed Note: Kan is from Osaka and was returning from a visit with grandparents in Indiana.) It was so much fun. And everyone was smiling at me when they got off.

Then we had to stay in another airport. They had this big bathroom with a big changing table and a seat that I could use while waiting for mommy. They also had a play area where big kids were playing, but they were too rough for me. And more new things to look at. But I was getting tired. And sleepy. And we had to get on another plane. This time I did not play as much (does everyone expect me to play, play, play all the time, even I sleep sometime)

We finally made it to the fourth airport. This time we did not look for a place to play and sit. But we got all the bags that we left at the first airport. And we went for a walk. Then first grandma was waiting with other new people. And they were so happy to see us (I don't know why). And another trip in the car in the dark, this time with both mommy and daddy in the back with me. A new house and it was time for bed.

Hurricane Earl 2.0

The Red Cross had a practice session (ed note: disaster shelter exercise) and I had a job. My job was to be a baby staying at the shelter. A job that I possess unique qualifications for performing. I started out by having to register just like everyone else. I even got my own name tag.



Next was the all important question: Where was I going to sleep. I was going to get a cot in the gym along with a blanket, and space for daddy too. This was not too bad. I gave the arrangements a test run. Not too bad, even though there were many other people in the loud gym with me who were talking and carrying on. But I took my job seriously. I even woke up to eat (and I wanted mommy's milk, which someone was storing for me)



Daddy had another job while staying with me, which was listening to some people talk on the radio. I think he was doing a good job too. Maybe not as well as I was doing mine, but not everyone can do that :-)

Goodbye Grandma and Grandpa :_(

*sniff* Grandma and grandpa left today. I'm going to miss them so much. They came here just after first grandma left. And just in time for me to get sick for the first time. They listened to me exercise my lungs alot, and danced and sang and marched. And made me practice smiling. Alot. I'm very good at it now.

But they finally had to leave and go home to China. We've been watching "Ni hao Kai-Lan" on TV and it says China is very far away and you have to fly a long time to get there. I hope I can visit them at their house some day.