Our first week home

We've mostly stayed home since getting here. there are enough things to occupy the kids with their playground, room, dogs, fish... lots going on. the kids love their playground and will ask to be on the swings for hours... or until our arms get too tired of swinging them. the sand box is a success too. not so much the slide. i think it's too big and scary for them, and it gives a mean drop. so we have to see about putting it at less of a sharp angle so they won't go flying off of it. David discovered the rings yesterday and delighted us with his flips. these kids are such acrobats.

Grandma: your potty seat is a big success with Emma. She loves it!!!! she claps her hand each time she sits on it and hears the music play. she had no problem at all taking to it. David wants to use the big boy potty. these children are real water lovers and will play with whatever water source is nearest them. can't get enough. they say something like Dom which means shower or bath. and a word that sounds strangely like foam for shampoo/soap. so we hear those quite a bit!

we ventured out of the house yesterday for a short walk. when i showed them the stroller, Emma quickly sat down in the front seat. she busily went about strapping herself in.  David quickly ran over and started checking out the bench in the back. i made the first timers mistake of trying to strap him in. no way, that must be baby stuff!!!! so instead he walked while i pushed Emma around in the stroller. it was a short walk but we had fun. later on in the day, i decided to take them out again, this time i was smart enough to coax him over by suggesting he push the stroller. oh yeah, that can be fun. but once he walked over, he saw the step and hopped up.. hmm here's a chair, let me just try it out. and off we went. no straps of course this time. and really not like we're headed out over rough terrain. Jeff and i took them out again and it was no problem. in fact once we got back the kids decided they wanted more and this time David crawled into the "baby" seat in front, and Emma did her best to hold on in the back seat. this stroller only has one canopy so of course they fought over whose head it would cover. they compromised with David winning and Emma squeezing her head as close to his as possible to be under the shade. we'll have to bring a towel or something next time to use as a shade.

Oh and the best part, the very very very best part is suddenly Emma is my girl and only my girl. she wants me to hold her and carry her everywhere. she gives the sweetest kisses too. she used to just press her face briefly to you and that was her kiss. now she actually puckers up. she kisses European style, once on each cheek and then your mouth. she'll run from me to Jeff and just squeeze our legs and hug us and kiss us. i think that's her way of saying how very happy she is. she's certainly all smiles and squeals. i just love having my little girl. i feel bad for Jeff being left out in the cold as it were, but he's enjoying the small break and he gets his love and squeezes too.

we're still taking turns sleeping downstairs close to the kids. the first night was awful as one child would wake up every hour. so just as i would finally fall back asleep, the other child would wake up screaming. so I'd make my way over to their room, pick them up and sit with them on the glider -- thank god for the glider.. and settle them back in bed. this happened all night long. at around 2am they both woke up wide awake and ready to play. i (having a tiny bit of sense about me) carried them into the bed with me and there we managed to doze on and off until the morning. so i was pretty much a sleep deprived wreck. even the next night when it was Jeff's turn, i woke up at the first sound of a tiny voice. i knew Jeff had it covered but the thought of missing one waking moment was too much!! i confided in Jeff later on i hated being away from them and even though i was exhausted i wanted to be around them all the time. he told me he felt the same way.

last night was my turn again to sleep near the kids and they pretty much slept thru the night. David never woke but Emma did once. she came into my room with her arms up and looking for me. ahhhhh. it took a lot of strength to put her back in her bed and not keep her with me. but early this am, around 6am or so they both came in and i brought them into the bed. David was out like a light, but Emma crawled up right next to me and petted and stroked, and kissed me like i was her little kitty. you can not begin to understand how sweet and wonderful those tiny caresses are. i was in heaven. just me and Emma all snuggled up together. David fast asleep only inches away. i did not want to get up this morning at all!

It's great to be home. the kids are doing incredibly well. they are both extremely happy and full of affection. it could not be any more PERFECT!!!!!!!!

exhausted but home

WE'RE HOME. it was an exhausting schedule. rushed to get packed and get all our items from the tailor. then waited for our facilitator to show up with the kid's travel visas, leaving Hanoi at 5pm rush hour then to the airport. we got off okay, luckily! the descent from Hanoi to Hong Kong was really bad and poor David's ear were really hurting him. i was worried he would not want to go on another plane, but he had no problem at all. in fact the kids discovered the joy of pushing luggage carts around the airport --- even ones that did not belong to them. they were amazing on the long flight home. we kept getting compliments on how well the kids were behaved. they slept on most of the flight or played together. they were really terrific. we got in really late into LA, and i must say immigration was a breeze. we stood in the really long US residents line, until an officer spotted our kids and asked if had adopted them. there's a special line for new immigrants and that's where we were directed. only one person ahead of us on this line!!!! the officer there took our docs and told us to get our luggage.. that was it. the luggage part proved to be a hassle since we were the last ones it seemed to get our bags. by the time we had our luggage and walked back over to the new immigrants line... all our docs were done. that was it.. we got our paperwork and were free to leave. we ended up spending the night at a hotel in LA and catching an 8am flight out the next morning. again the kids were great. Emma slept the whole way home. in fact she was so tired (she did not sleep at the hotel) she slept thru her whole welcome home. David was okay at first, not wanting to say hello to Adam and Alex who picked us up. but that was expected. the car seat was not something he liked at all. Emma, still sound asleep, had no idea that was her mode of transportation home. But once we left the airport and hit the highway, David was fast asleep in his car seat.

yeah

WE'RE COMING HOME. Todd got us tickets out for tonight. so far only to LAX, we may have to overnight it there since the red eyes to Orlando are booked. but we might be able to get tix when we arrive, so we'll see.

will try to post another update when we know more. crazy time to start packing all this stuff we have.

A post from last Sunday

We walked to Al Frescos Saturday night for dinner and the kids had a great time. the waitress, like most of the employees there, are university students studying the hospitality trade. she talked to us for a while and told us how different Americans treat their kids (and in her opinion better) she said they'd never allow their kids to lay on the floor.  she said the Vietnamese would not let their kids color at will. they'd say no the sky can't be green, use the right color, stay within the lines. things like that. she was very sweet and friendly. the kids were great and ate their food and played and had a fine time.

this morning, Jeff was very very nice to me and let me sleep in to a decadent 7am. man who knew sleeping in to 7am could feel so good. we realized we dont' both have to be up this early and that we'll start taking turns at those 5am wake ups. Again this morning, the kids came into our room without crying. they are really comfortable with their surroundings now and know our routine. Jeff and I decided to take the kids out on separate trips, so the boys went to the playground and market while Emma and i went for a walk. There's a tiny market area very close to the hotel. i walked down there and had to keep dodging the fast moving moped traffic down this very narrow path. once i saw it lead to the butcher's market i quickly turnaround. i did not need to know what laid beyond. we then walked to the lake and i remembered the nice mall we had seen. it's a very hi end mall, and i thought it'd be nice to go inside and check it out. the first floor was all jewelers and i really wanted to buy Emma a jade necklace for her (one day) wedding. but not knowing enough about jade, or how much is too much, i just kept walking around.

once we got back outside on the streets, Emma was sound asleep in my arms. I cannot begin to tell you how wonderful that feeling is. she was out like a light and i got to just hold and carry her the few short blocks back. Jeff told me he and David had all kinds of fun in the playground, reinventing the use of the play cars (great devices to shoot down the slide). It was good for the kids to have some private playtime with mommy and daddy. and it was great for mommy and daddy to have some private playtime with the kids.

Sunday night also meant dinner with the other families and our facilitator, Ninh. He took us to dinner.  and once again the kids were just amazing!!!! We dressed them up in cute outfits and they are just so adorable! i wish i had brought a change of top for Emma though since it was so hot and the poor thing was sweltering in the heat, with that high collar and long sleeves.

the Ashton Family

That little girl had some mind of her own!

Emma giving us her Mookie Eyes

They were fine on the car ride there and even with the tons of folks walking around, they seemed to be oblivious. i took David to the buffet line and his eyes lit up at all the goodies. he had to figure out that all this stuff was there for him to eat.  it took him no time to point out all kinds of foods he wanted to eat. none of which I'm sure he's ever had before but if his eyes lit up, and he pointed at it, i scooped up a serving for him. there was one food in particular, Morning Glory, a green spinach like veggie. it was cooked heavily in garlic and the kids gobbled it up. i had to get them 3 servings of it!!!

Hopefully that is one of the foods i can find for them locally. i remember at the orphanage they had some green long, stringy, similar looking veggie simmering in hot water. so i wonder if this is the same thing? after dinner the kids starting playing with the older boy who was also adopted. this was the first time they ever played with him. they avoided him and his sister. but we think that David and Emma now realize we're their parents, that they are with us forever, and it's okay to talk and play with other kids -- even ones from the center. This boy, Rio, was inhaling plate fulls of snails, and David and Emma were fascinated. He was a real pro at it and showed our kids how to scoop out the meat with a toothpick. they just stared at him forever. wow, food and those fun toothpicks all at the same time. Dinner was nice and the kids did so well, but we were ready to head home. it was way past all our bedtimes.

All seven families adopting a total of nine kids! 

shopping the day away

The kids woke up in a good mood this morning and just walked into our bedroom and played for a while. no crying, no confusion as to where they are at. Emma crawled in bed and tried biting our feet in hopes of enticing us to get up already!!!!! David got a toy and just played with his car... happy as a clam.

we thought we'd hit the circus today but it seems it's just an evening performance so we'll see if they have a matinee for tomorrow. a lot of the stuff we want to see is not really kid friendly (like museums) so we're trying to think of things we can do, but that will allow us to be back here for 12noon nap time! we decided to walk over to the quarter. there were some stores we noticed that we wanted to shop at. we got a couple of water puppets similar to the ones in the show. David was thinking these were HIS toys, but I'm hoping to put them on a high shelf in their room. we'll see who wins that battle..

as we headed home we walked along the lake. David and Emma just took off. they were twirling and playing and goofing off. Jeff and i remembered just a few days ago, we attempted a walk by the lake and it was all hysterics then. now they are running and playing all on their own. as we made our way down to the last few blocks before the hotel, i offered to carry Emma as she was now so tired she was nodding off. Instantly David threw himself to the ground and had a fit. Even when we walked together and i took her other hand, David would run around and get between us. While we're out and about he does not like for me to have anything to do with her. but when we're here at the hotel, I'm second class citizen to him. he just wants to play or jump all over daddy. we have to find a balance as it will be impossible getting thru the airports if he does not let daddy take him every now and then, and i can take Emma. so maybe tomorrow we can get Jeff to take David on a walk and I'll hang back with Emma. i miss that little pumpkin pie too. she's such a sweetheart, but boy the will on that girl! they are learning how to push all our buttons and they think it's quite funny.

when we brought them back from walking we put them down for a nap. i heard some noise and peaked in. David was play hitting Emma to keep her awake. they were laughing and doing the mock emmay emmay cry. I'm sure they thought it was a laugh riot how they had us all worked up those first few days. they kept playing and not sleeping, so finally i had to go back inside and lay down with them for a bit. mom, such a spoil sport! it's great though that they are so comfortable with us they can be left in their room alone without screaming. they think it's hysterical to make fun of us (and themselves) that given a nice place to play they'd rather run around then sit in our laps. they have changed and grown so much in so short a time. it's wonderful to see them happy! they are such great kids and being able to walk around and enjoy each other's company and spend the day happily together was really a welcome relief.

woo hoo doubly good day

today we finally got our act together and were all up bright and early, had our breakfast, got washed up and dressed and out the door. we've all had enough with being couped up here at the Somerset. we did not know how the kids would do with going out, but David, when i would not pick him up to carry him outside, just kinda thought fine then, I'll roll my way out. and that's what he did. he rolled all the way from out hotel door to the elevator. when he finished he was so dizzy he was wobbly. but the kids walked the several long blocks to the old quarter. we did so well in fact we got there before any of the shops opened. oops that's what happens when you wake up at 5am. luckily a really nice cafe across the street was opened and we had some drinks. we walked back over to silk street.  we had the kids measured for some really nice ao dais.  i've gotten them the pre packaged ones and some beautiful ones made in Hoi An -- but they turned out to be huge. we go back on Monday to get these. we walked and shopped for a couple of hours, and i was able to pick up two power ranger outfits for David. he LOVES his power rangers. in fact right after that he insisted on carrying the bag and Jeff said the outfits gave him special powers. we had to rush as it was pee pee time, and if you have a toddler you know there is no Hold It Til We Get Back discussion. so we made a mental note of some of the shops we want to go back and see. We went back to Hanoi 2 for lunch and David took out his new clothes and would hold them and happily say Power rangers (in Vietnamese) he wanted to put his new shirt on and started to put it on there at the table over his clothes. so i helped him out a bit. he loves his new wardrobe. David walked back almost the entire way and only asked to be carried about a block from the hotel. and figure we left around 7:30am and were back by 11am. well that's a lot of walking for a little guy. At one point he was so happy with his new garments he actually let go my hand and starting running and playing. if it hadn't been for the mean streets of Ha Noi i would have let him. but i had to grab his hand back and walk with him. he was so happy and confident that little guy. Emma did great too. Just a happy go lucky kid that one. they were pretty bored a few times with mom's lousy attempts at negotiations. (when you're haggling over a dollar, it hardly feels worth it)

David has gotten exceptionally good at communicating with us. He speaks to me in Vietnamese, and when he realizes i don't understand, he starts using gestures. he says eat with the hand to mouth gesture. potty time we know already and when he wants a drink he gestures the tipping up of a glass. smart boy that one.

we dressed Emma up in one of her Ao Dai's and all the Vietnamese people we saw would oohh and ahhh over her. she looked so cute beyond words. and when i first put it on her she squealed with delight and would twirl around and play with the soft fabric. she loves being the princess!!! i wanted to put her dress shoes on but she got her sandals, so i thought oh what does it matter. next thing i notice her looking at her dress shoes and putting those on instead. that kid has good fashion sense. she hated the stiff collar and would yank at it a few times  but she wore her outfit like a trouper. i was going to dress David up too in a linen outfit but we let him wear his new PR garbs instead.

The kids have quite a sense of humor. they started this new thing to pretend to cry. they walked into the kitchen and started "crying" emmay emmay. at first i thought, oh no not this again. it was AWFUL seeing them crying like that. but they were laughing and pointing and giggling. they were making fun of themselves and us. funny kids, huh??? so now when one of them gets all whiny, we laugh at them, and they just (for the most part) snap out of it. as if to say, okay you got our number.

they did gang up on us at dinner time. they both were in a very strong willed and feisty mood. so Emma ended up getting THREE time outs today. i don't think she's ever gotten one and was quite surprised we meant it when we said she needs to behave. she likes to stand up in her chair, which of course is dangerous as the chair will tip back. and she kept insisting and looking me right in the face to say, so what are you going to do about it. i mean this girl has gumption. so finally i said that's it, time out for you. and i took her away from the table and sat her down in the living room (a few feet away from us) boy did she wail. a few minutes later i walked over and asked her if she was done. she got up, took my hand and sat very nicely at the table. we're trying to discourage them from using their hands to eat. they'll use the fork to put the food in their hands and then to their mouth. i was going to let them get away with this until we got home.  But when we eat out, (and i can't always wash their hands first), they shove everything in their mouth with their hands and it's just gross! so today at dinner i started the process. Emma was quite upset with this new change to her dining habits, but after getting her time out, she was very much the good girl at dinner.

got the passports

WE GOT THE KID'S PASSPORTS!!! YEAH! turns out we're the only family, so far, that's been approved by CIS. So later this afternoon we go for their medical, tomorrow, Friday we have our second CIS appt and then on Monday we get their travel visas. we're so excited.  let's hope Todd can get us flights home. we're so ready to leave. it's been nice here, and had we been able to leave the hotel, I'd have loved it. but it's just now that David is okay with leaving the hotel and well now we're leaving Vietnam!

from Jeff: Immigration Dept. in Hanoi is an interesting experience very much like the DMV. All of the families were represented to pick up the kids passports. Vietnamese people are very quiet and patient in government offices and we stuck out like sore thumbs.   A group of happy Americans can be very loud. Ninh apparently got scolded and asked to quiet us down. So we shuffled off to the American's corner. Adult time out. After a bit of a wait we received what we were waiting for. 2 passports with what could best be described as mugshots suitable for the local post office. So we are now the envy of all the families as the only ones absolutely on our way home. Hopefully the others will follow on our heels.

we can come home early!!!!!!

OMG OMG OMG!!!!! we just got a call from the agency to tell us we've been approved by CIS and that they moved up our SOS medical appt to tomorrow (same day we're getting the kid's passports) that our 2nd CIS appt is on Friday.. which means..... we pick up the kids visas on Monday and we can fly home Monday night!!!!!!!!

i just sent an email to Todd to see if he can book us on a flight home on Monday. we're so hoping he can get us out the same night. we're all so couped up here we're ready to get home and into our new routine and start out new lives together! wow we still can't believe it. i dont' know what's going on with the other families but I'm sure we'll find out more tomorrow. we were going to go to Ha Long Bay for the weekend, but it's not worth it to leave for the whole weekend and then attempt a 30 hour flight home. better to lay low here and maybe even do some exploring.

we went to see the water puppet show. got there about 15 minutes before show time but they were all sold out so we ended up taking a cyclo ride. the ride around the old market was kinda cool. it was odd to be in the middle of the traffic flow from this advantage. but as close as the calls seemed we arrived back at the theater unscathed. David and Emma both did fine on the cyclo. in fact David REALLY perked up when we passed the toy street. he's had his eye on some kind of bike, or scooter, or anything with wheels. Emma did find too, just as carefree as usual. with her being sick she's been pretty quiet and not her usual animated self. David did well at the puppet show. it was kinda long for them and they did their best to watch it. David went from the floor to my lap and back to the floor to my lap.  but he was good so he got a special toy afterward. we walked around a very short bit (the theater is right across from the lake)   We just sat there and played for a while.

Twice today David has looked at me and said" eat?" while gesturing the food to mouth action. (which is what i do when i want to ask him if he's hungry) i couldn't believe it. i asked Jeff, did he just say eat? he's been doing really well with the potty thing, although he has to cry a bit first -- just to see if we'll cave and take him to the bathroom. but the moment he comes out he's all smiles and jumping up and down and saying yeah yeah yeah. we make a huge deal about his big boy efforts. Emma even got into it too and tried to climb unto the toilet but we had to grab her before she fell in.

we're all doing good

i really have to say that extra hour of sleep has done wonders. David slept thru the whole night and Emma only woke once. they got up this morning without crying. they usually cry a bit, but instead they just woke up and came into our room. Now that David has educated us on what he prefers to eat for breakfast, (Pho) this morning's meal was a blast. we give them a yogurt drink when they first wake up and about an hour later i make them breakfast. we bought some of those instant Pho mixes yesterday (think top ramen) and they must have smelled it because they came RUNNING into the kitchen. they were jumping and climbing and excitedly gesturing. i couldn't cook it fast enough for them. AND showing how enthusiastic they are about their meals they both ran to their spots at the table and they both pointed to the cushions. they were planning on being as up close and personal to their food as possible. i offered them both chopsticks and forks and spoons and David and Emma both grabbed their chopsticks and went to town on their foods. David has never finished his plate but this morning he finished everything and even went for seconds.

it's funny but the kids have switched places and now David is being more animated and Emma is getting upset over every little thing. it's her turn to feel out of sorts we're guessing, and now David is trying to coax her out of it.  so things are going really well for us here. even though they have colds we really want to take them to the water puppet show. we just HAVE to get out of here for a while. can you say Stir Crazy???

sick kids at home

well no water puppets today after all. the kids are just not feeling well, and Emma is being uncharacteristically grumpy. after her nap, she let me hold her for a long time (ahhhh) and even with her favorite Ba sitting nearby. she's tired and all huggy today. (we love that part)

David indicated he had to go pee. so i pointed to the bathroom and said you can go. and he shook his head. then he gestured again. and i pointed again and said, you know where it's at. he eyed me, sizing up my resolve, then just plopped off the chair went to the bathroom, flushed and was right back eating his ham. HUGE YEAH'S for David. he was so proud of himself too! Emma also had her shining moment. she likes to stand up in her chair when she eats -- better to reach her food no doubt. but i always make her sit down or at least kneel down -- for fear of her tipping the chair over something she's already done. We tried giving her a cushion, to act like a booster seat, but she doesn't like it. So today she kept standing up and i kept pointing down and saying Emma sit down. finally she got frustrated with this, BUT she pointed to the cushion. the one she dislikes sitting on, then she sat on it and finished her snack.

the housekeepers were just here and usually the kids dislike strangers. today they were running around peaking in at them, pretending the vacuum cleaner was a monster. they were so funny, finally someone other then us sees how cute and adorable they are!!! they were just running back and forth waiting to be "caught" by monster mommy and daddy when they collided and head butt each other. i swear poor Emma has banged her head every single day we've had her. we must be awful parents cause she always manages to clobber herself. we're afraid she'll give herself a concussion one day. generally she cries a short few minutes then it's back to play for her.

okay can this day can any better??!!!! the kids are sick so we decided to stay here. but then none of us could deal with the cabin fever any longer so we decided to just step outside. David wanted to be carried at first, so i made a deal with him. I'd carry him to the elevator and then he's on his own. he grumbled at first but those elevator buttons were too tempting for those tiny fingers. once on the ground floor he did that draggy feet thing, but i just took him firmly by the hand and walked really slowly. it took a few steps but once he got the hang of it we not only walked outside the building we actually took a nice long walk 5 or 6 blocks long! at one point Emma took my other hand and we all walked side by side. I'd have given ANYTHING to have had a picture of that happy moment. but we'll have to just remember it in our minds.  i also want to say that getting around Ha Noi is no problem at all. we learned quickly how to cross the street, everyone seems to speak a smidgen of English and the weather is so much more tolerable then hot hot hot Tam Ky) David did wonderfully. a real trooper. he was so distracted just watching the ever present passing cars. the streets around the hotel are not terribly crowded like the old market so it was not stressful for him. We wanted to end on a high note so we turned back before they got too tired. David also would stop and wait for his baby sister and he'd take her hand too sometimes. it was so lovely and wonderful. we took them for soft drinks downstairs which they loved. so now we're all just chilling out. waiting for bath time then bedtime. maybe tomorrow we'll tackle the water puppet.

Today is a GREAT day

Today we had a super terrific amazing spectacular day! even though the kids are sick (and I'm getting it now) the extra hour of sleep seems to have done wonders for them. they woke up in a good mood. after 20 minutes of play they decided they needed Ba to wake up too, so the kids marched into the room and started tickling his feet. wake up dad! ahhh who can resist a good morning like that?

we decided to go downstairs to breakfast and get the kids some Vietnamese food. I carried David to the elevator but set him down once we got in it. he got instantly grumpy so i distracted him with the Press the Elevator Button game. Oh what fun that is! Emma climbed right out of daddy's arms so she could join in too. we theorized that once David claims an area as his own, he adds it to his comfort zone, like the apartment, pool and playground. now the elevator is part of the comfort zone too. at the restaurant (which we've been to at least once a day) I set him down and it was right down to the floor for grumpasaurus rex. he was doing his quiet moany thing, and there weren't any patrons around so i let him sit there. the waitress brought over two hi chairs and we put Emma in one. David whined a bit louder so i picked him up. he was instantly quiet again. so i sat him in the chair. that was not to his liking. but he sat there just the same. Emma busily devouring the watermelon and bread on the table. David, in the end, would rather have fun then be all whiny, so he got up from his chair and started to climb into the other high chair (something we've never done before for him) now he was all smiles again. the waitress brought over a big bowl of Pho  and their eyes just lit up. i think they've missed eating their traditional food. they both just dove into their food. no peeps, no cries, just happy munching. David shocked us both when he put down his spoon and picked up the chopsticks and started going to town on his noodles. It stands to reason he could use chopsticks but we never saw him eat with them. and at the center the nannies always fed the kids so he wouldn't have used them there. so we gave him huge Yeahs!!! Good Boy!!! he eats that up. speaking of eating up, our "little" Emma is quite the piggy. she ate FOUR bowls of Pho, plus the watermelon and bread. this is more food then an adult can eat. she's a non stop eating machine. she's not doing a crazed, starved, shoveling the food in her mouth kind of thing, more of a constant and happy munching away. she had a buddha belly when we met her and now she's developed chunky thighs and her face is really rounding out. Jeff finally pulled the last bowl of soup away concerned she'd make herself sick with all that food.

David is also spending lots more time on daddy's lap. Daddy has become Daddy Mountain and both kids will frolic and play jumping and climbing all over Daddy. Even though we're not a traditional, old fashion couple, Jeff and i seemed to fit that role anyway. Daddy is about having fun and playing. Mommy is about feeding, wiping away boogers and potty time. (or as i think of myself, their personal servant) Jeff walked to the door planning on buying some groceries when big surprise, David got all excited and wanted to go with him. So we said Great. more bonding time with daddy. Emma was not one bit happy with this. She's not liking having to share her daddy with anyone. She started crying the moment they left. So i picked her up and started humming to her. they love looking out the window and being on the 23rd floor we have a really nice view. within two minutes she was sound asleep. i tried laying her down but she did not like that, so i ended up slowly maneuvering myself so i could sit down on the bed, then slowly lower myself until i had her sound asleep on my chest. oh i cannot begin to describe my bliss. having this tiny little sweet being this close to me was wonderful beyond words. hearing her soft breath and rubbing her back and hair. utter and complete joy and happiness. okay she was sleeping and missing her Ba, but for now she was mine and i just cherish that moment. she napped for about 30 minutes. resting on her mama. when i tried putting her on the bed she woke up. she looked up right into my face and I expected her to start wailing, but nope, she was only interested in waking up and playing again. we came into the living room where Jeff and David were resting together on the sofa.  And as for David, Jeff said he walked all the way -- on his own, into the elevator, thru the lobby, thru to the adjacent building, around the outside, back inside, to the market and upstairs on his own. this is the same boy that just this morning refused to leave the apartment unless i carried him. that's why we encourage him the way we do. we want him to feel love and protected and comforted, but i think he feels better about himself when he's being a big boy.

The other thing we wanted to work on is potty time. at the center all the kids walk over to the famous bucket, set it down, sit on it and do their business.

 no help from anyone. it's kinda funny because they'll take their food, toys whatever they have with them to the potty. i guess they're still afraid of losing their goodies if they set them down. in fact many times i had David in there and Emma would walk right up and hand him some food. when i take David to go potty, i undress him and then put his clothes back on for him. i noticed sometimes he starts to remove his own pants then suddenly stops. hey why make the effort when someone is willing to do it for you? so today i let him do his business, got his undies on for him, then told him to pull up his shorts. he just stood there and sulked. so i walked out of the bathroom.   Emma being the good sister ran in there and whispered to him, calling me and concernedly pointing at David. but we just sat here and watched tv. he shuffled his way to the door. all sad and puppy dog eyed. we just kept watching tv. next thing you know he had his pants on and was jumping all over daddy mountain again. and just so you know what an amazing and quick learner he is, after lunch, i took both kids in to potty, i was distracted as Emma was being fussy. i left David in one bathroom and took Emma to the other. It was Emma's turn to be crabby and only wanted Ba to take her to go potty. so i went back and there was David flushing the toilet! he had taken his own bottoms off, done his wee wee and put his pants back on. i was so happy for him we stared jumping up and down and doing the super big yeah's for him. he shyly looks away but you know he just loves this good attention. so all in all an amazing day and it's only 12noon for us! can you believe that? we're going to take the kids this afternoon to the water puppet show. we're not going to push David and if he wants to sit on my lap during the show, that's more then okay -- he's earned that right to be babied and loved on.

We sailed thru our CIS appointment!!!!!!

we had our appointment with CIS and it went smoothly.  our interviewer said we could pick up the kids passports on Thursday and on Friday would be their medicals. sometime the following week we have the second interview, followed by picking up their travel visas the following day. and then we can GO HOME!!!! we're so anxious to go home. not cause it's not wonderful here, but the kids are out of sorts. they need to be in one permanent place and start settling in. we're all going crazy from cabin fever so it'll be good to be home and settled in.

We went in with a game plan. I would carry David and keep him firm in my lap the entire time. he had a tiny few fussy moments but they were both amazing champs when we went in for our interview. we had collected all their toys and laid them out on the counter (our room was like a prison interview room with a glass partition separating us from the interviewer. the kids quickly discovered the bank like pens on chains. they happily sat on our laps and drew all over each other. but they were absolute angels! WOO HOOOOOO. and this on one hour nap and having been rudely awaken to get ready to leave.   Once we told them we're leaving they both perked up. they ride in cars like real Champs and were all smiles before we even got thru the hotel room door.

The kids are both coming down with a cold which have made them very crotchety today. they were very cross with each other and kept fighting which is unusual for them. i think we also have some sibling rivalry going on. David is much more comfortable with Jeff again and i don't think Emma is too thrilled with that. Just like David gets' mad if i play with Emma. we generally let them work it on their own, until they start hitting. they are a rough bunch these kids and regular play involves a lot of kicking and hitting. but today they were just annoying each other to no end. David had to get several time outs for acting out too much. these seem to work really well for him. they were so pitiful today whining about every tiny thing. so when David just would not stop, we'd put him in the room by himself. within seconds he'd stop crying. minutes later he'd come into the LR. he'd stand there and we'd say come on in. but he had to do it in his own fashion. it seems to work as it has cut his histrionics by more then half.

Emma is also a button pusher. the kids figure everything out in seconds. One thing in particular, how to turn on the computer. so when i see them near it, i say Khong. i can say it softly since it's just them testing me. but what Emma does is keeps her finger on the laptop. not putting it on or touching the buttons, just asserting herself. Then David started doing the same thing. We all had a snack when we got back from CIS -- for a job well down. and i had given the kids a couple of skittles i left the bag on the table and David would put his finger on it and say Me? and I'd say no, you've had enough. so he'd look down, but keep his finger on the bag. would not open it or take another candy.. just had to keep his finger on it til HE was ready. that's all fine with me. i told him he could not have more and he did not have more so a deal's a deal. i did not tell him he could not touch the bag, so that was okay. after he was sure i had learned "my" lesson, he took his finger away in search of other pursuits to annoy his sister. We know they are just testing us. see how much they can get away with. We've been indulging them a lot since this is all a major adjustment for them. And Emma's thing today was to sit up in her chair during meals. But when i demanded she sit down (and not jump on and off and climb all over it) she got mad at me. but she behaved and sat back down. so now i just say sit down and point my finger downward and they plop back down in their seats. see they're really such great kids. just pushing the envelope a bit. checking us out. as long as we're consistent (as in no toys at the table, no hitting hard, no climbing while eating.) And when they're good and having fun and goofing off we say, man if everyone else could see them like this. they are such a hoot together.

This morning David got up around 4:30 am. Jeff got up with him. Jeff said after a half hour of playing on his own, David went and softly woke Emma up. then he brought her into the LR where he piled all the toys on the sofa so she could play with them. they are so very loving to each other. even though they have been bratty with each other today, they all have their limits. they'll fight over something, but if one of them really wants the toy the other will just give it up. Very sweet kids.

They are brushing their teeth too! they've been watching me and yesterday i gave them their toothbrushes. i have some baby toothpaste, but it was just easier to give them a tiny bit of my mint toothpaste. at first they winced at the taste, then they kept asking for more. right now they're just brushing the front teeth but we'll work on the rest later : )

oh and they discovered ICE! OMG the love ice! they will grab it out of our glasses (we have a fridge and make our own with bottled water) and suck on it till their lips pucker up. they haven't quite figured out how to avoid "burning" their hands with the cold ice, so i have a baby blanket i keep nearby to warm their hands up between cubes. too cute indeed!

Sunday in the park with the pea pods two

Breakfast was interesting.  i soon as i said anh (the word i think meets eat) they raced to the table.  they each have their own chair, right beside each other.  when i showed them the fruit and the yogurt Emma smiled but David shook his head no. so i made them some eggs, i offered bread, juice, anything i thought a munchkin would like.  he was obviously hungry.  well whatever it was he wanted i did not have, so he started crying.  Jeff put him in a time out and we ate our breakfast.  Emma will go for a short time without her brother, but she must have felt bad as she got down (leaving her precious food behind) and went and sat with him.  she must have said something cause they both eventually waddled their way back and we just left David's food there and he picked at it.  we ignored him.  he picked some more.  more ignoring.  he sat down in his chair.... okay we get it... just kept eating like they weren't there.

we decided to take the kids to a lake only a few blocks away.  now bear in mind it's really hot, humid and David weighs close to 30 lbs.  i made it almost there and finally i just could not carry him any further.  Jeff had to take a now wailing David.  He was okay leaving the hotel and being carried -- they both get very quiet, but didn't cry out.  but when Jeff took him he started bawling.  we got to the first bench we could find and put the kids down.  of course it took seconds for them both to be on the ground squirming and getting filthy.  we had a bunch of Vietnamese folks come over, trying to console the kids.  we tried to be nice, but an older lady came and started fanning the kids with a paper fan.  we ended up buying two and that brought every vendor over to us.  We walked to a place where we could sit again, and this time we had a plan.  I had Emma in my arms and we worked it out so that I'd put her down first, take off my back pack, take off Jeff's back pack, quickly in one motion mind you, take David from Jeff and sit down.  okay that worked out.  the kids were actually okay here.  they sat on our laps for a bit until they felt better enough to walk 2 feet from us.  

we could have just stayed here but our kids are peeing champs.  not 20 minutes pass before they both (always both) have to go again.  so we pack them up and head in search of toilets.  i had the honors this time.  the public toilets, which you pay for, are squatty pottys.  i had David going and Emma raced to take off her undies and started to sit down.  i had to grab David and swing him around midstream to avoid Emma being... hmmmm.... wet?  with the other hand I'm trying to hold her up a bit so she can't sit on the squatty potty.  all this in a bathroom no bigger then an airplane bathroom.  then i flushed the squatty potty (a modern convenience I'm sure) and to all our surprises, a hose attached to the sink spayed the toilet.  David thought it was playtime and put his hands in the water spray..  i yanked them away and washed all our hands as thoroughly as i could.

we ended up sitting down again by some teens with a puppy.  we were happy to see the kids had an interest in watching the dog, but no interest in playing with it (which we would not have allowed anyway) so that's good considering we have so many dogs at home.  we tried walking around some more with me carrying David as long as i could.  we all had enough and knew it was time to head home.  Jeff grabbed up David and I took Emma.  he hollered and screamed like his hair was on fire.  Jeff told me he was going to walk off in a brisk pace.  that seemed to do the trick.  Emma graced me with the privilege of carrying her ( Ba was busy so she figure okay just this once) and being away from me, David settled into Jeff's arms.  We're both trying to find ways so that David will go back to Jeff and Emma will accept me.  i was a little miffed this am when i had David in my arms and she was standing there, i tried to take her hand but she gave me the shoulder.  the doorman walked over, gently took her hand, which she happily offered him and we were able to make it out the door.  Oh how that girl knows how to hurt you!  the best payoff is David is playing more with Jeff again and Emma, who's just so darn cute! is giving me her adorable smiles.  so we're going step by step, working out the kinks, making our mistakes, and learning from them.

Spaghetti Dinner

we decided to get out of the hotel for dinner and went to Al Frescos.  David was okay leaving the hotel.  but once we tried to settle him into a chair he went all whiney.  i could have just sat down with him on my lap and we probably would have been fine, but it's so hard to know what's right and not.  we know he hates all new things. sensory overload for him.  we let him lay on the floor for a bit and do his wailing moaning thing, it was low volume and there weren't many patrons.  We joked about the fact that we were being eyed by these people and they just knew We were TERRIBLE  parents.  they would NEVER allow that kind of behavior from THEIR child.  hey i sniggered myself a time or two when i saw unruly kids.  finally he stood up a bit and looked around the table.  dinner had come and Emma had virtually devoured a plate of spaghetti meant for them both. she was covered in the sauce and the look of utter delight on her face was priceless.  i made the mistake of putting a few food items on David's plate and it was back to the floor for some mild half hearted thrashing.  i had to take him out at one point because he had gotten to be too much.   we eventually compromised by him getting his way and me eating my dinner (that is the pieces he would leave behind from my plate) with him on my lap.  all the waitresses came and fussed over Emma and admired her adorableness.  She's really come into her own and she's just a delight.  David is wonderful... when we're home.  Oh the waitress told me the word for baby is emmay (well that's how you would pronounce it) and that's what Emma would repeat over and over and over again when she was first with us.  i don't know if the baby nanny was called emmay, or if that's what they called Kieu, but for some reason she kept saying baby baby baby over and over again. 

   

tomorrow we're going to tempt the fate and try a park that's very close by.  a little hard when you're toting a 28 lb child.  but we can always take a cyclo if we had to.  I'm dying to anyway.  the look like rickshaws, except they're on wheels and the guy pedals it around.   we wanted to go to the old market but i just doubt at this point that will ever happen.   then there's Ha Long bay -- which i really wanted to do.  i think the long drive there (3 hours) will have both kids asleep but again, it may be too much for them.  well taking each day as it comes.

Some days are a breeze

there was a HUGE luxury in once being able to do as i pleased.  hungry? then eat.  tired? then rest.  bored? then take a walk.  no such frivolity here anymore!  the kids truly do take all our energy, but in a very good way too.  we have books and magazines, and a DVD player with movies.  and none of that is nearly as interesting as just watching the kids.  they eat it up so much when they know they have our full, undivided, complete adoring attention.  and we're all too happy to oblige.

David has been having a few spells at night where he wakes up crying.  one of us goes into their room, consoles him a bit and 10 seconds later he's out again.  they both sleep thru any noise at all, so Emma never wakes up even though Chieu is crying inches from her ear.  this morning they both woke up around 6am and Jeff brought them into our room.  we were both still really tired so we laid in bed and the kids entertained themselves staring out the floor to ceiling windows.  we kinda felt guilty so we got up from bed and they were all smiles!  PLAY TIME!  I gave the kids these fruit yogurt drinks which they love so much  I think the real fun is sucking out all the drink with their straws and then tipping the boxes over to get the last drop.  it's all fun and games.  we tried giving them some of my mueslix cereal with cut up pears.  Emma ate a little but David was not going for it.  i showed him an orange and he lit up.  they are so funny these kids.  they like what they like and that's it.  they have a way of eating the inside of the wedges and leaving the icky skin in tact.  Emma hates to have dirty hands so she'll take a few bites then it's ME ME ME, and i have to wipe her face and hands.  this morning she was doing the cutest thing, she'd eat her orange and then grin at me in an odd way.  i realized she had put the orange seed between her teeth and wanted me to pluck it out for her.  after that it became a game of find Emma's orange seeds.  they like dumping all their ickies on momma's hand.  after breakfast they played for a short while and then David ran into their room and got a pair of shoes for him and Emma,  Simultaneously Emma grabbed their backpack and started stuffing toys in it.  Jeff and i looked at each other and said, hmm i guess we're going out.  

We took the kids to the playground which is much nicer then the pee smelling play room of yesterday.  the pool, tennis courts and play ground are all on the 4th floor terrace.  it's really cool too cause it's gated in.. just like our playground is.  the kids had a laugh riot running around.  they have these Flintstone type cars and it only took David seconds to realize it required pedal power.  they were trying to climb in and out of them until i showed them the doors open.  Oh!  that's much easier, thank you very much!  Emma had David working hard today.  she would sit in her car and open the door.  David would see this, sigh, get out of his car, walk over and close her door and then return to his.  Then she'd open her door again!  he kept sighing but repeating the ritual.  he'd push the door close as hard as he could...trying to lock her in I'm sure!  she's such a scamp that one!  they played for several hours and then we took them to the pool.  

i finally remembered their water wings and boy what huge fun that was.  once they discovered they could jump into the (kiddy) pool and pop back up. well it was all they could do for hours.   David had become quite the beginning swimmer.  he'd kick and stroke as best he could with these giant floaties.  he'd make his way across the little pool in no time.  Emma was loving her daddy this morning big time.  he'd toss her high into the air and catch her in the water.  omg!  this kid squealed with pleasure.  she kept pointing up, so he'd repeat it.  we made our way over to the big pool where Emma would take running leaps into daddy's arms.  she'd jump right in, go under the water for a second or two, until the floaties caused her to pop up, and then daddy would catch her.  she could do this all day long.  my "responsibility" was to help her up out of the water.  not allowed to catch her or hold her.  she'd get to the pool edge and demand Me, Me!!! and I'd have to go over and push her up on the deck.  then, just in case i tried to catch her, she'd go over a foot or two so only daddy could catch her.  trouble that girl.  David meanwhile was asserting his own independence today.  he would "swim" around a bit and did not want any help.  he'd get up on the deck. sit down and climb into the water, waddle around a bit and rinse repeat!

once their lips became a dangerous shade of blue i told Jeff it was time to take them out of the pool.  luckily (and i will not pretend i had the smarts for this) i suggested this when they were coming out of the potty.  so we did not have to pluck them from the water.  we braced for a meltdown but they were happy enough to follow us over to the deck chairs and played with their gazillion toys.  I've been really working double time to win Emma back over to my side, so at one point i was able to walk away with her holding my hands as she admired all the plants.  she'd giggle her incredibly cute giggle and try to pluck the flowers.  i showed her how to touch them nice and smell but she liked the idea of plucking with the future possibility of eating them.  when she mimed putting them in her mouth and i said Khomg, she was okay with that.  i heard David wailing his wail song and we walked back over.  apparently he did NOT approve my little adventure with Emma.  he was quite mad at us all.  so i took Emma for a short walk around his area and even though you can tell it was the total fake wah wah wah, i walked her back over to him.  i hated giving her up but he needed his Me back and in his possession only. the rest of the morning went well and the kids were introduced to fish and chips.  they look at things funny and shake their heads but then try it and they love it!

wow it sounds like this was a 14 hour day but when i realized it was only 9:30 by this point i was blown over!  we managed a beautiful pool side lunch,  David and Emma sat next to each other (and not on our laps) even after lunch they scampered for their shoes and knew it was time to do.  again no fuss at all.  even nap time was a snap today!  (man i better not jinx myself) but we let the kids play in the living room for about 1/2 an hour.  i was in their room already putting away their clothes.  i told Jeff to come in and we both sat on their beds.  the kids came in out of curiosity and started putting on their shoes.  they figured it was go out time again.  but we just laid there and they sat on the floor, refusing to come up on the bed.  so i shut the bedroom door and they were not happy with this.  we brought both kids into the bed and this time we just laid back and did nothing.  within minutes Emma was out like a light.  David did his quasi , half hearted wah wah wah.  scooting himself off the edge of the bed.  he laid their with his head on the floor and his butt up on the bed.  we have all the pillows and comforters on the floor so we figured he thought it was comfortable enough.  he was out within minutes too.   Jeff and i looked at each other in shock!  wow it's really this easy????

the last thing i want to add here for all the families adopting older kids, for as many times as the kids try to push our buttons, it's all small potatoes.  we just sit here and say Gawd can you believe they're ours???   We're secretly thrilled their referral pictures were not the greatest.  if anyone had a clue how adorable they really are we would have had a real fist fight on our hands!  Especially Emma, we had braced ourselves for real tantrums from her.  we heard she was the pouty one and David was the sweet, happy boy.  okay slight misinterpretation!  but we love them both.  they are sweet beyond words and worth every second of frustration getting here! 

when david is good he's really really good!

after not having lunch today because he refused to put his brand new car away, when he saw me setting the table for dinner tonight David ran to me calling Me Me Me, and showed me his car. then he took it and put it on the shelf. Emma gave me the only thing she had in her hand, her comb and they both plopped into their seats. no fuss, no muss, no toys. so even though they do tax you terribly, they do the most adorable things too.

David said his name today. he likes calling out Me Me Me and i usually respond back Chieu Chieu Chieu. so today i said David Chieu, then just David and he repeated it back, twice! such a smart boy. he really is. he's the sensitive, smart, introspective type. whereas Emma is a bit of the goofball, athletic, comedic type that hates to have her hands or eating area dirty. so she's a non girlie girl tom boy. a perfect mix. and they are the cutest together. really adorable.

David and Emma

well today we woke to the sound of two tiny wee ones screaming their heads off. they got up and instead of coming into our rooms made their way to the front door. maybe they thought we left? we both jumped out of bed ran over and picked a child up. they were so frightened poor babies. imagine the life at the orphanage, then new people, then one hotel room then another. so much to keep track of. we thought we'd get them to lay with us and settle in for a bit but it was 6am, silly mommy and daddy, time to get up and play play play

it's our day off and so far we haven't left the property yet. it just takes so long to get four people all dressed and ready and before you know it it's meal or nap time. we bought all these groceries so we could eat here in the room but of course we had no oil or butter to make the eggs so we ended up going to the restaurant. Chieu is having a very difficult time when we leave the room. he did it yesterday when we went to the pool and again this morning. he'll fuss and scream and thrash around on the floor. Emma meanwhile sits like a dainty princess on papa's lap. she'll occasionally climb down to console big brother but then hops back up on Ba's lap. i tried really hard to get David dressed and out the door. he HAS to inspect each item of clothing and will linger over his approval before we can dress him. he has this thing about tags you see. No Taggy No Wearey. well i decided to take a firm hand and insisted we put his shorts on (the underwear fight we'll leave for another day) that led to WW3. so we all sat around while siren boy hollered and hollered. after 5 minutes (the neighbors will say it felt like 30) i had a sudden DUH! moment. and i sat down on the floor with him and started to put toys into his backpack. well Emma scurried off daddy's lap in no time and David took an interest. approving or disproving my choice of toys. next thing you know this family of 4 were marching out the door. (hey we're trying and it's all learning one day at a time) at the restaurant he would not sit anywhere but on my lap. usually i can get him to sit next to Emma but screams ensued. so he sat on my lap and we both managed breakfast. i know it may seem to some few of you not familiar with adoption that we're letting them get away with murder. but all the research I've done says do the complete opposite of "common sense" with adopted kids. they need to know that they're yelling and screaming, and crying and pouting brings comfort and love from both their parents. so we're getting thru his rough patches best we can and using a firm hand when we have to.

Emma has completely and totally rejected me. Ever since THE INCIDENT by the pool she'll barely look at me and only wants pops. of course it's my turn with David so it works out fine. but i really miss her little smiles and giggles that were once only intended for me. man these kids can just break your heart with a tiny little look or a cold shoulder. we figure in a few days things will switch again, but for now Jeff is EATING THIS UP. he loves loves loves having his baby girl all to himself. she's such a doll too. it's so easy to fall into her trance. David is an amazing kid too and when he smiles at you, you just melt.  Emma's very independent and resilient. She will bonk her head, and unless it's really hard, she'll just smile and get up again. no worries. we really think this one will be an actress, she just loves to have you at her beck and call. David is, like most little boys his age, much more sensitive and any small thing will set him off. so we try to find ways to ease him into moving forward.

after breakfast we took the kids to the playroom in the hotel. the moment we walked in the kids eyes lit up and they were off. David had every toy scattered about and was on and off every plastic hobby horse in sight. they have a separate room with a bouncy ball area and a play area with a slide. they were having a blast until a bunch of Western kids came in. at first they just stopped playing and eyed the kids. but eventually, convinced these interlopers meant them no harm (as in would not take their toys away) they relaxed. Jeff and Emma were in a separate area where the slide was. David started taking all the toys and wheeling them into that room. i think he was trying to de-toy all the other kids. he took his favorites first and then just whatever he could grab. Emma just stayed glued to PaPa's side and really made no mind to these kids. David eventually climbed into the bouncy ball area while another kid was there, but preferred to play on his own.

leaving here resulted in another meltdown when i tried to take a toy car away. oh how he screamed. a nanny there told me it was okay to take and we could return later. so i gave him the car back. he sniffed and whined for good measure but was okay more or less. we had BIG plans to leave the property today and go shopping. David's butt is so minuscule none of his pants will fit. they just slide right off. but Jeff was concerned this was too much for them and we were going to just go to the market downstairs for a few items. David seemed curious about the outside, so i figured let's strike while we can. i walked him around the block. now that may seem like soooo Woo Hoo, what's the big deal? but David would much prefer being toted around and trying something new is just not of his liking... but he did fine. we walked around a bit (this time dad carrying Emma -- he always ends up with the child insisting on being carried heheheh) there's a small "mall" here in the hotel with some very over priced stores. but we stopped in one so i could buy him one pair of small shorts. while we were browsing he kept running to the bikes with training wheels on them. you could just see the gleam in his eyes! oh how much he coveted one of these big boy bikes. but he was great... fabulous actually. didn't scream or cry when we did NOT buy him a bike. instead i showed him a variety of cars and when i showed him a race car his eyes lit up. he had no idea that we would actually buy something for him. that he could actually get something. these things just don't happen in his life. when i handed him the car, he just scooped it up in both his arms and hugged it. didn't even try to open the plastic case, just stared at it. Oh My What Riches I have here. Dad and Emma just walked around. she was quite content being the goddess of the hour.

the food market is always fun with the kids. their eyes just bug out at all the food items. they don't try to grab anything.. i think they're just amazed. they were both very well behaved.  lunch in the room brought on yet another meltdown. while i was cooking for them, Jeff opened the case with the car and David was having a laugh riot pushing that thing around. we got Emma a toy we thought would work in the pool (it was a fish!) but apparently requires batteries and has wheels so hmmm let Jeff figure that one out. when it was time to eat David would just NOT let go his car. nuh uh no way. so this is one of those points where you do choose your battles. i wanted him to sit and eat and he wanted to play and play. so when we took the car away and sat him down he just did that twisty turney bending thing kids do. so we said okay.. then time out. we sat him in the living room and ignored him. Emma our little growing porcupus chomped away unaffected. but after a few dozen bites had sympathy for her brother and scurried over to him. he was being pouty so we just all sat there and relaxed. we tried bringing his lunch over but we got one of those I'll just show you my back! so he ended up not eating. no biggie, it's not like we're not constantly stuffing their tiny faces as it is. We figured it was time for a nap and we brought them into their room. oooh man screams galore! Emma made her best effort at a scream but was out in 2 minutes -- and this with David right at her ear hollering and hollering. Jeff left to make us lunch while i laid there with David. i would not pick him up but just stroked his hair, something he really loves. he wound down a bit, eventually wiggling so much he ended up on the floor. we wonder if the soft mattress are too strange for him because when he's laying on the floor he usually goes right out.

we're really hoping to make it off property one of these days. we want to hit the market and get him some clothes not to mention all the touristy things like the water puppet theater. not so sure how they'll handle it, but we'd love to check it out. they seem totally content when they're in the room, even when some hotel staff were here. no biggie for them. i think the day will be pool and that's about it. David has become such a natural water baby. he was trying really hard to swim and even floated for awhile. Emma would copy him and they'd be kicking their feet and frolicking like crazy. first thing Jeff said is the MINUTE we get home it's swimming lessons for the two. i wish we had a really shallow end in our pool. but they are getting more and more used to it and were allowing us to take them into deeper water. oh and bath time here is just the best time of the day for us. these kids were born for the water. last night Emma kept trying to wash and bathe David.  she'd put her tiny hands out for shampoo and would scrub him all over. then she'd wash her hair, over and over and over again. they can both be pruney from the water but no matter they love it so.

okay so this post is kinda all over the place but i keep thinking of things. David is a BIG BOY now when it comes to potty time. only Me can bring him in and he stands on my feet to make it over the rim, and before i can pull his pants up he's racing to flush the toilet. of course this requires several flushes for better waste management.... : ) i finally have to stop him and say okay that's enough. he has completely rejected the potty seat. he's rather slip and slide on the regular toilet seat then sit on that baby thing! no way for him. we really think they just both needed the opportunity to act their own age. they were not allowed to do what they wanted at the center since it was no doubt quicker for the nannies to do things.

exploring the pool

the kids woke up early this morning, about 5:15 or so, and when Jeff heard them cry out, he called Chieu!? and little man Chieu (even though he was sound asleep the night before and had never seen this place) just waddled into our room. he laid his head on the end of the bed. Emma started crying and Jeff carried her in. next thing you know we're all laying in bed together with Jeff basically hanging on to the tiny six inches left him. (he promises me if they wake up early again, he'll make sure they lay down next to momma)

Peapods A and B had me running ragged this AM -- and this is a small hotel room.  We had lunch in the room today.   we've kept them on a Vietnamese diet so far. well my version at least. I'll order them something either rice or noodle based with seafood or meat. then something like a soup or broth. i mixed the two creating some ghastly looking concoction and feed them their yummy gruel. such good sports, they'll eat anything put in front of them. we've been giving them lots of fruit and we found those yogurt drinks all the volunteers talked about. they loved that!  Once Jeff got back we went to the market downstairs which was fun for the kids. the look of confusion soon turned to delight as they saw all their favorites aisle after aisle. we both grabbed a cart (you know those itty bitty carts) and wheeled the kids around. each time we put something in the cart, they'd turn around convinced it was placed there for their special purpose.

i discovered this morning too that the kids say Hello and Goodbye. we figure it's from all the western volunteers they've met. so we practiced saying hello, goodbye and then I'd say something Vietnamese, which cracked them up... my Vietnamese being so wretched you see! but this led to me and Jeff starting to say both their American and Vietnamese names. we've been trying to use certain key words over and over.. eat? drink water? and so on... today we started the names.. hey they only respond to their Vietnamese names when they want to, so who's to say they wont respond any better to their American names?

we took the kids to the pool, and for some reason, David decided to have a hissy fit, which led to Emma getting all fussy too. we think it's because of all the huge changes in their life and the last time they left the hotel it resulted in a long and uncomfortable plane ride. so we struggled to get them calm enough to take them to the pool. Emma is such a trooper, she'll whine for 30 seconds then just go about her business. David on the other hand wants to out "siren" all the other noises in Ha Noi. Jeff and i looked at each other acutely aware we had become THAT family. the one with the screaming child while all the vacationers were trying to enjoy their time by the pool. so i took Mr Police Car off to look at the cars. he's usually very easily distracted and since the pool is on an upper floor it was a nice view. the kids finally got into the pool and what started as gingerly foot wetting eventually became a jump into daddy's arms, which led to David actually trying to swim and float his way to the pool edge. so once home, swimming lessons and gymnastics. these kids love the water!!!!

Emma had her My Way or No Way moment today. i was in the pool and she was jumping into my arms (first checking to see how David did it, how daddy caught him and how David would "swim" back to the edge) then she decided to take off down the length of the pool. i shouted a stern KHOMG!!!! which made her freeze but you can tell she was going to bolt at the first chance. then she stuck her tongue out at me so i grabbed it. she's so stubborn she stood there with her tongue sticking out and me holding it. she was pretty pissed at me but stood there. in fact she wouldn't move for a good 10 minutes ( i guess she was showing me it was HER decision not to run after all) after that something changed in our dynamics and David only wanted his Me and Emma, still mad at me, completely ignored me for the rest of the evening. she knows how much it hurts to be rejected by her and believe me she uses it to her advantage. she figured out a long time ago how damn cute she is and she'll just give you a look that stops you cold. Oye! she will be a major handful this wee one. and an actress. she can just give you look after look and they are hysterical. she knows we're wrapped around her pinky that one.