It's a Girl!

At my 17 week ultrasound we got word we were having a girl, though there was some doubt due to a bad angle But today at my 19 week ultrasound We have confirmation that we will be having another little girl in this house very soon! In case you are wondering why I had a 17 week and 19 week ultrasound there is an explanation. They do an ultrasound at every doctor appointment here in Taiwan and this appointment was early due to the fact that we are leaving for America in 10 short days and couldn't get an appointment any later than today but before leaving for America (well Hong Kong first then America).
And here she is with her hand to her mouth. :)

"The Lord's Prayer"

Apparently our bedtime routine is having an effect on our children.  They can now recite the Lord's Prayer by themselves!  

Now if only they could read their bedtime stories by themselves as well!

2 1/2...a wonderful age!

Siri Ann is now 2 1/2 and it has become very obvious to us in many ways that she is now, indeed 2 1/2.  While she is like her sister when she was 2 1/2 in many ways, Siri has her own spin on being 2 1/2 that keeps things exciting.  For example, she told me when it was time to be potty trained.  She took her own diaper off and led herself to the toilet and peed in the potty before I was ready to accept this challenge.  But being that she was so ready, there was no challenge involved!  Now that is the way to potty train if you ask me!

Being number 2 adds to the complexity of this 2 1/2 year old as she has learned much from her older sister and she is seen less by her parents.  Oh, and her personality just allows for certain things her older sister would have never tolerated, like messy things and physical risks.

All of that to explain why I found this when I woke up the other day:

Yes, that is marker.  Yes, she is very proud of herself. And yes, after pictures and a bath she sat, unwillingly for her timeout.  But did she learn her lesson?

                                       

I'm just not so sure.

Man-Made Music: May Edition

This is a song I posted a number of years ago, but I've just recorded it with some *more* legitimate sound equipment.  This one was particularly fun to record because I did it with my friends Jim (cello) and Mark. Because of the nature of the song, we had to do it live, so this is live from our living room (after the girls' bedtime, of course).  The backup vocals, however, were put in after the fact.  I hope you enjoy it!




It falls apart
and it would all go our way
if we'd have done that right, done that different,
but these are my old ways

Something's changed around here;
this old path to nowhere
cuts right down through here
splits us down through here

When the rain comes
It all goes right here
Don't wash on by
Won't you wash me?

It's dark out here, and they
say that hell is cold
well here's the hell in me
here's the hell that I control

So be ashamed of me afraid of me
oh never lose me
This path is broad my path is clear
it's full of lies but lies are marked and clear

When the rain comes
It all goes right here
Don't wash on by
Won't you wash me?

I say that I want peace
and I hate like this
Please hate me, but don't hate me
because I just want peace

When the rain comes
It all goes right here
Don't wash on by
Won't you wash me?

Bring on the Heat!

The rule of thumb here is, "don't put away 'winter' clothes until after tomb sweeping day."  Tomb sweeping day is about mid-april and sure enough, the heat is here to stay!  WOW!  I must say I'm better adjusted to this heat, having lived it once already, but I still don't like to sweat (unless I've actually put forth some kind of effort).  So, in "celebration" of this new season, we bought a little pool that we have placed on our balcony for those really hot days.  In other words, the girls have been swimming every day! :)

I'm not sure to whom these children belong!  Though those faces seem to look like some of the funny faces of someone else I know....