Field Trip

Gemma went on her first field trip today, to a farm. She got to
-milk a cow
-feed the cow
-feed the bunny
-roll a haybale

She saw a lizard climb up a tree, and saw a goat. How awesome for schools to take kids on trips. Seriously, what an enriching experience.

I know Taipei is very urban, but I would say I am satisfied with the amount of wildlife and nature we enjoy. We see lizards, frogs, giant snails, fish, ducks, birds of all kinds, and turtles all the time. We go to the park almost everyday, where there are lots of trees and bushes and leaves falling and ponds and equipment. I think of parks as backyards, and we just own a lot of them and other people maintain them and keep them beautiful ;) True, no grass (well, no grass we really play on) True, the air is not fresh. But I'm grateful for what we have and think it is sufficient.

Gemma's Holiday

What does Gemma like at holidays?

-Playing in the pool.
-Using floaty tubes and toys in the pool. In the purple tube. And then out. Then in the floaty car. Then out... and on and on.
-She loved the Aquarium. She liked to see all the animals, get 'scared' in the dark ancient ocean display, and pretty much just enjoyed all the aspects of the ambience created there. Both the kids were SO patient, as it too over an hour to get out there; including 50 minutes of waiting at a bus stop on the side of the highway. Long story short: bus drivers kept telling me 'no' they didn't go there so I finally went back to the front desk girl who told me to wait there and she sent someone from the hotel out to help us... ANYWAY, we made it. (Chris was meeting a friend in the opposite direction, which is why he didn't drive us.)
-Eating icecream with marshmallows dipped in the chocolate fountain
-missing school ;)

Drop off

I dropped Gemma off at school on Friday. Break your heart! She acts tough, fights back the tears and says, "I'll miss you so much mommy" and with her chin up marches in. What on earth am I doing to her with this full day torture???? She of course has a lovely time and is happy when I pick her up, but Chris says that mornings are still tough. I'm happy I'm the 'pick up' person usually and not the 'drop off' person. (Sorry, honey :)

Anyone have good reading about teaching your kids foriegn languages? I'm not sure that simply 'immersing' her is working. Need to make some sort of plan, as well as decide how to maintain/develop her English skills as well... So much to think about and 'try'; I so wish I didn't have to experiment on my child; what if I make a terrible mistake and damage her for life?

I'm sorry first born dear, I love you and tried my best!!!

If I wear make up...

I pray for wisdom on nights when I hear this:

Gemma is putting on makeup in the bathroom. She is smiling. I ask her, "What are you doing?" She says, "There's a boy at school who likes me. If I put on makeup, then he will like me even more!!!"

I will also point out that this is at night, before bed. Because he daddy won't let her wear makeup to school, so she was trying to do it at night before.


We've been talking (I've been trying to talk) a lot about being beautiful on the inside, how Esther was beautiful but used her beauty for good, a wife of noble character.... ANYTHING I can think of to de-rail that train!