Hin Khanna

Yesterday at the last minute we decided to take a trip to some waterfalls. Since it was Father's day it was my job to look up some places to go for a day trip. The first little picture of waterfalls on the map we have was Hin Khanna, so I looked it up via google and found some good stuff. Lots of stuff that made it seem like it was less of a waterfall and more of a hangout spot. The other choice was a waterfall that was more like a stream of water falling off a cliff...3 kids under the age of 4 why do you think I chose the place that was less of a waterfall and more like a wading pool :)

It's really close to the city, so fairly easy to find and we didn't get lost once BIG score for our family :) We called a few of the interns that are here for the summer and had them join us. It was good fun. Lots of swimming, little boat rides, and good Lao food.

"The Falls"

Kids playing in the rental boats

In that little bungalow you might notice a few familiar faces.



Finn Made Friends

Dazed after a long day of splashing

Finn's end of school performance

I think the performance was actually for International Children's day, but the performance was after this holiday and before school ends for the kids so whateve.

Anyway, it was a lot of fun to watch the kids. Our friend Sevara was the most outgoing 2-year-old I've ever seen. She was on top of all the songs and moves, such a performer!

Finn's group got through most of their performance before the rain hit and he looked a little odd trying to keep up, but has since been singing the songs around the house. His favorite being Alli Baba Had a Little Farm...? He was very nervous about the show, I wonder if the teachers pressured the kids a little by telling them there wasn't much time and they needed to practice more, I'd do the same since their attention span is so small.

At the end of an "Indian" (Native American) song the rain hit pretty hard and it was hilarious to watch the kids slowly have melt downs. Finn was the last one on stage. If my Internet is fast enough I will attempt to upload a few videos. Since the concert Finn has told me that they did such a good job with their "Indian" song they made the rain come :)

The Director of the school set up a surprise visit from some traveling clowns, I could quite decide if it was funny or inappropriate, I've fallen in between. It was funny to watch and the kids liked it, even if the jokes and songs were lost on them. This group of people have apparently been traveling around the world on their bikes. The bikes were awesome to see.

Below you can check out some photos and maybe a video or two.

Alli Baba Had a Little farm, Finn was the duck

The "Indian" song which made the rains come

Traveling clowns

Chopping kid trees

Nam Ngum

We had a very productive weekend. Planted out first plants, made cookies, went to a BBQ then finished off with a trip out of the city to Nam Ngum, which is a river, but a few hours North the Lao built a damn which created a lake with lots of tiny islands.

The story goes like this, Pryor's pack the car full of junk to go swimming and play in the sun; leave the house at 8:45, just 15 minutes after we wanted ( I think we're getting better about time management). We promptly get lost as we make our way out of the city and head towards the wrong Nam Ngum, two on the Map, we wanted the lake not the river...Should probably make it a point to say which one in Lao next time instead of just Nam Ngum that way? HA! I have also decided that the person who reads and speaks the language should be the navigator, not the driver. Anyway, we ended up lost not once, but twice. I got car sick, but all the kids seemed to be just fine in the back.

When we finally made it to the lake, I wanted to eat at the restaurant that over looked the lake instead of getting on a boat right away, you know car sick and all, but our waitress jumped the gun and ordered our boat and took our food down to it, so we followed her lead, leaving everything in the car. That means we had no swim suits, no towels, no change of clothes, no diapers for the baby, no sun screen, NOTHING.

For as planned as this trip was we still failed to think it fully through as we jumped on the boat. We still ended up having a lovely lunch and the kids really enjoyed themselves on the shore of a tiny island in the middle of the lake. Luckily no one got sunburned; we only lost 1 pair of underwear due to an accident and  pair of binoculars were dropped into the water. Below are some photos from the trip. ENJOY.





Getting on our boat

 

Finn is suddenly a sullen teenager

Mike Finn and Tess taking a dip

The lake

An over look on one of the many small islands

To work or not to work...

Number one question of moms right?

When we were close to getting to post a few positions came available, one being full-time and I really wanted to take the job. Thinking about it now, I couldn't even tell anyone what the job was that I was so desperate to take. I really just wanted a way to avoid having to deal with a huge culture shock and lack of friends.

Which brings me to my lack of friends, and one of the last job openings at the Embassy. If you know me, you know I have a really hard time breaking out of my shell and just talking to people, so being stuck at home with the girls attempting no-school preschool with Maggie while I try to keep the baby entertained and only having a maibahn around is pretty lacking in the adult conversation department. Lately I've also noticed that there seems to be some what of an insiders group with the spouses who do work. I like the other spouses around and can pretty much find something to talk to them about, but I often feel totally left out. I'm not in on the gossip, I'm left out of impromtue lunch dates and I'm not one of the girls. I don't blame anyone but myself for that, I could try harder to be around, but lets face it, having nonschool aged kids makes it pretty hard to just call someone up and ask to do coffee or lunch; or maybe I'm still out of the loop and have failed because I don't have a gabillion people around my house to take care of everything for me. I'm still very much unable to let go of being the person to take care of everything around the house. Anyway, I feel like if I applied for the last open job, I'd be more likely to be in the inner circle of people at the Embassy, if I don't apply the job I could A: be stuck at home with little adult ineraction or B: have to work much harder at finding people I get along with.

After living the working mom/ stay at home mom lives, I would for sure choose stay at home mom while my kids are little. It's my time to shape them and I don't want someone who lets my kid get away with everything raising them. Side story, I did go to lunch today with some spouses from the Embassy and I came home to find that Maggie had gone in my room tore it up, painted herself with deodarant and nailpolish and also our living room rug...I may not keep a close eye on her, but she knows if I'm home that will not be happeneing.

In the end I feel I've hit a brick wall, I like the people that work at the Embassy and would like to be more included, but I would also like MY girls to be raised to my standards, since Finn has done a pretty awesome job so far. I think in the end, I will give up the job prospects keep looking into school options and keep caring for my girls, while Finn is at preschool.

how 'bout that storm

Last night we got home from a get together just before the rain started. I have to learn when the clouds actually mean it's going to rain or just hang over us and tease. All day yesterday big fat rain clouds hung around, but never produced more than a light sprinkle.

Anyway, it was a little late so we told the kids we'd give them a quick shower and put them to bed, but right as I started spraying Finn down the power went out...Screaming in a bathroom, not so easy on the ears. Good thing I put a lantern in their room and knew exactly where it was. Right after I turned it on, the power came back, but I said "Forget the shower, just get in bed." The kids fell asleep pretty quickly, but at around 3 a.m. the storm seemed to pick up its intensity and got really loud, even the rain was really loud.

Maggie woke up first scared of ants and mosquitoes in her bed :/ I got the lantern out and showed her that there was nothing in her bed, but for about 45 min she kept getting out and coming back in my room.

At 3:45 Finn woke up and came in my room, after Maggie conned her way into my bed, to tell me he was scared to be in his room alone. I was not about to give up my bed for them, so I shuttled them both off to their beds, where they both fell back asleep.

Mike managed to sleep through all the waking, but at around 4 a.m. we suddenly heard a noise on the roof that at first sounded like rain drops hitting the inside pretty hard. After hearing about someone elses roof caving in during a rain storm we both jumped awake. Mike even went through the house looking for leaks. Our stairs window seems to be really fixed this time, no waterfall on the stairs last night, but after a while we realized it sounded like an animal stuck in our roof. An animal walking on nails, kind of curious to figure out what it was, or is.

Tess managed to sleep through it all until about 4:30 when she decided she was ready to eat...so I'm sure you can guess that this momma is sleepy.

Mom, where are you?

This question is asked about 100 times in our house. Seriously! Finn started asking this question while we lived in our 2 bedroom apartment in VA...we had 2 bedrooms with a closet and bathroom, a living room and a kitchen...Total of 8 places I could possibly be, yet he had to know at every minute of every day where I was...

Now we live in a house with 4 bedrooms, an office, a play room, 7 bathrooms, a kitchen, a living room and a dinning room (most of these rooms aren't separated so I'm usually within sight.) I can see how it'd be hard to find me, but really did this horrible habit have to pass on to Maggie too?

Worse times to hear "Mom, where are you?"
When in the bathroom : Door's closed kid go away!
When trying to put the baby to bed: I told you what I was doing!
When I am in the same general area of the kids: Turn around bud.

Van deck noi

Translated as Children's day! When I read the e-mail from Finn's school saying there was no school because it was Children's day I wanted to scream "Isn't everyday Children's day?!" I mean, I'm sure my mom told me this when I was a kid and I asked why there was a Father's Day and Mother's Day and not a kids day; a few FB friends said the same thing.

Finn came home from preschool yesterday and proclaimed that tomorrow is children's day so there is no school, so you can stay home and play with me all day, I know someone spit their wine out some where.

I love my kids more than I love my wine, but come on,  REALLY? I am a stay at home mom from America, my whole life has been rededicated to my kids. I'm lucky if I get a hair cut once a year, god forbid I take a nap!

As a stay at home mom, I fully support take your kid to work day, where DAD gets to see how it is trying to accomplish something in a "normal" amount of time while entertaining a kid.

While driving today to go to a store where I thought I might splurge a little and buy the kids a crap toy they'd break in less than an hour, Finn asked me this "Why do we have to do what you want? Today is Children's day and we should be doing what I want!" Causing me to lose my mind and drive the wrong way on a one-way street. ACK! Luckily it's Laos and several other people were too.

The kids did eventually win, only because the activities I selected didn't actually involve me having to actually do much more than yell stop spitting on your brother.

According to Wikipedia lots of countries celebrate Children's day, but not all on the same day. Also according to Wikipedia Laos is in Vietnam! Not so trusting of Wikipedia anymore...

Next bid list, Mexico please, where I get TWO days dedicated to me ;)

P.s. Please DO NOT catch on in America