exploring Vientiane

The Pryor family invaded Laos almost two weeks ago and up until now I was feeling so LOST, I'm pretty sure it'll feel that way again Saturday, but yesterday I finally worked up the courage, loaded the kids onto the beast (double stroller) and hit the streets of Vientiane. We'd been exploring a lot before yesterday, but always with company. Mike, his coworker and a very nice Australian couple who took pity on me, but yesterday it was me and 3 kids. This took a lot of patience and keeping my senses open to my surroundings.



The Vientiane sidewalks were not made to walk with stroller, heck they are no longer for people to walk on. More often than not cars are parked on the sidewalks and now that every resident in Vientiane owns a motorbike, they drive on the sidewalks when traffic is just too slow for them.



Anyway, I got the kids out of the house while it was still cool outside and we walked along the Mekong River, I stopped to feed the baby while the older kids were fawned over by some teenage Lao girls.

The kids in front of what sould be the Mekong River, Thialand in the distance.

Next we went to the river park, which I had thought was much farther than it really was. We watched 2 different preschools play at the playground. The kids really enjoyed listening to the Lao children sing songs while they waited for their ride. Finn has enjoyed showing how strong he is by getting on the see-saw while Maggie is on it.

Next along our route was a local grocery market. It's pretty yuppie, but I knew where to find it and needed some bread. We left spending less than 100k Kip(8000Kip to 1 USD), and the most expensive item I picked up was a Lao phrase book.


Since I could read the signs pointing to That Dam, one of the only land marks I know, I knew I was close to the American Embassy too. We stopped to eat a snack at That Dam then popped in to say hello to Mike. By this time we'd been out walking for 4 hours and it was HOT, so we called a taxi and went back home. All in all, I'd say it was a pretty good time and now that I know how to get to places from this side of town, I have to relearn it all from the other side.

The kids in front of That Dam.

A princess bed

Ever since I was a little girl I dreamed of having a princess bed. You know the four post bed with drapes around it. I even hung sheets around my bed to attempt the look, but it never worked. Well, all it really took to get my dream was move to a mosquito infested country. YAY!

The mosquitos really aren't so bad, as in biting bad, but they are everywhere and the only person in the house really effected is the baby. They love her, so I dug out my nets and hung them with the help of a Lao maintenance boy.

Finn doesn't want to be a princess, but I told him to choose what he thinks sleeps under nets....he told me just people do.

The nets mananged to stay up 2 days before the kids ripped one down...

Our Trip across the world

It all started two years ago when Mike passed his oral exam for the U.S. State Department Foreign Service Officer. We were accepted, but what did that mean? We'd live all over the world and have experiences most people haven't had, but first we had to make it to D.C. No problem, we'd just pack the minivan and head that way...wrong. We ended up having way more stuff than we thought and the day we planned on leaving D.C. was hit with 20 inches of snow. Scratch that, new plan get a small UHaul and go the next day. Success, we made it. Next we had to bid on a job from a list of 94 cities all over the world. What the State Department calls flag day was a very intense, nail biting experience. As the Career Development officers called off the names of the cities, I scratched off each one we had asked to go to. Boy, our list was getting smaller and smaller and it was starting to feel like our name was never going to be called. Then I hear Vientiane, Laos Michael Pryor ...huh? Where is that? Well, I had a whole year to learn where it was, while Mike took language and I had a baby.



With a whole year in between getting our assignment and leaving, I had a lot of time to think about how to deal with a flight across the world. Reading blogs and getting advice from fellow Foreign Service spouses who had already made a trip this long...how long do you ask? 40 hours. Yup we were to leave D.C. at 9 a.m. Saturday morning and arrive in Vientiane at 1 p.m. Monday.



Here is a picture of how our bunch looked right before we found out our first flight had been canceled!!

Yes, the first of 4 flights was canceled, but no worries we were switched from 1 airline to another, and our flight was to leave 20 minutes earlier. We never thought to check on our flight status due to the fact that the day before we left the temp in D.C. was 74 degrees and sunny, but in just a few short hours it all changed and the wind picked up. Our tiny airplane couldn't take off. We make it through security with our 8 pieces of carry on luggage a car seat and a double stroller (remember entertainment for children for 40 HOURS), a car seat and a double stroller no problems.



Then we arrive into JFK airport...Dun Dun Dun...why so bad? We landed in a tiny Delta terminal and needed to get to a larger international terminal for American Airlines, which was our original airline. Oh did I mention in order to switch terminals we had to LEAVE the airport and go back through security. Remember those winds that canceled our flight in D.C., yup they were affecting NY too, but we had to take our 3 kids out in the cold and wind, did I mention it was 70 degrees the day before we left and we were due to arrive to 91 degrees in Vientiane? So I sent our winter jackets and only put sweaters and pants on the kids. Complain fest! The reps at Cathay Pacific (an American Airline counterpart) were pretty helpful in getting us checked in, but then realized we had an infant, but couldn't use the infant car seat on the airplane because there were airbags in the seat belts...never heard of that. So in order to keep us from having to hold Tess for 16 hours they rearranged our seats to put Tess and I in Bulkhead (sp) seats where there is this cool table that pops out and a bassinet can attach to it. Who is lucking out here? Me with the baby or Mike with Finn and Maggie?

We get our boarding passes and head for security. We have about an hour till our next flight to Hong Kong and I really want some McDonalds one last time before we leave for 2 years, but the line was long and our flight was starting to board. It was pure chaos trying to get on this flight where there were 3 cabins with 3 rows of seats, but we managed, and Mike had all the bags. Don't worry he pays me back for that one. Anyway, the kids get settled, and I get settled with Tess. The service on the flight was great, the bulkhead seats were great, did I mention there was an empty seat between me and the other passenger since Tess couldn't technically sit in it. So lots of leg room, no need to hold a baby, but we were in the middle isle, right by the bathrooms...so people would try to step over us to get to the bathroom on the other side of the isle without realizing that the bathroom they were just standing in front of for the past 5 minutes was EMPTY. Tess managed to cry about 1/3 of the flight and refused to eat most of it and Mike managed to spill just about every drink he got onto his lap. By the way Cathay pacific serves free booze! So if you're not pregnant or nursing...take some edge off.

Next stop Hong Kong...the flight attendants thought they'd be helpful by trying to get us onto an earlier flight for Thailand leaving from gate 15 at 8 p.m. (it was 7:30 when we landed)No problem only Mike is under the impression we don't have boarding passes for the next flight so we go in search of the Cathay Counter to get our new boarding passes, after about 10 minutes of running around I ask him to check to see if we do have boarding passes, because it'd be ridiculous not to if we weren't changing airlines, I distinctly remember the woman at the counter telling him we'd need to get boarding passes in Thailand, but maybe I wasn't paying that much attention, 3 kids ya know?...Ta Da they were in his bag so we head for connecting flights security...yup count it 3 times we've gone through security with 3 children 8 bags, a car seat and a double stroller. we arrive to gate 15 with 5 minutes to spare, but the flight is over sold and we're not on it...don't worry it wasn't our flight anyway, we needed to be at gate 60 on another side of the airport. We got to our gate with an hour and a half till our real flight left and i was happy to find free wifi and some Taiwan Beef Noodles. Maggie managed to spill Mike's on his lap. He came out of this trip smelling of booze and beef.

Next stop Thailand. Mike managed to get on the plane with all the kids and his backpack...leaving me with all the bags. Told you he paid me back.This flight was great, too easy, get on and 1 hour 40 minutes later we're in Thailand. We don't get the customs sheet the flight attendants were handing out because we thought the hotel we were staying in was in the airport. We weren't going to even step foot on Thai soil...wrong. We had to go through customs to get our bags, but wait where were our bags. There was a car seat, but no bags. In the long run the loss of our bags was no big deal, but to find where they were (JFK) took a while. We caught a shuttle to our hotel, which was actually right next door to the airport, and got settled in there. YAY! a bed to sleep in. We caught some much needed zzz's a whole 3 hours of 'em then went to the breakfast buffet before heading back to the airport. the Thai airport seems to be very well organized and we were taken to our own special line to check in to Thai airways because we had 3 kids. This airport experience was not so eventful, but we did have to go back through customs and security...Yup 4 times, we went through security 4 times. We must be pros by now.

Next stop Laos. This flight took a total of 50 minutes and all the kids slept. Which brings us to now. Living in a temporary serviced apartment in the city. Stay tuned for our first impressions of the city...

A year at Oakwood

January 2, was our 1 year mark here at Oakwood, here's a look back at our VERY eventful year.

So, we don't have photos from our flag day, but it was a special day. Although, completely shocking, we've grown more and more excited with each passing day...365 of them!

But here is a picture of Maggie when we first moved into Oakwood

What a goof!

We survived Snowpocalypse.

The kids made themselves at home

We got together with family.

We celebrated the Lao new year, in Virginia.

We found a new hobby.

We got pregnant, no pictures of that!

Mike took great pictures, as usual.

We celebrated July 4th in the best spot, with great friends (not pictured).

Started camping as a family...intruders are Susie and her dog :)

We were moved from B building to D...not too bad.

I made Halloween costumes.
We went apple picking.

We experienced fall in Shenandoah!

We met Dinosaurs!

Mike introduced the kids to his favorite happy hour game.

And we welcomed #3!!! Tess.

Next stop... Laos!

Halloween

Most people have already seen the costumes, but I decided to post a blog anyway. Last year Mike demanded that we make our own costumes. He wanted to be a family of Super Heroes.

Mike did a great job designing and putting together the costumes. As you can see we dress up as a family. Even if it's just for one night.

This year was no exception and Mike would not let me buy Finn a dinosaur costume. And of course since Finn was going to be a dinosaur, Mike had to be one too...Maggie wanted it too, but after she saw her dress to be Pebbles, she was good. Not only was this my first attempt at making something creative, it was also my first real attempt at using my sewing machine. So after looking online and talking to my insanely creative sister-in-law, I pushed through my fears, got the supplies and broke out the sewing machine; which I broke a few times. After a few nights of actual work, the costumes were completed.

Mike had just as much fun as the kids, even after running the Marine Corps Marathon that morning. Oh and if you're wondering where my costume was...yeah pregnant women get a free pass. Now that I actually faced my fears of making our own costumes...the next trick is to figure out how to make it cheaper than BUYING.

a nice perk

So about a month ago a friend of mine posted something pretty similar to her blog, so I am kind of copying, but after last night I couldn't resist any longer.

I've decided being stuck in training status at the Oakwood has a very nice perk, not just free food, but also CLOTHES and TOYS. People go to pack out and leave some toys behind to play with but decide not to keep them and hand them off. We have been the recipients of about a dozen loads now that we've been here 9 months. Not just from friends either, I've actually been stopped walking back from the playground, asked which building I lived in and given random stuff.

Although we are not packing out, we will be moving and I have tons of boys clothes that I just can't use on Maggie because she has more than enough clothes. Since I've been so blessed in receiving 2 huge bags/boxes of winter clothes for Finn, and a huge duffel bag for Maggie I felt it was time to let go of his stuff too. In a small way that was also my way of saying, I'm not going to be having anymore babies. Letting go a little bit at a time. That door's not completely closed yet, just ajar.

So Mike totally didn't understand this, but I know all my mommy friends will. Last night he went to the laundry room and there was a bag with a sign that said FREE baby clothes, I told him to take it. It was mostly boy stuff, but I am not opposed to putting my girls in boy stuff. I think I spent the first 3 months of Maggie's life telling people she was actually a girl :) Anyway, I've been feeling this total need to wash, fold and prepare baby clothes and now that I've been able to do it I feel "ready". So yeah we don't have a car seat, crib, bouncy seat and my essential balance ball...we do have tiny baby clothes :)

Catching up

Ah! I'm so bad about keeping up on this, really, it's been a while and lots has happened, kinda.

First off in mid August we found out that we will be adding another girl to the family, yippee...

We Shall call her #3 until we can agree on a name.

After that we rushed off to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware to spend 2 weeks with Mike's family. Me crazy? Not really, I like his family a lot, although there were dramatic points, most of the time was spent playing. Part of the trip there were 7 children under 7 in the house, two of which were pretty well contained in bouncy seats, but the rest were on a rampage. Learning boundaries testing the limits and driving two moms crazy! If anything the trip taught me that I need to loosen up a little on my patience level. It's very low and I've been cringing, waiting for the day that Finn turned into more than my baby, which he has been doing for years, but has recently learned how to "just joke" in his words, argue well, and test my patience over and over. The trip taught me that I really need to take it all in and figure out how to stay strict on my rules but also let Finn be a kid, these are natural things a kid has to learn to be a productive adult...right? Either way, I hover less at the playground, interfere less when other kids do things I'd consider rude or mean, and let Finn fend for himself, until situations just get too out of hand. Oh and the 4 cousins spent most of their non beach time in the basement of the house playing tigers.




I was so hoping that the time with lots of people all the time would get Maggie saying more, but nope, it just taught her to be more creative in the way she communicates. Although this happy mama is proud to say that Maggie will now say Mom! Yes, she knew mama, but would never say it directly to me, and now she does :)




We were very happy to make it back home just before school started for our friends and got to do some good playing and spent the first week of school trying to figure out what to do, but luckily we're not at a loss now that Finn started Preschool!! Now, I've been at war with myself wondering if I should bother, he'd learn everything he needed at home with me right? Well, yes, but he was just so sad that ALL his friends were in school. For a while he was against going and not wanting to make new friends, but once he went to his classroom and met his teacher, he was more than ready to let me be by myself. Plus side, Monday, Wednesday, Friday this pregnant tired mama gets a short nap in! Maggie on the other hand is not so thrilled to have her big brother gone.

Mike's Lao training is going well and he's even coaxed me into learning some of the language. After reading another FS blog today I found it funny that it seems all the languages, whether it's Lao, Arabic, French, Spanish....the people don't start simple. I can tell you how to say My husband works at the American Embassy, but I can't tell you the word for spoon or shirt...although we do know how to say crab, pinch, got ya, elephant and tiger.