kids activity # ???

today’s activities are the following :

1. Scrub bathroom FUN !!!
2. Wipe windows and mirrors COMPETITION !!!

heehee … there was also an extra value science experiment involving baking soda, vinegar, and the bathroom sink … i wasn’t all that evil … the third activity was ” Play Make-up Artist !! ” with live model (  me ) and real make-ups … that was like a ‘thank-you’ for them being so helpful and a ’sorry’ from me for yelling at them when they won’t eat lunch … they didn’t turn me into a clown so i take that they are not angry at me

the kid starts summer school tomorrow … she earned 350bht … mom upped her earnings by  bargaining the babysitting rate to an hourly rate … she has about 200 bht left … she bought a toy binoculars , treat us a box of thai desserts, more treats of water and airplane rides for her sister …

97 FM to be no more ??

oh , this really sucks … i hope this is not censorship as there are 4 other stations that are on the chopping block … i listen to Acharn Virak Terapak’s show ( weekdays, 2 pm to 5 pm )  most afternoons … he takes in phone calls and the topics are all-sorts … during the tom yum goong crisis ,  callers phone in to ask for financial advice .. some got scolded ( like the guy who put his factory up as collateral , got a much bigger loan than it was worth and used it to buy cars ) , some called in to cry ( like the guy who lost his job and have to pick vegetables from the riverside to feed his family ) , some got money ( like the lady who’s life is stuck cuz she can’t repay a loan… acharn virak gave her 8000bht ) … people also call in to voice their political opinions and he slaughters those who try to use his show for ulterior motives  … he does criticise the government but from an academic’s point of view … not a wimpy show …

jing jok eggs

couple years ago, a gecko laid 2 eggs inside an empty jewelry box … i found them after the eggs hatched and was very excited … usually i find them when they landed on my head … some geckos think it’s safe to lay eggs on top of doors … we’ve got the smart ones, therefore, better mosquito hunters in the house … they were tiny chalk-white pea-sized eggs with a small hole , which i imagine, is where the baby geckos poke their pin-sized heads out while the daddy and mommy geckos go ‘ oohs and aahs ” … i kept them  to show the kid what a gecko egg looks like, and then forgot about them …

today the k2 found them , she took them out to show it to her sis and me … i should have spotted that glint in her eyes , but was too late, she POPPED one in her mouth … to which her sis exclaimed ” Don’t eat that, it’s a ‘ jing-jok’ egg !! ” … major wailing ensued …   we did the mouth-wash, the intense toothbrushing, and even the wiping-tongue-with-towel … nothing would stop her crying … ( we weren’t very supportive though , we were having giggling fits … for the record , the husband started it ) … she calmed down after i handed her real candies … we knew she was alright when she feigned sickness hoping to siphon more candies … afterwards was the ‘ don’t eat things you find cuz a cockroach may have nibbled on it ‘ talk …

children-friendly restaurants ?

one that doesn’t just offer high chairs and plastic utensils for kids … we found it at central world … the kids had a blast at the Sylvanian … at first , i thought it’s just an over-priced restaurant with a squirrel mascot trying to attract kids … inside it is very spacious , with ball pool and loads of Sylvanian toys ( i told the kids , the toys are the shop’s decoration, so they won’t ask me to buy them ) … i like that they don’t play blaring music , so it’s good for the parents too … the kids can play , we can read magazines or go online for free…

the mickey mouse people

are back , to get our money … Disney on Ice this year will have The Little Mermaid in it … the K2’s most beloved character … this will be a father-daughters bonding event cuz i’ll be shopping solo at Impact’s ” Thailand Paradise Fair ” , which seems to be a ‘ jub chai* ‘ event … it’s a furniture, wedding, beauty, health, spa, fashion , jewelry AND food fair

* ‘ jub chai ‘ is a chiu chaow chinese  word for ‘ ten dishes ‘ .. the story behind  is that a king/warrior asked to stay in a peasant’s house after a long hard journey … he was tired and hungry … the peasant’s wife got nothing in the kitchen except left-over food … she pour everything into a big pot, boiled them up, and served it to The Man, hoping not to be beheaded … the king loved it and asked what the dish is called … she said ‘ dog food ? ‘ , nope,  she cleverly christened it  ” jub chai “  – ten dishes , fit for a king … today, we also use this word to describe anything ‘ mixed bag ‘ … * end of today’s thai-chinese word history post …

a girl’s got to be …

organized … the k2 was ready for the cha-am trip wayyy before we were … we left at 3pm , she got her bags strapped on since 11am …

me : wow, you’re fast! you’re all packed up !
K2 ( beaming ) : look at my bags . this one is for my money. I have money. This one is for my toys .They want to see the beach .This one is for picking up flowers .
me : you’ve got everything figured out ! let’s see, why don’t you put your money and the toys into this big bag ? Then you don’t have to carry 3 bags .
K2 ( with the ” i’m-so-tired-which part-you-don’t-understand ” look ) : This one is for my money. I have money. This one is for my toys. They ( etc.. see above … )

sunrise

 joined our sil at cha-am … i can’t decide which is the highlight of the trip , free accomodations at a spacious sea-side cabin or the K2 pooping in the swimming pool …

hmmm … i am so going to blackmail her with this story when she grows up and have friends over !!! …

rabbit fever

is the big news today … 3 days after the husband got the kids a pet rabbit , we watch this doctor on tv telling us how we can die from just handling rabbits … bummer … a lady died from tularemia  infection … it’s like a first case in thailand, and a sensational news story … just the phrases  ” transmitted by inhalation ” and ” use as a biological weapon ” will grab both moms and dads’ attention   …

so now, i’m sort of torn, having an internal debate with myself … to return or not to return ??? …  it doesn’t look sick … but it can kill you … what are the chances ? it’s like a 1 in 60,000,000 chance … errr, you don’t have a good track record ? remember you always buy the camera/cellphone that breaks 2 months later ? … for the record, i didn’t make the purchase, so my jinx won’t work on it … it ate all the veggies in the fridge, how can it possibly be sick ?! … the kid sneezed today, you sure it is just the common cold ? … it’s white and fluffy !! it’s already got a name !!! … TULAREMIA ! TULAREMIA ! …

see the torture i’ve been putting myself thru ?

half-day trip …

took mom n the kids to the Erawan Museum … i think the elephant’s front side with her 3 heads is quite an awesome piece of architecture … this is oppose to her backside, which is quite cute … the museum’s on the sukhumvit road, passed samrong, teparak intersection … you’ll have to turn left and do a u-turn to get into the museum … it is built by the same people who created Ancient City in bangpoo … the tickets cost 150bht for adults and 50bht for children … included is a guided tour … you can claim your set of incense sticks and flowers with the ticket stubs …

new fabric …

i bought this :

it’s fabric for ‘ pa-tung ‘ ( sarong ) , measures 105 cm ( from selvage to selvage )  x 168cms … the green band only runs on one side … i’m going to make this for the K1 , now known as the K2 :