The ‘eater’ and the ’sleeper’. November 22, 2009

I hardly dare mention this…. But Madeline, over the past 2 ½ weeks or so, has been sleeping through the night nearly perfectly.  We don’t know what finally triggered this miracle.  Certainly nothing new that mom and dad have done (we did move her bed into our bedroom about 5 weeks ago, well before the miracle started occurring regularly).  The only thing that appears to be different is that the nights have been much cooler lately.  So cool, in fact, that for the first time since we’ve lived in Colombo, we’ve been ‘cold’ at night!  Whatever the reason, it has been in absolute godsend for mom and dad.  She also gets up to go potty in the middle of the night and goes straight back to sleep in her bed without a peep – hardly misses a beat of sleep.  And she wakes herself up consistently to do so, often walking over to mom and dad’s bed, tapping one of us on the arm, and saying ‘I have to go potty.’  How mature is that?  :)

Unfortunately, now that Madeline is (for the first time in her life) sleeping well at night, Calvin has hit a rough patch.  Most nights he’s up every few hours.  We had a stretch of nights last week where he was up every single 1 ½ to 2 hours each night.  Hell for mom!  Like the old folks we are fast becoming, we’ve been sleeping in separate beds during this ordeal – thank goodness for our spacious house with lots of rooms and beds.  The past few nights he has been better so perhaps this ‘phase’ is nearing an end.

The boy is superb and growing by leaps and bounds every week.  He is robust, strong, and intelligent.  And he’s almost crawling now!  So close. He can get to wherever he ‘needs’ to go by sort of crawling/scooting across the floor.  Sometimes we thing (or want to think) that he is crawling, but no.  However, he might as well be, because he can now move so fast as to require constant attention in his ‘locomotion’.  He is especially fascinated by the three hard tile steps connecting the dining room to the living room and the two foot drop-off from one room to another.  However, the house is quite baby-friendly and as we baby-proofed it upon arrival for Maddie, who was one year old at the time, we’ve already done the hard work.

Calvin is an eater!  He’s now been eating bananas, avocados, sweet potatoes, papaya, and curd, and loves each of them.  As with Madeline, we are making all of our own baby food from scratch, which is very easy in Sri Lanka because good fruits and vegetables are plentiful year-round.  We puree them with breast milk, fill ice cube trays with them, and freeze them for storage.  Maddie used to eat one cube of food, if we were lucky, and was very particular about which types of food she would try.  But Calvin… he eats

2+ cubes every meal and is not particular at all. It’s wonderful – and he doesn’t even get very messy while eating, either.  Very controlled, deliberate, and happy while eating.  In fact, he’s still happy pretty much all the time, except when he’s in his car seat.  Calvin smiles more than any baby I’ve met, and as a result, everyone takes an instant liking to him.  He will have a charmed life if this continues.

We have a cat now – for better or for worse.  Some friends of ours moved recently to a house closer to school and for some reason decided not to take the cat.  His tentative name is Fanta, because he is orange and white.  He’s firmly attached himself to our household, much to the delight of the children.  Madeline is obsessed with him, and Calvin is mystified/fascinated by him. He’s a young cat, probably a little younger than Calvin, and very sweet.  Today we took him to the vet for a few health shots and we’ll be getting him some worm medicine shortly (all very affordable in Sri Lanka).  Unlike previous cats we’ve had, he made himself right at home within a few hours of arriving at the house. That very night he was cuddling and smootching us and the next day we let him outside where he spends much of his time now – and so far has not run away, gotten into fights, or causes any other trouble that we know about.   The biggest pain so far has been his habit of pooing in the front yard, which drives the gardener crazy (he’s a bit sick to the stomach which is why we need to get him that medicine).  Overall, so far, he’s a great pet.  And like previous cats we’ve had, he tolerates an amazing amount of abuse from Madeline without lashing out at her.  Commendable!  She carries him around the house and pesters him almost constantly, but he takes it all in good fun.

Halloween 2009. November 21, 2009

Growing and picking our own pumpkins!

In Sri Lanka we grow pink pumpkins.

Another Halloween has come and gone – and the holiday coincided with the arrival of the monsoon season here in Sri Lanka.  It has been exceptionally rainy here lately.  Some people say it’s the monsoon, inter-monsoonal period, whatever… the fact is that the climate has changed so much that no one really knows what it should be called anymore.  This past Tuesday night it rained almost 3 inches (at the house, according to dad’s weather station), resulting in flooding all over Colombo. We are lucky to have a well-built house – our roof never leaks and the foundation is sufficiently above ground level that water pools around us but never enters the house.  That’s rare in Sri Lanka.  This is by far the rainiest and stormiest place we have ever lived.

A good thing about all the rain is that is has been delightfully cool, especially at night.  The past few evenings have actually been COLD by Sri Lanka standards and the days when it is not raining have been clear, blue, and almost ‘crisp’ in comparison to normal.  It has not been especially stormy, just very very rainy.  Occasionally there are severe storms, however, with lots of wind.  A very exciting time to be in Sri Lanka, meteorologically-speaking!

Carving pumpkins at the rainy party.

Rain affected our Halloween plans significantly.  That whole holiday was a bit random this year, but in the end the kids had a super time and had the whole experience.

Originally we had planned to have our Halloween celebration here at the house, as we did past year, on a Friday afternoon/evening.  That weekend coincided with best friend Amy’s birthday – itself a big event for us as Maddie loves Amy and this could not be missed.  Adding to a tough planing situation was the fact that Ian (Amy’s dad) got really sick the day before we were going to have th joint party – then at one point separate parties on consecutive days.  In the end, we had a great party on a Sunday afternoon of the same weekend at Amy’s house.  They have a superb yard for parties, but it poured rain the whole time and most activities were indoors!  Still, we managed to carve pumpkins (something like 16 of them!  The kids were supposed to but of course the parents ended up doing most of the work!) on the porch outside.

James the gladiator, Mads the princess, and Cal the bug.

There was trick-or-treating upstairs, the kids bobbed for apples, and the dads hung out by the bar-b-que drinking beer.  Great fun for all!  Madeline was dressed as a princess this year and Calvin was a ladybug (Maddie’s first Halloween costume ‘years ago’ ).  All the kids went home stuffed with Halloween candy AND birthday cake so for them it was a tremendous success of a party.

Snug as a (lady) bug!

Go Buffs!

 

Thailand. October 30, 2009

In the land of dragons

Bells, bells, and more bells....

The family just got back from a fabulous week in Thailand.  Other than laying over in the airport during a long trip, none of us had spent any time in Thailand.  All the things we had had heard about this country seem to be true – easy to get around, tons of great things to do, wonderful for families, and very affordable.  It is definitely one of our favorite countries.

Our autumn holiday was during the week of October 12.  We had the option of spending less money on flights and flying from Colombo to Bangkok overnight – but with kids, it’s worth it to spend the extra money for a sane itinerary.  So we left Sri Lanka on Saturday morning and were in Bangkok for lunch (1.5 hours time difference).   As always, the kids were SUPER on the airplane – Maddie has the time of her life flying, and Calvin still just kind of sits there and smiles.  We actually took advantage of the (normally awful) bulkhead seats and successfully used the infant cot that attaches to the wall both going and coming.

Getting friendly with villagers in northern Thailand

Our friend Peter met us at the airport – great to see him again after 5 years!  A group of our friends from the Dominican Republic ended up here at the International School of Bangkok (ISB) a few years back and have never left.  Besides Peter and Patience (and daughter Ellie), our friends Brad and Susie are also in Bangkok, and we saw all of them.  The Bangkok airport is gigantic, and functions well.

Lots of wats!

The thing that struck us immediately was how uncomfortably hot and humid the weather generally is in Bangkok.  Colombo is steamy, but Bangkok seems on a different level.  Air conditioners are constantly on in Bangkok and to not have one in every room of your house is almost unthinkable (for those with the means to have them).  At least in Colombo we get a decent breeze on most days… Bangkok is also colossal and pretty ugly.  It’s a huge concrete jungle with insane traffic and poorly designed roads.  ISB is out of town aways and comprises its own community.

Best friends after 2 minutes

On Saturday we just hung out with our friends and Maddie and Ellie became best buds.  We played on the playground and generally got reaquainted.  On Sunday we went downtown and had a nice lunch at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, then took a boat up the river to the Wat Po – a beautiful wat (temple) that was surprisingly uncrowded for a weekend.  On Monday our friends went to school and we visited their beautiful campus.  ISB is quite a place – as nice or nicer than most colleges I have visited.  They really have their act together and are doing something right, as most people who get jobs there tend to stay for a very long time.  Lots of playgrounds and things to do.  And there is a Starbucks across the street!  We definitely spent too much time and money there….

Lighting incense at the Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep

The Smithwalds on the banks of the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok

On Tuesday we left sweltering Bangkok and flew to Chiang Mai , way up north not far from the Myanmar/Laos borders.  Our buddies in Bangkok recommended this as a great side trip while in Thailand and indeed, it seems to be the place that most first time visitors to this country end up.  It was super and we could have spend way more than 4 nights there.  A city of 170,000 that has everything you’d ever need but not overwhelming in size; tons of wats and other culture; a natural setting surrounded by mountains with lots of outdoor opportunities; great for families.  We stayed in a bed and breakfast that Peter had recommended to us – absolutely perfect.  It was a little ways away from the main part of town but easily accessible via a footbridge that spanned the Ping River.

With papa panda at the Chiang Mai zoo

We all really loved Chaing Mai.  We went to the zoo, which Maddie and Calvin absolutely loved.  Chaing Mai has one of the best zoos I have ever seen – so many things to see, in a beautiful hilly forest on the edge of town.  Its big attraction at the moment is a baby panda – which we did not get to see directly because it was resting indoors.  But momma panda was stunning.  They do a very good job at this zoo to give their creatures a pretty good life in large enclosures.

2 babies in a faceoff!

Another highlight was a visit to the elephant conservation center south of Chaing Mai about a 45 minute drive.  They take good care of the animals here and although they put on a silly elephant show (a bit like a mini-circus), it’s very well done.  Of course, the family rode and elephant through the jungle.  Imagine how much Maddie loved that!  Though she was a bit scared of the elephant up close – I don’t think she realized just how gigantic and smelly they really are.  She also got to feed them bananas and sugar cane.  Definitely a highlight!

Wait -who's the tourist here?

And of course we visited many, many wats.  There are so many temples just around Chiang Mai, it seems it would take years to visit them all.  Our favorites were the Wat Umong (with underground tunnels) and the Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep (on a hilltop overlooking the city).  We also drove deeper into the hills and visited a ( touristy) Hmong village.  With kids and our limited time there, we couldn’t do any over night trekking or hiking to distant remote villages, so this was the next best thing.  We did some shopping and spent an evening at the famous night bazaar.  Lots of stuff at pretty reasonable prices!  We carried Maddie and Calvin around town on our backs/fronts.  They were both the stars of Chaing Mai and everybody loved them – not only Thais, but the many Chinese tourists.  We also took a dinner cruise up the river and saw the rice paper lanterns being lit that were set off floating high the air above the city.  Maddie loved that boat cruise.

Another day, another wat...

We arrived back in Colombo late on Saturday night – good to be back.  Gone are the days when mom and dad can arrive from a red-eye flight a few hours before school starts and be to work at 07:15.  Now we need at least a day to recover!  The following Monday was also mom’s first day back at work since Calvin was born, so we are all adjusting to her new lifestyle.

Public transport in Chiang Mai

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mads among her collection of animal dieties

Birthday 3 October 6, 2009

Over the weekend of September 19-20, dear Madeline had her THIRD birthday celebration.  WOW!  It was great.  After much build-up, on Friday afternoon the big kids’ party finally took place.  Mom had spent most of the week planning the event – and did a professional job.  All kinds of games and activities were planned to keep big groups of kids busy.  Alas, the day was filled with near-constant torrential rain storms.  Very bad luck that the monsoon has just arrived (over the past few days beforehand it was like this more often than not.)

Unfortunatly, all of this meant that mom had to resort to ‘Plan B’ on the day of the event, which meant moving everything indoors.  But no problem, as she has arranged a small army of people to help her (well, Rani and Vanita). About a down little kids showed up and about that many nannies (here in Sri Lanka, it’s quite common for parents to not attend kids birthday parties, and to send a delegation of kid + nanny instead.) It makes for an interesting social situation, as most of them don’t really speak English.

The party started at 15:00 and visitors were very prompt.  A few parents actually showed up but in these dases they just dropped their kids and nannies off at the house and kept going.  The kids automatically took to the different ‘fun stations’ as if they all knew beforehand where everything was and what was on offer!  Everybody had a great time playing – a real quality party.  The most popular activity table was the crown-making one – everybody made one, though not all of them were dry enough to wear by the time the party ended (too humid and materials too cheap!)  There was also a play-dough stand and a sand table to play with (that funky and sticky sort of ’space sand’ that Maddie has too much of…)

Another popular event was the ‘pin-the-tail-on-boots’.  Dad made a large poster-sized colored drawing of one of Madeline’s favorite characters and mom prepared ribbon for his tail.  Most kids at the party had never heard of pin-the-tail but thoroughly enjoyed it and were good at it.  Nadira came closest and she got a prize – a brand new fancy bubble-making kit!

Then the cake – Mom had made a perfect chocolate cake, straight from Betty Crocker’s kitchen (via the American Embassy, of course.)  Dad decorated this one-layer cake with lots of pink frosting and designs with sprinkles just before the party, so the icing didn’t have a chance to melt too much before the cake was presented.  Too much!  Maddie of course loved it and it was almost completely gone in about 10 minutes.

And what about little brother Calvin?  He also had a great time – and had a buddy to hang out with the whole time.  He and little James were two peas in a pod – they are fast becoming best friends.  They just sort of chilled out and watched the party go by.

Madeline was so happy with her party – she will never forget it, I am sure.  It’s one of those few things that is obsessed over forever before it occurs but when it happens, it actually lives up to its expectations.  She had all of her favorite people there and got lots of great gifts.  And some kids were able to go outside for a brief time between rain storms and play on the swings (but this didn’t last long.)

By 18:00 almost everybody had gone – somewhat suddenly!  It’s as if they all realized they would turn into pumpkins by a certain time.

And the party did not stop there!  The next day the family splurged and went to a very nice hotel at the beach just north of Colombo.  On Sunday, Madeline’s actual birthday, we had the family celebration which meant yet another gift-giving ocassion.  Then on Tuesday at school Maddie had another little birthday party (she took cupcakes for everybody, again from Betty Crocker.)  This was an event that just kept going on and on!  Just the way it should be.

Mountain adventures. September 10, 2009

The high mountains of Sri Lanka.

This past weekend we went into the beautiful mountains of Sri Lanka.  We had not been up there in a long time, so this trip was long overdue.  Sri Lanka is known as a beach-lover’s paradise, but not many people know that the highest mountains are over 2,400 meters high.  It is hard to imagine a prettier countryside.

We left school on Thursday afternoon – Friday was the September Poya – and headed east on the busy A4 highway.  By nightfall, after 2 ½ hours of driving, we had reached Kitulgala, and stayed there for the night in the Plantation Hotel, right on the banks of the  pretty Kelani Ganga (River).  Mads and Cal were absolutely  perfect on this car trip, no problem at all.  The Kitulgala area is famous as the location where the movie The Bridge on the River Kwai was filmed…  classic thick tropical jungle, rivers, and steep vegetation-covered mountains.  Splendid!  The bridge used in the movie was built (and blown up) here too (all that remains is the foundation, I have been told, though I have not seen it up close, and to walk close to it you can pay Rs 50 to a local who claims to have ‘acted in the film’).

The Kelani Ganga in Kitulgala.

In the 'tree house'.

We were a bit surprised to discover that we were one of only two parties staying in the entire hotel that night – surprising because it was the first night of a Poya weekend.  It brought back memories of our Peace Corps days, being the only people around in a big hotel.  What does this say for the tourist industry in Sri Lanka?  Probably not recovered from the events of the past 25 years…. anyway, Maddie and dad explored the jungle after dark and in the morning, and found lots of good things like big frogs and moths.  This was the same place where dad went on a field trip a year ago with the grade 9s so he was familiar with the grounds and the area.  Maddie especially liked the ‘tree houses’ on the wooden platforms above the forest floor.  It rained almost the entire night and Friday dawned gray, dreary and cool.  Just the kind of weather we like!

After a long and leisurely breakfast in the jungle, we got back in the car and headed higher still to the cool climes of Nuwara Eliya.  When you look at a road map of Sri Lanka, you can’t possibly imagine how long it takes to get from point A to point B.  When someone tells you that it takes 6 hours to get from Colombo to Nuwara Eliya, a distance of only 180 km, it’s totally unbelievable.  Yet it’s true!  Roads are often in appallingly poor condition and incredibly curvy, people drive erratically (you can be behind a crawling lorry for an hour with no chance to pass), and you must constantly avoid being obliterated by SLTB buses.  However, it all makes for good fun, especially if you are throwing up.  We are lucky to have two kids who love being in the car and don’t seem to mind all the excitement.  Mom, on the other hand….  Is it better to drive or to ride?  Always a toss-up.

Tea plantations near Nuwara Eliya.

We arrived in Nuwara Eliya (elevation 1900 m) in a driving tempest (conditions that would persist more or less constantly until our departure on Sunday).  But cold and wintery!  On Friday night we stayed in a place called the King Fern, a funky little dive on the northwest side of town, run by a Sri Lankan rasta wanna-be with very poor business sense.  The next night we pampered ourselves at the exclusive St Andrews Hotel, a mainstay of the Nuwara Eliya region and a famous hotel dating back to 1875 (this hotel would remind many movie-goers of the movie The Shining).  Because of a promotion, we stayed in a suite at a rock-bottom price.  Maddie even had her own separate TV room.

Inspecting tea leaves at the plantation.

'The Calvinator'.

The weather was stormy all weekend (windy and rainy), never really giving us a chance to get outside and do the things we wanted to do.  Nuwara Eliya is surrounded by beautiful mountains and forests and the hiking opportunities are many (the town sits on the southwest edge of Pidurutalagala, at 2524 meters the highest point in Sri Lanka, but curiously and sadly unattainable as the government has blocked off the summit and its communication towers for ‘security reasons’).  We didn’t even make it to the wonderful park in the center of town due to the weather.  But it was no problem to sit indoors next to a warm fire, drinking tea and watching the dark clouds outside.  We all had a great time.

On Saturday we took a tour of the Pedro Tea Factory.  This is one of the biggest and most famous plantations in Nuwara Eliya.  The factory was not functioning on account of the Poya weekend, but we got a wonderful tour nevertheless (probably better that it was not functioning – would be been too loud for the kids).

Maddie absolutely loved the adventure of the whole weekend.  She had a ball running around the hotels and exploring, getting to wear her cold-weather clothes, and simply being cold.  For three nights she got to sleep with mom and dad and Calvin in big cozy beds, and had unrestricted access to her parents at all hours for three days.  At the St Andrews dad and Mads got an impromptu tour of the organic vegetable gardens, the ‘stables’, and the old-fashioned boiler room on the terraces behind the hotel, from a grizzled one-toothed gardener who took a liking to her.   She got to pick carrots and feed them to a rabbit, and pet a baby goat.  She also slipped and fell down a muddy hill, covering her backsides in mud. What fun!

Anything goes on a lorry in Sri Lanka...

On Sunday we made the long drive back to Colombo.  We had little choice but to do this in one day – it’s a lot of tiring driving.  We stopped for a late lunch in Avisawella, a dumpy town between Kitulgala and Colombo, and arrived home just before dark.  The kids (and parents) got a bit tired of being in the car at the end – lots of fussing and crying but all worth it for the cool, crisp bliss of the Sri Lankan highlands.

Truckin’ August 24, 2009

The weather in Colombo has been delightfully cool lately – in fact, it is downright chilly in the early mornings (okay, it’s all relative….)  Anyway, it’s been very nice.  Is has been rainy as well, most often at night, but no thunderstorms.  This seems out of sync with then normal monsoon rainfall patterns throughout the year, but it is pleasant.

The first full week of school if behind us and it was a good one.  Dad has been working hard (but trying not to work too much), and Mom has been thoroughly enjoying not working.  She still has 2 more months on her maternity leave.  Though I can’t say that she is enjoying every minute of it.  There are definitely times when the kids drive her insane – and this is partly due to the fact that Madeline’s school has not started yet.  So the potential for very long days with the kids can be high, even with Rani here.  And sometimes by the time Dad gets home, the entire household is fidgety and cranky, and this is not what he wants to see after a long day at work!  But that’s a scenario played out in countless households every day.

Mads and Cal are doing well these days.  Maddie is a little off her rocker at times; it’s like the ‘terrible twos’ have finally arrived (now that she is almost 3!) and are condensed into a small space.  Her difficulty is like that of any kid this age.  She wants what she wants immediately, and has a hard time taking no for an answer.  And she still has a very hard time with the attention that Calvin gets.  I think that’s really the root of her difficulties.  Her perceived lack of attention drives her completely crazy at times, as she sometimes won’t even let Mom and Dad talk to each other around her!  But she’s the sweetest kid and so much fun to be around.  This past weekend she and Dad started another painting project, the first since we’ve been back in Colombo.  She still has the artistic touch!  And on Wednesday, her school starts again.  This will be great for all concerned parties. Calvin likes tummy time, and last week rolled over twice!

Yesterday we went to the Colombo zoon for the first time.  It was quite an experience!  First of all, getting there was extremely difficult. Colombo is a very very hard city to navigate by car and finding things off the beaten path can put your navigating skills to the test.  We went with Mark, Meredith, and Sonia, and without them leading the way in thier car, I don’t think we could have found it (even then, we got lost more than a few times…) 

We’ve been in Sri Lanka now for a year, and we’ve been to lots of far out places here, but nothing prepared us for the spectacle at the zoo.  We were the most interesting attraction for the Sunday masses there – not since Malawi, as a Peace Corps volunteer, have I felt more awkward and out of place and stared at so consistently by crowds of people.  Part of it was definitely because of Calvin, Maddie, and Sonia – these kids were like a walking freak show!  After a while we simply had to just tell people: DO NOT touch Madeline.  People mean well, and are charmed by her, but she herself started freaking out at all the attention.  Calvin was protected by his stroller (he slept most of the time and was covered), so we was safe from the prying hands and fascination.  Anyway, it was fun, but next time we will not go on a Sunday.  The zoo in Colombo is very well done, with lots of animals, beautiful grounds, and quite clean and comfortable.  We only explored part of it before we had had enough.  And poor Sonia was sick the whole time, so we cut the visit short on her account too.

Back in Sri Lanka. August 13, 2009

Cue ball.

It’s been such a long time since this blog was updated – and it’s not for lack of events!  This summer has been a sanely busy one.  The family is now firmly back in Sri Lanka and starting a new school year in Colombo.

Besides Dad, the family didn’t travel too much this summer.  In fact, this was the first summer in a long time that we didn’t collectively feel completely wiped out by the time we left the USA!  Maybe we are finally getting used to the whole summer-in-the-US-thing after so many years of doing it…

With dear cousin Scarlett.

World traveller!

We arrived in Colombo just before Mom’s birthday at the end of July, after another marathon flight plan from San Francisco.  Any way you slice it, it’s painful – though we had the same itinerary as we did over the winter holiday, through Hong Kong on the return, which is quite pleasant.   As we did in January, we spent much of the day on Victoria Island and had a nice lunch near the top of Victoria Peak.  The kids did great on the two flights – much better than mom and dad did!  Madeline is in heaven when on an airplane.  She loves to fly, and travel, and can’t wait to do so again.  I don’t know if she is instinctively like this, or like this because of the lifestyle we lead, but either way, it’s absolutely wonderful to have such an easy-travelling kid!  And of course, Calvin doesn’t care where he is, as long as he is dry and warm and has mom around.

In Green Valley.

Most of the time in the states was spent in California, at Nonnie and Papa G’s house.  Ah, the life in Green Valley!  It’s so comfortable there and good for the kids.  Days were spent going on walks, playing in the backyard on the swingset and with Bogey, feeding horses, and generally relaxing.  The weather was perfect all summer, and didn’t really ever get too hot (at least not compared to Sri Lanka.)  Nights were cool and quiet.  Madeline even had her own bedroom this summer, complete with her own bed with Dora sheets (thanks, Uncle Drew!)  The family connected with many friends and other family members too.  Todd and Karen’s family is growing steadily (welcome to the world little Ruby ) – Henry and Scarlett are two of the most charming kids in the world and Maddie loves playing with them.

The young astronomer.

Reaching the crux of a 5.12 pitch!

While in the USA, the family made one trip together, to Colorado.  After spending a week there in the woods where he grew a beard, dad welcomed mom, Calvin and Madeline.  Everyone had a great time.  The family stayed in the little cabin in the woods just near Meemaw and Poppy’s house and it was comfy and cozy as usual.  We had picnics in the woods, went on hikes, played putt-putt golf, learned to look through a telescope, did some window shopping, and connected with Dad’s family.  Lots of quality family time – cousins Nathan, Malachi and Sadie are superb with Maddie and Calvin and all the kids had so much fun together.  Probably the most exciting development for Madeline this summer is that she learned to rock climb with dad – she even has her own purple harness!

MICHAEL!

Comfy with Poppy in Colorado.

Of course, everyone was smitten with Calvin.  Maddie has learned to be okay with this, and doesn’t get too crazy any more when attention is given to Calvin.  Of course, when around family, there is always someone else to pay attention to her anyway.  Calvin is quite possible the cutest baby ever (though Maddie was also pretty cute – but  Calvin is in a class by himself.  A real classic.)  He is getting so big.  It’s incredible that this is the same little peanut that entered the world so recently.  His thighs are becoming the super-chunk variety, and he’s up to about 14 pounds.  His disposition is absolutely the best you could ask for in a 3 month-old.  Naturally, he has his cranky spells, but they are few and far between.  He smiles and laughs more than any other baby I’ve seen.  If this keeps up this boy will be the ultimate charmer in life (and probably will get anything he wants!)  Hmm… maybe that’s not so good in the long run!

On Trail Ridge Road at sunset....

The Colorado kid clan.

So now, we are pretty much adjusted back to life in Sri Lanka.  It’s a new school year, and our second year in the country, and that means that it’s so much easier now.  Looking at our work colleagues that are new this year, and remembering the settling-in stage that we went through last year this time, makes us so happy to be ‘returning teachers’.  And Mom is thoroughly enjoying her time at home with the kids.  She doesn’t go back to work until the end of October, and is loving getting caught up on so many aspects of her life.  Maddie goes back to her school on August 25th, so the house can get a little crazy during the day.  But Maddie always seems to have lots of playdates and somehow mom keeps her pretty busy.

Summer. June 24, 2009

Big sister shushing a restless baby!

Well, things have finally ‘downshifted’ to a more manageable gear over the past week.  Thank goodness.  The last few weeks before the holiday were insanely busy. 

The family left Sri Lanka very early on Wednesday morning June 17th (easily changed our departure date by two days for a negligible fee) and arrived in San Francisco on the same morning, just before noon.  Coming east to the states is a much better itinerary than going west.  Everyone survived the long flight and we had no problems.  Maddie was a traveling champ – she should be, after talking for two months about getting on the airplane.  She was so excited!  Calvin doesn’t really care where he is, as long as he is warm and dry, with a good diaper and breast to hang out on…. Maddie and dad have been suffering from bad head colds now for a while, and this didn’t make traveling any easier for either of them.  Everyone just needs lots of sleep.

Really, we haven’t done much since we arrived.  It took a good 3 days a foggy-minded jet lag before we felt ourselves again.  Though Calvin and Madeline seem to be much less affected by the time change (12.5 hours!) than mom and dad – or maybe this is because they both have spotty sleep habits anyway, so it doesn’t make much of a difference.  The California clan is very, very happy to have everyone home and tickled to get to know ‘The Calvinator’.  Maddie, of course, never tires of showing off her little brother to everyone.

Reclining Calvin....

On Father’s Day,  Sunday, the extended family came over for an afternoon of fun and games.  Maddie and Calvin got to hang out with cousins Henry and Scarlett and everyone had a super time.  Watersports and a bar-b-que.

Everyone is looking forward to a long relaxing summer in the USA.

The first month with the new roommate. June 9, 2009

Has it already been almost a month since Calvin came along?  Can’t believe it!  Time is moving fast.  That’s what happens at the end of the school year for teachers anyway, and this year is turbocharged, with the entire household still getting used to having an infant around.

I don’t know how it is possible, but having 2 kids is way more than double the work of one kid (have I said that before?)  That being said, Madeline’s crazy adjustment period is getting smoother.  The first two weeks were rough on the older sister – but now she’s cruisin’.  She no longer throws such severe tamper tantrums at the drop of a hat, or goes absolutely crazy for no apparent reason at all.  She’s on the tail end of a nasty cold at the moment that has brought her down a bit, but on the mend. She absolutely ADORES Calvin, and continues to be endlessly fascinated by him, showing him off to other people as ‘hers’ and treating him gently and lovingly.  We’ll see how long that lasts, until he starts playing with her toys!

Calvin is doing just great.  After a sleepy start (sleeping about 20 hours out of each 24!) we’ve come back down to reality as the past few weeks, he has been more active and sleeping less.  He is an incredible eater – I have never seen a kid that wants to eat so much so often.  Quite different from Maddie at that age.  He’s gaining lots of weight and is at that point where he can truly be called ‘cute’, though somewhat alien-looking at times.  He’s also developing a personality.  Stong-willed, knows just what he wants and when he wants it… oh wait is that Maddie or Calvin?  Hmmmm.  Mom is doing well at home, not working, though at times it’s not easy for her.  Calvin is demanding at times and she has the typical cabin-fever that all moms get from time to time during the early days of infancy.  But she’s doing great, finally nearly back to normal physically after a month on the mend.  We’ve started our pleasant neighborhood walks again and she’s almost to the point where she will be going to the gym to work out.  Pretty impressive, a month after what she went through!  Sleeping at night has once again become a luxury, as Calvin pretty much just sleeps whenever has feels like it around the clock, and is up at all hours as well.

Everyone has done a good job making Maddie feel like she is still an important kid.  This, as every parent of more than one child knows, is crucial.  She got a great gift a few weeks ago – her very own parakeet!  She loves him, though wants to call him ‘Calvin’.  That was over-ruled by mom and dad, so we have settled on ‘Greenie’ since he is, in fact, green. Clever! To her, a parakeet is not unique in itself as we have them flying around our neighborhood. But what a treat to have your own.

Though we have not been out of town for a while, we’ve tried to be as mobile as reasonable for Amy and Calvin.  Last weekend we went to the Parliament grounds on Sunday afternoon - this is a huge open expanse (park-like) that fills with cricketters and families on weekend afternoons.  Among other things, Madeline got to ride a pony, which she adored.  We’ve also done some trips to the pool and the school playground.  But it’s quite difficult to travel much with this situation.  We’ve thought over the past few weekends that we might get out of town for a night, but it just hasn’t materialized.  And that’s ok, as we are about to embark on a very big trip, back to the USA for several weeks.  Maddie is really looking forward to that (“I want to go on an airplane!  I want to go on an airplane and see Nonnie and PapaG!  I want to go on an airplane and see Meemaw and Poppy!  I want to go on an airplane….!” over and over and over and over….)  All in due time.

Welcome little brother. May 20, 2009

The new Smith baby is finally here!  What a crazy, unusual month it has been…

At 03:00 on Sunday, May 10 (Mother’s Day, Wesak weekend, and a day after dad’s birthday!), Mom woke up with pains deep in her tummy, and by 07:00 we were speeding to the hospital.  After a relatively quick delivery, at 09:13 little Calvin James Smith emerged into the world.  Though total labor time was much less than with Madeline (hers was about 13 hours of agonizing contractions), it was tougher this time for mom because things weren’t lined up quite right.  The baby’s head was slightly off-kilter from the space through which it had to travel.  In fact, it became such a problem that in the end, the doctor had to use a vacuum to get him out.  Mom never really felt like she was in the right position the whole time – and once again, she had a natural birth, no epidural, only a local anesthetic.  She is one very, very tough woman.

We were a bit surprised that Calvin came when he did, as he was almost a week early and even the night before Mom was showing no signs of anything imminent. It all happened so fast – though we were grateful not to be losing an entire night’s sleep in the process.  We were home by 19:00 on Sunday evening.  Less than 12 hours in the hospital…. and mom’s health is jut fine (though still a bit sore).

Joseph Fraser was a great place to give birth, and though it was a bit old fashioned in terms of facilities, everything was completely adequate.  Dr Samaranayake and the nurses were all very competent and professional.

And what about dear Madeline?  When it became obvious at 06:00 that we had better get to the hospital as soon as possible, we called our friends Geoff and Zehra, who had agreed previously to come over at any hour, any time, just for this circumstance.  They were over in 15 minutes and Rani got to the house at around 09:00 – so Maddie was entertained all morning by some of her favorite people until early afternoon when they came down to the hospital to meet Calvin for the first time.  What a cute entourage – they arrived with flowers and a special card they had made to welcome Calvin into our family.

 Immediately, Madeline took a real liking to Calvin (she loves babies as all little girls do).  However, it took some time before she accepted that this baby is a permanent addition to the family.  In fact, for a few days she kept calling him “Baby James” – James is the 3 month-old baby that lives down the street, the son of Eric and Ava, who we see occasionally.  Even after seeing the two of them together, side by side, she still insisted on calling him “Baby James”.  Very cute indeed, and not entirely inaccurate, as James is Calvin’s middle name.

Time for some major adjustments all around.

Madeline has had some difficulties adjusting to her new roommate.  She has started displaying behavior that is completely out of the ordinary for her – intense, appalling temper tantrums that are stressing mom and dad out.  We don’t know how long this behavior will last, but apparently it’s quite normal for this to occur. The good news is that she is very sweet and loving to Calvin (even routinely sharing her beloved blanket with him!), so her frustration at her world being tipped upside down is manifesting itself away from Calvin as a person.

So now we are just in “cruising” mode with things.  Mom ended up getting a week of maternity leave before the birth and doesn’t go back to work until October.  Dad has just about taken all of his paternity leave, back to work in a few days – but as the school year is so close to being finished, there isn’t too much school to go back to.  The whole family will be heading back to the USA in a month.  Dad has also forgotten how upside down one’s world becomes with a newborn in the house.  No regular hours for anything and routines pretty much thrown out the window.  Even this blog will change!

Mom and baby are doing just fine.  Calvin had a bit of jaundice for the first 4-5 days (common, we have been told) that went away with the merconium.  He had an easy and natural time breastfeeding from the beginning, and Amy’s milk has come in just fine at this point.  But perhaps the most notable thing about Calvin is how much he sleeps (up to 20 hours a day – unbelievable!)  and how much milk he drinks (he’s an eating machine.)  Certainly we will not have to worry much about his weight or him getting enough sleep the way we did with Madeline.  So far, he is just about as different from Madeline as one can imagine… I wonder if this chilled-out behavior will last?

To add to the craziness of the month of May, the Sri Lankan government just declared the 26 year-old civil war to be over.  This is great news here in Sri Lanka.  But what it means is more time away from work, as Tuesday this week the school was closed for ‘security reasons’ and Wednesday was declared a national holiday.  The month of May has been a wash from a working point of view.  Not such a bad thing, is it?