Outing to the Park!

We've been trying to take it easy and settle into our new normal.  Here are a few pics of the last few days.

Thianna waiting for here first doctor visit.  She was a bit shy with the doctor but did really well!

Playing on the swings at the park.  She was pointing at Nathanh doing something.

Trying out the strider bike for the first time.  I was very surprised that she put on the helmet without any fuss.  Check out her new favorite shoes - they have sparkles!

She is always laughing at something!  Erwin has taken to calling her Miss Laughy Pants because she is constantly giggling!

Just hanging around!

Just to note, she is wearing the helmet because she rode to the park, not because I am paranoid!  Thianna is actually very confident on the playground equipment.  She climbs the ladder and slides down the slide over and over again!

Can't forget my other little cutie!  He is getting really good on his big boy bike!  I see a lot of fun days ahead and I can't wait to spend them with these two!

Coming Home

This is the second post I'm writing since coming home...the first one didn't get published because it sounded too whiny!

Let's just say coming home has been HARD.  Jet lag has really effected both kids.  So they are not sleeping well.  It has gotten a bit better every night but so far we have been up multiple times every night with both kids and they are both loud criers thus they often wake the other one across the hall.  And of course if they don't sleep, we don't sleep, making us all cranky and everything harder.  

Thianna is doing great.  She is adjusting well to her new home.  However, it is also fair to say that she is two and has a strong personality.  It is definitely a challenge to balance bonding and forming attachments with setting boundaries and limits.  But we're getting there!

Nathanh is having a rough time adjusting to not having mommy and daddy all to himself all of the time.  Erwin and I have often teased over the years that we can never get a divorce because there is no way Nathanh would survive a one parent household.  That being said he is having trouble sharing us with a sister.  It is getting better though...slowly.  Thianna has him pegged now.  She figured out that when he gets grumpy with her she should just laugh!  So he'll make a growly face and she will giggle hysterically at him!  It is not the reaction he wants and it is probably the smartest thing she can do.  

Thianna had a horrible first time in a car seat but has since come around and puts up no fuss at all now.  I think she even likes that she can see out the window better.

We've been grocery shopping.  Thianna took to getting free samples right away!

We've done a little bit of clothes shopping.  We still need more fall / winter clothes for Thianna.  I am making progress on the no dresses thing.  Today she wore leggings and a long top with ruffles and she wore polka dot socks!

We went to the Vancouver aquarium today.  Erwin wanted to go while he was still off work.  She must think we see a lot of fish!  Two aquariums in less than a week!  But they both enjoyed themselves and family bonding is good.

Maybe next time she'll play a bit more.

Nathanh dressed up as a dolphin, taking care of a sea otter.

Tomorrow Thianna has her first doctor's appointment.  Not sure how that will go as she seems to resist anything new.  Oh well, we'll get through it.  Here's hoping for a restful night.

One Pillar Pagoda and Last Post from Vietnam

This morning we were up early to try to change our plane tickets home.  We found out there were seven empty seats on Friday's flight and we needed four of them so we were waiting outside the ticketing office five minutes before they opened.  So yeah!  We got our return tickets changed!  

Later Thianna and I were having a bit of tickling fun while daddy and Nathanh went to pick up our newly printed tickets.

She FINALLY wore the new shorts!  We've decided that Thia is a tomboy!  There will be no dresses and we fought with her everyday to wear a hat until we gave her a baseball cap, which she happily wore!

Later we decided to do one last bit of sightseeing.  I wanted to see One Pillar Pagoda out at West Lake.  So here it is.

Yup, just like the name implies.  Actually it was very beautiful, with ornate detail.

We walked a short distance around the lake but unfortunately it started to rain and there was thunder and lightning in the distance so it was time to hail a cab.  

We got back to the hotel and our agency representative was waiting for us.  He got Thianna's little transition book back from DaNang.  It had been misplaced during the move to the new government buildings.  We are so glad to have it back for her.  We have also been using it today to help explain that we are going on an airplane tomorrow.

This evening we got both kids asleep by 8:00 and then started the packing. 

Do you think sending the kids in baggage would save us some money?

All tucked in for one final sleep in Vietnam!  Thianna has to wear socks at all times and refuses covers!  Winter in Canada might be chilly for her!  At least we are not bringing her home to -11 like when we came home with Nathanh!

This will be my last post from Vietnam.  I know it will be an emotional ride to the airport.  It is so hard to leave this place that has given us two wonderful children.  

Good News!

When we got back from the aquarium (scroll down if you missed my first post of the day) we were planning to get Thianna down for a nap but when I checked my email I had a message that Thianna's passport was ready for pick up at the Canadian Embassy.

Being silly in her new shirt saved for just this occasion!  Luckily she put it on!

We also bought her this little hoodie on sale after Canada Day.  This is her coming home outfit too!  Once again I don't know why but she put it on without a fuss and actually liked it!

A little blurry but we were doing "the Happy Dance" to celebrate her passport being ready.

Outside the Embassy holding her new, temporary passport. Erwin even managed to get his reflection in the picture!  Security is much tighter now than four years ago so we were not allowed to take cameras or cell phones in with us to get a picture.  It was still hot out but Thianna would not take her little Canada hoodie off for anything!  Nathanh refused to wear his Canada hat so Thianna gladly put it on too..  It was a bit big for her so we kept turning it around so she could see.

Thianna at a fish pond outside the Ho Chi Min Museum

On the Museum steps.

Once again security was way tighter this time around.  We were not allowed to walk in front of the Ho Chi Min Mausoleum at all.  Erwin also noticed that all of the uniformed security patrol all had guns this time.  Last time we happen to see them at shift change time and they had to hand off their one gun to the next group of soldiers coming on shift.

So Yeah!  We have Thianna's passport to get home!  By the time we got back to the hotel the Cathay Pacific ticketing office was closed for the day.  Luckily the office is located right next door to the hotel.  So we will head there first thing in the morning and see about changing flights.  For our pick up crew, we are hoping for Friday but we will have to see what flights are available in the morning. Stay tuned!!

Rainy Day Fun!

Well I mentioned in my last post that it was a stormy night here in Hanoi.  It was still raining in the morning and quite windy too so we decided to something indoors with the kids.  The thought of hanging around the apartment with them all day was a bit terrifying to me so I quickly got on the Internet and found something for us to do.  Our destination was the aquarium at Vincom Mall.

On the way to the mall our taxi got stuck in some heavy traffic.  I commented to Erwin that you know the traffic is bad in Hanoi when the motorcycles can't even get through!  We saw the problem for ourselves a couple of minutes later.  There were trees along the street that had been completely uprooted in last night's wind storm.  Work crews were having to completely remove the trees from the side walk.

When we got to the mall we went and found Thianna another pair of shorts.  She is VERY picky about what she will wear.  I packed 7 days worth of clothes for everyone so that we would be on the same laundry schedule.  The problem is that three of Thianna's days are little light weight dresses and she WILL NOT wear a dress.  Every time I try to get her in one she screams, not just cries, but SCREAMS!  So needless to say, not wanting to traumatize my poor little girl any more than necessary, Thianna has been on a three day laundry cycle.  One day I even had her wearing Nathanh's shorts because she went swimming in her clothes and the rest of the laundry was not dry yet.  (It gets hung outside to dry).  So another pair of shorts was needed.  But Thianna was having none of it.  I did buy a pair of shorts but I couldn't get her to try them on.  I think they will fit but the question is whether she will put them on tomorrow.

After that little endeavour we went to find the aquarium.  After asking a few people, with very limited English, we found out the taxi had brought us to the wrong mall.  So off we went and hopped in another taxi.  On the way I said to Erwin, if nothing else we are getting a very scenic tour of Hanoi.
We knew we were at the right mall when we saw this giant fish made out of red, paper lanterns all strung together.  This new development really shows the change in Hanoi.  There is so much change and modernization going on here.

Inside the mall there were beautiful fish ponds.

Nathanh finally got to ride in a swan boat!

And yes, we finally made it to the aquarium!  Which made Nathanh very happy!

This image of Daddy was taken by Nathanh!

It was a beautiful aquarium, almost brand new and it is the biggest aquarium in Vietnam.

Thianna did really well.  It was a new place for her but like yesterday, once she realized it was fun and kid friendly, she was more than willing to give mommy's arms a rest and explore on her own.  Even though she had repeated 'fish' for us on a few occasions before this, I am now certain that she knows what 'fish' is!

She was very excited to look in all of the tanks and call out "ay or oi" whenever she wanted us to look.  We are still trying to get her to use the word 'look' without us prompting her.

Yup, a happy girl indeed!

There was a big tunnel to walk through which was amazing for her.  She then started holding up the peace sign when getting her picture taken.  Okay, not done quite right here but we think that was what she was doing.  It brought me back to my childhood when Uncle Colin would do the exact same thing!

At the end of the tunnel there was a giant octopus.  Nathanh, of course, said "look Mom, I have a giant tentacle stuck to my head!"

Thianna found a lovely seahorse.

It was a good day!  The rain had stopped by mid morning but it was still nice to be out of the heavy winds and spend the day inside.  I am actually glad that Nathanh, and I say Nathanh because I assume he will remember this trip more, is getting to experience a modern Vietnam.  I love the Old Quarter and the character that makes up Hanoi and Vietnam in general but I want Nathanh to have good memories.  I think if it was all dilapidated fair rides, motorcycles honking and run down shops he would get a very different impression of the huge metropolis that Vietnam is becoming.

Oh, one last thing that we noticed today, unfortunately I do not have a picture, was the motorcycle helmets for women.  The helmets here are different than at home.  They are much smaller and the ears are not covered.  That is because signalling is done by honking.  You must have a very good sense of direction to drive here (meaning I could never drive here).  You have to be able to hear which direction the honks are coming from so that you can get out of the way.  Anyways, today Erwin noticed that some women have an extra hole in the back of there helmet to accommodate their hairstyle if they have a bun or a ponytail in their hair!  What will they think of next!

Reunification Park

Today we went to a park that I had read about online called Reunification Park.  There was a small fee to enter, 12,000 dong (about 62 cents Canadian).  It was a beautiful park with a lake at the centre and lots of pathways to walk along.  I liked that I didn't have to worry about motorcycles running anyone down!  

From what I could gather the park was opened (or reopened) in 2010.  There was a lot of modern playground equipment, pieces that we have at home.  Unfortunately it had not been kept well and was quite shabby and vandalized.  People must sneak in at night and do this because the whole park is gated and you have go pay to get in during the day.  

Nathanh had us all playing cargo ship on a boat travelling between Vancouver and Vietnam!  

There were a lot of people using the park for exercise - jogging, tai chi and there were even new (good condition) exercise machines.

Nathanh trying to ride a bike.

There were also a lot of fair type rides but they were not working today.  I think they may be just a weekend thing.  The rides looked pretty run down but from what I read they still work!

There was also a train track that ran all the way around the lake.  I was a bit disappointed that was not running because if would have been nice for the kids.

One of the train stations.

There were also swan boats but no one was on the lake today.

It was very pleasant walking around the lake.  The temperature was only about 30 degrees today and there was a nice breeze.  There is actually a pretty bad wind and rain storm outside this evening as I write this post.  So it has cooled significantly.

Ducks in the park!

Thianna wouldn't get on a duck but she stood with me for the photo (taken by Nathanh).

And she did a fair amount of walking! 

There were many wonderful statues to be found as we walked around the lake.

And a bridge that crossed to one of two small islands.  The other island was only reachable by swan boat.

All in all a great little outing and a beautiful park.  I wish all of the rides had been open though just for the experience.  Although it was probably quieter this way.

We got back and had a light lunch and then both kiddos napped.  We wanted to go swimming after nap time but by then the wind and rain were starting so we just stayed in.  Erwin made dinner and we contemplated getting ice cream for dessert but never got around to it.  Both kids sleeping now and the wind and rain are raging.

Just Waiting

This is the part if the journey that I dislike the most - the waiting.  In the beginning there is all the anticipation and excitement.  Then there is all of the official stuff and the paperwork to complete.  And you can see the things getting completed one at a time so there is the feeling of getting somewhere.  But now we just have to hope that our file is getting looked at in Singapore.  We know it got there by the FedEx tracking number but where is it now, who is looking at it and were all of the forms filled correctly and all of the right attachments included, who knows.  I suppose you have to go by the old adage "no news is good news."  But this is the hard part for me.  I feel kind of suspended between having to be here and wanting to go home.  At least last time there were other families here with us and that offered distraction, friendship and entertainment.

I am also finding it harder to get out with two kids, both mobile and needing complete attention.  Thianna is at least somewhat used to the heat, although DaNang was much less humid than here, being on the coast.  But Nathanh is not used to it at all and it definitely gets to him.  

Anyways, we took it easy again today.  Nathanh and I got to the playground for a little bit.  We managed to Skype with family back home.  And we went out for dinner at one of my favourite restaurants just a short walk from the hotel.

Here are a few shots to keep the FB gang happy:)

I noticed this store across from the restaurant.  I can't remember if it was there before or not.  We didn't venture in though...who wants to weave in between the motorcycles anyways?

Thianna enjoying statfruit juice.

Erwin and Thianna sitting in the outdoor restaurant.  Nathanh wasn't left out, he just didn't want to be in a photo.