manny in taiwan:

Manny was given less than 2-days' notice that he had to go to Taiwan for work.  Thankfully his passport was still valid, so he just had to book the plane and hotel.  We spent quite a bit of time trying to figure out the transportation and routes, and his Chinese coworker wrote out some things in Chinese he could hand a driver if they did not speak English.  He flew into Taipei, took a bus, then a bullet train, and then a taxi to his hotel in Taichung.  I think it was 20 hours of traveling time total, and I'm sure it wasn't easy.  

I have not been back to Taiwan since we left.  My mom went back several times, but never at a time I could go.  So Manny has now been to my homeland more recently than I have.  I'm glad he finally got to see Taiwan.

The kids and I missed him a lot, even though it was sort of business as usual since I do almost all of the caretaking of the children and the house as he has to work a lot.  I was just more cautious at night and sometimes left lights on.  I also made things the kids liked that Manny wouldn't usually want to eat, like foods with simple carbs (pasta, stuffing, etc.).  This was helpful as I had to pack up and clean before our trip to see the grandparents.

He had a lot of work to do there, even though it appears they actually needed an executive to go over there to make the higher-level negotiations and plans or whatnot.  He did get to go to Taipei during the weekend with coworkers, which I was glad to hear.

He returned with fun gifts, and I always appreciate his thoughtfulness in that.  Well, he bought the boys these spinning light-up tops which he didn't know played "Gangnam Style" and rather loudly at that.  I got a headache by the end of the next day.  He got Naomi Hello Kitty candy and this nice backpack for traveling/overnights.  I got the HK candy as well, and a Hello Kitty car, which I really like.  The gifts were perfect for all of us, but the best gift was his safe return home.

Roasted corn at the Night Market.

Manny's fingers are long, so this is actually a huge bao.

Taipei 101, the tallest building in the world for many years.  Manny said it was hazy, so it was hard to see anything from the top.  He also said it sways, which is enough for me to say no thanks.

Having boba from the place that supposedly invented it (there's a dispute whether it was this place or a different one).

Chiang-Kai Shek Memorial.  Pretty sure I have a photo of me nearby as a kid, although it wasn't completed until maybe a few months after we left Taiwan.

Taiwanese food.

I forget what this is called, but it's a dessert soup.

Sour Skittles and a gummy hamburger.

Flashing, spinning tops that play the same music again and again.  Boys love them; Mom not so much.

Lucas' gummy hot dog.

Presents for me and Naomi (and a backpack, not pictured).

It's been a while since he's indulged my love for Hello Kitty and/or Snoopy.  Getting this little car from him after all these years was something special.

do you hear what i hear:

Last Sunday, Isaac and the other "Sparklers" (2.5-5 year-olds) did their Christmas performance.  They only had two Sundays to learn it.  Isaac did great, and was so cute as the shepherd boy.  All were super cute.  Isaac called it his first show, and it was a big deal to him.  He was disappointed that Naomi and Lucas were in their classes and missed it.  Manny was also out of town, but I recorded it for them.  I wish I had a tripod since I was tired and a little shaky, but YouTube has a stabilization edit feature which helped.  Isaac also noted that not everyone clapped, the way everyone had during the rehearsal.  I told him not everyone claps, but that doesn't mean they didn't enjoy it.

christmas open house:

Our pastor and his wife held an open house at their new home last Saturday.  His family of six had to move out of their rental home unexpectedly but were quickly provided with a beautiful home just down the street.  We were only able to make it at the tail end of the open house, but I was glad we stopped by.  Isaac got to see the rabbits and play a couple rounds of a video game that the teens were playing, but I didn't want to trouble them to let him play for too long.  Another little boy from Isaac's class showed up, so the boys all ran around the backyard.  It was a little too cold and dark, so I promised the boys we'll be back during the day sometime.  

The lights and creche outside.

The boys love Miss H.

Big hugs.

Wonderful holiday treats and hot apple cider.

Isaac playing games with T.

Picking clementines at night.

Isaac and G. playing.

baked potato bar christmas and birthday party:

A friend of mine gave part of her liver to save a friend's life a couple of years ago.  Since then, some resulting pain/disabilities have made her unable to do the work she was doing before.  She just finished her accounting degree with a 4.0, and is moving forward.  In the meantime, however, she doesn't have much funds so she is staying with a woman who has three adopted children from I think Ethiopia.  For Christmas, she went to the community center and received lots of potatoes and carrots, so for her birthday she shared them with us in the form of a potato bar (guests brought the toppings and salad), and we did a white elephant gift exchange.  Manny was out of town, so my friend offered to watch the kids for me.  It was refreshing being there.  It's interesting in certain crowds, I don't look like anyone else, if you know what I mean, so sometimes I feel a little weird, but I can adapt and enjoy the company of all kinds of people.  I still have just my handful of closest friends, but really I think if I just stick to one group, I miss out on what I learn from different people.

The carrots ended up being made into a delicious carrot cake by a friend, and many of us brought her birthday presents anyway even though she never said the celebration was for her birthday.  But we all wanted to celebrate her anyway.  

Delicious potato (and yam) bar.  I brought guacamole.

White elephant presents on the table.  I got a crystal angel ornament that no one stole, but I like it.

Group photo.

One of these is not like the others lol.  But I'm cool with it.  Love doesn't know color.

cc week 11 and christmas party:

For week 11, the boys had to present on a career.  Isaac chose to present on what his father does, and Lucas chose to interview a builder, since he's considering going into building buildings someday.  He interviewed (over email) our director's husband, who happens to build buildings.  He asked about time length, safety, salary, and whether you can build if you're afraid of heights.  Isaac talked about process engineering and making computer chips.

Then Friday night we had our Christmas Party.  They did an amazing job with it, and it was a wonderful time.  I signed up to bring fruit, share about our family's CC journey so far, and the boys were to recite verses about the birth of Christ.  They only had a little over a week to do it, and they didn't miss a word.  Lucas recited Isaiah 9:6-7 and Isaac did Luke 2:11-14.  Memorization doesn't come easily to Lucas with his learning challenges, and Isaac can't read yet, so he has to learn by just hearing it repeatedly.  But they worked hard at it.  Other children recited other verses, played music, sang songs, did a dance.  One family's children did their performance in both Mandarin and English.

Speaking of Chinese, we didn't have the food you normally see at a Christmas party.  Two of the main dishes were distinctly Asian, a Malaysian lak-sa and seafood patties.  I loved it, but neither of the boys eat shellfish.  There was also a delicious roast, so Lucas had that.  The chicken didn't come till later.  Isaac only ate noodles in broth and mashed potatoes and fruit.  At about this age was when Lucas started eating a lot of meat, so I was hoping Isaac would be similar, but he still won't touch it.

Such joy on Isaac's face as he plays and learns.  Always on a high or a low, and little in between.  

Christmas elves with Santa hats.  There should be a banana slice as well, but I didn't want to deal with the browning.

How to make fruit salad Christmas-y and still kid-friendly?  Use red and green fruits.  I left out pomegranates and cranberries for the kids, even though those are more in season than the berries.  This one had strawberries, raspberries, honeydew, green grapes, and kiwi, mostly organic.

Seafood patties, seafood lak-sa, and roasted chicken (and beef, not pictured).

My plate.  I could eat lak-sa all the time.  It goes over cellophane noodles, but I gave mine to Isaac.

Dessert!

Ooh, stockings with candy!

C and Lucas playing a little.

Isaac actually got the Snoopy light spinner and traded with someone else who wanted it.  I was hoping he'd keep the Snoopy one, of course, but he said he didn't mind and he wanted to be nice to the other boy.  Can't argue with that.  :)  

I don't want to edit the group photos for privacy, since there were so many people, so here is a cropped photo of my happy boys.

Isaiah 9:6-7:  For unto us a Child is born,
    to us a Son is given,
    and the government will be on His shoulders.
And He will be called
    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the greatness of his government and peace
    there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
    and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
    with justice and righteousness
    from that time on and forever.

The zeal of the LORD Almighty
    will accomplish this.

Luke 2:11-14

Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
     “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
    and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

bethlehem:

Last week, my friend and I were going to take our boys to the annual Bethlehem reenactment, but she was really sick and thought she wouldn't make it, and then Manny had some last-minute things come up, so we didn't see each other.  I ended up only being able to make the very last show on the final night.  The older two have been there a few times.  Isaac went as a baby, but of course doesn't remember.  He had a pretty good time, I would say despite the crowds, but he is the only one of us who actually likes crowds.  He was getting bumped left and right and didn't mind at all.  He was in his element.  Even when we left, he asked me if I took him there because I knew he was lonely.  

We started off with hot chocolate, and we ended with hot chocolate.  There were no lines, and it was free.  They even had cooler ones set aside for the littlest ones, which is what Isaac had.  The only part we missed was the people spinning the fire around, but they walked by during the final manger segment, so Isaac did get to see them.  He was a little scared for them, but I assured him they were specialists trained in it, but he was right, definitely don't want to fool around with fire.

Isaac made some shekels (coins), but returned them, not knowing he could keep them as souvenirs.  He did make a little bracelet.  He also had some unleavened bread there and loved it.  I think it was soft pita or naan bread, which he won't eat at home, but he ate it there.  He stirred the hot pot of dye.  Otherwise, we were just there for the show.  It's funny that when the three wise men showed up at the manger, there was suddenly so much talking.  I think in the age of information, we are now aware that the wise men didn't show up at the manger, and that the journey would have taken at least 40 days, and they may have arrived then or several months later.  We actually don't know that there were three of them, either, but it was assumed so based on there being three gifts named.  But it makes for a cool nativity scene, I guess.  I think they probably could just change it to show the wise men passing by on their camels at the end.  

We were at the pet store to get a couple things for the birds.  Lucas really liked the yellow neon fish.

We saw the shepherds receive the news of the birth and leave their flocks.

Food of the time.

Isaac stirring the pot they used to make royal dye out of mollusks.

Mary and Joseph enter the town.

No room for them anywhere.  The Roman soldier was just there to keep us back, although they made a special box a little bit in front of the line for only Isaac to stand.

Away in a manger.  Remember that Jesus came to earth humbly, born in an animal stable.

Isaac watching (but he got a little bored toward the end).

Stringing a bracelet for himself.

Checking out the honeycombs, nuts, and other food.

Somebody likes hot chocolate!

full sunday:

Last Sunday was pretty full for us at church and afterward.  Naomi had a pajama/dessert potluck/white elephant party.  Isaac and Lucas were rehearsing for a film and a performance for Christmas.  Isaac's group rehearsed in front of the people at the church meeting, and we all clapped.  He just loved that and thought he just did a real show.  "That was my first show!"  And he just loved it.  I am definitely thinking he will be involved in some kind of performances like his sister.  Manny had a lot going on after church as well.  Yet Christmas this year doesn't feel "too" full as it has in previous years.  I just can't do it all, and it's okay.  One thing I'm a little disappointed about is that the kids are not as into advent and charity as they seemed to be in years past, or at least that's no longer part of the initial list of things they see as Christmas tradition.  But I remind myself that compassion, outreach, anticipation, hope is a year-round thing, and I will continue to encourage them in thinking about charity and service.  How different my childhood would have been without people reaching out and meeting our needs.  My kids will participate and give or serve if I put it in front of them, but it's not something they think of on their own.  I think perhaps with more experiences and exposure, they will see how they can be used to meet someone else's need, even if it looks different than how their mom might imagine.

The younger girls at the Youth Christmas Party.

Lucas and Isaac dressed for the film and performance.

Isaac the shepherd boy.

Do You Hear What I Hear?