Keep the danger away

As of today, we are halfway through our trip, and the beds at the White Swan are not feeling any softer.

(Tip to travelers: Fold the duvet in half and lie on top of it, then cover up with the extra comforter they keep in the bottom drawer of the TV armoire.)

MM has been a little fussier today than anything we've seen so far. I think the novelty of the situation is wearing off for her. She isn't terribly unhappy, just kind of whiny. It also bears mentioning that she is teething and she has a stuffy nose, so the fact that she's only a little fussy is pretty darned good.

Right now she is taking a hard-earned nap, which is what I should also be doing. But I love all you Innernets too much to leave you hanging. Plus, I lost a long and HILarious post from the morning that disappeared into the blogswamp, so I wanted to check in.

Today we have had no paperwork and no touring, so we've been pretty low key. We did a little shopping on the island and had lunch, then MM and I came back to the hotel while HSH and Bee went "exploring the island." Smiley and Zee are picking out clothes to wear to the disco studying Bible passages.

We're all pretty exhausted from the pace we've been keeping. Yesterday, we met our (very smartly dressed) guide Lucia, and spent the morning at an amusement park called Flower Flowing Park or Flowing Flower Park. Either way, it was lush with roses and banyan trees and purple-blossomed bauhinia trees.

Bee and I rode a carousel and another spinning ride that had airplanes at the end of hydraulic spokes. Inside the airplane, each rider had a button to control the up-and-down action of the plane.

Bee, HSH and Zee rode a rollercoaster, and Bee got the day's first bump on the head.

The park was situated on a lake, and we got a nice photo (look at HSH's page) of a warning sign that tells of "DANGER AT THE BANK - KEEP THE DANGER AWAY." It's a goal of mine at all times.

Then we went to a folk art store where I bought two inexpensive freshwater pearl necklaces for future birthdays and Bee picked out a dress that goes all the way down to her ankles, which is her favorite style of dress.

After the folk store, we piled back into the minivan and went to another local restaurant where we had our own room (for our benefit or for the locals' benefit? we're not sure), and Bee got the second bump on the head. With blood!

Not to worry; it wasn't serious. While horsing around with Zee, she clipped the corner of a wooden chair arm and got a superficial scratch. She's all fine, but Lucia was ready to take us to the hospital.

It wasn't necessary, and within a few minutes, Bee was back to herself eating mango pancakes and garlic brocolli and dumplings. We hardly blame Zee at all. Really.

However, if my oldest daughter fails to be a straight-A student, I know where to point the finger.

After lunch, we set out for a department store that was many, many stories high. We got only to the sixth floor, where we bought shoes for Bee and MM. Bee chose a pair of hot pink Mary Janes with a bow of sequins and black-and-silver lame`. It's as though they knew she was coming.

I got MM a little pair of red baby shoes, which she also loves. When she sees them, she will hold her feet up for someone to put them on her.

Tomorrow, there is paperwork to be done in the morning, and then we're going to visit the pearl market. Don't anyone get excited; I probably won't buy anything. For you.

Comments

[ppb]

Ooh! I want those shoes!

[lila & thor]

We are missing you all and can't wait to meet MM! We are so excited to see her that it hurts.

What a celebration we will have this Christmas!