End of May

It has been another stretch with no postings on this blog, so I thought I should put up some new photos and a video:  Clara and Lucy riding rocking horses  Both of them have become avid equestrians and especially love the rocking horse Grandma Dalea gave them.  The horses in the video are a far second best, but do the job.  This is from the playroom near our apartment.

Our condo complex has a number of indoor playrooms for kids of different age groups.  The fire truck is a favorite of Clara and Lucy.  There is a seat on the back that one of them can sit on if there is an adult who will push, but otherwise they push each other.  It is also fairly common for one to try to commandeer the driver's seat from the other, which rarely ends well.

Clara decided to bring a little stool up into the playhouse in the indoor playroom in our complex.  She really enjoyed sitting there and the vantage point it gave her out that little window.

These little scooters are very popular here.  But we do not own one.  Luckily, some other kids are nice enough to let Clara and Lucy take a spin.  I love in the photo above the peek around.

Although most of the photos on this blog are of fairly happy moments, there are those rare occasions, at 2-minute intervals, when the girls are upset about something.  I think this photo of Lucy captured her displeasure at my taking a photo of her rather than taking her out of her crib immediately after coming into her room at the end of her nap.  Such offenses can be punished with great severity.

A few blocks from our apartment there is a little train (as you can see) for kids.  It just rolls around a little courtyard area in the pedestrian shopping area called High Street.  In honor of Mother's Day, I let Stacey take photos of me with the girls on the train.  I also let her hold Maggie during our ride.  The girls did not seem impressed with the ride while they were on the train (as you may tell from their blank expressions) but when it stopped they acted pretty proud to have been on it.  They walked around the train to inspect the exterior.  When we strolled by the train this weekend they both pointed to it with some excitement, so this may be a good outing to repeat.

I should add another photo to this to show the flower water fountain that is shooting water out - and the girls are reaching for it.  This is part of the outdoor play area where we live.

At some point in recent history, the girls both spontaneously decided that riding in the stroller is the cruelest of punishments.  They thrash when we try to put them in.  This is odd since before they loved getting in it.  Anyway, what they find much more acceptable is to ride on the footrest of the stroller rather than in the actual seat, where we can strap them in.  This works fine unless, say, you hit a bump that stops the stroller and sends the girls tumbling.  Not that it has ever happened.  The bottom picture is from the day we took them for a free photo shoot at a nearby photo shop (also the day President Obama was in town just a mile from our place).  We spent about an hour with the two photographer who were 100% unsuccessful in getting the girls to smile.  As we were walking away from the store they climbed into the fun seats in the stroller and began to laugh.  I actually ruined a family photo shoot when I was a kid - my gym teacher was the photographer and he remains my nemesis.  I don't know that the girls had any ill will toward the photographers, but if they are uncertain of a situation they are not likely to give up a smile easily.

Curl management has become an issue as the girls' hair has grown longer.  As you can see from this photo, those curls can really impede one's vision.

Moments later a transformation in which you can see her face.  Although neither of them would tolerate it at first, they are starting to accept the use of hair clips.

Here is Clara sporting an "up-do."

You can see their faces!

Taking a water break at the outdoor playground.

I wasn't around for this, but I guess that one day the girls were resisting putting these bibs on, so Stacey put one set of bibs on their legs, which they loved, and then the second where they belong.  These bibs are actually smocks from Ikea, but they work really well for messy meals.  The girls will still occasionally request to wear these on their legs, which is much more entertaining.

Just to prove we have not completely forgotten:  Maggie is such a good dog, but her adjustment to living in Manila has been a challenge at times.  She is not a big fan of the heat and it has taken a while for her to begin to relax in our new surroundings.  It seems like she is making some progress even though it is not as ideal as her setup in Maryland.  She still has it pretty good.