Da'an Park

Today we went to Da'an park. It is called the lungs of the city. The largest green space in the city. It was also our first metro adventure. The metro system is really good- clean and fast. There is some great public art between our hotel and the metro. So it took us a while to get there.



When we finally made it to the Da'an Park exit Amelia was pretty tired. I picked her up to carry her the three long city blocks to the park. I think she fell asleep before we even hit the exit. It was a good thing that it was the nicest weather since we arrived. I decided to walk to the park and find a place for her to nap in my arms. Then her boot fell off when I didn't notice- so I had to go back and hunt for it. I found it and then a cabbie helped me to stuff it in my bag.



Despite the long walk, the park was really nice. Lots of people were walking, running, spending time with their families and dogs. Then there is this huge play area. Amelia loved it. Slides, bridges, bouncy horses, and she even rode on the teeter-totter with another boy. Then of course she spotted the enormous sand pit with the one boy in it. She bee-lined right for him to "share" his toys. He was very generous, although I think he might have asked her for his toys back. He was patient while she played with it. We had lots of fun and we'll be back! Did I mention this is where I saw an asian pear the size of Amelia's head? We will definitely be back...

Rockstar!

The first two-days were gray and wet. Not just the usual Seattle drizzle, but actual rain. We tried taking some walks but it always started raining just a bit too much. So instead we went back to Taipei 101 yesterday. Again we arrived before the mall was actually open, but we were much closer this time. We were doing the usual up and down the escalator. She is so fascinated by them right now- I feel like it is her first time on them, but that can't be.

Until the mall opens, they keep everyone out of the shop area with ropes and patrol the area asking people to wait until they open. After being let in a side entrance by some friendly staff to shelter us from the rain, we were ushered out of the shopping area by a security guard. There were about 50-100 young adults there wearing matching bright red jackets. A huge departure from the typical Taipei downtown black wardrobe. A nice young girl started waving at Amelia and the next thing we know, she is being whisked into the arms of a sweet young man that asked if could have his picture taken with her. I said Sure. The other girls primped her- fixing her hair and hat. Amelia *loved* it. She was passed around from one to the other while the crowd entertained her to keep her laughing and smiling.

She was treated like a rockstar. The blue eyes, blond hair, and sweet smile make her the perfect star here. The leopard hat that she wears religiously doesn't hurt. It really is part of her image at this point.


Today we went to a playgroup at the Youth Activity Center. It was really fun. Amelia loved the little room filled with balloons that are blown around by some fans. The other moms (and dad) were all very sweet and I am sure that I will meet up with them again next week. There were a couple of kids close to her age that she liked to play with and one other boy that was just as opinionated as Ameila and they had a little conflict as to who was the boss even though the other boy was at least 3 years old. She is so bold.

We made it Taipei!

We made it to Taiwan. The flights went remarkably well. Amelia is an excellent traveler. We got some great advice from friends on how to make the trip a success. I think the two greatest hits were new flash cards with nice images and a photo book that we printed up with pictures from the last year containing friends, family, vacations, and lots of good times. Besides that the usual was running up and down the aisles and reading stories. We tried watching Aladdin, but Amelia's attention span was about 30 seconds since she has not watched any TV.


At the Taipei airport there are these lovely whimsical sculptures to greet you. Amelia was very excited to see some of her favorite friends. Here she is showing off with the mouse that is carrying his fruity luggage.

We arrived at the hotel just before midnight, got four solid hours of sleep, and managed to keep everyone in bed until 6 am. We were all awake, but we hope it sets the idea of a later waking time. Luckily the breakfast opens at 6:30 am and we were in the first wave. The spread was incredible and Amelia loves having rice for breakfast.


Taipei has lots of fountains, escalators, scooters, and buses. So I think we have plenty of entertainment for the next month! Taipei 101 is right next to our hotel and we wandered over in the morning. We spent two and half hours inside before the mall opened. The fact that we were in one of the tallest buildings in the world was lost on Amelia. We could have been anywhere. She made lots of friends- charming adults and playing with other children. And all before lunch. A great start for our visit.

Christmas 2010

We had a wonderful and quiet Christmas this year. Amelia figured out how to open gifts on her own. A few days before Christmas I received a package in the mail and asked her to help me open it. We sat down in the living room, ripped open the box, and emptied the contents. Amelia turned to the tree picked up the first package and started to open it. I had to explain to her that we had to WAIT until Christmas. Poor girl. Before that she mainly rearranged the bows on the boxes, but now she was ready. It made Christmas a little easier. She was excited to get into it. But once she did, she just played with her new toy! It took us three days to open gifts and there weren't THAT many! But the ones she got were great. A very happy little girl and parents too.






Thanks to those that sent gifts and cards. We have been way behind this year. In part due to Luc's trip to Vietnam in the beginning of December but also because of our upcoming trip. We are going to Taiwan for a month. We leave next weekend! Yeah! and Yikes- is it so soon? We normally like to have a New Year's Brunch at our house, but didn't get around to it this year. Or Christmas cards.

The Holiday Dress

Grandma Carolyn sends a holiday dress for Amelia every year. We went to several holiday parties and Amelia was decked out in her finery for most of them. The exception being those that we walked to in the neighborhood since it has been such a cold winter. Here are some pictures.





Thanks Grandma! The dress fit perfectly and she loved it. It was a big hit. Happy Holidays!

Gifts from Vietnam

The first week or so of December Luc as in Vietnam. He brought back some little gifts for Amelia. He found these super cute little pink shoes that squeak when you walk, stomp, or run. All of which Amelia used to make a concert with her feet. She loved these shoes so much that she could not stop moving when she first put them on. Here are some action shots of her. There is a great video clip to follow, but I took it in the wrong orientation and we have to flip it.


Luc also found this cute little plush jacket. It is a little big and should work well for the next couple of years.



You may have noticed that Amelia seems to have hats and shoes on quite often in these pictures. She really loves both. She loves hats so much that she tries just about anything- including kitchen gadgets! But I think she really makes it work.

Twigs make great towers!

Amelia has been working on her tower building skills. She is quite good at it now. She is so busy and can be tough to catch on film. But here is a couple of stills and a video.