REN IS SEVEN !!

 The birthday girl!  Holding two carrot 'flowers', and missing her two front teeth. (Well, not totally, as her new adult tooth is making progress...)  We celebrated at the Good View - which boasts waterfront seating and a house band that plays everything - including a special Happy Birthday for Nong Ren.

Here is Ren, back home at the end of the evening, with her awesome balloons care of Mui and Buu.

Eamonn even managed to enjoy himself - driving vespas and diahatsus with his pal Arun.

MAKHAMPOM

 

While mom and Mui conducted interviews in the big, open space of the gallery, surrounded by water,

 

 Eam (and Ren, apparently camera-shy the day I took pics) enjoyed themselves by swinging on swings, reading on hammocks, playing invented instruments, and hanging with all the sculptural animals that reside at the Makhampom Art Space.

 Located across the Ping River from the main drag of Chiang Dao, the space was pretty amazing.  And they made pretty good ice cream.

COUNTRY LIVIN'

 

From riding banana leaf horses...

 

To shootin' banana stalk three-shooters...

To eating at the crossroads, a good time was had by all during our weeks in Chiang Dao.

(VERY) REMOTE OFFICE

New corner (of the veranda) office here in Chiang Dao for April, while Fee conducts her 'rural' research.  There was a point in the initial days where we had internet but no water - a very 21st century hierarchy of infrastructure.

EAM'S HELLO SONG

Love this little performer.  One from his school repetoire :)

EAM'S NUMBERS

Not to be outdone by Ren's alphabet skills, Eamonn does a little counting, but can't quite escape his big sister's shadow ;)

REN's G-K-K's

...or, her Thai ABC's.

Ren has been a quick study of the Thai alphabet, and shocked her mom and dad with a full recitation last week.  And her penmanship is as lovely as her roman letters.

As we spend the April school holiday in the mountains of Chiang Dao (more on that later), Ren and Eam have plenty of Thai practice with our friends Buu and Mui, who are offering great help with work and kiddos.