alone / not alone

It's been an odd couple of weeks. First, Phet went to Toronto to see his grandmother and took Ji Hong and Seung Yi with him. I've a) never been alone here in Delhi and b) never been away from Seung Yi longer than three nights before and I guess also c) just haven't spent that much time on my own, really, since Ji was born. I've said it before and I'll say it again: I don't think I'd be that effective at living on my own. There's this, um, bad habit that I get sucked into when no one is around. Actually, there are two, but the second one is that I like to go through old stuff and putter around with it, and there isn't much old stuff around here for me to putter with, so I am forced to stick with the first bad habit which is one I have practiced since I was in grade three and that is I Read Too Much. I actually gave myself a headache one day because I read four books in a row. Like, four really big and long books. I had to keep dragging myself up off the couch / bed / easy chair / patio chair / floor / mat and get stuff to eat and drink. It killed me but it sure was, hm not quite "fun", but it was exactly what I wanted to do.

Also in Phet's and the kids' absence I watched a few movies, finally back-filed a huge number of posts that I had stuffed into a random folder back when we bought the Mac last year, put together a photo album, had drinks with my colleagues, ate mostly cereal and not much else, and I cleaned like a freak. Not normal cleaning (because yes, Irene does that) but detailed cleaning, sorting, and tidying that is near-impossible to do with a one year old around. It was pleasantly satisfying. But really? I'm damn happy that I've got a family!

Phet got back into town early last Saturday morning. He was supposed to have arrive at midnight on Friday, but there was a horrible delay in Amsterdam and they were eight hours late getting in. Yeccchhh. He conked off to sleep after smothering me with presents (hurray! candy! magazines! books!) and somehow Ji Hong and Seung Yi survived, awake, until the afternoon. Ji went to his morning swimming lesson at school, and we even went back there for a birthday party later on. Insanity! We finally dragged Phet out of bed at dinner time and then he had to put on his tux and go to the annual school gala with me. I wore my blue dress from Emma and Adam's wedding and had massive compliments from everyone as a result. A very fine time was had by all - huuuuge reception at a veddy fancy hotel, enthusiastic dancing, tasty food, and oh yes, of course, an open bar. Phet and I talked for about an hour to each other and then socialized a little. We got home late, sent Iaimon home, and then Phet had to catch a flight to Australia at 6 am. Double yeccchhh.

This week has been lovely. Nothing like 10 days alone to make you appreciate your babies. Seung Yi is still skinny and pale after her trip to Canada. She started barfing when she got there and kept puking off and on for most of the visit. Strangely, though, she hasn't actually been sick sick. No fever, no unhappiness (or at least not much), no apparent pain in her belly. It's weird. Back here in Delhi she's had most night fine but then last night and two nights before she barfed up her dinner after she had her pre-bedtime bottle. Not sure whether it was the jetlag...the warm milk...too much milk...who knows. For now I'm trying to keep her off that particular bottle and then just give her a little bit in the night. Painfully, she's been adjusting to the time change by sleeping most of the night, but by also waking up every hour on the hour (I am not kidding. Every. Hour.) to get some milk. I think she's also not sleeping so well because she hasn't been eating much in the evening. So, well, mostly okay but not quite 100%.

In exciting non-vomitous news, Seung Yi and Laree started going to a little montessori school yesterday. They'll be at Ardee school in Golf Links every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9:15 to 10:30. Iaimon stayed with them and said they had lots of fun. The teacher apparently showed them how to take care of books and toys and they also got to have a yummy snack and sing songs. I'm psyched because we are on spring vacation as of the moment I had my after-school martini today and I'll be able to go with the girls to school tomorrow and all next week. I love working full time, but there are definitely some times when I wish I was a little more like two thirds time or that I was a student like I was when Ji started daycare. I don't feel guilt about Seung Yi - I know she's really happy at home with Iaimon and Phet comes home at lunch and we play like crazy all through the evening - nope, I feel badly because I wish I got to enjoy every single fun moment with her. Buuuut on the other hand, work is a lot of fun.

Speaking of work, school has been busy but really good. We had parent teacher conferences last week. I didn't have any particular worries about my students, and it's nearing the end of the year, so it was just nice to meet some parents and get to see their kids from their perspective. Always illuminating. The yearbook was in overdrive this week which kept me glued to my mouse. We've now officially given 3/4 to the printer and the last 1/4 is due in a couple of weeks, and then we just sit back and rest of our lilypads. Well, no, actually we don't because I am also working on the video yearbook... I'm also helping out with our upcoming school play, and organized a big project for our service learning partners, and was coaching my ESL class for their 3 performances at our school's poetry slam that went off beautifully today. So, busy but good.

Ji Hong is fine. Getting so tall and gangly, and his big giant beaver tooth is just dying to push its way out. We can tell because although it is nowhere near the surface, it has pushed his little front baby tooth to the side and now Ji has a 4 mm gap between his teeth! Yikes. Ji has been doing lots of art at school these days and today spent 30 minutes sanding wood before bed. We would've watched more movies while Phet was away but my DVD player on the Mac has stopped functioning. Again.

Right now it's 9 pm and that means I have to go to sleep because Princess will be up soon demanding botties. Oooh, last piece of exciting news: we had a wild windstorm last night! I'm talking smashings and crashings, blusterings, wailings, poundings, and thuds. A whole bunch of Mr. Singh's potted flowers came flying off his terrace and landed just outside our bedroom window. Of course my kids slept through it and I was lying in bed (in between one of Seung Yi's wakeful times) enjoying the cold air and whipping curtains but still thinking, oh please, if I could just go to sleeeeeeep...

[Delhi-3-April-2008]