Bangkok Week 728

June 9, 2022

We head down to Trad for an extended long-weekend. It’s Lucy’s first visit, and Arlo’s first since the Christmas holidays. Fun times for everyone, despite the almost-constant rain.

Arlo's eager to hit the road for Trad... so he does his part to wake up his sleeping sister.

Piling onto Yaa's lap, before we all hit the road.

How many grandchildren can she hold?

Lucy doesn't know what's in store! She's just enjoying this comfortable chair.

Arlo's excited to hit the road! Lucy's wondering what's going on?

Arlo the pro. (It's his first time sitting in the window seat; so much to see!)

Finally asleep :)

We're here! Tong, it's been so long since I've last seen you!

Lucy's content: she's got her chair.

Getting the official orientation from Dad.

Entertainment across the street.

A real life tractor with a front loader attachment!

Now it's Dad's turn to entertain all the children.

Have you met Arlo's new cement mixer yet?

It will feature in every photo with Arlo henceforth.

Aha! This is what dump trucks are for!

Load it up with rambutan, and then dump-dump-dump-dump-it!

Evening bath for Lucy. No privacy here!

Who wore it better?

And Arlo's figured out how to pedal his tricycle now too.

It didn't take long for him to find the kitchen scale.

How much do these rambutan weigh? And what is weight, anyway?

Books and brekkie with Dad (and the cement mixer).

The new TV has Youtube! The better to watch the monster truck video with!

Saying hello to Aa Top.

Lots of smiles for him.

And practicing tummy time. We must exercise the neck, no matter the place.

Hey, this toy looks familiar. They have one in Trad, too?

Freshly boiled corn. Yum!

Hello, Satang. What are you up to this morning?

Helping Puu with his old mobile phone. Help he didn't realize he needed.

Feeding a mangosteen to Tong.

And reading Goldilocks with Yaa... and Tong.

The vehicles are all lined up nicely for the night. And Arlo's chuffed.

Another evening, another public bath for Lucy.

The hot new form of entertainment: a radio!

Wefie with Arlo's cement mixer.

A little bit of everything going on in this photo.

Dressed for success: we're going into town, so Lucy had better wear pants! (Also, to protect against the mosquitoes.)

Mum and her babies.

Trying his hand at the wheel. They start 'em young here!

And learning how to honk the horn.

Finally, the rain stopped! We can play with the pebbles. This is what Arlo came for.

Back in the car. Oh no! Another long drive?

Nope, not this time. Fortunately, we're just going to pay respects to the city pillar.

This time, Arlo's old enough to learn the ropes from Dad.

Doing his Wai.

Group shot:

This big gong is a new addition. Cover your ears!

And stopping to admire the lotuses on the way out.

Next stop: commercialism!

Oh my. Even more TVs! These past few weeks have been TV overload for Arlo!

Arlo's first ice cream cone: a story in four chapters.

And it dripped all the way back to the house.

Back at home: time to dig up the gravel again.

Involving everyone in his excavation endeavours.

Parking the trucks nicely for lunch.

Helping Puu with his phone again.

Nap time for Lucy.

Trying something different: what happens if we face forward?

Oh my! Who's that new face!? (She then cried.)

Someone's very close to outgrowing his travel bed. Uh oh!

It may be rainy, but the plants are lush and green!

Chillaxing with Dad.

And watching big brother Arlo enjoy the pebbles.

There are so many plants and flowers to look at here.

Look at this big orange one!

Dad and all his babies.

And look at Lucy, practicing her dance moves with Mum.

Evening dose of truck tunes... everyone, gather 'round!

Oh no, is it Sunday morning already?

Never one to waste an opportunity, Arlo enlists Yaa to read him a book over breakfast.

Breakfast time for everyone... but wait. Is someone missing?

Let's call Arlo, to do his favorite job: waking up Miss Lucy!

Wefie with Aa Top.

And the result.

Group photo, before hitting the road.

This time with Mum, too.

Lucy's finally comfortable with Aa Top.

Smiles!

Aa Top, and all his nieces/nephews. How thrilled they are!

Yaa getting her final Lucy hugs in.

Next time, Lucy might be too heavy to carry!

Bye bye, Puu and Yaa! Until next time!

Ahh... a blissfully quiet ride. For all of 20 minutes.

Safely back in Bangkok, but the fun never stops! We promised Arlo a swim at the new house, so swim we will do.

This time, lucky Dad gets to accompany him into the pool.

Arlo couldn't wait to use his new diving rings.

Hello down there! Pool all to themselves (because it's past 6:30pm on a Sunday night!)

Enjoying the pool, as if we've never let him swim before.

Splash!

P'Noi! Long time no see, says Lucy.

Jumping right back into our exercise regimen.

Strengthening those neck muscles.

Go Lucy, go!

And it's Mum's second time back at the pool for a swim.

This time, headgear-compliant. But that didn't make it any less hard!

Aww. What nice kisses Arlo has for his sister after a long day at school.

Miss Cheeks: always keeping you honest.

Lucky Arlo! Dad got him a new picker... after he had fun playing with Puu's.

Posing with his picker. What a little model.

Bella's looking awfully photogenic, too.

Oh! Arlo's trying on his new t-shirt from Yaa. Official Marvel merchandise!

And Lucy's sporting her new top, too. This one: Disney-licensed.

Oh dear. Tummy hime is harder when it's on flat ground.

The art auction is on at Arlo's school. He's showing us which pieces he helped make.

He made this one with his first class, using ice!

And after discovering a pair at school (and trying to sneak them home in his backpack) sunglasses are the new obsession-du-jour.

Cheese!

Even Bella wants to shake hands with this superstar.

Oh dear, Lucy. This angle really highlights how bald you've become on the sides! Madame Toupee.

After a brief respite, the sunglasses make a come-back at dinner.

How come the jungle looks so dark tonight?

Bonus points if you can figure out what's going on in this picture!

Miss Cheeks, and her big eyes.

The two babies of the house, hanging out together.

Dad has his favorite.

Posing (proudly) with the art piece that he won in the auction. Good thing the new house has lots of wall space!

A blurb about Roses in the Garden.

And evidence that Arlo contributed to it. Primarily by supervising the others.

Learning to hold things?

Big hug for his sister.

Oh wait, maybe he's just using her as a pillow.

Modeling his hip new hat...

... that one of the housekeepers in the neighborhood made for him.

Posing nicely in the sandbox before school.

Enlisting Mum to play with him.

Quality father-daughter time.

Uh oh! Arlo's back from school. Let the chaos begin!

Someone is really getting good with her smiles.

Here's a big one for you!

And time for an evening walk.

Arlo's going by bike...

... and Lucy's enjoying the stroll. See you next week!