Day 12: Failing Tourism 101

Ok, so the formula was a no-go. Molly was up and screaming at all hours of the night. Twice is enough of a pattern for me, so we will forgo formula until we return. In the meantime we will have lots of yogurt.

Due to the sleep deprivation, I skipped the morning half the group's activities. Molly is a morning napper and while she would have slept regardless of where we were, I was the one desperate for a nap. And if I want to nap, I need to nap while she's sleeping. So, she and I had a morning in alone.

In the afternoon we had a short playdate with all three of the girls here--and then we headed off to the water puppet show. The cab ride home was a fiasco--the driver completely tried to rip us off. He tried to charge us $4.50 when we should only have been charged $2.50. It is amazing what amounts to a rip off here. Still, you have to keep in mind that you can buy a full dinner here for about $3.60. It's all relative. It sounds better when you say he tried to charge us 78,000 dong when it should have cost 35,000 dong, but I wanted you see the big picture here.

We have three days left. Tomorrow we have our Visa appointment. Thursday is a free day. On Friday, we have to pack up and prepare to check out. We leave the hotel at 8pm on Friday in preparation for a 12am Saturday flight. We're hoping to keep at least one room open on Friday (check out is at noon) so we have a place for the kids to nap.

Try as I may, my brain is having a hard time engaging in tourism. We, as a group, are trying to make the effort to see as the sights, but its difficult. Until your kids are knit into your soul, its hard to turn your focus out. I haven't yet mastered that mom move where you can change a diaper over one shoulder while simultaneously preparing a bottle with your free hand. I haven't mastered the tone difference between the cries, and I haven't yet figured out at what temperature she is most comfortable. So, for instance, while I was in the puppet theatre, I was primarily focused on whether she was too hot or too cold. He skin was coldish but her head was a ball of sweat. And, when I pulled the blanket down a bit she started to cry. And I was focused on how long I could maintain the position I was sitting in before I would be forced to readjust her (and break the sweat bond--which she hates). And, I was having a hard time seeing because I was forced into a reclining position. All these things, and I missed quite a bit of the show.

Molly has become a little independent soul-- she smiles frequently and loves to crawl around on the floor and explore. She will come to me for hugs, but then wants to turn around and get back on the floor almost immediately. It takes her quite a while to warm up to people with whom she is unfamiliar. Usually, when she starts to warm up, she will begin with a game of "Allo". So far, she is NOT a fan of being held by anyone other than me, but she is willing to sit with people or have her hands held while she tries to walk. She love to bang on things, to make spitting and clucking noises, and just to make noise in general. She likes textures. She loves crackers. You can read her mood almost completely simply by watching her eyebrows.