Kai had a really great birthday weekend. It began on Saturday when our family checked in to the Horizon Village Resort (about 40 minutes from home) where we would be hosting his party the next day. Siarra and Kai love staying in hotels – especially ones with bathtubs! We had a swim, dinner and a very nice evening.

The next morning Siarra and Kai took Daddy back to the pool while Mommy iced the cake. Then we were off to meet Kai’s guests at the really fun playground in Horizon’s botanical gardens. Corrie and Noa G. were Kai’s birthday buddies, and Siarra had invited Lily to keep her company. Everyone had fun running around and playing in the park. Then we moved over to the labyrinth where we had a Treasure Hunt! The maze was sprinkled with Mentos…you had to find 5 Mentos and then cash them in for a prize. Mommy thought this would take 10 or 15 minutes – it took about 3. Never underestimate the power that the promise of candy and toys can have over young children!

We refueled at the lunch buffet. There was lots to choose from but, true to form, Kai opted for pasta. Big surprise! The chocolate superhero cake was a hit, as were the balloons on a stick. Kai was spoiled by all his friends with very nice gifts. One comment that made us chuckle came when he opened his Ben 10 wallet from Noa G…he said, “My own wallet! Now I can go buy things by myself!” Apparently all you need is a wallet; guess we can retire now.

After lunch we all hit the saltwater pool to relax and cool off. The kids had a good time diving for rings while the adults just floated around. It was a nice way to end the day. Needless to say both Siarra and Kai slept the whole way home

Kai woke up early on Monday, May 30th as he was keen to make sure we were aware it was 6:03 and he was officially 4 now. No rest for the wicked! He enjoyed his day immensely – stopping to tell anyone who would listen that it was his birthday. Khun Khao even came over before school to give him her gift – a Ben 10 outfit. His wardrobe is now complete. Upon returning from school he changed out of his uniform….twice. He was Ben 10 for a while, then Buzz Lightyear again. It is getting hard to keep track of his multiple personas. We capped off the birthday celebrations with dinner at a local restaurant that the kids like. Our friends Kate, Donal, Alanna, DJ, Kim, Jon, Hannah & Khun Khao joined us there too.

So, Kai was well ‘feted’ and we now begin his 5th trip around the sun…it is sure to be a good one!

Siarra, Kai and I had a lovely day together. It began with a breakfast of oatmeal, followed by a hearty dose of Sunday morning cartoons Once they managed to tear themselves away from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse we drove into Chiang Mai to go to church together. Prayers said and the Our Father sung, we then proceeded to the park. Climbing, running and twirling through the playground area was the “warm up” – jelly popsicles were the “cool down.” Siarra and Kai decided that we also needed to feed the pigeons; a decision Kai later regretted. It turns out he is quite afraid of them when they gather by the hundreds at his feet! Sigh. A good “transition moment” – we headed back to the car and returned home where Dad was waiting for us, having just returned from a weekend of kayaking with a group of Grade 9 students. The kids had a playdate scheduled…I had a massage scheduled. And a pedicure. Then dinner out. Being a Mom has a lot of perks!

The last triathlon I participated in was the Shinwa (Japan) triathlon in the spring of 2000! Eleven years…oh boy. I still run and swim quite regularly, but I am not sure you could really call it “training,” so when my friend, Richard, suggested that we compete in a standard distance triathlon I hesitated – but not for long. We also managed to get our school’s Athletic Director, Mike, to join us.

Since the beginning of this term a group of us began training in the pool every Monday night. We also continued with our regular runs (3 or 4 times/week). Cycling is definitely my weak spot, but I did manage to fit in about 3 longer rides before race day. The lead-up to the race was fun and it gave us a goal to aim for. We often joked that we were experimenting to see how little real training we could get by with!

So, this past Friday we drove four hours north to Chiang Saen. Saturday was spent picking up our race kits, attending a pre-race briefing, resting and just hanging out. Saturday evening Sean, Siarra, Kai, Richard, Mike, Mike’s wife Karrie and I shared a nice meal in the hotel restaurant, followed by early bedtime. We had had a 6.8 earthquake here in Thailand on Thursday followed 2 hours later by a 4.8. The epicenter was reported to have been on the Burmese/Myanmar border, very near Chiang Rai. As a result, our sleep was disturbed on both Friday and Saturday nights by after-shock tremors. Nothing serious, but a little scary nonetheless.

Sunday morning was quite overcast – perfect race weather! As you’ll see in the iMovie, we swam in the Mekong river. Yuck! Enough said. Otherwise it was a nice course and Mike, Richard and I were all pleased with our results. Mike even won a bit of prize money for coming in 5th in his age category. I was 6th out of 12…and I can live with that! As I told Kai when he asked me if I’d won, for me winning was crossing the Finish line. And the best moments of the race were each time I came around a corner and saw Sean and the kids cheering me on with great enthusiasm.

It was a great weekend.