Monday, January 07, 2008

Take a Little Trip

We all piled into the car Sunday morning and headed for Nantou County. Maggie and I have made several trips out beyond Puli since around the time we started dating, but the last one was at least 3 years ago. Gretchen is now old enough to ride in the car for an extended period, and Franklin, with his new car seat configuration is an old hand. We've taken off his restraining harness and he now sits in his chair with the car seat belt holding him in just like the folks in the front seat. He's really been enjoying the distinction of being the only one in the back seat with just one shoulder strap.

Frank loves tunnels and somehow seems to know where the tunnels are before we get to them. Several times yesterday, he said, "There's the tunnel" and as soon as we'd set "Not quite yet, buddy, up popped a tunnel for us to go through. Maggie is chalking it up to a Sixth Sense. I think he's got a GPS tucked away in his car seat. Sneaky little tyke.

There used to be a beautiful butterfly garden miles past Puli. Just another Roadside Attraction. I remember there were magnificent mosaics in a store there all made of butterfly wings that--one hopes--had fallen off.

The butterflies were gone, so we sat down for a quick lunch of fresh fish & veggies. As soon as we ordered, the waitress walked out to a pond by the parking lot, dipped in a net, and came back with our lunch. The fish was Fresh.

We backtracked towards the TaiYi Ecological Educational Farm to checkout the flowers and birds. Franklin and Gretchen had an absolute ball.Monday morning he woke up talking about the giant robot.Not sure what the t-shirt of the farm's mascot was supposed to say, but there you are.There were punk rock chickens to feed, and bee hives to avoid.

As if this wasn't enough excitement for one day, we took him home and his mother gave him a haircut for the very first time. "No problem," she says. "My mom used to give me haircuts when I was little, " she says. I asked her if she was sure she remembered how her mom cut her hair 33 years ago. Frank was a little fidgety--as I would be--and had a couple chunks taken out.

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