Sweet

Horseback riding...finally!

Ike had a couple days off from school last week so he got to go with A Ba horseback riding for the first time in a long time! He was so happy!!! Thanks, A Ba!

Joey turns 2!

We had a very low key birthday for Joey! We spent it with the neighbor kids who came over to play and ended up enjoying Joey's birthday meal with us (I love 2 year olds...he got his favorite food....mac-n-cheese and hot dogs). He loved it!!! I couldn't pry him away from all the new cars he got....not even to ride his new trike! Thanks to all of you who sent birthday greetings and gifts!!

Joey started the day with his "meal" out....doughnuts after church from Mr. Donut. Yummy, plus he got to have them at the park...even better!
Oooo...hasketball (basketball)....all balls are basketballs to Joe-Joe
Spiderman shirt and slippers (which he is wearing to bed even though it is 80 degrees outside and not much cooler inside)
Showing off his new backpack...a must to transport all those new cars he got!

Yummy frosting!!

Dirt

"What, Mom? Playing with dirt is fun!"

First trip to the Dentist

These cool kids just had their first trip to the dentist. Ike was so good and just followed the dentist to the back room, had his check-up and floride and was done. Elle cried before she saw the dentist but was tearless during her check. Sadly, she has her first cavity and will go back in a few months to have it filled (they want her to be 3 1/2 yrs so that maybe she won't cry...hahaha).

More of Ike's Birthday

Here are a few more pictures from Ike's birthday.

Blowin' out the candles with a little unwanted help from Noelle
Check out the Batman slippers! They are supposed to be for next fall/winter, but he wears them all over the house now and it is over 90F outside and usually 85F + inside!
Check out the nerf gun
More super heros!

Thank you to everyone who sent him gifts and cards! You made his birthday extra special!

Happy Birthday Ike!

Sunday we celebrated Ike's 5th birthday! It's hard to believe we have a 5 year old! Most of the pics are on Andy's camera, so Grandmas and Grandpas, you'll have to wait until tomorrow for some more pics. Here are a couple from his fun day.

Ike enjoying his birthday lunch out at one of his favorites, McDonalds. Don't we just love to splurge on birthdays?!?!? His other favorite is the "kangaroo resteraunt"...Outback....that wasn't going to happen yesterday.
Ike wanted a Diego cake and this was the best I could do. As my Facebook friends know, I call it my Adam Lambert (looks like Diego has eyeliner) meets Wolverine (check out the fingers) meets Diego cake.

Happy Birthday Isaak! We love you!

Hmmm....

One innocent LOOKING boy!

One Clifford board book (belonging to innocent boy's brother) looks like this after being in innocent boy's bed.

I thought the point of getting board books was so that kids wouldn't destroy them!?!?!

A Day at the Zoo

Ok, it was more like a couple of hours at the zoo! Saturday we went to the Hsinchu Zoo, a nice and cheap way to spend an afternoon. This zoo costs only $0.30/person, and kids 5 and under are FREE!!! Much of the zoo is shaded, too, which was a plus yesterday because it was over 90F! Also, it is right next to the Hsinchu flower market which has beautiful flowers and much more....food (fair type), cheap clothes, cheap shoes, rides for the kids..... LOVE IT!

Ike planning our trip around the zoo

"We don't climb over the poles. You'll fall in and they'll eat you"-Ike to Elle

Aren't these the cutest little bears?

This guy was the biggest hit of all. He kept slamming into the plexiglass (or whatever they put around his cage) and scaring people (including me). The kids watched him for a LONG TIME!

"Hey Uncle Kyle, here's a deer for you"

Afterwards the kids got their very first taste of cotton candy. Elle and Joe loved it, but Ike thought it looked a little too weird to eat!

A New Bike and a Kick Stand

This was a big bike week in the Larsen house. Elle is now the proud owner of a new bike thanks to gifts from Grandma and Grandpa L and Grandma and Grandpa K for Christmas and her birthday. Ike is now the proud "owner" of a kick-stand. He's been on me since his training wheels came off to get one and we finally found one. You'd think he had a brand new bike the way he is showing it off to everyone!

Just Joey

Joey is almost 2 years old! We've been trying to take some 2 yr pics of him. Here are some of the shots Andy has taken so far.

Showing off his overbite (we all seem to have one in this family)!
With his pal Clifford (who is actually Ike's stuffed animal)
Acting like Clifford?
So sweet!

Doughnuts

This week I was inspired by "Cooking with Candis" and decided to try making doughnut holes. After being in America for 5 months, and enjoying doughnuts on a more regular basis, the kids have been missing them since our return to Taiwan. We do have doughnuts here, so no need to feel sorry for us, but they are in the next town over and we don't get to the shops much. The ones you find in the normal grocery stores look really yummy, but don't taste all that good. Ok, enough babbling!

Noelle was my "helper" (she even got on her little apron). She was in charge of mixing up the dough!
Deep frying....oh so healthy!
So, here is how they turned out. I know...not so perfect looking as the stores, but what do you expect from my first try at this. Actually, the darker ones weren't done completely. They were doughy in the middle...yuck! Next time I'll remember to keep the flame lower so they cook completely without burning on the outside. Half of the batch ended up in the garbage this time. Oh well!
Joe was one of our taste testers
"Umm...Mom, it's good!" Those were his exact words (he uses them with any food he likes)!
Elle liked them, too!

Mangos have Arrived!

It's mango time! These mangos were gone in 5 min tops! The kids are crazy about mangos!