Peter and Ava . com

Christina gets really excited when she gets put in her chair and the little toys are hung up above her. Ava tried to get her reactions, but being camera shy she became quite normal as soon as the camera came out.

2006 11 03 - Christina playing on her chair.flv

Ava’s mom manages to get a great reaction out of Christina most of the time. She was calling Christina from across the room and Christina gave off bubbly gurgles and little sounds.

2006 10 28 - Grandma making Christina laugh.flv

Well they went off to Tainan for the week and she took these little videos of Christina messing around on the floor and her little mat.

2006 10 19 - Christina trying to drink her water.flv

2006 10 19 - Christina messing around on her bear playmat.flv

We decided that we would try to give Christina something a little more solid to eat. We mashed up some rice and gave it to her.

2006 10 13 - Christina eating some rice 1.flv

2006 10 13 - Christina eating some rice 2.flv

2006 10 07 - Peter and Christina playing at the clothes market.flv

2006 10 05 - Christina in bed cooing at her mobile.flv

2006 10 05 - Christina playing with her towel in bed.flv

2006 10 05 - The mobile.flv

2006 09 30 - Peter and Christina strolling around the parking lot.flv

2006 09 30 - Christina being pushed around in her pram in Beigang.flv

2006 09 30 - Zak on the phone.flv

Zak got a little bored and talked with his girlfriend on the phone for over an hour.

2006 09 27 - Christina crying in her swing.flv

We found out that Christina should now be able to roll over onto her back from being on her tummy. We tried it out and were amazed at how she immediately raised her head and legs and started to try and roll over. There are some pics in the gallery and the short movie is either there already or will be put there soonish.

In other news, we have put to rest all that happened after Ava’s surgery. After calls to the hospital and various attempts at trying to get decent answers we managed a formal meeting with the doctor and he answered all of our questions. Not all the way we were hoping, but they were honestly the best we were going to get.

We have started some checks just to make sure that everything is really okay with Ava. These will take a little while and include a brain scan and a check of her lungs. We are still hoping for a final answer to the whole thing. But a taxi driver told Ava it’s not about the right timing, but about when Ava is healthy enough again, which sounds just right.

The countdown to our trip to South Africa is underway, we are so looking forward to seeing the family, which will include a sister-in-law, a nephew and from our side a granddaughter/niece.

Things plod along as usual, but with a few extra things to cloud my mind.

I have started looking into other areas for work opportunities. Not specifically a change from teaching, but possibly. This is just one of those getting older things, which is also helped by the two ladies at home, the older of which likes to keep me on my toes. What is comes down to are the following options, which could change, but here they are for now.

I can keep teaching, but to keep myself as an asset in an industry that’s not too great I’ll need to invest in some courses to make myself an asset and assist in finding another job. Going along with this I was thinking about how to get my HDE, which could help to land a primary or secondary school teaching position. The other option is an editor. These jobs are well fought for as they are one of the few options for non-Chinese speakers in Taiwan. There is not too much preparation for this besides perhaps a little reading up.The final option is a programming job, although I was dead set against this earlier in my life and especially after University, after doing a lot of website stuff involving php and mysql I have a renewed interest. I do wonder if that interest will be the same in a work position as opposed to doing it for fun.

So the plan of attack is…

For most of the above I need to improve my Chinese, especially for a programming position. So I need to tackle that. I have been looking online at English courses that are applicable now. Finally I have whipped out my book of php and mysql to brush up on something I am quite rusty at.

Ava is back at University now, two days a week, which is quite a nice load with the extra work of taking care of the baby. We are so grateful to our friends Alan and Angela who live in our neighborhood. Angela helps take care of Christina on Tuesday evenings when Ava goes to school and I only come home later in the evening.

I get the honor of taking care of Christina on Sunday mornings.

There are probably a whole lot of things that I have forgotten, but that’s it for now.

2006 09 21 - Christina on peters lap.flv

2006 09 21 - Christina on peters lap drooling.flv