The world is dealing with the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. Social isolation is becoming the new reality for many, all around the globe. Seattle, our hometown, is the epicenter of it in the US. We’ve been in Gold Coast and Brisbane, Australia for the past week. Social activities have not yet been restricted here. Petra even … More Leaving Australia, heading to Auckland, New Zealand
3/3/19 – 3/3/20 Today is exactly 1 year (+1 extra day for leap year) since we started this Refresh Journey. This morning, we were moving from Coffs Harbour to Gold Coast, Australia and I enticed everyone to recreate the first photo we took when we were ready to leave Seattle. Here are a few facts … More 1 Year Anniversary of the Refresh Journey
For the past few days/weeks/eternity, all three of our kids have been fighting constantly, relentlessly, and for every possible, trivial reason. They have countless excuses for their bad behaviors, always placing blame on the other, or, often enough, on our (bad) parenting of the guilty/grieving party. This dynamic is depressing and exhausting. I miss my … More Kids Going a Bit Crazy
Packing frenzy – leaving Sydney, heading slowly up north to Brisbane.(some are packing and some are slacking).
Latest quick updates:– I am 3 posts behind (Hoi An and Hanoi, Vietnam and El Nido, Palawan, Philippines). I don’t feel like writing, Sydney is way too much fun and I can’t seem to switch back to writing mode for now. – The boys are completely off the electronics and that means they are dependent … More Quick Update
I usually complain about doing schoolwork with Maki but in all honesty, he is doing much better than I make it sound. He has finished tons of math, I didn’t even realize how much material we’ve gone through. It will be interesting to see how (or what) he does when he gets back to the … More Homeschooling – Learning Cursive
After 3.5 months in SE Asia, we are on the move again, leaving Philippines today and heading to Sydney, Australia. We were suppose to go to Hong Kong for a week first but our flights got canceled due to the corona virus, so we are now heading to Australia earlier than originally planned. It was … More Leaving Philippines, heading to Sydney, Australia
This kid had a “poop attack” this morning. As we were getting ready to leave the island of Palawan, he came out of the shower this morning, complaining of terrible stomach pain. Then he laid down a bit and the pain just got worse, he couldn’t straighten up much. I got worried that we were … More Poop Attack
Here is a small collection of the other side of the Philippines’ “Instagram Paradise” coin: heartbreaking poverty starving and disfigured dogs low-quality food stores booming second-hand clothing market emerging transportation infrastructure development
January 25 – February 9, 2020 Our 2.5 weeks in the Philippines back in February now seem like it happened a lifetime ago. A lot has changed in the world since then. The Philippine government now has strict orders for a nationwide lockdown of this developing country made up of over 7,500 islands with a … More Puerto Princesa and El Nido, Philippines
Refresh Journey 