Helping with the Birthday Candles

Here is Dek helping out Jake and Gemma blow ou ttheir 9th birthday candles. He has recently become obsessed with birthday cake and candles. Dek sings happy birthday to you in hopes that it means he'll get to have some cake.

Egg Hunting

 

 

Dek and Cousin Mercy went Egg Hunting this year before Easter in Bac Cun's Lake Barcroft neighborhood. They were in the beginning age 1-3 range and didn't have to beat out too many of the big kids for eggs. They did a nice job by picking up a good number of pastel colored treats. We did the Easter Egg hunt again in the backyard with just gold fish instead of candy in the eggs, and both enjoyed cracking them open for the treats.

Studio Dek

Mike has been loading Dek up with EDM ('electronic dance music') - so much so that he's repeatedly asked for ROBOT music (e.g. Daft Punk).  Dek enjoys singing along, even when there are no words or when he doesn't know the words.
 

Dinh Cousins!

Here is the whole gang! Dek (2), Mercy (almost 2), Mai-Ly (3 months), Elliot (3)

Ao Gam & Dek

Though there are more Asia trip photos, we're months after the trip, so I figured I would move on to other things happening in Dek's world. Here he is at Lunar New Year, or Tet, wearing his traditional Viet get-up, the Ao Gam. He looks a bit worried here...

Hey! I like Boats!

 

 

The first day we got there we had already spent time by land, sea and water getting to Palawan.  We stayed low-key by just paddle boating around our bungalow. We weren't brave enough to try sea kayaking yet, but that will come.

I guess this room will do...

 

 

Derek found the room adequate for his tastes. 

Welcome to Paradise

 

 

 

We finally made it from our boat to our secluded accommodations, Lagen Island at El Nido.