Today Nick (12) brought his sisters, Charlotte (8) and Rose (6) to the apartment, and after I ate breakfast and drank a cup of tea while they watched cartoons, we headed to Baguio City.  I expected that we’d ride a jeepney, as is customary.  But every jeepney that passed us as we stood beside Tuding Road was full.  Rural residents like to go to the big city for shopping, churchgoing or selling their wares (handicrafts), produce and livestock.  So we couldn’t get a jeepney to stop for us. We boarded one of the several taxis that were going toward the city without passenger.

In Burnham Park I rented tricycles for the girls and a bicycle for Nick.  They always enjoy that.  Unfortunately, Charlotte was zooming fast in the park when she turned too sharply and overturned her tricycle.  I didn’t see her; I only saw the aftermath.  I rushed to Charlotte as she lay, sobbing,on the rough pavement and righted the trike then lifted her to the ‘sidecar’ seat.  I tried to find where she may be injured, but apparently she was just banged and bruised and painful (and perhaps embarrassed).  Eventually she regained her composure and resumed cycling – slower than previously.

After they rode for an hour, we hiked from Burnham Park up to Gobi Mongolian Grille beside Session Road to eat Chicken Mami and drink pineapple juice.  I was pleased that the kids went upstairs to wash their hands after fun in the park and that Nick thought to lead us in praying before dining.  The kids have been learning.

Following lunch, we rode a taxi to Wright Park for the first time so that the kids could ride ponies for an hour through various neighborhoods near Mines View and behind the Presidential Mansion.  †