The Great Family Reunion (and Cousin Bột’s Meltdown of the Century)
Okay, look. I KNOW I haven’t written in a while. But listen — I was on a NINE-DAY holiday. NINE. DAYS. That’s like… a million in toddler years. I was too busy being iconic to sit down and journal. Sue me. (Actually don’t. I don’t have any money. Everything I own technically belongs to Baba and Mama.)
So let me catch you up on the absolute ROLLERCOASTER that was my Reunification Day holiday. Buckle up. This one’s got drama, food poisoning, and a cousin who went full supervillain over a phone.
For the April 30th – May 1st holiday, my family packed up and headed to the countryside to visit both sets of grandparents — ông bà nội AND ông bà ngoại. Nine whole days of being spoiled rotten by people who think I can do no wrong. (They’re correct, by the way.)
The whole squad was there:
- Anh Bột (my cousin — more on him in a second)
- Chị Bắp (another cousin — much more chill)
- Bác Hai’s whole family
- And ME, obviously, the main character
It was AMAZING. Family everywhere, food everywhere, love everywhere. You know those holiday vibes where everyone’s laughing and eating and the grandparents keep sneaking you extra snacks? Yeah. That. Chef’s kiss.
BUT THEN. Anh Bột happened.
So my cousin Bột? He’s got a phone addiction. And when I say addiction, I mean this kid went FULL CHAOS MODE when someone took the phone away. We’re talking:
- Jumping up and down like a kangaroo on caffeine
- Crying like someone cancelled Christmas
- SMASHING things
- BANGING on doors
It was… terrifying, honestly. Like watching a tiny human tornado. And then Bác Hai walked in and… well… let’s just say Bột received some “corrective feedback” on his behind.
Note to self: never throw a tantrum over a phone. Stick to throwing tantrums over IMPORTANT things, like not getting a second popsicle or being told it’s bedtime at 8 PM. Those are REAL problems.
According to child development experts, setting predictable routines and healthy screen-time boundaries is super important for young kids’ emotional regulation. So yeah, science backs me up. Bột, buddy, we gotta get you some building blocks or something.
The Bún Nước Lèo Incident (a.k.a. The Day My Stomach Declared War)
Okay so here’s the REAL story of this holiday. The one that will go down in family history.
We took a trip to Bạc Liêu to visit Mẹ Nam Hải — very spiritual, very beautiful, 10/10 would recommend. But on the way there, we stopped for bún nước lèo.
Now, if you don’t know bún nước lèo, it’s this absolutely LEGENDARY Sóc Trăng noodle soup. Rich broth. Beautiful noodles. A culinary masterpiece.
And it DESTROYED me.
One bowl. ONE BOWL. And my tiny stomach was like: “Nope. Abort mission. EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY.”
I, Sudo, age 3, experienced what the family poetically calls “té ghe” — which is a very dramatic way of saying I had to GO. Urgently. In the middle of a road trip. You’re welcome for the visual.
But HERE’S the best part. I was just the FIRST domino to fall.
- First: ME (because I’m always first at everything, even food poisoning)
- Then: BABA went down
- Then: MAMA joined the party
- Then: BÀ NỘI too
The whole car became a biohazard zone. One by one, like dominoes. Like a very sad, very smelly conga line of regret.
The ONLY survivor? Ông nội. That man has a stomach made of STEEL. He just sat there, completely fine, probably judging all of us. Legend. Absolute legend.
I’ve decided that my stomach is just “advanced” — it processes things faster because I’m a fast-developing toddler. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
Tân Huê Viên (The Place That Never Ends) and Cancelled Dreams
On the way back, we stopped at Tân Huê Viên in Sóc Trăng. And okay — this place is ENORMOUS. Like, “are we still in the same province?” enormous.
Fun fact: this was my SECOND time visiting. I went during Tết with ông bà ngoại, and now I was back with ông bà nội. Two trips. Two different sets of grandparents. And I STILL haven’t seen the whole thing.
Some parts are finished and looking gorgeous. Other parts are still under construction. Kind of like me, honestly — a work in progress, but already impressive.
I’ve done the math (okay, I can’t do math yet, but I’ve done the VIBES), and I think it’ll take at least 2-3 more visits before I conquer the entire park. Challenge accepted.
Oh, and one more thing — apparently Baba and Mama had BIG plans for this holiday. Something about going to the beach? Digging in the sand? Building sandcastles? Sounds AMAZING.
Did it happen? NOPE.
I don’t know the full details because adults are very vague when explaining why plans fall apart. They just do that thing where they look at each other and sigh. Very dramatic. Very adult.
But don’t worry, Baba and Mama. I’ve got a plan. As soon as I learn to drive — which, at the rate I’m learning things, should be like next Tuesday — I’LL take us. I’ll drive. I’ll navigate. I’ll pack the snacks (all cookies, no vegetables). It’ll be perfect.
You just wait.
— Sudo, age 3, professional holiday survivor, bún nước lèo victim, and future road trip planner
———- tags: [‘toddler travel’, ‘family reunion’, ‘Vietnamese holidays’, ‘bún nước lèo’, ‘Bạc Liêu’, ‘Tân Huê Viên’, ‘Sóc Trăng’, ‘Reunification Day’, ‘toddler humor’, ‘road trip with toddler’, ‘cousins’, ‘food poisoning’] categories: [‘Toddler Life’, ‘Family Adventures’, ‘Holiday Diary’] imagePrompts: [‘A cute 3-year-old Vietnamese girl with a big smile surrounded by extended family members at a countryside Vietnamese house during a holiday reunion, warm and joyful atmosphere, cartoon illustration style’, ‘A cute 3-year-old Vietnamese girl sitting at a Vietnamese street food stall looking shocked at a bowl of bún nước lèo Vietnamese rice noodle soup with a comedic dramatic expression, cartoon illustration style’, ‘A cute 3-year-old Vietnamese girl exploring a vast beautiful Vietnamese tourist park with ornate architecture and gardens looking tiny compared to the enormous grounds, cartoon illustration style’]
Original: hehe, mấy nay sudo bận quá quên kể mấy chuyện đã qua trong kỳ nghỉ lễ luôn. Chuyện là hôm nghĩ lễ 30/4 – 1/5 sudo đã có một kỳ nghĩ thật dài, tận 9 ngày để về quê chơi với ông bà nôi, ngoại. Kỳ nghĩ lễ thật tuyệt vời, gia đình tụ họp chơi quá đã luôn, có anh Bột, chị Bắp và cả gia đình bác Hai nữa. Nhưng có chuyện ghê lắm, anh Bột lên cơn ghiền điện thoại, nhảy tưng tưng, khóc lóc và đập phá, đập cửa, sau đó bác Hai vào đập cho một trận nhừ đít. huhu ghê quá. À, xíu nữa quên rồi, bữa về quê sudo đã đi Bạc Liêu viếng Mẹ Nam Hải. Trên đường đi thì sudo ghé ăn bún nước lèo, thế là ngay chén bún đầu tiên nước lèo đã xãy ra tác dụng hóa học với sudo, sudo đã bị “té ghe” (đi ị á).. haha. và sau đó trên xe.. chắc là cha, mẹ và bà nội có dạ dày lớn hơn sudo nên nó xãy ra chậm hơn :)) . Baba. rồi mana.. rồi bà nội.. May mà ông nội không bị. hên quá. Trên đường về thì sudo có ghé Tân Huê Viên ở sóc trăng chơi nữa, thật rộng lớn. Sudo đã ghé hôm tết với ông bà ngoại rồi, nay thì ghé với ông bà nội. Một số công trình đã hoàn thành nhưng cũng còn một số chưa xong. Nói chung thì 2-3 lần đi, sudo vẫn chưa đi hết khuôn viên. lớn lắm. Thật ra thì trong kỳ nghĩ baba và mama dự định đi chơi ở đâu đó.. xúc cát xúc đất gì đó mà không đi được, thôi để nào sudo lái xe được thì sudo bù cho nha. hehe.