Eight Months!

We left Austin on July 27th.  Today, is March 29th.  We've been in Singapore for 8 months.  It's interesting to think about the transformation we've all made in that time.  When I really think about all of the details, life is both the same and different here.  I've settled into my new life and it all seems so normal now.  I've been neglecting my blog.  I'm struggling a bit putting into words the feelings I have as to why that is.  I think part of it is my feeling of normalcy about life.  I'm not so excited each day about what new thing I'm going to see.  I"m used to the cultural differences and so they don't seem worth comment.

I also feel more disconnected from my old life in Austin.  When I first was here, my blog was my life line. It was like my best friend that I needed to tell everything to.  I needed to share that I went to the grocery store and that there were flowers on the sidewalk and when we all felt happy and sad and every other little detail.  But, now that I feel that life has become normal, I  am struggling to decide what to share.  What is interesting?  What is noteworthy?  I feel very privileged and lucky to be here.  How do I share without sounding like I'm boasting?  I've seen the articles recently on Facebook and Reddit about how social networking makes people unhappy.  I want to document our life but I certainly don't want to make anybody else unhappy.  These are just some of my thoughts...  If you like to read my blog and there is something you'd like me to talk about, please post it to me in comments, or on Facebook or in a personal email or message.

Tomorrow is the last day of the first term of school.  That means the girls are off for the next 2 weeks!  Whoo hoo, it's spring break.  We are all ready for it.  The kids are exhausted!  I can see it in their eyes.  They've been working very hard.  Their little brains have been growing and learning and they are both very good girls at school.  They need a few days in their pajamas.  They need to sleep as late as they want.  They need to forget our schedule and relax.  So do I.  We are all looking forward to the break.

We've been doing some trip planning...!!!  Traveling in this region is one of the major benefits to living here.  Singapore is really easy to travel in and out from.  It would be a crime I think to live here and not take advantage of the amazing travel opportunities.  It's been taking up a lot of my time.  I am trying to balance family fun and cultural experiences.  I want the trips to be comfortable and easy with the kids but also affordable.  So, here's what up for us....

Next week, we are going to a small island in Malaysia called Rawa.  It's in the South China Sea and it has a little rustic resort on it.  It's another beach vacation.  We'll be there for Easter.  I'm planning an Easter egg hunt on the beach.  We'll be there for 4 nights.  The resort is sending a car to our condo in Singapore to pick us up and drive us to Mersing where we will then catch a ferry out to the island.  It's our first driving trip out of Singapore.

At the end of April, the kids have 3 days off from school.  We found some really cheap tickets and thought it'd be a great time to head over to Cambodia.  We're flying in to Siem Reap and we are going to check out the temples around Angkor Wat.  We're very excited!  I'm trying to find some ways to teach the kids about the history of Cambodia and specifically Angkor Wat.  We've watched a 3 part National Geographic series on how and why the temples were built.  Lily seemed especially interested in it.  Does anybody else have good ideas?  I thought I'd try to find a way to have the kids build a replica of it out of paper and blocks.  Maybe do some sketching while we are there.  Included in our hotel accommodation is a private Tuk Tuk driver for our entire stay (4 nights).  So cool!

In the end of May we are going on a 1 day excursion to Johor Bahru.  We'll be visiting an organic farm and petting goats.  I don't remember what else, but it sounded fun and it gets us out of the city for the day!

In June, after the end of Term 2, we are heading over to another little island, this time in Indonesia.  It's called Nikoi Island and I've heard is beautiful.  A friend of mine calls it Pirate Island and it's a favorite family holiday.  The staff set up treasure huts for the kids and they will climb a tree to cut down a coconut and then carve it into a princess crown for the little girls.  It's all about fun family time and relaxation.  No planes needed for this trip either...  We'll take a ferry from Singapore and then a taxi ride across Bintan, Indonesia and then another ferry.

This is where our already booked/made plans end and we have to make some decisions about the rest of the year.  In June/July, the children have 4 weeks off from school.  So, it seems a good time to make another trip.  I think we might head over to Vietnam.  It's cheap and easy to fly into Hanoi.  We thought we'd spend a couple of days in Hanoi, it is considered to be the cultural capital of Vietnam.  I want to see a water puppet show and visit some of the many temples there.  Then we've been told that Ha Long Bay is amazing.  We can stay on a boat and explore the many beautiful sights to see there.  Maybe some kayaking, not sure how that would work with the kids, but worth a shot!

For the break between Term 3 and 4, we're planning to go to New Zealand.  I've been doing some research, but I haven't made any decision on what to see/do there.  Advice?  I know at least a couple of you have been there!  And finally, after term 4 we'll be heading back to the states for the holidays.  My kids have 6 weeks off from school at this time, so we will be able to visit both Arizona and Texas. Scott can work some in the Austin office at that time, so he doesn't have to take vacation days for the entire time we are there.

Whew...  Well, I didn't mean for this post to be a wall of text.  I haven't been taking many pictures lately.  I think it's part of my getting used to living here thing...  I'll work on it!  I love hearing from all of you and I'd love to hear what you are up to!

One more birthday story...

Hi everyone!  Thanks so much for all the birthday wishes for Lily.  She really felt special and enjoyed every one.  I just have one more story from her birthday to tell you about...  I have to document this... On Monday (her actual birthday) Lily wanted to bring cup cakes to school to share with her class.  We also wanted to bake a cake to share with our friends in our condo.  Cup cakes first.

Somewhere, I heard that you can put flat bottom ice cream cones in the oven!  You can fill the cones with cake batter and bake the cones in the oven.  The result is a cup cake that looks something like an ice cream cone.  I thought that would be a great idea for the class room!  A little less mess because the kids would eat everything and it would have a fun and different presentation.

I found a great cake recipe.  I found the ice cream cones.  I was ready to go!  On Sunday, March 4th, I baked all of the cones.  It took a while...  My muffin tin only bakes 6 at a time and there are 22 students and 2 teachers, so I needed 24.  Not to mention, Wyatt and Madeline want one!  Each batch took 30 minutes to bake and I needed to to 5 batches.  It took all afternoon.  Some looked better than others, but overall, I would say they looked lumpy and maybe a little burned in places.  Not too good.  But, never mind, I can just use the icing and they will look fabulous!

Lily wanted pink icing and a strawberry on top!  I decided to puree strawberries to make the icing.  I don't know what I was thinking...  I also thought I'd try (for the first time) butter cream frosting.  So, here I go, pureed strawberries, (vegan) butter (not actually butter!) and icing sugar.  Mix it up.  Hmm.  Pretty runny... must need more butter!  More butter!  Keep adding butter!  hmmm....  still not right.  Maybe I need to just keep mixing.  Put in ALL of the sugar.  Mix more.  Hmmm.  Well, it tastes good!  

My frosting looked terrible.  It was finally a little thicker, and it tasted good, but the butter all looked curdled.  I'm not sure what I did wrong.  I've been advised that butter cream is pretty difficult in the high humidity here.  But, it was now late at night and it was the only frosting I had, so on the cup cakes it went!  I topped it off with a cherry and I decided that it would have to do. 

I borrowed a cup cake carrier and I loaded my ice cream cone cup cakes in and stuck them in the fridge over night.  In the morning, we were off!  This is where the next disaster took place...  The ice cream cones were a bit top heavy.  In the carrier on our way to school they all fell over and rolled around.  When I got there, I had a pile of cones and frosting and strawberries.  The cones started to get soggy because they were sitting in too wet frosting.  UGH!  

I was volunteering in Madeline's class that morning, so I didn't have time to just chuck them and run to the store to buy something else.  I grabbed a pile of paper towels and wiped each one up.  I apologized to the teacher and just let it be what it was.  It's the thought and effort that counts right?  At the end of the day, Lily was happy and many of the kids thanked me.  I guess they don't really care.  Or maybe they are just polite.

I baked a small cake for the condo kids.  On each birthday, we all meet downstairs for cake at about 5 pm.  We sing to the birthday child.  It's a lovely community!

I Have a 7 Year Old!

How did that happen?  How do children grow up so quickly right before our eyes?  Every year on their birthdays, I try to reflect on where they were the year before and how much they've grown.  It really is astonishing how much our children change from year to year.  I think the changes are hard to see day to day.  Something that is a struggle somehow isn't anymore.  It isn't until I take the time to remember the struggle that I recognize how mature and independent they are each becoming.

I have to reflect on my Lily for a little bit.  She is a delightful girl!  I'm very proud of her.  She is friendly and she is sweet.  She is honest and tries really hard to be fair.  She has a good heart and she wants to please.  She is kind.

Lily was very excited to have a birthday party!  We invited the girls in her class.  There are 12 girls and all but 1 were able to come.  We had her party at the bowling alley!  It's fun to have a little bit older group of kids that can do something more organized like bowling.  I think the kids really enjoyed it!  Parties are always a little hectic for me, but I didn't feel as frazzled as I usually do.

The cake.  The cake was AMAZING.  The cake was something very special.  The cake was unlike any cake I have ever seen.  My dear friend Elisa made the cake.  It was her very generous gift to Lily.  Lily and all of the girls at the party were totally enamored with the cake.  Elisa is an extremely talented sugar paste artist.  She made all of Lily's birthday cake dreams come true!  

The waterfall had dry ice at the top that gave the effect of the waterfall misting.  It was gorgeous!

We had sparkler candles that appeared as fireworks shooting out of the top of the castle.

The artist herself with Lily.  What a lucky little girl!

Fairies and unicorns!  

The bunnies and butterflies and flowers and grass and toadstools were all hand made and painted and were edible!

The castle doors!  Each leave was hand molded!

The rocks were all chocolate rocks. 

A light gave the glowing effect in the pool.

The girls bowling!  I think the winner scored a 98.  Not bad for a group of first graders!

No birthday party is complete in our family without a sad little brother.  Wyatt didn't like taking turns. He found it to be great fun to steal a turn from each of the girls.  Shouldn't it be Wyatt's turn every other ball?

Big balloons are always a hit!

Happy Birthday Lily!  We love you so much!