Bedtime Stories

It's been one of those weeks.

Oh, who am I kidding?  They're all "one of those weeks".

I thought a full schedule of playgrounds and playdates and fun would mean good times. 

We've had good times, but we've also had lots of tears and screaming.

He's screamed and cried because his sister sat on the sofa.    Because his sister moved the beanbag out of her own room. And because the apple juice cup was orange and not green. Never mind that he asked for orange at lunchtime.

She's cried because she suddenly thinks that the only toothpaste she'll currently allow in her mouth is suddenly "really really really not my favorite anymore!"  Never mind I have five more in the closet and she hates all things mint and not brushing is really not an option.  She's cried about not being able to play in her room because she, herself, has dumped buckets of toys on the floor. 

But then tonight, as their Daddy works late and I wash supper dishes, a sweet voice says, "Mama, OK AK read to me?" 

Absolutely!

I think I'll keep them, after all.

Picture Time

For the past 10 months, our kids have had their picture made hundreds of times.  You've seen some evidence of these photos here. Some of those photos, however, none of us will ever see.  The reason??  Because complete strangers have taken an astounding number of snapshots of our kids.  Nearly every time we're out in a crowd - at the zoo, Disney, the park,  - someone is going to sneak a photo of one or both of them.  At first, it was shocking.  Now, it's just annoying.  I enjoy blocking their shots whenever I can. I wonder how many folks have shots of my derriere instead of the cute Caucasian kid?

Yesterday, AK had a school holiday to observe Vesak Day.  Some of our normal schedule was still in place, so we had a morning speech therapy appointment.  We met Daddy for a quick lunch and then headed over to Merlion Park to catch a river cruise.  As we walked across the river, There were three women walking towards us.  One of them started to squeal and point.  Another clapped.  The third fished for her camera.   It was the typical reaction to "cute".  I looked around, halfway expecting to see cuddly Yellow Lab Puppies, a  baby bear cub, or even maybe Justin Beiber.  The only things I saw were my children.

My children??  Certainly the women weren't reacting that way to my kids.  But, oh, they were.  One immediately asked if they could have a picture with AK and B3.  They've been photographed lots, but it was the first time anyone had been kind enough to ask first.  It was also the first time anyone wanted to be in the picture with them. To say I was amused would be an understatement.

How could I say no?  They were polite, and they actually asked.  Immediately, one picked up B3 and started to squeeze him.  Another hugged AK while the third shoo'ed someone off of a bench (!) so the five of them could sit. 

And the cameras came out.  All three of them.  Of course, I made them sit just a moment longer while I snapped one with my phone. 

It's obvious that AK enjoyed the attention; 6 year old girls like to be called "adorable" and squealed over.  Apparently, the same does not apply to 3 year old boys.

Halloween in the Tropics

For a country that doesn't really celebrate Halloween, our costumes were enjoyed on three different days at three different events.  That's fairly remarkable, even for US standards.  We found a small (really small) selection of candy in nearly all of the grocery stores we frequent, but it wasn't always easy to find. 

As always, I made the costumes. I wasn't very inspired by the costume subject, but I did what I could. I knew it was going to be really hot and sticky even without a costume on, so I kept them very simple and easily removable.  Since two of our three events were a taxi or bus ride away, it was imperative that they also be easily portable.  Normally, we don't do trendy costumes, but this year we did.  AK was thrilled to be an Angry Bird - "The Blue One", more specifically, and Ben was the poor target - The Pig. 

We started the celebration on Friday night at AK's school.  We Trunk or Treated and enjoyed a few festival games.  Unfortunately, I forget how creepy Halloween can be, and most of the trunks were decorated to remind us of the darker side.  I'm a fan of happy Jack O'Lanterns, kids dressed in storybook costumes, and really good chocolate in their buckets.  Of course, not everyone shares my version of Halloween, and it was evident.  Blood and guts and bats and spooks were around every turn. Luckily, AK was too busy chasing her friends to really notice.  B3 was too busy chasing AK, so he didn't seem to mind, either. 

AK enjoyed the face painting table, but our Pig wanted none of it.

AK's favorite part of the evening was the doughnut walk. Marion family folklore tells of a B2 who always won the cake walk, but evidently, it isn't genetic.   It took AK a gazillion rounds, but her patience was rewarded with the sprinkle doughnut she had eyed for what felt like hours.

B3 settled for a Dum Dum from the treat bag.

On Saturday, The Blue Bird enjoyed a friend's costume birthday party, but The Pig refused to wear his costume.  It was strange since he didn't want to take it off on Friday night, but he wanted nothing to do with it.

That all changed on Monday night, when our complex hosted a night of Trick or Treating.  Those who wanted to participate signed up in advance, and we were given a list of units that were participating.  It was certainly different from walking down Greylyn Drive, where nearly every house knew our kids by name. I suppose it was both the elevator and cultural mix that, once again, made it obvious that we're a long, long way from where were last Halloween.

Waiting on the Elevator

It's nice to have costumes that go right over AK's school uniform. Note that The Pig is a John Deere Fan.

Headed down the corridor to the first house.  It was nice to be inside the entire time.

 Can you tell we're in Asia?  (shoes!)

This house made AK and B3 stick their hands in a bucket of "worms" to find the candy.  B3 didn't go for it, but AK was not deterred!

Checking out the Loot



The candy haul was underwhelming. The quantity was fantastic, considering we went to only one of six buildings in our complex. The quality, however, was mediocre. I suppose if you're a fan of "Taiwan's Best: Banana Rice Cakes" in miniature, however, you would have been thrilled. 


Overall, they had a great time, and they're still enjoying their candy. It's easy for me to stay out of it, so we'll keep it for a few more weeks before sending it to Ben's office or down the trash chute.


**NOTE: It has taken me a week to type this up. I'm too distracted by kids that demand to be fed and dishes that don't wash themselves to blog about all that I want to. Stay tuned for a summary of our recent trip to the beach in Indonesia and other adventures. Maybe I'll get to it before Christmas!**

Weekend in The Parks

It's budget time, which means long hours of work for Ben.  Even the weekends are reserved for work, so Ak, B3 and I went on a little adventure all our own on Saturday.  They both love the bus and train, so we took one of each to get to Pasir Ris Park.  Singapore has a large network of parks, and this one looked worth investigating.

The beachfront park was full of tents and bicycles and walkers.  There's a network of boardwalks through the Mangroves, and AK's keen eyes spotted a crab hanging out on a treetrunk.

We ooh'ed and ahh'ed and wondered why he was up a tree (high tide, we think).  Little did we know that spotting this little fellow was much like the Great Pronghorn Spotting of 1984; he was just one of many.  Before long, AK wouldn't even slow down to look when I announced that I had found another one. 
"They all look alike...and I'm hot..," she growled.

I kept stopping as she kept walking.  B3, our little Border Collie, couldn't stand it.  He ran back and forth shouting our names. He wants all together at all times. 

The seashells covering the trunks were also intriguing. 

After two months I've finally realized the two things necessary for an outing (especially solo) with these kids:

1. Low Expectations
2. Lots of Snacks

So, when we found some shade, the snacks came out while we enjoyed the view.

After a few hours in the park, we set out to find some lunch.  On the way, we passed an amusement park.  At least, that's what they called it.  If you're picturing Six Flags, you can now stop.  Instead, picture the carnival that randomly appears in the old K Mart parking lot.  The one you wouldn't ever dream of taking your kids to, because it doesn't look safe and you're running low on hand sanitizer anyway. Yeah, now you've got the image. 

 Once the Ferris Wheel was spotted, I caved - all in the name of wasting more time so Daddy would have more quiet hours to work in peace.  Four dollars later, we were climbing aboard.  At least if we were going to be maimed in an unfortunate carnival mishap, it would be at minimal expense.  We were walking towards our little, swinging capsule when the operator (who looked 12) informed me that AK would have to ride solo as B3 and I would be in a separate car. Stunned, I simply said, "OK...".  I didn't think to tell her to sit still.  To not lean or rock or stand up or, heaven forbid, look out the open (as in no glass, no bars, no barrier at all) window.  Fortunately, she's either not very brave or is very sensible, because she sat completely still, in the middle of the car, and never even glanced towards the open window.  I probably wouldn't have worried about her at all, if the operator hadn't looked at B3 as we sat down and said, "Just make sure he doesn't fall out, okay?"  Fabulous.

We survived, and AK was thrilled. 

It was a fun day, and we'll definitely keep Pasir Ris Park on our list of inexpensive places to go.  I just think we'll skip the Ferris Wheel next time. 

01-01-11 Read

While I was putting away laundry, I realized that all had gotten quiet.

Too quiet. 

Not a good sign. 

Then, I rounded the corner and saw the two of them in Ben's room reading.

The perfect way to start the new year!