Raffles Hotel

Today we (Joe, Mom, Dad and I) went for lunch at the world famous Raffles Hotel. Well, they say it's world famous, I had never heard of it before I started looking into Singapore.

What makes it famous is:

the Singapore Sling. It was created at the Raffles Hotel by Ngiam Tong Boon in the 1910's.

The Raffles Hotel is a landmark hotel, done in British colonial style. During WWII, the recipes for the Singapore Sling and the cook's recipes were locked away for safe keeping.

We ate at the Long Bar Steakhouse, they had a really good lunch buffet with excellent service. It was pricey though, the Singapore Sling was S$21.00. Each. Thanks for lunch Dad!!!

Darn Spam!

I'm now getting spam comments on my blog, so I've changed the security settings. You all can still post a comment, but I have to verify it before it gets posted, as well, there is one of those weird slanty words you need to type in.

Sorry about that!

The past weekend

I thought I'd update you on what we've been doing (besides cross-stitching).

We are having a great visit with Mom & Dad.

I took Friday off, and we went to the zoo. We rode the tram for the first time, it was quite nice. We also rode the elephant! Well, not Mom, Dad and Martin. But the rest of us did. Oliver was not scared at all. I was a little. And in case you don't know, elephants are quite uncomfortable to ride. The head must be more comfy, as that's where the elephant handlers always sit.

Mom and Dad were quite impressed with the zoo and see why we go all the time.

On Saturday, Joe, Oliver and Dad went to the Singapore Air Show. They had a really good time, and Oliver had "good behavior".

Mom and I went shopping at Vivo City, where my two new favorite stores are Zara and G2000. I got three new skirts and four new shirts for work, plus a tshirt and two tank tops. I felt like it was back to school shopping like we used to do in Minneapolis. It was a really good time.

Martin stayed home with Basil. Poor guy.

On Sunday, we went out for Dim Sum with Gary, Linda & Adam, and did a little bit of shopping. We then just hung out at home for rest of the day.

Monday Craft Update

A pretty good week as I finished something!

Knitting
Nothing.

Cross-stitch
Finished the Snow Family! Yay!! Not only done, I even put all the threads away in the thread box. I know - impressive.

And in a fit of finish-itis (the opposite of start-itis), I dug out my Ocean Numbers cross-stitch, I started when pregnant with Oliver. I've completed numbers 1-4 and the number 6. I'd like to get it done before the boys outgrow it.

Crochet
Dragged down the Pooh Bear kit, but did nothing with it.

Photography / videography
Nothing.

Decluttering
Gave Mom the old maternity clothes and some ones that don't fit to take back to Canada. Technically they are still in my house, but I no longer consider it my clutter.

Snow Family

Finished!!! Sure I missed the Christmas deadline, but I'm good for next year. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.

Fabric: Sugar Maple Fabrics, Shimmering Oceanic with silver. Paulina bought it for me. I hope she thinks it was put to good use.

Pattern: Fat Flakes brochure, Snow Family pattern. Jeanette Crew Designs.

Update on Oliver and Martin

Martin can now get himself into a sitting position. He just started that today. He's also very keen to stand, and everyone (but me) is encouraging him standing and walking. He still doesn't crawl forward but he does get around and can crawl backwards. He also is practicing his singing. He's more Chinese Opera than American Idol though.

Oliver is developing quite the sense of humour and is telling jokes. He took Martin's knit zebra puppet and folded it in half, called it a zebra sandwich and pretended to eat it. His potty training is going very well.

He's also learning the power of sucking up. I refused to buy him a book as he didn't behave when we were out but I said that Grandma might. So he started asking her. I said if you hold her hand, you'll have a better chance. Well, didn't he drop Daddy's hand like a hot potato and ran over to Grandma to hold her hand. He also let her read him the stories at home, giving Grandma some cuddle time.

They are both having a great time with Grandma and Grandpa. Tomorrow we are going to the zoo (I've taken the day off).

Field Trip!!

Today I went on my first field trip with Oliver. We went to Jalan Bahar Clay Studios to see the Dragon kiln. A dragon kiln is a large tube like kiln, large enough to walk in, and looks like a reclining dragon. It originates from China, and was built originally to support the rubber industry with making clay pots to gather rubber in.

After seeing the kiln, we made some pottery.

Grandma and Grandpa got to come on the trip as they were in town. They had a good time as well.

Monday Craft Update

Not a bad week.

Knitting
Did about an half an inch on the baby blanket. Still don't know what I'm going to do with it.

Cross-stitch
Snow family cross-stitch - did several hours. Finished all the cross-stitches (except black), just backstitching left. Hopefully the backstitching won't take that long, but I always underestimate how long it does take.

Crochet
Nothing.

Photography / videography
Rearranged the website a bit. Decluttered it you might say.

Decluttering
Decluttered a bit my thread supply. Well, not really declutter as nothing was thrown out, but I organized some of it onto bobbins and into a box. Dad and Sofya helped out. Turns out Dad and I are NOT smarter than a Fourth Grader, as only Sofya could successfully figure out how to use the bobbin threader thingamajig.

Botanical Gardens

We decided to go to the Botanic Gardens today. It was a pretty nice day. For the first time we visited the Orchid Gardens. They were a lot bigger than we thought and they have some beautiful flowers.

Here's a picture minus Joe the photographer.

Here is an orchid. Sorry I don't know the name.

They are here!!!

Mom and Dad arrived last night around 1:30am. They said the flight was good, but very very cold. They were at the exit row. After a beer and a little chit chat they were off to bed.

They got up at 8:00ish to see Oliver and Martin, and of course, give Oliver "Diesel 10". Oliver is currently sleeping with it.

They came downtown to have lunch with me at Boat Quay. We ate an English pub. Very Singaporean. The weather is quite nice right now, not too hot and humid.

Dad's thoughts on Singapore "I like it." Mom, "It's very clean.".

The Amazing Race

Well, Amazing Race and Amazing Race Asia are over. Don't worry I won't spoil the TAR-Asia finale as it just finished minutes ago, and I know some of you are watching it.

Both TAR and TAR-Asia were really good this year, with likable final three teams, so that you don't mind who wins. My favorite teams didn't win for either won, but I really don't mind who did. Unlike the season with Zach and Flo. Man alive, she was awful.

Don't you like it when TV is good?

Leapin' Lizards!!

This weekend, I pulled on the toilet paper and imagine my surprize when a baby gecko was sitting on it! Good thing I looked at the toilet paper before using it!! It then went and hid behind the toilet, so we let it be, as it was too awkward to get at. I saw it later that night on my nightstand, so I got Joe to catch it, but not before it ran across my pillow. Yuck!!

Geckos were common in The Bahamas also. When we first moved it, there was one high up on the wall. Being new to the gecko experience, we were suitably freaked out. Joe got a broom, and gave me a wastepaper basket, with the brilliant idea that he would knock the lizard off the wall, and I would catch it in the basket. I'm like "you are going to flick a lizard at me?!?!" I don't think so. Plus you have all seen my eye-hand coordination skills, it wasn't going to be pretty.

So Joe knocked the lizard down, and he fell straight down the wall. He was lying motionless on the floor, so we walked over to look at it. Once we were standing over it, the lizard felt much better and made a run for it. Well, we decided to run Bugs Bunny style and leaped on top of the bed. Eventually, we did get down from the bed, but not before spraying a bunch of Raid underneath the bed. The lizard either escaped, died, or was mutated into a Komodo Dragon.

Pretty good week.

Knitting

Did about an inch on the baby blanket. Don't know what I'm going to do with it. Martin's now mobile, so it's not like he can lie on it. I'm going to move it out of current rotation and start a new project. This will be picked up when I have 15 - 30 minutes to work, like when watching a movie with Oliver when Martin's napping.

Cross-stitch

Snow family cross-stitch - did several hours.

Crochet

Nothing. I think I'll start the Pooh Bear in the next week or two.

Photography / videography

Added new pictures to the website.

Decluttering

Got Joe to hang up pictures (can you tell Mom & Dad are coming? Yay!!!). Did a little bit (very little) of decluttering. I'm actually a bit stuck now. What do you do with the excess junk, that there is nothing wrong with it? e.g. I found a pair of scissors in a box. Nothing wrong with them. But we already have 3 pairs. Throw/give them away? Or binders. I have these really good binders, been hauling them around for years. I'm never going to use them. Okay, the binders I'll get rid of. But what do I do with the scissors?

I almost bought a book on decluttering - but then isn't the book clutter?

Technical difficulties

We were experiencing problems with email since Friday. It seems better now but we may not have received your emails.

Happy New Year!!!!

It's the Year of the Rat, or as Disney calls is, The Year of the Mouse. In Chinese, the word 鼠 may refer to either the rat or the mouse. Therefore, in this context, Year of the Mouse and Year of the Rat are interchangeable terms, according to Wikipedia. So Disney's in the clear.

I always thought I was a Rat according to menus at Chinese restaurants. But I was born before the new year that year, so I'm a Pig. Like Martin. And Joe and Oliver are monkeys. Actually, Oliver says he's a crocodile.

Here's some info from Wikipedia.

Pig
In Chinese culture, the pig is associated with fertility and virility. To bear children in the year of the boar is considered to be very fortunate, for they will be happy and honest. The Pig type is usually an honest, straightforward and patient person. They are a modest, shy character who prefers to work quietly behind the scenes. When others despair, they are often there to offer support. This type of person is reserved with those they do not know too well, but as time passes and they gain confidence, those around them may discover a lively and warm-hearted person behind that mask of aloofness. Despite those born in the year of pig having a wide circle of friends and acquaintances, they have few close friends who understand them and share their inner thoughts and feelings. It is easy to put trust in pig type; they won't let you down and will never even attempt to do so. Such people simply want to do everything right according to social norms.

It is important to remember that these people are not vengeful creatures. If someone tries to take advantage of them, the pig type tend to withdraw to reflect on the problem and protect themselves. All they need in such situations is a little time to find a constructive way to respond. The people of the pig type are conservative creatures of habit. They dislike being made to travel too far from familiar surroundings, unless it is a trip to the countryside. They love nature and are never happier than when they are out somewhere, far from the city.

There is a tolerant and peaceful side to their character. Such people are never afraid to allow others their freedom of expression; they do not want to cause arguments and if there is any way to avoid arguing, they will probably take this option. However, they are not weak and if the situation forces them to fight these people will rise to the occasion, whether it is to defend themselves or those close to them.

Monkey

The Monkey is the most versatile sign of the Chinese zodiac. Such people are often inventors, plotters, entertainers and the creative geniuses behind anything ingenious, including mischief. They have natural quick-wittedness which enables them to understand what is happening and then make a right decision. Even during a conversation a person born in this year is aware of what is going on around him/her, and then makes a mental note of who said what and stores it away for future reference. In general, with their agile minds and multiple talents, monkey types can master any subject. They are reliable and honest people so that any secret is safe in their hands. These people are also honest in their dealings and are very good at problem-solving: knowing how to listen closely and work out solutions at the same time.

Although these people are trustworthy and unlikely to hurt someone out of spite, they would never let people escape if they have behaved badly or damaged a monkey's reputation. Their stamina and determination to achieve their main goals can make these people appear vain or manipulative. People born under this sign should be careful so they do not damage their friendships. It is important to remember for these persons that it would be wiser sometimes not to pursue their goals and simply let things pass.

Monkeys have flexible principles and serene self-confidence so they are completely content; but they usually manage to complicate the lives of others. After yet another plan or project has gone wrong, they are seldom there to help clean up the disorder and confusion that they leave in their wake. Monkeys can handle that too; with their charm and persuasiveness they can make people believe that just knowing them is a privilege.

Happy Birthday to me!!

Today is my birthday and also Chinese New Year's Eve. That conveniently worked out for me, as today was a half day and Thursday and Friday are holidays.

I went for lunch with Joe and Basil to Din Tai Fung for wonton soup. The best in the city, in my opinion. Then went home and played with Oliver, Martin and Sofya. Oliver had his swimming lesson so we all (including Martin) went swimming before hand. Martin did really well, not crying at all. Oliver's front crawl is also improving.

We then had steak for dinner with roasted garlic. Yummy. Then chocolate cake for my birthday. Then it was gift time. Out came a large box tied with a ribbon. I undid the ribbon and lifted the lid. Just like they open presents on Young and the Restless (Mom and Lana would know what I mean) and inside was the prettiest purse you have ever seen:

The Madeline from Coach. It's from Joe, Oliver, Martin & Mom and Dad. Thank you very much!! I also got a lovely picture with the two cutest boys I've ever had the pleasure to know.

Typical of my life, I was nursing Martin when the cake came out and my hair was still wet from swimming. That didn't stop me from posing with my new Purse (capital "P") like I was on America's Next Top Model.

After getting Martin to bed, I went in to read to Oliver, who said "I love you Mama". All in all, a great birthday.

Update on Oliver & Martin

Martin

Martin continues to charm everyone with his big smile. He is rolling over and crawling backwards, frequently getting stuck under the sofa or backed into the wall. He is trying to move forward and rocks back and forth, but can't seem to figure out how to move forward, except by a full leap. Today, he started practicing getting into a sitting position. He can sit pretty well.

He's had his first trip to the pool and that was a success. We will probably take him in again this weekend.

Oliver
Oliver continues to be a "big boy". His potty training is going really well, except for pooping. At which time, he requests a diaper, so accidents are few and far between. His table manners are improving, and he's using the spoon and fork more and more. He's very interested in the knife, and likes to cut things. The other day, he even used chopsticks! One in each hand to hold up the noodles to eat. He did a pretty good job.

He is also very funny with what he says and how he says it. Conversations with him are a hoot. The other day I was playing with him, and had my leg over him. To which he said "I am not a chair!". He's often telling us to "Say sorry to Oliver" or "Say sorry to the chair" or whatever object he feels that we have wronged.

Monday Craft Update

Not a bad week.

Knitting
Did about an inch on the baby blanket.

Cross-stitch
Snow family cross-stitch - did several hours. I'm about 50% done the snow kid.

Crochet
Nothing.

Photography / videography
Played around with the video editor and learned how to make clips. Added new pictures to the website.

Decluttering
Threw out Oliver's old shoes. I know it's not much, but it still was clutter and now it's gone.

Sightseeing

Joe's cousin Basil arrived yesterday. It's nice as we really haven't spent much time with him, so we will get to know him better.

We were going to go to the Reptile Park today, but Oliver said he wanted to see "Sharks!", so we changed plans and went to Underwater World.

For a change of plans, we took the cable car from Mt. Faber. The cable car is quite nice, once you accept the fact that you are hanging high up in the air from a thin cable. The views from Mt. Faber of Singapore are quite good.
We took the cable car over to Sentosa Island, then took the tourist bus to Underwater World. Oliver got a treat as he got to ride on the top of the "decker-decker" bus. We saw the sharks and "tickled" their bellies (just reach up to the glass and say "tickle, tickle, tickle").

PS New pics up in January & February files.

Money, money, money, moooonnneeeyy

Well, in preparation for our visitors, I thought I'd talk about money. Well, more specifically, currency.

Some interesting things about Singapore currency:

• There is no $20 bill. Most annoying.
• The $2 bill is plastic and has a see through window.
• Bills are different size depending on denomination.
• There is a $1 coin (but not called a loonie).
• There are no pennies in Singapore, all transactions are rounded to the nearest $0.05.
• There is no quarter, but there is a 20 cent coin and a 50 cent coin.
• The 5 cent coin is small and gold in colour.
• The Singapore dollar is pegged to the Brunei dollar.

Random thoughts on motherhood

So I've been a "Mom" for 3 years now. I don't know if I really think of myself as "Mom" yet, as Mom is Mom, if you know what I mean. I'm more "Mommy", still in training.

I really enjoy motherhood (except maybe at 3am, but there's not much I enjoy at 3am except sleeping) and being a family. When I'm not at work, it's pretty much all about the boys while they are awake. I'm lucky in that I don't have to do the mundane life things like shopping, cooking, cleaning, etc, so I can just concentrate on the boys.

There are some things that I do well as a Mom. I'm good at making kids laugh, as I'm a big goof. I'm good at cheering up a screaming boy. I'm good at nursing and pumping. I'm good at putting the kids needs first (most of the time). I'm good at reading stories.

There are some things I'm not so good at. I'm not good at putting kids down for a nap. I thought maybe it was just Oliver, but I'm not good at getting Martin down for a nap either. I'm not that good at playing "bad cop" (though I'm a bit better than Joe). Luckily, Oliver hasn't required much discipline, as he's a pretty good kid.

But overall, I think I'm doing an okay "job". I sure do like it.

Happy 13th Birthday Jules!!!

It is Julia's 13th birthday day! I met Julia just when she turned 4. I gave her a stuffed puppy dog to try and win her over (I'm not above bribery). I think it worked.

I miss the days of visiting her in Waterloo and watching her play Barbie Genie (I never got a turn!). The first person to call me "Aunt Jill", as Kate always called me "Uncle Jill", Julia has been a wonderful edition to my life.

She is a beautiful girl, both inside and out, and I wish you nothing but the best this year and for the future.

Monday Craft Update

Nothing. Nada. Zilch.

I worked, was sick, went on holiday.

Bintan!

We went to Bintan, Indonesia this past weekend. We stayed at the Nirwana Gardens.

We left on Friday afternoon, taking the 60 minute ferry ride over there. The sea was a bit rough, but nothing too bad. We went with our neighbours, Jane, Serge, Sofya (Martin's girlfriend) and Zach. Basil and Eva, the family assistants also came along.

We then arrived in Bintan, and were greeted by an immigration official, who asked how many were in our party. We said "5" (as Jane was seperated from us), he said come with me, took our passports and brought us to the front of the line. Before we knew it, he had taken off with our passports and told us it would be S$20 for the visas (it is normally S$18). It all happened so fast. We watched him the entire time, and we ended up getting our visas and skipping the entire line. But while it was happening, we were kicking ourselves. We normally are more savvy that this, we didn't expect the immigration officer to "hustle us". But it all ended okay. And we ended up waiting anyways, as we had to wait for Jane.

We then took the bus to the hotel. It is a big complex, quite nice, and we were excited to go to the beach. So we all got changed and headed out. We decided not to put Martin in, at that point, as there was a bit of a breeze. Oliver played happily on the beach with his truck. Whenever I tried to convince him to come into the water he said "I'm busy working. I can't right now." So I left him alone. The water was nice and warm, not clear as The Bahamas, but seemed pretty churned up. There was some seaweed and rocks, but nothing too bad.

Then walking around on the beach, I noticed that my feet had some black stuff on them. And so did Oliver. It didn't easily wash off in the water, if you rubbed it, it left a greasy feeling in your hand, plus left your hand dirty. We started getting grossed out, so we headed back to the pools. Joe was taking to the towel guy and then all of a sudden, someone started spraying Oliver. With gasoline! It was to get off the TAR that was on us from the ocean. Apparently, with the North Wind Monsoon, it brings in TAR from the container ships. If we weren't grossed out before, we were then. We scrubbed, and then I ran inside to shower up. We were so happy we didn't take Martin in and that Oliver wasn't interested in the water. I at least didn't dunk my head in, but Joe, Sofya and Zach were full out swimming.

So after that experience (which will last a lifetime - give a hoot, don't pollute!) we went for dinner. Put the kids to bed, had Basil and Eva babysit and went down to the bar for a drink. Serge came in on the 8:00 ferry, so we met up with him then.

The next day, we did some more swimming (at the pool of course!) and went into "town" which really was just a little shopping centre that was built for the tourists. It was a pretty relaxing day. That night, we ate at the BBQ buffet and had some drinks and adult conversation after the kids were in bed. And Martin slept the entire night through! First time ever!!

Today, we took a walk around the grounds, and went and saw their "zoo". They have a huge snake (the biggest snake I've ever seen) and some small crocodiles and birds that the government seized from smugglers. Oliver and Joe did some more swimming and then after lunch we caught the ferry for home.

Oliver had excellent behaviour the entire trip. I don't even think he had one meltdown the entire time (or none that were memorable). He used the toilet pretty consistently the entire time, only using diapers occasionally, but would ask to use the toilet before he had to go (as opposed to telling afterwards). Martin, was his usual charming self.

Bintan felt like Cable Beach in The Bahamas, and if the water had been better, we'd go back, as it is so accessible from Singapore. But we don't consider that we have been to Indonesia, even though my passport might say so.

Heath Ledger died

I'm sure you've already heard the news. He was a young (28) actor. I first noticed him on a short-lived TV show called Roar, that I watched with Laurie back in the day. It only lasted 13 episodes. I just learned that it was created by Shaun Cassidy (!) and was nominated for Emmys (!).

Laurie and I loved that show and another science fiction one called Sliders with Jerry O'Connell. I was going through old VHS tapes and noticed that I had some labeled "Sliders". Okay, loved might be not descriptive enough. We were obsessed with Sliders. Perhaps some letters were written to Fox when it was first canceled (those letters worked, as it did come back). If I remember correctly, we watched the first episode together while hanging curtains in her living room.

Laurie and I lived in the same building, The Robin Hood in Scarborough. It was a good building. My apartment was called "The Maid Marien" and was a spacious 800 square foot apartment with a den. Perfect for studying. We used to talk on the phone for hours, even though we worked together. I don't know why I didn't just go down to her apartment. That seems odd now in hindsight.

Then Prudential got sold, Laurie got a job in Waterloo, I met Joe and the days at The Robin Hood were over. But they were good times.

Pink eye!!

Bah! Humbug! I have pink eye. Well, more like bright red devil eye. It started a little on Saturday with a blood-shot eye, then Sunday turned into full pink eye. I went to the doctor and have these eye drops. They are so thick, they are like a cream.

It looks just terrible. It does hurt a bit, mostly pressure.

I've been doing my best not to touch it, and I'm religious about hand washing so that I don't pass it on.

I'm looking forward to it getting better though.

Monday Craft Update

Okay week.

Knitting
Did about an inch on the baby blanket.

Cross-stitch
Snow family cross-stitch - did several hours.

Crochet
Nothing.

Photography / videography
Loaded up new pictures on the website.

Decluttering
Did about 30 minutes in the bedroom.

Knit Zebra

I mentioned in my craft updates that I had knit a zebra puppet. Here is what is looks like (I always like to take a picture of myself with it when I finish, so that when I look back 10 years from now, I can see how the boys aged me!).

It was a pretty fun project, quite easy. The zebra also has a mane. I guess I could do a solid colour and it would be a horse. Lana, do you think Marysa would like one?

The zebra is from my first knitting pattern that I ever bought, was this little Patons book called "Knit One, Purl too! 8 Fun projects for Beginners". I have made my first knitting project (the blanket for Oliver), and of course, my baby ball pattern is from here. It was the best $3.95 I spent on knitting (besides yarn and needles).

P.S. New pictures up on the website.

Happy Birthday Oliver!!

Today is Oliver's 3rd birthday!! My how time flies, from a newborn baby, to crawling, walking, talking and full out little boy.

We had his birthday party today. It was a lot of fun, semi-organized chaos is how I would describe it. Oliver said he liked it. There were 10 kids in total and 3 babies. We played old school games like Duck, Duck, Goose and truck racing.

Here is a look back over the years:

Birth:


6 months: 1 year:

2 years:


3 years: On his birthday with his new scooter!

Book Review: Who Moved my Blackberry(TM)?

This book is hilarious. It is written as a series of emails and takes about 4-5 hours to read. It follows the life of Martin Lukes for one year. He is a Vice-President of Marketing for some company (we never find out what they do). He is an utterly self-absorbed donkey, who brown noses his way through life, but yet manages to come out ahead.

I highly recommend it if you are looking for a light read about the corporate world, and corporate speech.

I'm smiling at you!

PS. He has his own column!

Monday Craft update

Not the greatest week, as went out Monday (to buy birthday supplies), Friday (with some girlfriends), Saturday (drinks with neighbours by the pool) and Sunday (was sick). Not sure if this will be a good week as I need to prepare things for Oliver's birthday.

Knitting
Nothing except continuing to teach Sofya.

Cross-stitch
Snow family cross-stitch - did several hours. I'm done the head of the snow kid, just need to do his (hers?) body and all the backstitching.

Crochet
Nothing.

Photography / videography
Nothing.

Decluttering
Nothing

Bored

I'm getting bored of my snow family cross-stitch, and I'm so near the end. I just need to finish the snow kid (and I've already done his head) and the backstitching. But I'm just bored. Maybe I'll work on the back stitching to break things up (I usually do it all at the end).

And it's not like I'm that bored of stitching. I'm thinking of other projects I want to do instead. Any one (except the TW Dragon.) will do.

Or maybe start the crochet Pooh Bear, so I have a chance of finishing it while at least one kid is small.

Any encouragement is welcome. I am really quite near the end, and would like to finish it before starting something new, since I didn't get it done in time for Christmas.

The best laid plans...

never turn out.

Tonight I went out for dinner with Jane and Annabelle. The plan was to go after Martin was asleep, usually around 7:30. But this week, his falling asleep time kept creeping back. He seems to be cluster feeding and sleeping for 20 minutes and then waking to feed, but fully asleep by 8:30/9:00 until 3:00 in the morning.

Well, tonight, at 9:00, he was fully awake. Joe graciously agreed to take him. He didn't fall asleep until 11:00!! He got vaccinations today so maybe that threw him off.

So I owe Joe big time. Should I let him buy the laptop or have him play a round of golf on a weekend day?

The Yarn Harlot

One of the blogs I read daily is The Yarn Harlot. She is a Canadian woman who is a Knitter. With a capital K.

She is a very good writer, and has written four books, the latest I just finished reading this week, called "Casts Off!", which is written like a travel book into the land of knitting.

It's funny how she describes a "knitting jag" which is when one knits something over and over again. For me, that has been the knit baby balls that I make. I've made them for pretty much everyone I know who has had a baby in the past 3 years. They are quick to make, easy and because I use different colours, not boring.

Here is Lana showing off the ball I knit for Marysa last year.

Diesel 10

Diesel 10, is a little used engine from the Land of Sodor. His chief features is that he is a diesel engine (who often doesn't get along with the "steamies") and he has a digger claw on top of him.

Well, he is Oliver's latest obsession. Oliver has been asking for him ever since he got his haircut before Christmas, and it came to a head on Sunday. We were at Toys 'R Us (TRU), and Oliver said he wanted Diesel 10. Well, they didn't have the wooden one. For some reason, Thomas toys are now both wooden and made of metal. But of course, the metal ones are slightly smaller (they are called "take along" but they are probably 98% of the size of the wooden ones) so they don't fit on the wood track. It is evil merchandising at its best. So then we went to the TRU at the Forum. But no luck. And no party supplies for Oliver's birthday either. Then we went to Better Toys, where Oliver on the drive kept saying in a pitiful voice "Diesel 10. Diesel 10. I want Diesel 10." But Better Toys didn't have it either.

So last night, Joe and I went to Vivo City to get the birthday party supplies, and yet again no Diesel 10. Now WE are starting to get obsessed about D10. We looked in the big sets to see if he was part of a set. We looked in the bookstore to see if there were any books with him in it. But no luck. This morning, Oliver woke up and came to our room. He stood at the door looking sad and said "Where is my Diesel 10?".

We started to understand where those parents who "over reacted" over Tickle Me Elmo, Cabbage Patch Dolls and other toys were coming from. But those parents didn't have the magic of the internet, so we will order it on the internet, have it sent to Grandma and Grandpa's and they can bring D10 to Oliver, and look like big heroes. Be warned though, Oliver might ask where D10 is before saying hi. Don't take offense.

2008 Craft List

Quick Monday update: finished knit zebra puppet for Martin, worked on baby blanket, and did a bit of cross-stitch on snow family.

I thought I would do my craft resolution list. I'll rank the projects by "likely to complete", "50/50 chance to complete", "little chance to complete" and "ha ha ha you a crazy lady".

Knitting

• Knit baby blanket for Martin (or someone else) - likely to complete
• Knit Toy, I don't have a specific one picked out - 50/50 chance to complete

Cross-stitch

• Snow family cross-stitch - likely to complete
• Teresa Welzer dragon, I doubt I'll work on this - ha ha ha you a crazy lady
• Sea Animals number sampler, I will pull this out again soon, and try to do a little each week. There isn't much to go, only about 25-30% to go. - 50/50 chance to complete
• Lightening McQueen cross-stitch for Oliver - 50/50 chance to complete
• Cross-stitch ornament for Paulina, as she is coming for Christmas this year - likely to complete
• Christmas stocking for Martin, I think this will take 2 years - little chance to complete

Crochet

• Crochet Pooh Bear - ha ha ha you a crazy lady

Photography / videography
I'm going to try and work on this one day a week.

• Website, I will keep if fairly up to date - likely to complete
• Videos, wonder how many I'll get done after the first one - 50/50 chance to complete

Decluttering
Now, this isn't a craft, but it does take away from my craft time. I really hope to do at least 30 minutes a week. I'd say it's a "little chance to complete", but if I have to report on it each week, maybe I'll do something out of guilt. Plus who knows what funny things I'll find. That might make it an interesting blog topic.

Hmm, after reviewing the list, I really should sign up for Paulina's 101 things in 1001 days, or whatever it is called. Well, time to get stitching!

Update on Oliver and Martin

Thought I'd do a quick update on the boys.

Oliver
Oliver is doing really well. Potty training is still pretty hit and miss, though the goal is to have him day trained by February 15th (the date Grandma and Grandpa arrive). Today started off well, as he said he wanted to wear underwear, and did pee in the potty, but asked for a diaper later to do number two and then stayed in a diaper reset of the day. I will admit I have resorted to bribery (using sweets) to get him to use the potty.

He is starting to lift his head when swimming, but his body needs to be more horizontal when he does it. It almost looks like he is treading water.
Martin
Continues to thrive on his all liquid diet. No formula in him yet! Though with the cost of pumping accessories (wipes and storage bags) I'm not convinced it's the cheaper method. Is more convenient though.

He is now rolling over from front to back and back to front, but hasn't done a full 360 at once. Partly due to the fact that he's mostly in his play gym and limited to how far he can roll. He also pivots on his belly.

He is a big flirt, and will smile at you and then look away, then look back with a big smile. Knock on wood, his night sleeping is getting better also.

We've also put him in the exersaucer, which he is loving. He is a very drooly baby and loves to suck on his hands (or yours if you let him).

He is the spitting image of Oliver though. Spooky really.

I've created monsters

Knitting monsters that is.

Sofya (aged 9) seems to be a true convert. We went shopping today for yarn and bought her own needles. She is diligently making a scarf for her teddy in stockinette stitch. Her form is improving. Though it's hard to say what she's done and her mom has done. But she really seems to love it. I hope it lasts for life for her.

Now, the boys are another matter. Lewis (aged 5) came by one night three times wanting to knit. Joe had to turn him away as we were putting the boys away. Today it was pouring rain, so they came over for a knit. He doesn't so much want to knit as have me knit a jumper for his teddy bear. Then Thibeault (aged 7) came also. He's the closest to actually learning.

What amazes me, is how much they want to say they want to do it. And they do persevere for about 15 minutes, but it's difficult to teach a class so big. Especially with trucks and trains around.

In other knitting news, I finished making a knit zebra puppet for Martin.

Expat Living

Today, my friend emailed me a link from the Wall Street Journal, an article called "The Expat Life" by Alan Paul. It exactly sums up our feelings about living abroad.

Hey, I just read that he moved for his wife's job as well - way to go Alan!!

THE EXPAT LIFE
By ALAN PAUL


ABOUT THE EXPAT LIFE

Follow the expat experiences of columnist Alan Paul and his family, who joined the growing ranks of Americans overseas when they moved from New Jersey to China for his wife's job. Alan writes about the challenges and rewards of moving across the globe and taking care of their three children in a different culture. As a senior editor at Guitar World for nearly 15 years, Alan has profiled musicians ranging from B.B. King to Metallica. The Pittsburgh native is also a senior writer at basketball magazine Slam.

Putting Privilege
Into Perspective
January 4, 2008

"THIS. IS. BORING!"

To make sure I got her point, four-year-old Anna flung herself upwards and landed hard back on my lap. We were crammed into the back seat of a cab, with her brothers Jacob and Eli next to us. Her mom -- my wife -- was seated in the front. She heard the outburst and looked back at me.

We exchanged a meaningful glance conveying concern, consternation and confusion about what to do next. It was hard for either of us to grasp how cruising through the French Concession, one of Shanghai's most fabled and beautiful, tree-lined neighborhoods, in search of a park wasn't exciting enough for our pint-sized adrenaline junkie.


How do you make children understand that the expat life -- and the oft-grandiose lifestyle that goes with it -- is not the norm? Share your thoughts.2

Each of the previous three nights had featured stimulating mega events: the Special Olympics opening ceremony, an acrobatics circus and the women's World Cup soccer finals. These thrilling experiences3 made the jaunt through the French Concession seem lame, and Anna wanted something more.

The moment encapsulated a concern I've had since moving to China -- that we are training our kids to expect too much of life with our new, internationally fabulous lifestyle, which includes both frequent travel and a day-to-day existence that is far more grandiose than our lives back in the U.S. or anything Rebecca or I experienced growing up (and it's not like either of us were deprived).

The fake rich lifestyle that we now enjoy includes daily household help, a large house in a gated community, not thinking twice before hiring a driver for the day and a general sense that access to anything is just a phone call away. I am particularly sensitive to this because one of the things I dislike most in a person is a sense of entitlement and I fear watching that grow in my children.

It's a fear I first had when we boarded the plane to move to Beijing from New Jersey. The sight of my three children sitting in oversized first-class seats both amused and horrified me. It was my first and last front-of-the-plane trip -- a fluke resulting from an airline promotion -- and it struck me that they were having this experience awfully early. I had to wait until I was almost 40 to fly first class, but Anna did it at two, her eldest brother at seven. And they haven't forgotten the experience; despite many subsequent coach trips, Jacob often asks, "Are we flying first class?" upon arriving at the airport. It's the type of comment that makes me wonder if their expectations are too high.

Many other expats wrestle with the same issues. "I'm constantly telling my kids, 'This is not normal, it's really special,'" says one Beijing neighbor, an Australian mother of three of my kids' schoolmates. "The problem is, I'm never quite sure how to really convey that, rather than just saying it."

An American friend stood by her side nodding in agreement. "This is something we all deal with," she said.

It is hard to convey the specialness, because this is normal for all of our fortunate kids. I still have that fall Shanghai trip on my mind, even as I am in the midst of another whirlwind journey through America. I don't think my kids will get too spoiled sleeping on relatives' couches and pullout beds, but trips like these are part of their nonstop exciting lives, filled with travel and possibilities. Beijing is where they live, Shanghai is just another place to visit.

We've vacationed throughout Asia, visiting Malaysia and Thailand, and places all over China, from Hong Kong with its shimmering skyline to the soaring mountains of Sichuan. These places continue to astound me every time I step off the plane or train. We've gone out of our way to make sure our kids feel the same sense of wonder by reading up, explaining places we visit and emphasizing what makes each location special. Sometimes it seems to take hold -- they grasped the amazement of feeding sea eagles in a Malaysian mangrove river and riding elephants through a Thai jungle. Other times they whined or begged to play Game Boys on the bus rather than visiting a Tibetan temple or taking in a stunning mountain vista.

When we were discussing whether to move to China a few years ago, I told Rebecca that we had reached a stage in life where we were unlikely to undertake a lot of ambitious travel in the near future without such a bold move. "We can go see China and these places now or wait until we're retired in 25 years," I said.

That desire to get out and see the world factored heavily into our decision to come here, and I think my instincts were spot-on. Hopefully, the travel has opened my kids' minds as much as it has mine, helping them understand that it's a huge, interconnected world, with an endless choice of places to go and people to meet.

I'm thrilled that my kids have a more international outlook and broader understanding of their place in the world than I had as a child. I just don't want them to think it's normal to bang around from one five-star Asian resort to another. These places tend to be much more affordable than they would be in North America, but they are still bastions of luxury.

The easy solution would be to slow down our traveling, but we have a limited window in Asia and fully intend to make the most of it. We try to balance cushier trips with rougher ones into the beautiful and often still-primitive Chinese interior, where we have visited villages and toured homes to see how millions of people live4.

Trips like that are a helpful reminder to all of us just how lucky we are and how unusual this lifestyle actually is. And that, whatever its flaws, IT'S. NEVER. BORING!

The cost of living

So living in Asia-Lite isn't as cheap as living in Asia-proper. Joe can tell you that the cost of electronics isn't as cheap as you would think, though he did get a good deal on an amplifier today.

My biggest pet peeves are the cost of lemon ice tea, called "iced lemon tea", photos and greeting cards.

I have paid as much as S$10 (C$6.95!!) for iced lemon tea and you don't even get refills. I usually only pay that much when I don't see the price before hand, or someone else is picking up the tab. I mean, it's cold water and tea bags, why does it cost so much?

I've been looking into getting a family photo done. All the packages are running at least S$300+ (C$ 210+). Superstore is C$60 and you get a ton of photos. Here the photos are almost like a wedding album. I don't want that, I want a couple of pictures to send to the grandparents and put in my wallet. I think I'll pick a nice day, we will dress up and ask the neighbour to take some pictures. Then when we are back in Canada, we will go to the Superstore.

The other thing is greeting cards. Don't worry, I got an excellent deal on the boxed cards I sent everyone (and thanks to everyone who sent a card back! I really appreciate it). I bought a thank you card today. The price printed on the back is US$ 1.99 or C$2.60. However, I paid S$5.70 (or C$3.69). I actually saw one card for S$7.90. I put that one back. Good thing I don't send cards often. And it's going to be less with those prices.

The first day of the new year

So, 2008 started off as many a non-work day in 2007 went.

Martin woke around 7:00am, full of smiles, he came into bed with us, and Oliver woke around 8:00. We all got up and Joe made us crepes for breakfast.

We then went to the zoo (out of the house by 10:00 - not bad, eh?). Didn't get rained on (which the skies were threatening to do all day, but if you stay home when you think it's going to rain, you'd never do anything). Saw the tortoises, elephants and Oliver played at the splash pad.

We then came home, watched a tape episode of Little Einstein's. Joe put Martin in the baby carrier for a nap and went upstairs to look for mini-vacation ideas to do with my parents. Oliver played with his trains, I pulled out my knitting. Sofya stopped by to see Martin, stayed to play with Oliver, but then wanted to learn to knit. She is a very eager and fast learner.

We then all went outside, Sofya and I bringing our knitting. Oh, and Oliver brought his knitting also, as he wanted to knit too. Then all the kids (which was 3 boys aged 5-7 and 1 girl aged 3) wanted to knit. So I had to go get more needles. The older kids were interested in it, for about 15 minutes, which is 14 more than I thought. Actually, Zach (who is 6) came running up at one point saying "Where's my knitting?", which is a phrase his mother never thought he'd say. Sofya kept at it though, and when one of the adults commented that knitting was boring, she said "Knitting is not boring, it's fun!". So hopefully I have a new convert.

Oliver went swimming in the small pool, I brought Martin in for bed (it's now around 6:30), we had a late dinner of leftovers, and Oliver is now being read stories by Joe (I've done my turn already).

Tonight will be Desperate Housewives and Amazing Race (which I taped yesterday) and knitting. All in all, a good start to the year.

Happy New Year!!! Wishing you must health and happiness!

2007 Craft Update

I thought I would do a year in review craft update. Next week, I'll do a 2008 to do list.

Knitting
I knit a hat for Brent. It was an enjoyable project, but I bought variegated yarn, which turned out to have a big pink stripe. Sorry Brent.

I knit a baby blanket for Lianne's daughter Sophia. That didn't turn out as planned either, as I was sold improper weight (and I don't check gauge on blankets), so it turned out quite small, so it became a car blanket. It was done in a nice blanketweave pattern, which I screwed up numerous times, but to the untrained eye, it looks quite nice.

I did not complete a blanket for Martin. It is a nice green blanket with cables, that I do enjoy, but now where I live and it's so hot, the blanket seems kind of pointless. I might finish it and give it away, but then I feel bad as it is for Martin.

I did finish about half a dozen knit baby balls. These are my signature baby gift. I also make the pumpkin of ineptitude this year for Halloween.

I completed making knit blocks for Martin. Luckily I was able to "borrow" some from Oliver, as I had made him the full alphabet and only had to do 3 more blocks.

I also started (this weekend) a knit zebra puppet for Martin, it is approximately 45% done.

Cross-stitch
I did do a lot this year.

I completed Martin's baby sampler. It was a dull and easy project.

For the first couple of months of the year I worked on the Teresa Welzer dragon. I also worked on this Sea Animals number sampler before we moved and have completed about 75% of it.

My most recent project is the Snow Family, which I did not finish in time for Christmas.

I did complete my cross-stitch ornament for Paulina in time for her to hang on the tree (I'm quite proud of that!).

Crochet
I don't think I did any this year. That's a shame.

Photography / videography
Well, this one is really more Joe. But he found a solution for us in Singapore and got a Joe and Jill website up and running again. He's now got it set up so that I don't have to rely on him to post up the pictures. I'm still behind on comments on the old website, not sure when (if) I'll get around to finishing it, but earlier in the year, I did make some progress.

As for videography, I didn't do anything this year, but still did take video. For Christmas, I got video editing software, all the videos are downstairs, and we have a new large hard drive. I no longer have any more excuses.

Websites

Joe has got the old website up and running again. It can be found here.

New pictures are up on the current website, and he's fixed it so that when I upload pictures, changes are made simultaneously. Now my only excuse will be Joe not loading the pictures off the camera (which he does whenever I ask).

A couple of Christmas pictures

Here we are in front of the Christmas Tree. Martin and I together are a dizzying pattern of red and white.

Oliver helping Martin open up his Christmas presents.

Joe said not to say anything, so don't tell him I said so, but I've loaded up new pictures, he just needs to sync. So check out the website over the next couple of days.

My belated Christmas gift to Joe

I have lost my voice. My throat doesn't really hurt, and I don't feel sick (well, no more sick than normal). I've just totally lost my voice.

To say the least, it was pretty quiet at work. It's hard to use the game of charades to act out the word "reserves".

The Little Monster

Oliver has lately been saying there are either monsters or ghosts in the house. Sometimes they are good monsters (or ghosts) and sometimes they are bad ones. If they are bad ones I say "Bad monster get out of my house!", and then the monster leaves.

However, there is a Little Monster who is Oliver's friend, and will sometimes have a bath with him. Last night, when Oliver went downstairs, the Little Monster went with him, and Oliver said that the Little Monster will hold his hand, and Oliver held onto the railing with one hand, and had the other hand out, like someone was holding it. It was really sweet.

Not sure how long this phase will last, but it sure is cute.

Christmas Day!!!

Well, Santa found us alright. We got up at 8:00 to see that Santa had brought us all presents. We opened our stockings and then had some waffles for breakfast. Keeping an eye on the time, we did a call to Paulina's before Kate had to go to bed, and then did a conference call with Mom and Dad on the new web camera Joe bought, just for Mom, as he said. He set it up yesterday downstairs so now we can do calls from the sofa. The conference call had the usual hiccups (I can see you but I can't hear you, can you hear me, etc).

Oliver started saying he wanted to open more presents. So we had to go, and then we opened up the rest of the presents. Oliver is really happy with his gifts, particularly, the airport set from his grandparents.

For dinner we had our friends, Gary, Linda and Adam, our Canadian friends that we met in The Bahamas, and Mark, Mel and their baby William. I "picked up" Mel(anie) at lunch one day when we were both pregnant. William is about a month older than Martin. We ordered in food from Mr. Hoe, and bought a turkey, ham, the whole fixin's. It was quite good.

Everyone had a real nice time.

Christmas Eve

Well, the boys are both tucked into bed, but I doubt images of sugar plums are dancing through their heads, as neither one knows what a sugar plum is. Actually, come to think of it, neither do I.

We have left out milk & cookies for Santa, and sprinkled down oats for his reindeer. I think he should be able to find us.

Merry Christmas everyone!!!!

Monday Craft Update

Since Paulina has now received the gift, here is the ornament I made her this year. It is from a Cross-Stitch Christmas ornament magazine, and is called "Victorian Lace Snowflake" from Karen at Rosewood Cross-stitch. I changed the colours though, and used some linen fabric Paulina had given me, and used the silk thread that I bought in China (on a trip with Paulina). I picked the Victorian design in honour of her trip to England this year.

To tell you the truth, it was a real pain in the butt to stitch. The silk and metallic thread did not go well together, and I had to keep using shorter and shorter pieces. There are also a lot of beads in the design, which anyone who has stitched with beads can tell you, they are a pain.

But the finished product is quite nice, and Paulina said she liked it, so there you go.

Knitting
Stuffed knit baby balls.

Cross-stitch
Finished the "Dad" of the snow family. Have one child left to do, plus the backstitching. I think I will display it on Christmas day anyways.

Photography
Nothing.

Christmas to-do list:

• Finish cross-stitch Christmas picture and get framed - ha ha ha
  
• Buy gifts:
• On-line - 100% done.
  
• Oliver, Martin, Joe - 100% done
  
• Wrap present - 100% done

Next week, the year in review.

Fun day!

We had a very fun day today.

I woke to hearing sounds downstairs. As first, in my morning fog, I thought I was the workmen working on our front door (it is being replaced), then I thought it was Basil cleaning up, but I remembered it was Sunday. So Joe went down to investigate. It was Oliver, for the first time, going downstairs to play while waiting for us.

It was beautiful in the morning, so Oliver, Martin and I went outside to play with Oliver's new remote control car. The weather was so nice, Oliver went swimming. Martin and I watched as Oliver played with the other kids in the pool. Joe prepared a dip for a party in the afternoon.

At 2:00, after Martin's big nap (he missed his morning one), we went to the party hosted by our friends Jane & Serge. It was a very nice time, three families from the complex were there. Joe's dip was a hit (of course), and chili con carne was served. As well as cheesecake. Then it started raining. Or as the Brits like to say "the rain was chucking down". A very appropriate phrase I think. So we all went to one house, to hide from the rain.

At some point, I took Martin home for his afternoon nap, and about 20 minutes later, I had almost all the kids from the party at my house (the only ones missing were Oliver and one other). Then the kids went over to another family's house (who was included in the party) for some dinner.

It was a lot of fun, and I have a very nice feeling of community there.

I don't think that Christmas

is good for the environment. Think about it. The consumerism. The wrapping paper. Seriously, $10 for wrapping paper that you end up throwing away. Similarly with Christmas cards (though it's nice to know someone is thinking of you).

But just the mass consumerism is overwhelming. But at the same time, the urge to buy Oliver (and Martin - though he doesn't ask for much) is overwhelming too. It's not like we can't afford it, but does he really need it all? Of course not. But it's still pretty packed under the tree right now.

Oliver's School Concert

Oliver's school had a graduation ceremony for the kids finishing kindergarten this year. It was super cute. One of the perks of being a parent.

They had the different classes sing to different songs, and one of the kindergarten class did a skit of the Wolf and the Seven Kids. They couldn't say a line without giggling madly, as the microphone made their voices funny to them.

Oliver's group "sang" "If you are happy and you know it". They had the boys dressed up in overalls and shirts, and the girls were in pretty white dresses. Oliver did great, I saw that he was singing (they had the song piped in over the loudspeaker) and he did the actions. He also remembered to do the bow at the end.

Unfortunately, due to the lighting, Joe didn't get a good picture. And unfortunately, due to my ineptness I didn't get video (yes I'm totally kicking myself over it).

Martha has got nothing on me

in terms of making sugar cookies. I decided it would be fun for Oliver and I to do it, and then we could decorate it. So I looked up a recipe for sugar cookies. You have to chill the dough, so I decided to make up the dough last night. It went well, except the minor hitch that we are out of vanilla, but I was able to borrow some. The mixing was fine, except it was very pilly. Then I realized that I added only 3 teaspoons of milk and not tablespoons. But I fixed it up, and put it in the fridge to chill.

Today, Oliver and I started making the cookies. The dough was really tough to roll as it was cold, and then it got really really sticky. So I added more flour. But didn't really help. So I got it flat enough, and we stuck in a shape. And then we couldn't get the cookie onto the cookie sheet without basically wrecking the cookie. (I think it was the heat and humidity in the kitchen. There is no air conditioning there). So I gave up and said, let's make silly shapes. Here they are pre-cooking.

Here is how they look post cooking and post decorating:
I wish. Here they are (they also broke during decorating):
At least they taste okay. And Oliver had fun.

Happy Birthday Lana!!!!

Today is Lana's birthday. She will not be aging however, as I have decided not to age, so to maintain our 2 year gap that we have most of the time, Happy 33rd Birthday! Again!!

What to say about Lana Banana... what to say......

You know, having a little sister at times was a real pain. And at other times is was very convenient.

She would be slow at her turns at board games, but she was the same size as me, so we could share clothes. Although, we didn't share shoes, as she claims I would "stretch" them out.

She would always want to use the yellow Tupperware cup (don't you know milk tastes better out of it) but would go on "It's a Small World" at WDW when no one else would. Mind you, I did do the roller coasters, so we are probably even.

A nice thing about having a sister, is that you have a built in friend (when you know, cooler people (aka Lianne) weren't around). It's very handy having a sibling. Have someone to blame the broken tape measure on. Have someone to come and thumb wrestle in the dark with. Someone who isn't going to tease you about head gear, since they have to have the same (I hope you are saving for orthodontic bills, like I am). Someone to remember what living in Calgary was like (and apparently Saskatoon, though I don't remember).

Of course, no one can bug me like Lana. She can actually just look at me funny, and we are back to being 12 and 10. And just annoying the heck out of each other. But we always come back for more. That's the power of being a sister.

Unfortunately, Lana did not continue on her earlier journey of following me around (KFC, UoW) so I don't really know her as well today as I used to. I don't experience on a daily (or even monthly) basis her life now as a mother. But I know she is a good one (we had a pretty good role model) because she has the soul of a mother.

Lana, I don't think I've ever said this. And frankly, I probably won't. (Darned suppressed emotions, it's so much easier to do this in writing then in person - you know, when you are looking at me). I love you. I'm proud that you are my sister. I'm sorry I wasn't there last year.

Okay, now I'm crying.

Happy Birthday Lana!!!

Second kid blues

So it turns out Lana is right (and see I'm admitting it before her big birthday blog!). It does suck to be the second kid. The only new things Martin gets are diapers, bath water and milk. Oh and I bought him a sling. His only new outfits have been gifts (except the one or two I bought) and he has virtually no new toys.

We were shopping for Christmas gifts. There are no new toys to buy him. Oliver pretty much had them all. Now, yes, Oliver is a bit spoiled, but to be fair, there are about only 5 or 6 different types of toys for kids under a year old, they are all variation on a theme.

So for Christmas, I've decided to buy him new book (can never have too many, plus I wouldn't mind reading some different stories) and some new clothes. So that when we look back at the pictures, we can tell him apart from Oliver.

Poor Martin. Don't worry. Auntie Lana has made it her personal mission to spoil you.

Monday Craft update

Knitting
Completed knitting Martin's ball. I have 2 balls to stuff

Cross-stitch
Did about 3 hours on the snow family. I went to bed a couple of nights early as I was so tired.

Photography
Nothing.

Christmas to-do list:

• Finish cross-stitch Christmas picture and get framed - ha ha ha
  
• Buy gifts:
• On-line - 90% done.
  
• Oliver, Martin, Joe - about 70% done
  
• Wrap present - about 0% done
  

Santa Claus

In honour of our Canadian roots, I like to get a picture of Oliver (and now Martin) a picture with Santa Claus each year. In 2005, we went to the Mall at Marathon in Nassau. Last year, we went to Grant Park Mall.

In Canada (and the Bahamas), Santa has a large throne to sit on, and you have to pay to get a picture printed.

So, I've been looking around the malls in Singapore, for Santa's throne. There never were any, even though there are tons of Christmas displays. But Tanglin Mall has Santa this weekend (including an avalanche!?!?!), so we decided to go there to get our picture taken. We wander around looking for Santa's throne. Can't find it, so we ask information. Santa will just walk around the mall, and if you want your picture with him, you need to bring your own camera.

So Santa came. I ended up in the picture holding Martin (whose bib I forgot to take off), Oliver is busy unwrapping his lollipop (they don't even give out candy canes, for heaven's sake!) and not looking up, and I look terrible. Where is this wonderful picture you ask? Still on the camera card. I'll see if I post it for public view.

A very anti-climatic, disappointing visit.

Singapore Duck Tour

Today was a nice day weather wise in the morning (it's raining now, of course), but we are a little tired of going to the zoo, so Joe suggested we do the Duck Tour. It was a lot of fun.

We made our way to Suntec City, which is huge by the way, finally found the place, and got our tickets for the 11:00 tour. So we walked around Suntec, and guess what we found. A Roots store! Yes, the Canadian Roots store. Who knew that it was in Singapore?!?!? I didn't.

The tour was nice. We got 30% off as we are Singapore residents, so if you want to do it, say you live here. The car/boat goes into the river and we get some very nice views of downtown and the Merlion. It then does a little tour on land around the parliament and court buildings. It lasts about an hour in total.

We then went to Tony Roma's for lunch, as Joe was "sick of Asian and Italian food". Go figure.

Things I miss

I'm just feeling a bit homesick this holiday season, missing everyone. But besides the people, there are a lot of things that I miss also. Like:

• Crest toothpaste. I've used Crest my entire life. Turns out P&G does not distribute Crest to Asia. Why? I don't know. Everyone has teeth here. So now I use Sensodyne, as that is what Joe buys.
• Honeynut Cheerios. They have every type of Cheerios here, except the Honeynut. Which everyone knows is the best one. It would be intermittent in Nassau, and when it would show up you would buy a whole bunch. True story. Someone was talking to the manager of the grocery store, and he said he didn't like to buy Honeynut Cheerios for the store because it would sell to fast and they would have to restock it. Yes, that's logic for you. Why stock a product that sells well?
• Alberto Extra Hold Hairspray. I'm beginning to think that only Caucasian people use hairspray. Hairspray was hard to find in Nassau, and it's hard to find here. That one, is my favorite kind, and no one stocks it. So I'm using L'Oreal Extra Hold, but it leaves my hair quite crunchy. And no, I can't give up the hairspray. I am a gal from the '80s after all.
• Maple syrup & brown sugar Quaker Instant Oatmeal. I had it in Nassau, but they don't seem to care too many hot cereals here. Probably because it is always hot here.
• Weather. Sunshine. I miss the weather of Nassau. That was a beautiful climate. I do not miss the weather of Winnipeg.
• Sleep. Sure it's not a "thing" you can buy at the store. But I haven't slept more than 3 - 3.5 hours in a row since Martin was born. I'm tired.
  

You thought I would say maple syrup as well, didn't you? Luckily, I have never run out, as I always make guests or people returning from Canada bring me some. That one is too important to not miss it.

Go see other blogs.

I'm feeling lazy today. Go check out Paulina's blog (which I spelled as glob twice! Dyslexia is finally kicking in. Yet I can spell dyslexia...) and Joe has a new blog!! Or his will be up in a couple of minutes once he is finished.