Chinese New Year

I love the orange trees that fill Singapore for Chinese New Year.

They tell me the Chinese word for 'orange' sounds like the Chinese word for 'gold'. So these are especially lucky and traditional for Chinese New Year.

I love that my boys need to wear Chinese clothes to school for Chinese New Year.

I love the red lanterns

and the willow branches

and the hung bao.

These are the red envelopes that are given to children with money inside for Chinese New Year.

I love going down to Chinatown with Dave

and eating at the Noodle Man's shop. He makes his noodles by hand. and the dumplings. and they are yummy. He's famous. The walls are covered with articles and pictures of him with his customers. I must get my picture with him. Its on my Singapore tourist list. But this night he was too busy.

and my absolute favorite is the shaved ice desserts! SO GOOD! This is a shop in Chinatown that was new to us. Fresh mangoes and strawberries, little bubbles of flavor. Perfect.

New Year's Eve

Happy New Year!!

We spent New Year's Eve with some great friends, by the pool eating Asian BBQ and Australian rumblers. The kids ran around playing games and when it got dark we drank our bubbly drinks and set off party poppers and sparklers. It was a blast. Thanks Kristy!

This is our 3rd New Year's in Singapore and I feel like I'm starting to forget what is normal. Didn't you eat Asian BBQ and rumblers by the pool on New Year's? Doesn't everyone?

I say things like air con and trolley and car park. I tell my kids to get in the lift and ask the taxi uncle to open the boot. If I didn't no one would understand me.  I was going through files the other day and came across a 8.5 x 11" sheet of paper - 'Why is it so short?' I thought.

I made a new friend. American and new to Singapore. I took her to the grocery store and around the fresh markets. She was like 'Wow!' and 'What is that?!' and 'How much?!' And I was like 'Oh yeah...'

It was good to see it through someone else's eyes. Someone fresh out of jet lag.

I'm glad I'm used to some things. It makes Saturday crowds and taxi rides SO much easier. There are so many things that don't stress me out anymore. I don't even blink. But I don't want to get used to every thing. I don't want to forget how cool dragon fruit looks and how pretty Indian saris are.

So... here are my 2012 New Year's Resolutions

1. Document this Singapore life better. the routines. the culture shock. An extra blog post here and there.

and

2. Learn how to use the manual setting on my camera (but that's a different story).

*

I woke up that morning thinking of this tiny babe.
Like most mornings. Feeling the flutters. So much better than the nausea. 
But this day we'll become a little closer. Get to know baby a little better.
Blue or pink? 
The boys were supposed to both go to school.
But I could tell they needed to come with us.
"Are all of you coming in?" asked the ultra sound tech. It was a tiny room.
"Yes please!" we said. 3 extra stools were found and all the boys piled in next to me.
Low lights,
cold gel,
the glow of the screen,
beeping and that amazing "whoosh whoosh" of a heart beat.
The tech got straight to business.
Girl
Are you sure?
Yes. She's a girl.
Girl
Gril
Girl
We're having a girl.
Gage was so happy. He had to give out hugs and kisses. Couldn't keep it in.
"Now we can call her 'mei mei' " says Noah. Just like our friends call their little sisters.
You know how the rest of the ultrasound goes, checking femur lengths and head circumference. Making sure everything is good and healthy.
We got lunch to celebrate - Burger King for Dave and the boys, turkey with brie and cranberry from Cedele for me. Maybe she'll like brie? I thought.
Girl
Girl
Girl
We're having a girl.

iFLY

For Christmas the boys and I gave Dave 2 flights at Singapore's simulated sky diving place, iFLY.

Dave was so excited.

There's a big fan underneath them blowing enough air upwards to keep him 'airborne'.

With a tweak of his abs or arms he could move around. There were a lot of crashes and barrel rolls into the glass by the other divers.

But Dave was pretty good at it. Once he learned how to stay level, his 'flight instructor' said he'd show him how to go higher. And he sure did! Dave loved it.

We spent the rest of the afternoon on Sentosa's beach eating noodles and digging holes.