Happy Mother's Day

Universal Studios

Singapore recently opened a Universal Studios. And thanks to some lovely friends, we spent the afternoon with Alex the lion, Marty the zebra, Shrek, and the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park.

Not everything is open yet, but most of the kid rides were ready so it was perfect for us. Although I did see David eyeing that Battlestar Gallactica corkscrew loop de loop craziness pretty fierce.

And who knew these little boys would love roller coasters? After 3 times in a row I had to herd them to calmer castles.

Noah keeps the map in his room. Even read it for a bedtime story a couple of nights. He can't wait to go back.

Mt. Faber Park

Last weekend we took a taxi to the top of Mt. Faber at Telok Blangah Hill Park and then 'hiked' down the Forest Walk.

The walkway was like a race track for these two boys. Perfect, says Mama. There are places where you can take stairs down the the Earth Trail if you feel like doing some real hiking. But running down these tracks was perfect for us. Only stop to sip Daddy's camelback, spy a bird, or eat some gummies on a bench.

Can you find Gage? Can you find Noah?

This weekend we took a bus and then a taxi to the top of Mt. Faber again, and then 'hiked' the opposite way to the Hendersen Waves - a very neat bridge that looks like a wave.

If the bus has a 2nd story - than you know we're riding on the top. The boys love it. Same goes for David.

We pass through a garden on the way to the bridge, there's Tai Chi going on at the top of the hill. Bring your own boom box style. Can these really be the same bougainvillea flowers we have on our balcony?

Gage and Noah race across the bridge but stop at each wave to climb up and slide down.

This is the view from the bridge and a typical Singapore sight. All those buildings and trees.

A Choice

I went to a movie and lunch with a friend at a very fancy mall on Orchard Rd. It was a Saturday so I had to stand in a long long line to use the restroom.

I didn't realize which toilet I was getting until I had latched myself into the stall.

These Squatty Potties are not new to me. They're everywhere. Even in the restroom right next door to Prada handbags and Louis Vuitton. But I usually avoid them. At all costs. This one is actually at Mt. Faber Park so imagine this, only fancy. If you can.

But here am I. Where I do not want to be. Do I get out and ask the next woman to trade with me? Would she even understand? Do I give it a try? I definitely don't stand in line again.

What would you do?

the view from where I sit

an afternoon at Pasir Ris

The best decision I made all week was to go to this park.

With no napping happening in the afternoon and Daddy away for a week, a long afternoon outing is just the thing. As well as banana pancakes for dinner.

It was shady. Breezy. And we had it all to ourselves.

Even with the breeze, that afternoon was VERY hot and humid. After the kids drank all their juice, and their water, and all of mine, we headed down to the vending machine. With one Kickapoo Joy Juice, and two Milos we found our way to a bench down by the water.

The three of us had a seat and told funny jokes. The more ridiculous and nonsensical the louder the laugh. "Why did the chicken cross the road?" "There was a banana on his head!" Then they started telling superhero stories complete with exploding sound effects. Which of course they can both do perfectly, while my helicopter still sounds a lot like my rocket launch.

Daddy gets home tonight from a week in the U.S. We can't wait to have him back. He's bringing along 2 boxes worth of Amazon and Costco goods that we've been missing.

And he makes the best exploding building noise.

Easter

We planted the wheat grass the weekend before. I didn't think it was going to make it. The boys loved filling up the buckets with dirt and checking them everyday for sprouts. They even liked blowing hte yoke out of the eggs (I didn't expect that) which we hid inside. We used quail eggs. You know, because they're cheaper than white eggs around here. What I really want to know is - what laid the big black ones I see at the market? We did not use those.

Saturday was Heiferlumpa. Great name, ya? My two favorite Sg friends put together an Easter brunch, egg hunt and also raised money for heifer.org.

Can you tell how excited Noah was? He ran around with half his candy in his mouth and the other half melting in his basket. We forgot the chocolates would be so melty - this being the boys' first egg hunt not in the snow.

Little Gage would pick up one egg, plop himself down, open the egg, eat the sweets and then get back up to find the next one.

Easter Sunday the boys found their hidden baskets, we ate our Hootenanny for breakfast, and had a wonderful day at church. Then a BBQ dinner with friends, absolutely lovely.

Some of our traditions needed tweaking - chicken and shrimp satay for dinner instead of ham and potatoes (no potatoe casserole ingredients to be found, and do you know how much a ham costs?!), strawberry gummies and chocolate pocky in the baskets instead of peanut butter cups or robin eggs (again, do you know how much imported Easter candy costs?!) I did however buy a tiny tiny bag of Cadbury mini eggs for a fortune and enjoyed every. single. bite. And I was so grateful my generous friend had brought 2 grocery bags full of plastic eggs with her to Singapore. Because those are nowhere to be seen.

Update: 5 days after Easter I found a bag of 6 small plastic eggs for $6.50. On clearance.

But our most important traditions needed no tweaking. All week we sang, read, watched, colored, and talked about the resurrection of Christ and how that changes our lives. The boys love our collection of pieces that represent the story and wanted to do it again and again. And that is what I hope they'll remember about Easter.