A slow day...

Unfortunately, Juliana woke up with a very high temperature this morning, so it completely changed our plans for the day. We were supposed to go to the Zoo with friends, but she was absolutely miserable and on fire. So, we did the normal routine...cool bath, temperature medicine and lots of rest. It took a few hours, but she got back all her energy!!

I also just wanted to share the latest hairdo, since it's super cute!

...and then off to SAFRA

We went to SAFRA and got our tickets to the Kid Amaze. Felt like a little bit of a waste, but at least she had SOME fun. Juliana is still afraid of the loud noises that the ball machines make, so she doesn't even want to go into the big play area. So here she is in the toddler area on the duck. She was saying "Quack quack," which was really cute.
It was a bit of an effort, but we did manage to get her up to the slide, which she enjoyed.

Off to the miniature pond with a stone walkway. There's a sitting area at the end of the walkway...Next up was the pool!!

Sitting on the lizard...

Juliana wanted to be the Lifeguard for the day!!!!Just chilling out in the water!

Checking out the lizard pool first...

Then she decided to attempt to climb into the pool, but she never actually made it. Good effort though!!

Hehe, this was the rinse off shower, but Jean pressed the button and she got splashed. Not that she minded. She still loves water!!

Swimming didn't last as long as normal...she's a bit weary of water lately and I'm not too sure why yet. But after getting all dried off and back into her clothes, she wanted to head back to the pond before getting some dinner.

It was a nice afternoon. Juliana enjoyed her time at SAFRA, but I think I need to start bringing her to the pool a lot more often to build up her interest and courage again! She used to be such a little fish, but her interest in water has dwindled a but. Guess I got some work to do on that!

Hanging out at home...

This morning started with some painting, including sponges this time!! All different shapes...heart, star, flower, circle, etc. She seemed to be enjoying it, especially considering the book she was painting in was Dora!! She also made a card to send to Nana and Nanny :-)
After nap time, it was time to get ready to head over to SAFRA. Doesn't she look so cute in this monkey outfit?!?!
I feel like this face means, "Seriously, another picture??" Yup, I just can't get enough of them!

Ah, another day...

Here she is, working hard...

Then daddy gets home and she's hardly working!
I adore those smiles!!

A flashback from Saturday night

Camille had this picture on her blog, but I loved the picture so much and wanted to share it too. Thanks Camille!!

Monday & Tuesday fun!

Lately, Juliana has started to wear her hats...yay!! We have lots of them and up until about a week ago, she refused to have any type of hat on her head. Now, she grabs one on the way out the door at times and looks absolutely adorable!
Monday box!! The counting monkeys with their cups is such a great idea. We got to work on courting and colors.
She seemed a bit confused still with Mr. Potato Head!

This morning: Smile for the camera!
Here's the items from her Tuesday box. The peg board was a hit...

She lost interest in the cards fairly quickly, but got some correct first. We'll just try it again next week! Below, she is putting together the "toes" label with the picture...Working on one of her preschool workbooks...Dora of course!!

Before lunch today, I took Juliana down to the pool for a swim, but she ended up wanting to spend her time at the playground instead. But she still kept the goggles on for a little bit. She enjoyed throwing the tennis ball down the slide, going to get it and then starting all over again. I think she must have climbed up about a dozen times just to watch the ball roll down the slide!!! And if it rolled too far away, she would say, "Uh oh!"

She's become such a great little climber!

Hope to get some pool time in this week at some point, but we'll see!

Some things to miss...

Now, here are some of the things I miss from back in the U.S.:

1. MY FAMILY
2. My friends, especially Juliana's play mate, Kali (OK, we miss their parents too :-)
3. Not being able to have met and held my niece that was born in December and see how parenthood has changed her parents
4. My car
5. Knowing where everything in the town and/or city is
6. Grocery shopping for 1-2 weeks at a time
7. Trips to Sam's Club or BJ's to stock up on the essentials, limiting the amount of trips
8. THE FOOD!! Especially the restaurants, such as The Phonecian, La Caretta, The Common Man, Longhorn, Pizzico, San Francisco's Kitchen, Martha's, and the list could go on and on
9. My family doctor (and friend) to consult with all my questions (I think I annoy her :-)
10. NOT being the minority, so there aren't any stares for the "white" people
11. Getting ready to go out without dying of heat!!
12. SOme cool weather...like a nice spring day with a cool breeze once in a while would be wonderful!
13. Drive through Dunkin Donuts
14. Cheaper alcohol

...and so many more little things that come to mind at random moments during the day. But Singapore is wonderful, family friendly and providing opportunities for us we could have never imaged!

Some things to love...

Here's some things that I LOVE about Singapore:

1. The pediatrician calls me about 2-3 days after I've been in the office to check up on how Juliana is doing
2. There are TONS of restaurants
3. Lots of opportunities for Juliana to try new things, classes and meet friends
4. When it rains, it never lasts for more than an hour, maybe two, if that
5. Sun showers!
6. You can get from one side of the island to the other on the MRT for a couple bucks
7. We've been here 1o months and have barely put a dent in what there is to do
8. It's easy to immerse yourself in several cultures at once Americans or Caucasians are the minority (this may end up on my con list too, but we'll see)
9. Great new friends
10. A chance to share all of our experiences with friends and family in our home countries through skype, blogs and e-mail
11. Live-in maids....Oh, I love Jean so much!
12. There's a store and hawker centers within walking distance pretty much wherever you are on the island
13. It's so close to Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, China, etc., thus lots of chance to travel

Some Sunday fun

Unfortunately, Jacob had to work all weekend, both Saturday and Sunday, so family time was a bit limited. Working from home is not easy for him, because Juliana is a constant distraction!! I think it takes him twice as long to get something done when she's around. They did steal a few moments this afternoon to have some fun though!

She decided to climb into the drawer this time to get her toys. Oh boy, she's all over the place lately!

Flash cards with daddy. These were "Outdoor" words with Dora and all her friends, so they were a big hit!
Time for some painting...

Since our family time can be limited at times, it's always extra special and enjoyable.

On another note, as Jacob and I were looking at Juliana with her cute little pony tail on the top of her head, we couldn't help notice the striking resemblance to Pebbles Flinstone!! Just add the bone and Juliana would be all set!

Have a good week everyone!

Flashback to the 4th

I never got around to sharing this picture from the Fourth of July celebration that we attended. Their was some people going around, taking pictures for free and here is ours!! It was moments before the fireworks began and we made a very quick exit...Juliana did not handle them well!
Anyway, a bit late, but I wanted to share.

A night out with friends

Last night, we had plans for dinner and a comedy show with some friends. Jacob and I left a little early to walk around Robertson Quay since we've never been before and it was beautiful!
Gotta share some information for those interested:
Robertson Quay is considered to be a bit more relaxed than Clark Quay, offering yet another area packed with restaurants and entertainment. The crowds are usually not as large as Clark and Boat Quay, making it a more tranquil setting for a night out. According to Uniquely Singapore, the area used to be the site for merchants’ offices, warehouses and jetties, where they would facilitate the loading and unloading of goods.

The picture below was at the center of the Quay. There was a Wine & Jazz festival going on, so it was crowded with a lot going on. I loved this picture with the Robertson Walk bridge in the background.

We took a walk along the water front...

Then grabbed a drink while waiting for dinner time.

The choice of restaurant was Boomerangs and it was pretty good, but the company was much better!! I tend to struggle with being social by nature, but this group of people make me feel very comfortable and it was an enjoyable evening.

So here's all the couples. This is Gillian and Jamey (caught him with his eyes closed though!)...

Blake and Camille...

Jennifer and Toby...

Jennifer and Justin...

The whole group!

Had to get a picture of Jenn's choice of meal...lobster, the restaurant's special of the day!Here's the up close picture of Singapore's version of "lazy man's lobster." Not even close to the lobster we're used to back in New England!!

After dinner, it was off to the show!

Here we are, waiting for the show to begin!
Since we were in the front row, everyone was prepared for the possibility of becoming a target. It ended up being Camille that got snatched out from the audience to get up on stage and be picked on! All in good fun and brought lots of laughs!!

After the show, we stopped to have a night cap and dessert. It was a great evening with wonderful company, lots of laughs, and good conversation. I'm looking forward to more "adult" nights out without the kids :-) Hey, we need breaks now and then!!