Marina Bay Sands Skypark

On Saturday, we took a cab down to the new casino, Marina Bay Sands. We had the most fabulous weather that day. There was a breeze, and it actually felt cool. (Cool was probably 80-something degrees. We are going to freeze when we get back to Chicago!)

We weren't able to go into the casino with Brandon, so we just walked around the mall area outside. The mall is full of high end stores. We also saw the sampans, the Chinese wooden boats that you can ride on the indoor canal. Reminded me of the gondolas at the Venetian in Las Vegas.

Highlight of our Marina Bay Sands visit was the Skypark. The Skypark is the boat-looking structure located 200 meters in the sky on top of the three Marina Bay Sands hotel towers. The Skypark is longer than the Eiffel Tower is long!

The panoramic views of the city were amazing!

Although we weren't allowed in the pool, we were also able to see the hotel's swimming pool, the world's largest outdoor swimming pool at this height. So spectacular. The pool appeared to be on the edge of the Skypark; the water appeared to run over the side of the building. You can stay in the hotel for one night for about $300. Wow.

The rest of our weekend consisted of a doctor's appointment, a visit to the Forum, church, and hanging out with some friends.

On Sunday night, we went down to a neighbor's apartment. I met Christine in the elevator one day. She and Liam have a daugther, Lily, who is almost 18 months. They invited us down on Sunday night for a drink. We had a great time getting to know our new friends. They have only been in SG for a couple of weeks, and they will be moving to a new aparment later in the week. They are from Ireland and will be staying here in Singapore for two years.

We also found out that Christine is originally from Oregon and is also a math teacher. Even though they plan to leave our apartment building, we are going to stay in touch and continue to get together over the next two months while we are here. We have met and continue to meet so many wonderful people here!

Bye Bye Grandmas

When I woke up on Monday morning, it was so quiet and lonely! I can't believe that the grandmas are already gone. So sad. We miss them so much!

Brandon looked for his grandmas when he woke up. "Do?" I reminded him that they had to go "bye bye". He seemed to understand, but he was a little clingy to me. Maybe he was lonely.

I was so happy to have a Monday morning playgroup. It was so strange and quiet at home, and I needed something to keep me busy.

Jasmine, Trang, and Trudy at Debbie's house.

















Brandon was so fascinated with Debbie's dog. He was also finally brave enough to touch the dog. He patted and chased the dog. Brandon and the dog fought over balls. Brandon didn't quite understand that the dog wanted to play with him. Rather, he saw the dog as a threat to his toys. What is Brandon going to do when his new little brother or sister takes his toys??? I think Brandon was more interested in playing with the dog than his friends. He loves animals!

Brandon's friend, Cheng-Hoon.

The rest of the week involved a couple of trips to Royce Gym and a trip to the Forum.

On Friday, our playgroup met at Fidgets. Unfortunately, only three of us showed up. I don't know if it's because people are traveling or having company, but our Friday group is dwindling. I hope it picks back up. This playgroup has been a lifesaver to me here in SG.

Friday afternoon, I walked to 313 Somerset with Jo, Stella, and Sam. Jo showed me that there is a small covered, outdoor play area there. I didn't know! Always nice to find another play option!

Brandon, Stella, and Sam played in the play area, and then they played some chess.

We had a nice week. It is hard to believe that we will be leaving Singapore in two months. While I am looking forward to our return to Chicago, this has been an invaluable life-changing experience. So happy that we have had the chance to experience this.

So, I've decided to blog less frequently for the rest of our Singapore trip. We have been here for four months now. We are settling in and are less like tourists than we were for the first few months. Plus, Mommy is growing a baby. More sleep, please! :)

Last Two Days

On Saturday, we took a walk to the Orchard Ion. Brandon was attacked again by the paparazzi. Peace!

We walked down Orchard Road to 313 Somerset, and then back home to the apartment.

Saturday evening we went out to dinner, and then Steven and I took off for a date. Yay!!! The grandmas put Brandon to bed, so we really felt like we got a break! We took a cab to the Night Safari, located at the zoo. We didn't know what to expect. I had heard missed reviews. I kind of expected to just ride a tram through the zoo at night. However, the Night Safari was a whole new area. We first walked through part of the "jungle". There were small trails, the lights were dimmed, and there was distance between the exhibits. It felt very natural and not very zoo-like. Our favorite part of this walk was the bat cage. This was a large aviary with free-flying bats and flying foxes. Creeped me out a bit as the animals were flying all around and so close to us! Even though the Night Safari was packed with people, the trails were open, and the jungle felt quiet. The most popular part of the Night Safari was the tram ride. We bought tickets for the ride but decided to do it after the walk as the line was so long. The line had shortened by the time we were ready for our safari ride. The 45 minute safari was great! We saw elephants, lions, giraffes, and more. For part of the ride, animals were free and some even came up to the tram. For example, large tapirs were only a couple of feet away from the tram as we slowly passed. We are so glad that we experienced the Night Safari!

Sunday was our last day with the grandmas. We walked along the quays to Boomerang and had a nice brunch. We kept Brandon entertained with Mommy's sunglasses.

In the late afternoon, we walked to 313 Somerset so Steven could visit QB House for a haircut, and then we got some Din Tai Fung take away. The grandmas had to experience the pork dumplings and the pork buns before they left!

The grandmas took off for the airport at 3 am. We miss them!!!

It's amazing how much Brandon has changed in the past two weeks while the grandmas were here. He is picking up more and more words. I think that having two more people to talk to daily really helped him. Brandon loves to play games. He is always moving and soooo busy! As Brandon gets older, life get tough. :( He is learning that he doesn't get everything he wants. He is learning that things are frustrating. He is developing new emotions. He tests Mommy and Daddy. But, Brandon is so much fun! He communicates and is definitely a little boy. He pushes cars around and says, "Vroom, vroom." We can't leave the house without at least one car and one ball in Mommy's bag. What an adventure the little man gives us!

Wheeeee!

On Wednesday, we shared a van taxi cab to the zoo with Jo, Jessie, and Jake. Brandon loved being at the zoo with Jessie and Jake! He held their hands as we walked through the zoo.

It was a great day at the zoo. Grandma D fed the giraffes and the kangaroos. Mommy even got to feed a giraffe. Their tongues are so long and creepy! Grandma D felt one of the giraffe's tongues while she was feeding him a carrot. She said that it was smooth and slimy like a human's tongue - not rough like a cat's tongue. Ewww...

Later that same afternoon, Jessie and Jake came up to play with Brandon. Brandon and Jake sported their new zoo t-shirts. Twins!

When Grandma D arrived, she brought Brandon a couple of little new cars. Brandon loved them! He and Grandma D began to play a new game. It started as a game where you sit down, zoom a car across the floor, and say, "Whee!" The "Whee" game has evolved into zooming and crashing cars and saying, "Ready, set, whee!" Brandon became obsessed with this game, and Grandma B became his "Whee" partner. It's so cute to hear Brandon say, "Weddy, et, go, whee!" Brandon "forced" Jessie and Jake to play the "Whee" game with him.

We took it easy the day after the zoo. In the late afternoon, Jo watched Brandon for a couple of hours so Mom, Sandy, and I could take a ride on the MRT to Chinatown.

Instead of loading money onto a train card, we bought the moms one trip train tickets. There are machines where you just touch the map on the train station where you are going. The machine then tells you how much that ticket costs, you put your money in the machine, and there is your ticket! The cost of your train ticket depends on how far you travel on the train.

On Friday, we went to the Singapore Science Center with Jo, Jessie, and Jake and Jo, Stella, and Sam. The kids enjoyed the hands-on activities in the museum, as well as the water park outside.

As you can see, the adults enjoyed the exhibits too!

I especially liked the puzzle below. Made me miss those years as a mathematics teacher.

Brandon was in paradise! He found a large "Whee" game! He rolled the ball down the ramp over and over. He threw a major fit when we had to leave the "Whee".

Friday evening, my mom and Sandy took a cab to the Singapore Flyer. The observation wheel had been out of order for the last week because it was struck by lighting. They went up in the Flyer just as it was getting dark. They loved it! I am happy that they were able to experience the amazing views of the city while they were here.