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.

Paparazzi at Clarke Quay!

Saturday evening, we all took a cab to Clarke Quay.

As we were walking, the grandmas and I noticed a large crowd of tweens and teens. Wow! A Justin Beiber sighting at Clarke Quay in Singapore!

As the crowd parted, we realized that it was not Justin Beiber. Rather, it was our one and only Brandon A. Bierly! Brandon shyly posed for his celebrity photo shoot.

Brandon loved the attention. Daddy even put him down so he could show off with some dancing. The paparazzi continued to take pictures in amazement. So funny. What is it about our little Brandon?

Once we shook off the media, we took a river boat cruise. The thirty minute boat tour went down the river from Clarke Quay to Marina Bay.

The Merlion statue at Marina Bay.

Daddy's office building.

The new casino, a $5.9 billion project by Las Vegas Sands Corporation. Singapore citizens and permanent residents must pay SG$100 per day or SG$2,000 per year to enter the casino. The government is enacting this charge in order to lessen the damage of gambling addictions. We will have to pay (not literally) the casino a visit sometime!

The Singapore Flyer. Next to it, a floating stage.

The beautiful Fullerton Hotel.

After our boat ride, we took a walk along the river. We tried some Turkish ice cream. A little chewy. The flavors reminded Steven of taffy.

We had dinner at a Mexican restaurant at Clarke Quay. Very good. Their Mexican rice was basically white rice with cilantro. A little different.

After dinner, the grandmas got to sample their first Singapore ice cream sandwich - a block of ice cream in a slice of bread. They were fans!

Grandma D found the "Clinic". I'm not sure if she was thinking to get a job there or if she was needing to be admitted.

On Sunday, we took it easy.

Brandon played with "stickies".

Grandma D was mesmerized by our hair dryer.

On Sunday night, Mommy and Daddy had a movie date. Can the grandmas stay here for the next two months?

Monday morning we took a cab to the Singapore Science Centre at Jurong. Unfortunately, we didn't know that it was closed on Mondays. So, we ended up at the Jurong Bird Park nearby.

We all enjoyed the beautiful, colorful birds and the outdoor scenery!

On Tuesday we took a cab to Chinatown.

Poor Brandon wilted in the heat. He fell asleep in the stroller, so we headed back home after enough walking and shopping.

Jo, Jessie, and Jake came back from their trip home to Australia! Yay! The grandmas were able to meet the three of them on Monday. Brandon was actually a little shy at first, but he was playing with Jessie and Jake as usual in no time. So glad that our great neighbors/friends are back!