Employment Passes!

Brandon was up at 5:50 am this morning. What is that all about???!!! I tried to get him back down for an hour, but no such luck. I decided to steer clear of caffeine this morning so that I could nap when Brandon napped.

After watching Daddy disappear down the escalator to the MRT, Brandon and I headed to the Forum to meet our friends, Polina and Daniel, for coffee and play. I enjoyed a great (decaf) cappuccino while chatting with Polina. She is originally from Russia, but she has lived in the U.S., London, and Tokyo before coming to Singapore. Her son Daniel is nine months old.

As Brandon was up so early this morning, we only spent about 45 minutes at the Forum playground before heading home. He crashed in the stroller about ten minutes before we got home, but I was able to transfer him to his cot (crib) without waking him. Yay!

Brandon slept for about an hour and half, so Mommy was also able to get a nice little snooze in. Yes, I should have been washing dishes instead, but there is always time for that, right?

When I got Brandon up from his nap, he fell back asleep on my shoulder. I don't think that lately he has been taking long enough naps. I think I mentioned before that a new high rise is being built right next door to us. It seems that the construction just keeps getting louder, and I think it is waking Brandon up from his naps early. I held Brandon out on our couch while he slept on me for another hour. While I hope that Brandon can get better naps, it was a special moment to hold my baby while he slept. He is getting so big so fast, and it is very sad for me. I just watched him sleeping and thought back through his first year of life. I feel like I savored his first year, and I still couldn't stop time. Unfortunately, I have a feeling that each year goes faster and faster.

This afternoon, Brandon and I met Steven down at his work because we had to go get our employment passes. Steven got an employment pass, and Brandon and I got dependent passes. I think they call them "green cards" here. We had an appointment at the office, which was between Steven's work and Clarke Quay, at 4 pm. The process didn't take too, too long. We had to get new passport photos there because the ones we took from home didn't have white enough backgrounds. Steven and I also had to get our fingerprints taken. They had a neat machine that scanned your fingerprint. Yay for no ink! We got paper employment passes today, and in a couple of weeks we can pick up the printed pass cards. I think they are similar to our drivers' licenses back home. We are legal now! :)

After a quick dinner with Steven, Brandon and I took the train back home.

We have to pass the pool on our way to the elevators, so Brandon saw all of the kids swimming when we returned. I guess that meant we'd be swimming again tonight! When we got up to our apartment, Brandon was standing at the door wanting to go back out. He is going to get spoiled here! Hope the adjustment when we get back to Chicago won't be too hard for him. :)

We only took a short swim tonight. Brandon was tormented down at the pool tonight by a little boy who wouldn't share his ball or his apple. How could he wrong Brandon like that??? Tough life lesson, huh?

We stopped at Jo's apartment for a few minutes on our way back up from the pool. What amazing people! Jo had been out today, and she bought Brandon a couple of new pairs of pajama pants. I had mentioned to her that we needed some more pj pants for Brandon, and she went and got some! She also gave us some nice plastic plates, spoons, and forks. We have been using glass, and I have already broken one cup in the sink. Oh, and she sent us home with two blueberry muffins. Wow!

I ran into one of our neighbors who is from Finland today. We had met him at the pool one night. He and his family have been here for six months for his wife's work, and they are leaving at the end of this week. He didn't work while they were here, but he is an opthamologist back in Finland. The last two weeks here, he has been doing some observations in a hospital. I told him that my dad is an optometrist. He thought that in the U.S., optometrists could perform PRK, while only opthamologists could perform LASIK. I told him that only opthamologists can perform PRK and LASIK. Sounds like in Finland, optometrists are really just opticians, and they don't have to go to any special optometry school. There, optometrists aren't trained to do eye exams or diagnose and/or treat eye disorders. Interesting... (Dad, let me know if I am incorrect on any of this.)

We met some more nice people down at the pool yesterday. They have a son who is two months older than Brandon. They are from Holland, but they currently live in Thailand. The husband's company advised them to leave Thailand for a while for safety due to the policital unrest there. They don't know how long they will be here. I think they are trying to go back to Holland for a bit, but they are having trouble getting a flight there right now.

So many unique people here with very interesting backgrounds and stories!

Feeling Much Better

I got so much needed rest on Sunday, and I felt much, much better this morning!

Brandon and I walked Steven to the train again today, and I grabbed some bread at Marche. I was so hungry after only having popsicles yesterday!

We grabbed a cab at the train station and headed to Liang Court in Clarke Quay, where we met Laura and her daughter, Tabitha, at Starbucks. When the kids got antsy, we took them up to Royce Gym and let them play for the hour. Brandon loves that place!!!

We had some thunderstorms here early this afternoon. The last few times it has rained, it rained in the later afternoon. So, when Brandon woke up from his nap, we waited until the rain died down to head out again.

When Steven took Brandon to the Forum yesterday, he told me about a kids' store that had huge sales on books and toys due to going out of business. He bought Brandon a few little items (puzzles, small train), but I wanted to go back again today to check out the books. It was a great sale! All of the books were 40% off, so I got Brandon a few more books. I think I'll hold on to them for a while and save them for another "rainy" day.


Before leaving the Forum, Brandon played at the playground there for a bit. We didn't stay quite as long as usual today because it was very crowded with some older, wild children. It was hard for Brandon to safely play. Haven't had this problem at the Forum before. Hope it doesn't start to get like this all of the time.

We headed to the pool again this evening. Jo, Jessie, and Jake were already down there, and they were so excited when Brandon showed up. Another neighbor, Mariko, was also down at the pool. She is Japanese, and she was telling me that her son is having trouble with some of his math tests because he is struggling with understanding some of the English. She was working on translating a Japanese math test into English for him to practice, and she wanted some help with a few words. Her son is in the sixth grade, and I was quite impressed with the math he was doing. The questions she asked me related to Geometry. Some (not all) of the questions were problems my students would be doing in high school Geometry. For example, one question dealt with the diagonals of a regular dodecagon. The vocab alone is something that many of my students would have struggled with. I have heard excellent things about the math and science programs at the schools here. I am hoping that at some point while we're here I can get into a school for a few observations.

When we left the pool, we went up to Jo's apartment for a while. They have a three bedroom apartment here, and it is so nice! Much more space than our two bedroom apartment. Brandon was so happy to be in another new environment with new toys. He probably spent 30 minutes just pushing a toy baby stroller around. Really great having met some nice neighbors.


The best part of the day - We received a package from some friends back home. Cory, a colleague and friend from ETHS, sent Brandon some books. Unbelievably thoughtful! She also sent me a really nice letter and three copies of the Evanstonian (ETHS's student newpaper). Even more, she had some of the math teachers write me little notes. It was so touching, and it meant so much to me to read and receive those notes. I not only miss Chicago, but I miss my friends at ETHS. One note was even from a former student. It was a difficult decision to not return to teaching this coming fall...

So many people have been supportive of us and our big transition in Singapore. Brandon and I not only had an amazing going away playdate with a surprise travel care package (notes, pictures of friends, etc.), but we have received packages, e-mails, and Skype phone calls since we've been here. It is all so thoughful, and it really does help us through this difficult move. I've always known how special our family and friends are, but this experience has made me treasure those people even more. Much love to all!

Daddy Day

Yuck! Unfortunately, Mommy woke up sick Saturday night. I think that I probably ate something on Saturday that didn't settle so well...



I don't know what I would have done without Steven's help on Sunday. I was so tired and weak on Sunday that I wasn't worth very much in the role of Mommy or wife. Steven got up with Brandon, fed him his breakfast, and took him out for a while. The two boys went for breakfast and then to the Forum for play. They were gone for a few hours, and I was able to get lots of needed rest in a quiet apartment. I'm sure that it was also a very good opportunity for Brandon to spend some time with Daddy without Mommy being around. This past week Brandon has developed a little more of a Mommy attachment. Brandon and I have been spending so much time together here. And, since Steven has been working more, Brandon has seen less of Steven. Part of it, too, could be that I am in the process of weening Brandon. Maybe he is making sure that he is still attached to Mommy. It's funny though. When Daddy hugs Mommy, Brandon gets jealous. He has to get in on the action, and he has even gently pushed Daddy away a few times. And, Steven thought having a boy would give him a Daddy's boy!





Steven and Brandon brought me back some popsicles and Sprite when they returned from their outing. Wonderful to know that my two boys take care of me. Feeling sick made me miss home a bit more. Our apartment here still doesn't feel like home. We didn't bring all of our stuff, and we aren't able to hang pictures on the walls. We have pictures sitting on shelves, but this just doesn't feel like our place yet. Also, I missed being able to pick up the phone and call my mom for a little sympathy when I was sick.





I think that Brandon could sense that I wasn't feeling well. After his nap, Steven was working from home, and Brandon played so well on his own. I was able to continue lounging on the couch. I was worthless!



In the late afternoon, Steven took Brandon down to the pool for an hour. I did walk down for the last fifteen minutes to hang out with them. I thought some fresh air might do me well. Brandon's friends, Jessie and Jake, were down at the pool. They even bought Brandon a new inflatable pool seat! So thoughtful! He gave it a try and loved it!





With Mommy feeling under the weather, it was a McDonald's night. Did I mention yet that they have 24-7 McDonald's delivery here? I'm not going to count the number of times we take advantage of that while we're here. Steven's right, though. McDonald's does make you feel like home.



We found out that we won't be moving to the other apartment for at least another month. I think there were some difficulties negotiating the rate for our stay. Oh, well.



When we were back in the States, I felt like the world revolved around America. Living in the U.S., it was the only country that existed to me on a daily basis. America was the world. However, after being here for a few weeks, I realize that really it was only my world. This is a very culturally diverse city and a hub for international business. Meeting people from all over the world has been very eye opening for me. We've seen other parts of the world in previous travels, and on the news, etc. But, actually living in a foreign country and watching day to day life not only as a tourist reminds me that there is life outside of our Midwest life in the U.S. :)

Little India and Clarke Quay

Pictures -

Little India

Clarke Quay

Today, we wanted to go to the Jurong Bird Park. However, we got a slow start getting out of the house, so we decided to save the bird park for a day when we could go early in the morning. The bird park, like the zoo, is farther away from the city center.

Steven hadn't made it to Little India yet, so we took the train to the Dhoby Ghaut stop and walked to Little India from there. Steven had heard about a department store called Mustafa, and we wanted to see if there were any cheap toys there for Brandon. Mustafa is open 24 hours a day, and it reminded me a little of a flee market.

Since Brandon fell asleep in the stroller, we decided to take the train to Clarke Quay for lunch. We found a restaurant/microbrewery called Brewerkz, and we had some food there. We had been outside for so long, we decided to eat lunch inside. It was tempting to sit outside along the river, but it was really hot and humid.

Since we were already at Clarke Quay, we walked over to Liang Court so Brandon could play at Royce Gym. This time, Daddy spent the hour at the gym with Brandon. So nice for Mommy to have a little break! I walked down to the grocery to get a few items, and then I grabbed a cappucino. Really, really nice hour!

We were so exhausted by the time we came home. But, after being home for a short bit, Brandon was standing at the door wanting to go "bye bye". It is so nice having a pool here! We took Brandon down to the pool for an hour before bed. There are usually other people down at the pool, and Brandon loves people!

Very busy day, but what a great family day!

Breakfast with the Orangutans

Pictures -

Brandon playing on the tennis court with Jake and Jess

Brandon, Jake, and Jess waving at one of the guards, Dino - Brandon LOVES Dino!

Brandon and Mommy feeding the kangaroo

Brandon and Mommy at breakfast with the orangutans

This morning, Brandon and I had an early start to our day. This was the first day we since we've been here that we didn't walk Steven to the train before work. :(

The Friday playgroup that we've been going to decided to go to the zoo this week. Brandon and I left before 8 am and took a cab out to the zoo. It's about a 20-25 minute drive. A little farther away than all of the other things we've been doing during the week.

We wanted to go to the zoo early in the morning because that's the best time of the day for the kids and because we wanted to take part in a breakfast with the orangutans. Basically, the orangutans came out near the breakfast area while we were eating, and the zoo keepers fed them fruit, etc. People then lined up to take pictures with the orangutans. We were able to get really close to the orangutans for the picture. It felt like the animals were so close, too, because there was no cage between us and them. The breakfast was a very large buffet, and it was delicious! Breakfast with the orangutans was definitely something worth experiencing. I'm glad we did it, but I'm not sure it's something we will do again while we are here. By the time you pay to get to the zoo and you pay for the zoo admission, the breakfast makes the day quite expensive - especially if you are paying for more than one adult. I actually bought an individual one year membership to the zoo while we were there. If I go to the zoo four more times while we are here, then having the membership saves us money.

My favorite part of the zoo this visit was the Australian Outback. We were actually able to sit next to some kangaroos and feed them! Felt kind of like having a big dog eat out of your hand. I wanted to let Brandon feed the roo, but when I gave him some of the food, he tried to eat it himself. Maybe next time! :) When I told my neighbor friend, Jo, that we fed a kangaroo at the zoo, she kind of laughed. She is from Australia, and I guess it's something that they've done many, many times back home. She also told me that one time her husband hit a roo while driving. Kangaroos in Australia must be like deer back home.

We didn't make it to the kids part of the zoo on Friday. After being outside at the zoo for four hours, I figured that it was time to take a break. It was so hot, and Brandon was getting tired. We shared a cab home with a friend.

When we got home, Brandon wanted to play, so I let him have some fun at home before putting him down for his nap. Since Brandon had a late nap, we decided to go down to the pool rather than going back out in the afternoon. The pool felt soooo nice after being out in the heat during the morning!

Brandon's new friends, Jake and Jess, were down at the pool. He loves watching them and getting attention from them! After playing at the pool for a bit, Jo and I let the kids run around on the tennis courts again.

When we got back from the tennis courts, we had a delivery!!! Grandma B's package had arrived! It was like Christmas! Brandon went wild when I opened the box. He saw some Gerber snacks, and immediately handed me one to be opened. (I had actually taken Brandon's diaper off, so he had swim trunks on, but no diaper. I found a puddle of pee next to the box a little later. I laughed to myself and thought that Brandon was so excited to get the package that he peed himself. :) ) Brandon not only got the yummy snacks, but he also got a couple of books, a sand pail and shovel, a Toy Story inflatable tent, and more! Oh, and don't forget all of the balls that Grandma used as packing material! Grandma D even sent a couple of needed items. We are so blessed to have two wonderful moms!!!

AWA Thursday

Pictures -

Brandon playing at the Forum

I am soooo tired! It's been such a fast and busy week, but I've had some trouble falling asleep at night. Now that we can watch tv shows on the computer, I think I'm staying up too late catching up on shows, mainly Glee.

This morning, Brandon and I walked Steven to the train station. We also met a friend there. (I should probably start using people's names. I'm meeting so many great people here!) My friend's name is Amanda, and she is the one we had breakfast with yesterday. She also goes to the AWA meetups, so we met at the train station in order to walk to the Forum together.

This week, she and I were the only ones who showed up at the coffee shop, so after a drink and some great conversation, we decided to walk around the mall. Brandon was starting to get a little crazy sitting in the high chair.

A little later, another mom from the AWA, Kristie, met me and Brandon at the playground in the Forum. We let the boys play for a bit and then grabbed some lunch together.

I didn't really have any plans this afternoon, but while I was out this morning I got a text message from a mom that I met at Royce Gym on Tuesday. She invited me back to Royce to meet her. Brandon was up from his nap and in a good mood, so we decided to join them. Vanessa is from New Zealand and her son, Isaac, is 18 months. Another one of her friends also joined us, and then the three of us hit up Starbucks on the way out.

I was really hoping to walk home from the gym, but it was raining pretty hard when we left Liang Court. Brandon and I took a cab home. It seems like it rains in the late afternoon quite often.

As I was giving Brandon some dinner tonight, our neighbors we played with yesterday stopped by again. They brought some fruit over for us. So thoughtful! The two kids, Jessie and Jake, just love Brandon. Their mom, Jo, and I enjoyed a glass of wine together while the kids played. Jessie loved playing with Brandon's Lego Duplo grocery store. Jake chased Brandon around. So nice to have met friendly neighbors.

Jessie and Jake are from Australia, and they go to the Overseas Family School. Jo was telling me that in Australia, the kids took Japanese. At the kids' school here, the most popular language class for students is Mandarin.

Probably could say much more about today, but I'm going to try to get some rest. We plan to go to the zoo pretty early tomorrow morning with some friends. I might actually have to set an alarm tonight...

Goodnight, Singapore! Good morning, Chicago!

Esplanade

Pictures -

Mommy and Brandon by the Singapore River

The Esplanade, Singapore's performing arts venue

Brandon before bed ("Mommy, I don't want to go to bed. I want to go bye bye.")

Eighth picture down - building in the middle of the picture, just to the right of the tree, is where Steven works

This morning after Brandon and I walked Daddy to the train, we headed to The Coffee Club to meet a friend for breakfast. I met my friend and her daughter through the AWA a couple of weeks ago. It turned out that she also had met my neighbor who lives one floor below us. The three of us were planning to get together, but my neighbor had to cancel. We had such a nice time talking about all kinds of topics, such as babies, Singapore, and home (America). It felt good to talk to someone in my shoes. While it is my friend's second trip to Singapore, she has only been here a few more days than us. We are all still adjusting!

It felt really nice to have breakfast outdoors, and we decided to share a couple of items so that we could try something new. It's hard for me to be adventurous with food when I am by myself. I usually need to order something that I know I and/or Brandon will like. I don't want to buy a meal and then still be hungry.

Today, we ordered something called "chicken congee". It was kind of like a soupy grits with chicken. Although I'm not a huge fan of grits, this was pretty good. It had a nice flavor, and we at it with large soup spoons.

After breakfast, we walked to Cold Storage to do some grocery shopping. I broke down and bought a couple of bottles of wine. Alcohol is expensive here, so I bought two of the cheaper bottles I could find. (I'm actually enjoying a nice glass of wine now. Just what I needed!)

During Brandon's nap today, I was thinking about how glad I am that we will be moving. There is a new high rise building being built right next door to us. When I put Brandon down for his nap, it is usually pretty quiet, but about half way into his nap it gets quite loud. I think that the workers are on lunch break when Brandon goes to sleep. I'm pretty sure that the noise has woken Brandon up from his nap early several times. Then, he can't go back to sleep and is cranky. Don't know for sure, but I don't think there are any new buildings being built next to the apartment building we plan to be in soon.

By 3:30 this afternoon, Brandon was standing at the door wanting to go "bye bye". He can play on his own at home for a while, but then he gets bored. We either have to go down to the pool or go out to do something.

We decided to go down and meet Daddy for a very early dinner today. We ate at a restaurant on the river again. The weather was so nice. There was a short rain this afternoon, and it was a little overcast. I actually like when it's overcast here.

After dinner, Brandon and I took a walk to Esplanade Park. The Esplanade is a performing arts venue here that is located on Marina Bay. I hope that Steven and I are able to attend an event there while we are here. Chicago, the musical, is currently showing there. Nice timing!

I saw the Singapore Flyer from a distance. I am really looking forward to going up in it. Basically, it is like an extremely large Ferris Wheel of observation pods. I've heard that the Flyer gives amazing views of the city. Maybe we'll have to try this a couple of times, once during the day, and once at night.

I'm still getting a sense for distance and direction here. As we were eating dinner, I noticed a bridge that looked familiar. I realized that it was the bridge I could see from Clarke Quay yesterday. Then, I walked from Esplanade Park to the City Hall MRT stop. I've been to Clarke Quay, City Hall, and Raffles on the MRT, and I thought that they were all far apart. However, they're each about 5 min. walking distance apart. Very cool for me to put together all of the pieces and know more about where things are. Sometimes maps just can't give me enough perspective.

Brandon and I got home at 6 pm. I could tell that Brandon was tired, but he wasn't quite ready for bed. I wanted to let him play for a bit and run the last of his energy out before bed.

About a minute after we got home, there was a knock on our door. It was one of our neighbors and her two kids. We've played with them down at the pool a couple of times, and they are super friendly. They are from Australia, and the two kids are 4 and 9. They just love Brandon! They came up to our unit to find out if we wanted to play on the tennis courts for a while. Perfect timing!

Brandon had so much fun playing with the children. I wish that I had taken a video of the three kids playing. It was great. Brandon had one of their balls, and he was running away from them. They were pretending to chase him, and he was squeeling and laughing. They ran around for about an hour.

After playing, the family stopped back by our apartment to bring me some ice cream. How nice is that? They also brought Brandon one of their little stuffed toys and three pictures - two of them and one of their dog back home. I gave them a picture of Brandon.

Sigh... Now it makes me feel a little bad that we're moving. However, the other apartment is just a nicer two-bedroom, and it will be a more comfortable place for us. I told my new friends that I am happy to come over to this place still for swim and play once we've moved. It won't be that far. Maybe we can plan to get together once or twice a week. Are we doing the right thing by moving???

Steven and I were talking tonight about how we feel that we are having to learn and adjust to a new toddler. Every day Brandon is doing something new. He is like a little sponge right now. He understands so much. A month ago I felt like I had a little baby. Now, he is definitely his own person. Little big man. Brandon is saying "bye bye" to me now when he leaves the room I am in. He gives hugs and kisses when asked. He knows many of the body parts. He knows basic "commands", like "sit" and "stand". He knows so many of the words we say to him. I can't keep up with all of the new things that are happening.

We feel like Brandon is starting to go through a little "Mommy" stage. It could be because I am weening him. Maybe he is trying to be sure that there is still an connection/attachment between the two of us. However, little man still loves his Daddy. When we met Steven for dinner tonight, Brandon reached for him right away and then laid his head on Steven's shoulder for about a minute. What a hug!

Hoping that some family members will be booking flights to Singapore soon. It will be nice to have company to look forward to in the next couple of months!!!

Oh, and happy, happy birthday to my brother today! Love you, Ryan!!!