Week 207 and Week 119.5 - Skating and Shrekfast!

We had a busy week this week - yay!

Despite Matt and I being super busy at work we did manage to do a couple of fun things this week.  Matt is playing hockey in Bangkok now - probably his last trip for a good long while.

I do have to mention that Charlotte did not make me happy yesterday.  We were having dinner (and are having breakfast together too - this is a nice family tradition we have started) and Charlotte asked to have soy milk.  Specifically she asked Yaya for soy milk.  I offered to get it for her and then she said she did not want me to.  Then I got it for her and she said she does not want it and she does not like Mommy!  Damn button pusher.  Well, I got angry and put her in time out for a few minutes (locking the common bathroom with her inside - as an aside I don't even have to hold the door shut for Charlotte.  For Sophia I have to keep the door shut from the outside as she constantly will try to open it).  Then afterwards, she is fine and sweet as if nothing happens.  This sort of bipolar toddler behavior is still something I am getting used to!

Ok - on to the fun stuff!  We took the girls ice skating on Sunday morning with Caleb and Cooper.  Charlotte is getting better every time (but not good enough for me to take her skating - I am still a beginner myself!).  Sophia wanted to wear her skates (and even stood in them again!) and offered them to Caleb.  Rainbow Brite(?) is a good place to skate as it is not so busy.  We will be back again.

We then took the kids to the Long Tower House (Macau Tower) for dim sum, which ended up to be pizza as we got there after noon (Matt's theory is to beat the crowds on Sunday you MUST arrive before noon).  So the kids run around and ate air and some noodles at The Singing Bean.  The kids all sat by the water, all 'dock of the bay' Otis Redding style, which made for some cute photos below.

We had a chance to go to Shrekfast for free on Wednesday - it was nice to take the kids.  I was a bit nervous Sophia would be scared of Shrek (and everyone else) but luckily there is enough singing and dancing to distract.  Matt agreed that Shrekfast put Disney's character meals to shame!  Sophia really liked the boy from Mr. Peabody and Sherman, but when I asked her if she wanted a picture with him she responded, "Hmmm, No."  She wanted to be in the sphere of the characters, but no pictures please! :)

I am commited to watching the entire Dreamworks animated canon Suelika!

Daddy busy with work all week!  Even during an ice cream break!

Skating!

Long Tower House!

I love this photo of Cooper!

Den mother Char:

Tom and Caleb.  We should have brought scooters!

Sophia has a fondness for Cooper:

My only somewhat successful attempt at a portrait:

And the next one:

Caleb is a Daddy's boy:

Sophia has the biggest bald spot!

Cooper love!

Cute photo of everyone!

Shrekfast!

The only attempt at a family photo!  Sophia was not into it at ALL:

But bacon?  That is a whole different story:

Characters!

With the ever photogenic Sophia B:

Charlotte is getting a fatigued smile.   This is what it must feel like to be a model (haha):

Mr. Peabody and Sherman:

The dragon!

The ET lookalike!

Finally a video (I hope it plays - intellectual property blah) of the girls belting "Somebody That I Used to Know":

Week 206 and Week 118.5 - Kevin Spacey!

Ack - sorry in advance as this update will be more about us than the girls.  Work has been so busy of late and we did something fun and social over the weekend.  So let me tell you about our week.

The girls are still kind of sick (Char finished a round of antibiotics and Sophia has an eye infection / cough sick).  I woke up this morning and think I too.  We all have this dry cough thing.  It stinks.

The girls have not been napping much this week - one day of four so far.  I think Charlotte may be outgrowing it (just in time for her 4th birthday) and I think she wants to keep Sophia up for the fun as well.

The girls are playing hide and seek a lot in the house.  Their destination of choice is under the covers of an empty bed.  Sophia is too loud to play this effectively.  When I ask "Are you girls here?" she responds "here."

Sophia likes being 'the naked.'  She wants to be the naked for 2 minutes frequently.  She is also potty training - and poops in her underwear on a regular basis still.

I got the girls haircuts on the weekend - nice the basically $15 US I got both of the girls done.  Now all three of us have the same haircut!  Also they wanted their ponynails (what they call painted nails) so I painted their toes red - and we all had matching toenails too!

Over the weekend there was as charity ball for Best Buddies and Kevin Spacey was the entertainment. He was a really good singer (as I remember he did a track in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil).  I ran into my big boss (out of Las Vegas) and Matt's old colleague during the day and convinced Matt to go to the event to chat with him as he was going to the event as well.  Rob, Chuanda, and lovely John Hamilton were part of the initial party and Matt crashed which was awesome!  Out till two - which made for a tough Sunday but worth it.  It was fun to play dress up and dance!  I seriously need to get out more.

It was pretty surreal as if Matt did not go to the event he would have been watching Kevin Spacey anyway as he is on a nightly House of Cards marathon.  Kevin has infiltrated my life!

Matt is off to play hockey next week so he is in lock down work mode till he leaves for Bangkok on Wednesday.

At the ball.  It was a 20's theme and I wore Min's bridesmaid's dress.  It still fits after 10 years!

Cool chocolate dessert!

Kevin Spacey:

Short video:

Matt and I:


My handsome mates:



And the girls - haircut day!

Sophia likes to color these days!

Sophia likes the custard bun this week and wants to share:

Loving the fountains!

Week 205 and Week 117.5 - Deja Vu

Our Sunday was a replicate of our last Sunday except we were without Mark and Nicola.  Same dim sum at Yum Cha, same pictures with the Dreamworks characters, same unadulterated fear from darling Sophia.  I took pictures of Charlotte this week by herself - she did good with the larger than life characters (or rubberheads as we flippantly called them at Disney).  Char has come a long way since first meeting the Dreamworks characters.

Charlotte has been sick all week - she only went to school two days.  Today she had a student led conference with Matt and I.  She did really good - except she got all shy at the Mandarin part of the day.  We know she can count in Mandarin so we really don't know why the soft spokenness.  I did not take pictures of this - I know that the girls grimace at my photo taking and I did not want to distract from her day today.  I also realized how much I like her school.  It is like school in America- lots of natural light, lots of kidcentric activities and a sense of community.  A little bit of a haven in the concrete jungle that is Macau.

We have instituted new eating rules.  We eat as a family (as best as we can).  We are all not eating the same meal yet - but the discipline of eating together has begun and that is progress.  We are keeping it fun by singing songs - everyone sings a song of their choosing and everyone else has to sing along (after some requisite number of bites).  So far so good - but as Charlotte is still sick she claims to be too tired to eat much of the time.  She really does not like eating!

I took the girls to McDonald's for lunch midweek.  They can share a Happy Meal - a perfect half portion for both girls.  But there is this thing that drives me nuts about the McDonald's here - they sell this soy milk with the Happy Meal.  The girls LOVE this soy milk.  So I want to buy another soy milk a la carte so they both get their own milk box.  Do you think this is possible?  Of course not.  You can only get this soy milk if you buy a Happy Meal.  This makes for an unhappy Mama.

Imee's son John Roi is leaving tomorrow.  The girls love him - especially Sophia.  Sophia is very partial to the boys.  He has been kind to make many drawings for them.  He has been like family here.

By the way - finished The Ghost Bride - it was really good!  Go read it to learn more about the Chinese culture and folklore - and about the food!  It made me hungry for some Singapore (really Malaysian) food!

John Roi and Sophia.  Check out her bed head!

Matt and I went to the movies last week with Becky and Zack.  We saw the Wolf of Wall Street - not sure why it was panned by critics - I thought it was good (and maybe I like despicable egocentric characters).  Afterwards we went to the Crystal Piano Bar (a pretty local crowd) and Matt took this very locally representative wedding decoration that was nearby:

Yum Cha!

Char with the dragon - she did good!

Char is so tiny here!

I like when Char makes this smile:

Sophia the First plays!

McDonald's!

This sign is good for learning letters.  Sophia knows what an O is:

Goodbye Dinner at Macau Tower (Singing Bean Cafe's awesome Thursday pizza buffet!):

Char is such a card!