202/365

We bought Lily her first guitar!!   We spotted it in a small guitar store on Orchard Road.  It's purple, and it's even called the Lily Cloud - we HAD to buy it.  

So now I'm wondering if it's going to be something she'll stick to?  Could this be something she'll love to do for years to come?  I hope so!  

There were so many things I tried as a kid that didn't last long.  Piano lessons were fun for a little while, and my dad bought me a guitar in high school that ended up collecting dust.  A musical instrument is one of the things I really wish I'd mastered earlier...  But I also know I would've absolutely dreaded being forced to take more classes back then!

What did you do, are you doing, or are you planning on doing with your kids?  Should children be pushed a bit to master a skill, or left to dabble in whatever they like at the moment?  

201/365

Hello Kitty Vans.

200/365

Mustaches have been a huge hit at our house lately.

Whenever there's milk or yogurt or ice cream on the table, it's all about who can make the silliest mess on their face.

Tee hee!  I think Ruby, with the bed head, wins this one.

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Steven enjoying his favorite cocktail of the vacation - Monkey Juice.

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Playing in the surf with Abu.

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The girls are watching Steven play a round of soccer on one of the grassy fields.

When we're out in unfamiliar territory and around strange people, Lily and Ruby are a close and loving team of sisters.  But when we're stuck at home on a rainy day and they get bored, they really take it out on each other.  Sigh...  Siblings.

196/365

Archery is my favorite activity at Club Med, I went to shoot a few rounds at least once a day and I'm getting pretty good.  Steven is quite the sharp-shooter - he shot an arrow through a tennis ball!  Amazing.

We were so enthusiastic about archery that we even got Abu to try a few rounds!  Look at those muscles.

195/365

Clouds, wind and rough surf didn't stop us from going to the beach.  I always forget to pack toys, but there is plenty of entertainment.  Lily loved being tumbled by the waves, and Ruby got a big kick out of burying her legs in the sand.  We found oars and glass bottles washed up on the shore, poked at hermit crabs and jellyfish.  Oh, I hope they grow up to love the beach as much as I do!

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In this picture, we are on a ferry to Club Med, Bintan, Indonesia!  We were all excited to have days of beach, sports and amazing buffet meals ahead of us, and the ferry ride seemed much longer than the scheduled 45 minutes.  Abu is showing Lily some old photos on her iPad.

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I love it when people come to visit us, wherever we may be - I find it incredibly fun to become tourists all over again!

Here we are on an evening stroll by the Marina Bay after a chili crab dinner at No Signboard Seafood.

Here's the view.

Lugless

Check out this company that will take your luggage door-to-door.  Just prepare your luggage, call Lugless or place your order on their website and they will take anything from small bags to bicycles, golf bags and surfboards to your destination.  Brilliant!

192/365

Even with the joys of video conferencing on mobile phones and luxurious long-haul flights, it's still really difficult to live continents away from family.

The day of Abu's arrival in Singapore was marked clearly on our calendar, and the girls waited patiently as the days were slowly crossed off...

And now here they are together, Lily with her Abu - the grannie from Miami!  :)

DIY Jellyfish in a Bottle

Check out this awesome Jellyfish in a Bottle DIY from Bhoomplay!  Looks like a fun and easy rainy day project.

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A large colorful mural outside of Blu Jaz on Haji Lane, in Singapore.



































Beautiful?  It sure looks pretty cool.

But does the process matter?  Does it make a difference whether the street art was illicit or commissioned?  Admittedly, this street art would somehow be far more impressive if I knew that the artist had planned to come in the middle of the night - hurriedly and at great risk - to illicitly (and successfully!) spray this elaborate image onto the side of the building.  I don't actually know the story behind it, but the fact that the mural is in Singapore, a country known for its strict laws against vandalism, makes it highly unlikely.

Haji Lane is a tiny street that has recently, and quite suddenly, been transformed into a hip little neighborhood of independent boutiques, bars and Middle Eastern cafes.  Word on the street is that colorful murals have been 'allowed' to decorate buildings in this area to foster the trendy vibe.

Do you think a neighborhood like Haji Lane would be somehow be more authentic if a group of artists had gathered here and created it, as opposed to some city planners developing it?  Check it out, and let me know what you think.

 



  

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The evening sky.

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Ruby and Amaia on the uneven bars at their gymnastics class!  Look at what they learned...

They made it look like such fun!  I don't think I've flipped over a bar feet-first since I was about 10 or 11.  I wonder if I could do it now?  Would you try?

188/365

We've been driving Grandpa's car around lately, as he has been traveling a lot this month.  I had just picked Lily up from school, and the girls were taking their time to monkey around the interior.  They were so delighted to discover that they could stand up on the center console to peek through the sun roof!  Of all the early memories to choose from, I wonder if putting their heads through the open sun roof of a car is one they'll remember?

I can remember quite a few random early car memories...  Trying to steer the car through a parking lot while sitting on my dad's lap...  Playing in the back seat unrestrained...  Making faces at people in other cars on the road...

What are some of your earliest memories in cars?