Gymboree Day

We are headed back to Melaka right now from KL. Azman, Evan and I drove up this morning so that Evan could attend his Gymboree class. We were initially supposed to come up with Andrew, but his meeting was rescheduled for tomorrow, so we had Azman drive us up instead. We were a bit hesitant about coming to KL because the city is in preparation for their big Merdeka celebration on Friday and there was supposed to be tons of road closures in the city center. Fortunately, the mall where we went didn’t seem to be impacted so we didn’t have any problem outside of the usual bumper-to-bumper KL traffic. Merdeka is Malaysia’s “4th of July”….August 31st marks the anniversary of their independence from the British. This is their 50th anniversary, so there is suppose to be an extra special celebration going on this year. We won’t be attending as I’m sure every Malaysian will be making their way into KL in the next couple of days.
Evan did wonderfully at his class. We attended the level 3 class this time for the first time. Since it is for 10 to 16 month olds, there was a wide range of kids in the class…..some just crawling, some learning to walk and others walking really well. The instructor set up several obstacle courses to have the babies practice crawling and walking. Since we aren’t a crawler, the ones with tunnels to go through posed a problem….so we just skipped those silly tunnels…..who wants to crawl anyhow when you can walk!!! Climbing stairs, walking on beams, sliding down slides and pushing that big tube thing (below) was more his style.

Another hotel.......another haircut

We had a great time in Singapore this last weekend. We left on Saturday and much to our surprise had no problem at all with the Malaysia/Singapore immigration or customs. We did have to spend a bit of time registering our car with the Singapore immigration. Apparently, all cars in Singapore must have a VEP (vehicle entry permit). So we had to buy something called an Autopass card in order to pay our tolls and they also charge foreign-registered cars a S$20/day fee at certain times during the week (now we know how they keep Singapore so clean). We also had to pay an arm and a leg to park. While the parking at our swanky hotel (we had to stay in one of the executive rooms since the hotel was full……oh schucks!!) should have been complimentary, it somehow ended up getting charged to our Autopass card.....Singapore is definitely much more expensive than Malaysia!! We actually stayed at the same hotel near the COP office that I stayed in when I visited Singapore several years ago. It was fun to see how much I remembered about an area that I was only in for 2 short days, (on business with severe jet lag) 5 years ago!! Apparently the swanky hotel has a shortage of baby cots…..because since Evan and I were a last minute add on to Andrew’s business trip and he failed to mention we would need one, there were none available for Saturday night. So lucky for Evan, he got to sleep with Mommy and Daddy for one night. He did quite well – fell asleep on schedule just as always and slept through the night (at least without requiring me to tend to him) – I, on the otherhand had a very long night. I now realize how much he temporarily wakes up during the course of the night. He would wake up, move around a bit, talk a bit and then fall right back to sleep. He woke up in the morning, just as refreshed as ever. I, unlike my 2 boys, woke up on this tiny piece of the bed (nevermind that it was a king size bed and E and Andrew had PLENTY of room to spare!!) with every joint aching (from trying to move as minimally as possible so not to wake him....Evan, that is....Andrew was snoring most of the night...there was no waking him!!).


As for our trip, we didn’t do any sightseeing again. We pretty much got the things we needed done - grocery shopping for Evan essentials and the stuff we can’t get in Malaysia for us (like 5 bags of Tortilla chips!!) and we also got Evan’s 4th haircut. Andrew found a place called Junior League at a mall next to the hotel. It was this place that tailored specifically to children – with DVD players in front of each of the 4 chairs and tons of books and toys!! We thought we would go early so we could get an appointment, but I think everyone else had the same idea. When we got there, they hadn’t opened the doors yet, but there were about 10 other kids already waiting as well. We shortly found out that there is a process to getting a haircut there....that apparently everyone else knew about expect us….and a British family that was also waiting. As the doors opened, parents rushed to a wall with numbers hanging from it which determined your place in line. I picked up on it quickly, but not quick enough – we ended up being #9 out of 13……and let me tell you, I would have been last if not for becoming pushy at the end (after politely waiting my turn and continuously having other mothers jump in front of me)….I swear no order in this place….and for tiny Asians, they don’t have a problem shoving you (ok, shoving is probably harsh, but someone definitely needs to teach some of them some manners that’s for sure!!). When it finally became our turn….45 minutes later….Evan did quite well. He sat quietly the entire time, playing with some candy in a bowl (taking them out one by one, throwing them down so mom could put them back in the bowl and then throwing them out again…..over and over and over!!!). We were very pleased with his cut, the guy did such a fantastic job and I never flinched once at the sight of him nearly getting Evan in the eyes with his scissors! I think we have found our new place for Evan cuts……especially now since I know what to do!!


Now you can see how desperately we were in need of a haircut...he was starting to look like a little girl!!

And then they had to go and put a pink robe on him......

No girl here.....just one handsome little guy!!I think the only other eventful thing during our stay was our trip over to Hooters at a place called Clark’s Quay (pronounced “key”), which was really neat. I think on a Friday and Saturday the place would have been packed with people – it seemed like a place with a big nightlife. It had tons of outside restaurants and bars right along the water (reminded me of the Riverwalk in San Antonio). We went on a Sunday night, so it wasn’t crowded at all. The Hooters was just as in the states, except no Budlight and the wings just didn’t seem the same (alright, so maybe nothing like in the states.....other than the name and the girls wearing those awful outfits!!)) Evan had trouble napping that afternoon, so he had a very late afternoon nap so we didn’t end up eating until about 9:oo. So yes, we were at Hooters, on a Sunday, at 9:00 at night…..with a baby!! If we were celebrities we would have made the front page of all the trash magazines (fortunately, the one magazine I’ve managed to continue to receive in the mail is my US magazine…..so I’ve been staying on top of all the Britney Spears drama)!!! Evan had a great time, he was quite a big hit with the ladies!!! His Boss always tells him he likes those older women….well Boss, he was definitely in action while we were at Hooters!!

And here is one at home the other day where E got his first punk rock hairdo....

Freedom

Evan and I have been keeping busy with our new found freedom provided by our new wheels. I find that we get more of our errands run during the week now instead of having to wait for Andrew to drive us around on the weekend....or waiting for the driver to take us wherever we need to go. On Monday, we hit the mega sale at Jaya Jusco and then went and paid Andrew's parking ticket (which by the way isn't an easy task - there has to be an easier way to pay a $5 parking ticket!!!). Yesterday, we went and met Andrew for lunch at the mall and then shopped around for a bit. I think A is a little worried that my being able to get out of the house and around town by myself may start costing him more.....I guess I'm going to have to go back to being put on a budget :-) Today, I actually drove myself to my coffee morning. I even managed to find my way without getting lost...well, actually I missed one turn, but easily found my way (which is a real success given all the one way streets). It is just so nice to get out whenever we want to now. I can tell we are really starting to get comfortable living here. Today, I saw one of the American women who has been back in the US for the last 3 months and I found myself talking to her about where to go for things in the city....I think she was a bit shocked that we were feeling so settled already. And, this weekend, Andrew, Evan and I are going to attempt to drive to Singapore on our own....without the driver (this could be a real adventure)! The drive isn't what we are worried about as much as getting through immigration and customs on our own (without speaking the language) and then finding our way around the city.....wish us luck!!

I just had to post this picture of Evan.....it really shows how big he is actually getting. He just got this shirt and short set today from his Nana and Pop who recently went to Myrtle Beach.....I thought they would be too big for him to wear right now.....but as you can see, they are not too big at all. (and the cap is because he is in desperate need of a haircut!!!)

New car and now on my way to new, straight teeth....

After 9 short weeks, I finally have some wheels of my very own. Evan and I got our new MPV (multi-person vehicle) yesterday and we love it! We are now rolling in a fancy, new Toyota Innova. Actually, it's not all that fancy at all (my mom asked if it had a DVD player or a GPS.....are you kidding....we don't even get cruise control around here - actually you probably can, but nothing we could afford...these are considered super luxuries around here I think) compared to US cars, but about 10 steps up from Andrew's Waja - so we LOVE it!! Evan and I went to the zoo today and I think Evan was really digging his new ride....I never heard from him once. He is so ready to do the forward facing thing though. He is so curious about everything that just looking at the back seat the entire time isn't working for him much anymore. I can hardly believe my baby is going to be one in less than 2 months....where has the time gone?!?!? It seems like just the other day we were bringing him home from the hospital, without a clue as to what to do with him.....and now he is walking, has a mouth full of teeth and rambles non-stop! I hope you all are enjoying the pictures out on this blog as much as I do.....I love to go back through them and see how much he has changed in just a few short months!! Sorry....not sure how I got off on that thought....

As I mentioned in my prior post, I'm officially 13 again. I got the braces put on my lower teeth on Thursday. It was a fairly non-eventful procedure. I went in and 30 minutes later, I had a mouthful of metal! It really made me feel like a teenager again especially when the assistant asked me what color of bands I wanted around the brackets and then presented me with samples of bright (I mean BRIGHT) blue, red, green, yellow, orange, purple, etc rubber bands. It reminded of all these kids who go out and get their favorite color or school colors put on! So, I chose red.......just teasing, I told her to put on whatever would show up the least....I ended up with grey. Anyhow, so now my teeth are killing me. I guess it means it's working though, right? I also forgot how hard it is to eat with these things (good way to diet...I find myself avoiding anything that requires too much chewing....rice and noodles seem to be working well!) and how they completely rub the inside of my mouth . Hopefully she is right in saying that I will only have to wear them for a year or less. It was pretty funny - Evan wasn't quite sure what to think of them when I first showed them to him....of course, all he wanted to do was point at them! We find that he points at everything......and everyone.....which is so perfect, given that we live in a country where they DON'T point (they do that thumb thing...you know that "proper presentation" thing they teach you instead of pointing)!!! Anyhow, hopefully I get used to these dumb things....I guess I can't complain since it was my idea to get them put on in the first place. At least Andrew is getting some enjoyment out of teasing me constantly!!

Here are a few pictures from the last few days:

Having some lunch.....he is totally into solids now and loves eating by himself

In addition to walking, he has also picked up "scooting" (since he never learned to crawl)...so now he scoots along (he especially loves it on the tile/wooden floors because he moves faster than on the rugs) to a place where he can pull himself up

This is one from our trip to the zoo - he had the best time watching these monkeys eat on some corn cobs and climb around on the trees (which as we've mentioned, we really don't need to go to a zoo to see!!). He also really enjoyed seeing the elephants this time. He started pointing at them as soon as he saw them as we were walking up the hill. He sat and watched in awe as they ate with their trunks. He definitely noticed alot more during this trip than he did a couple of months ago.

We'll continue to keep you posted....so please do the same and let us know how things are going in your time zone.

We head to Pulau Tioman for our first Malaysian holiday....

Last Thursday we left for our trip to Tioman Island. We left Melaka about 6:45 in the morning after stopping by to pick up the nanny (by the way, what a great idea that was to bring her along.....Andrew and I took full advantage of having her around!!). It was suppose to be a 3 1/2 hour drive to Mersing and then onto the ferry for an hour and a half ferry ride to Tioman. The drive turned out being about 2 1/2 hours (given how our driver speeds).....and oh my goodness, I thought I was going to puke by the time we got to Mersing. After an hour on the nice North/South highway we are used to traveling on, we got off on these 2 lane highways with turns about every 1/4 mile - much like you see when traveling up in the mountains - expect going about twice as fast....and with monkeys in the middle and on the side of the road (reminded me of seeing deer in Texas)!!! I'm so glad we had Azman drive us, I think it was much too dangerous for Andrew to have driven (at least until he gets more experience driving around here). Anyhow, we made it to Mersing and caught this ferry to the island....we now know why we hear of all these ferries going down in Indonesia....these boats look like they are a couple hundred years old and they fill them way beyond capacity. Anyhow, it was safe enough...it got us there and back (with bridges collapsing in the US....I guess you aren't really safe anywhere anymore,are you?). We arrived on the island about 12:30 and caught a shuttle from town to the resort. The island was absolutely gorgeous. It had beautiful (and clean) beaches and crystal blue water. The weather was just perfect.....sunny, but with a nice breeze. Fortunately, it only rained (or sprinkled rather) one evening for a short period and that was it. Andrew and I sat out near the beach one evening and enjoyed the cool ocean breeze, which was absolutely phenomenal. Other than hanging out and drinking more than we should have (this is where the nanny came in handy at 7:30 in the morning :-) ), we didn't do too much. Evan had his first beach experience (there is a short video below of his first time in the water)....he wasn't particulary fond of the waves (and couldn't quite figure out what the squishy "stuff" was between his toes), so we didn't spend too much time in the ocean (or I guess it was the South China Sea that we were in). He did love his pool time and people wathching though. I think watching all the other kids was probably the most fun for him.

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Evan was such a good boy - happy the entire time and just going along with being in yet another hotel!! Poor child of ours, he has been in more hotels (and cribs) in his first 10 months of his life than I think he'll be in for the next 10 years. Even through all 8 (nearly 10) teeth he has broken through and the constant travel, he has never raised much of a fuss. We couldn't be more blessed to have such a wonderful, go-with-the-flow child. He is definitely go, go, go these days. While he is awake, he is either eating or on his feet. He now walks by only holding onto your pant leg (forget needing a hand any longer!!). He still isn't quite sure of taking too many steps on his own though.....security from something is working best for him right now!! He was also the dancing fool the entire trip. There was music always playing, so it seemed like he always dancing. One night at dinner, a group from the Phillappines came by and sang La Bamba for us....Evan had way too much fun with that one.....so much so that another couple nearby commented on "his groove".
I definitely think keeping him on his normal nap schedule helped so much while we were there. This is where we mainly used Ramyee....we would all have breakfast together, her and Evan would go back to the room for his nap and then Andrew and I would venture out on our own. Then we would meet back up for lunch, play around the pool or the beach with Evan and then let the two of them head back to the room for his afternoon nap. Again, Andrew and I would have a couple of hours to get out on our own and then get back together for dinner. After dinner, we'd go back to the room, bath Evan and put him down for the evening.....leaving us the evening to hang out some more. It was just what we needed. It is definitely a place we'd like to visit again. It was also dirt cheap. We met a couple honeymooning there from Washington. They were in Tioman for a week and then in Bali for about 10 days....I guess you are able to vacation that long when everything is so inexpensive around here. We also met a family from Houston who are now living in Singapore and another couple from Oregon who were traveling around for 6 weeks. There were tons Europeans too.....so we had the pleasure of experiencing many (too many) Speedos!!! What in the world are these men thinking.....nothing worse than Speedos are fat men in Speedos....yuck!!! I can't believe their wives go around with them in those things !! There was definitely some interesting people watching!! We also noticed that the Muslim women who go swimming (we didn't see but one or 2) wear these swimsuits that cover their entire body and head. It reminded me of the suits those speed ice skaters wear when racing....you know the ones I'm talking about?!?!? Poor women, I can't imagine having to be fully clothed ALL THE TIME, especially in the Malaysian heat. I bet they looked forward to bathing, so they can finally take all those clothes off!! :-)

We definitely thought we could have used a couple of more days....we wish we could have done more snorkleing. It was amazing - I'd never seen so many fish in one place before. They took us less than a mile off the main island to a small island nearby. There were so many beautiful fish and coral. I'm not exactly sure of all the different species, but they were all very colorful fish We also heard there were 2 resident sharks there (apparently, the harmless ones), but we (fortunately) didn't get a chance to see them. It was so cool because all these fish would just swim right around you. I (not being the real fish person) was a bit sketched out by it at first, but after a while started getting used to it. Some guy was feeding them bread and they would just attack his hand trying to get to the food....it was too cool! So now Andrew and I have decided that we would like to get certified to go diving. Apparently the divingaround these parts is some of the best in the world, so we would hate to miss out on it while we are here.

Anyhow, we had a fantastic time and were sad to have to come back home. We are definitely looking forward to our next Malaysian holiday. They say Malaysia (and some of the other close neighboring countries ) is full of islands just like this one.....yea!!

Here is a slideshow of some of the pictures I took....I didn't get too many good pics (we spent too much time just relaxing), but here are a few: