March 2006

Well, I am quite pleased with myself in getting an update out so soon! I am halfway there in keeping new years resolution one! We seem to have accumulated so many photos even since last time that I thought I should better get them up quick and there was still a bit of news to catch up on that I didn't put up last time. Have put up pictures of our new place in the photo section. You can see the before, during and after shots. I love living here. Its so much easier all being on one level again. The kids run around from room to room, can keep most of their mess in Joes' room and then just shut the door! The kitchen is great and have started to bake and cook again. Joe keeps me company in there usually sat at the small bench eating biscuits, or helping measuring out ingredients for cakes and eating more of them than actually putting whatever we need in the bowl. He knows how to make a jelly now, but again more cubes go in his mouth than the jug. Its peaceful at night with the sound of crickets on the balcony and its nice to have a big bath after all these years to soak in, even if Frosty can be heard in the background complaining of the smell of whatever essential oil I have thrown in there! He's still a bit like Victor Meldrew and the new place hasn't changed him yet.

We had a lovely Christmas last year. My mum and dad came over for a couple of weeks. It had been 2 years since my dad had seen Joe so he was quite excited about that. My mum and dad love walking around so that was great because Sean was going through his stage where he wanted to be out in his pram a lot. They took him to Holland village most days to go and buy fresh bread and to stop for a pint on the way home. Joe and Sean also had some good mornings out at the botanical gardens, playing football and hoopla and feeding the fish. Orchard Road was lovely at Christmas as usual, but I thought the lights weren't as good as previous years. My mum and dad said they were spectacular compared to what is back in the UK. We went down a couple of nights and this year they had built an old Roman fort and had centurions and wise men walking round. It was then rather weird to see Tribes people from Chiangmai and Indonesia performing traditional dances set in a Bethlehem back drop! What was lovely was to listen to the Christmas carols sung by choirs on this huge Christmas tree platform. Again though it felt strange in 40 degrees and the carols were in Chinese!

Joe was more into Christmas this year. Well he was into presents. I thought he had really grasped the Christmas spirit when he gave me one of his small presents from under the tree and said we could give it to the church for the kids that don't get presents. Two seconds later he announced - and then I can have a really big present instead! We got a new Christmas tree seen as we were in the new house and the old one was ten years old, getting thinner from travelling round various Asian countries and was a bit small and looked out of place in our new living room. Joe loves a Christmas tree. We haven't reached the getting up at three in the morning stage yet, and bless him he didn't even open the presents in his santa sack. He was very excited on Christmas morning to see a big present by the tree though - his new bike, which he still can't pedal properly, he insists on only doing half pedals and making Mike push him up any steep bits. Sean was bemused by the whole morning and preferred to just eat wrapping paper.

My mum cooked Christmas dinner with a helping hand from Cherry, our maid. (who makes wicked sausage and mash now, when your feeling like some English type food) Joe and Rachel came over and we had Christmas day like we used to spend it in England, apart from the Queen's speech. We ate loads, we drank plenty, played with the kids and had a laugh all afternoon until early evening. On boxing day we went over to Joe and Rachel's for drinks in the evening and it is there that we met our friend Steve for the first time. Its been a long time since we have laughed so much all night. Mr. entertainer should charge for attending peoples parties and can be seen in the photo section under Miss Stevious!

New Year's eve was a bit different this year, though Mike and I are starting to make a habit of having an unusual Dec 31st. In the past 5 years we have spent one up Mount Kinabulu, one in labour, and this year we went to the night safari! Joe thoroughly enjoyed strutting round the trails in the dark seeing otters, bats, a flying fox, elephants and other creatures that were out in the night. He had no trouble staying up late and drinking his ribena at gone 11 whilst we had beers before midnight. We didn't make it home in time for the new year so we celebrated that in the car with the radio on and Joe asleep..... he fell asleep about 5 minutes before midnight. He did wake up though as soon as we got home and so did Sean who came to join us in our living room picnic till about 2 in the morning........ the little monkeys didn't even have the decency to give us a lie in and where up as usual at 7am, thoroughly grumpy for most of the day seen as they were tired!

I made new year resolutions that we needed to get out more and start checking out new restaurants. We started with our 5th wedding anniversary by having a lovely meal at the equinox restaurant. Frosty forgot the anniversary as usual. He blamed my mum for not reminding him and calmly asked if I had a spare card that he could use! When he asked what I would like to drink in the restaurant I said, a bottle of champagne please...... he won't forget again! We have also tried a Russian restaurant with Rachel. The food wasn't too bad but maybe that was all the vodka shots that we consumed before hand. We did think it was rather funny to go in this freezing cold room and wear silly pink fluffy coats, something like Vera Duckworth would wear, just to drink a vodka.

In February, Rachel and I helped out Steve with one of his drag shows at Mox on Tanjong Pagar Road. As well as being in charge of his boots and feather bowers, Rachel and I had to fill a 3 minute interval while he changed into his roller boots. Miss Stevious put on a fabulous display and had better legs in tights than me and most of my girlfriends. Joe did the dj-ing, helped or hindered? by Frosty. Loads of pics on the photo page and a better rundown by Rachel on her blogspot under: these boots are made for walking

During the weekends we have been enjoying the pool at our new place with the kids, been to the science centre, to the westcoast park, the zoo again and generally hanging round the new apartment. Its great being back in an apartment with all the condo facilities to hand and all the kids crap stuffed in Joe's room, though by the end of Sunday the living room is a complete tip. Boys are just so bad at putting their things away.

As I write this we are also packing for a few days in Bangkok. See ya when we get back.

Birdie x x x