WOW, it's been almost a month since my last post! Things have been crazy here, so I apologize for not being in touch!! Here's a little update on our life...
We went to Thailand for a week after the movers came (great trip and pics to follow), so came back to a still messy, unorganized home! I have been busy getting everything in order, making multiple runs to IKEA, etc and it's finally feeling like home! Yay!
We have moved Sam back to half day preschool. The full days proved to be just too much for him. He was tired and cranky in the afternoons and telling his teachers that he missed his toys and his mom :) I am soooo happy to have my little buddy home with me more, but I am struggling with getting everything done prior to him getting home at 12:20. Places don't open until 10am and being reliant on public transportation or my own 2 feet, makes for a quick morning!!
As many of you may have heard, we had to put our sweet Ruby down a few weeks ago. More on that to follow, but I've really felt the distance in dealing with all of that. So, so hard.
I think we are all in the throws of Phase 2 culture shock (homesickness, frustration, annoyance, anxiety). I've read that this is totally normal around the 3 month mark and should be better in about "6-12 months"! (ahhhh!! let's hope it doesn't take that long!!!)
The honeymoon phase is definitely over and now we're really having to adjust to life in big city Asia. We have all been a bit homesick. Mia especially has been missing our neighbors and friends from home. Condo life is a big change and playdates are a struggle because everyone lives so spread out around the island. That's tough on my super social little girl :)
We have kind of been in survival mode since we moved here. So much change, so much adjustment. However now that the house is in order, school schedules have been worked out, friends have been made and we have a better understanding of how Singapore ticks, I am hoping we can start to concentrate on making ourselves a truly great life here :)
Speaking of making ourselves a great life here, I have hired a helper!!!!!!
My friend Brenda (from Des Moines) and her family are moving back to the US next month and I am taking her helper, Josephine! She will start with us on December 9. She was with Brenda's family for 3 years and came highly recommended! She is super sweet and shy, 31 years old and from the Philippines. She will live with us and assume all of the household responsibilities (cooking, cleaning, laundry), as well as babysitting and helping out with errands, grocery shopping, etc. This will be a great luxury and something I will never have again, so "when in Rome," right??!!! No more excuses for not blogging once she's here!
It is still blazing hot in Singapore. And don't forget about the crazy humidity, it's still here too. We have adjusted to the heat though and just last night I was actually "chilly" while sitting outside at dinner. It had rained all afternoon, which cuts the humidity and brings a breeze, the sun had went down and I was seriously cold. I checked my phone, it was 84 degrees, with the feels like as 89. I guess when you're used to temps in the upper 90's, the 80's feel refreshing :)
Singapore is in the Christmas spirit and has been since October. Crazy Christmas decorations have inundated this non-Christian country and its many palm trees. Kind of bizarre, but super festive for us ex-pats! The snow machines start this week!
Nate left for another trip to India this morning. He is still traveling about every other week, but hopefully the travel schedule will slow down a bit in 2014. He is really enjoying his job and is already making some headway in the region.
I think I spend half my life here planning travel and seem to never get anything booked. Hard to prioritize where to go, when to go (based on weather patterns--rain, heat, etc), kids time off, Nate's travel schedule, hotel and flight availability, etc. I get lost in the crazy maze of travel blogs, personal recommendations and everybody in Asia seems to travel at the same time, which puts the pressure on to book WAY in advance, otherwise you can't get a flight out of Singapore or you pay a small fortune!
Traveling with kids is proving to be challenging as we need the travel to be kid-friendly enough (safe, not too historical or boring, good flight times, easy transport, etc) so they can enjoy it and interesting enough for Nate and I to have fun too! We're either going to have a Cambodian Christmas or a Chinese one (Hong Kong), so will keep you posted on that! Bali is on the books for early February!
Well, that's our life in a nutshell :) Before I sign off tonight, I want to push a little "PSA" for the typhoon disaster relief in the neighboring Philippines. As I'm sure you've seen, the super storm has left thousands dead and injured and even more without food, clean water or shelter.
The Filipino people don't have much, but they have a great reputation as being kind, humble and hard-working. Interestingly, they are also Christian (Catholic) and most speak English, making them seem much more 'western' than 'eastern'.
The kids school is collecting donations this week and you too can also donate to the American Red Cross or Salvation Army. A little goes a long way.
So nice to see the US gov't donating millions of dollars to the aid effort. It's getting great press in this part of the world!
No plans tomorrow morning, so hoping to get lots of pictures posted here!! Until then! xo, Sarah
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