Christmas Pageant Poem

The Christmas program at Samantha's school is on Friday night. Emily knows the poem almost as well as Samantha.

Heather and I had an amazing massage today - 90 minutes of pure bliss! You're so relaxed they need a spatula to get you off the table! I'll need another one after my long airplane ride!
Samantha and I walked down to Solaris this afternoon to the bank. As we are walking along the sidewalk she saw a discarded water bottle and said "Oh my God, this is so frustrating! People throw trash all over and it's not good for the earth!" When we checked out at the store she asked if we could have an extra bag to put trash in on our way home! Such a little environmentalist!

The Climbing Walls

Today, Monday, is a Malaysian Holiday so Kyle and the girls had the day "off ." We went out for lunch and then to the indoor climbing walls. Samantha couldn't wait to show me how high she can climb and Emily decided to try it too! It makes me nervous to watch them but they love it!

Shangra La

One of Heather's friends that moved to Australia is back in town this week-end so we met her and another friend at the Shangra La Hotel for "tea" this afternoon. A beautiful lobby with this gorgeous bouquet of Birds of Paradise - at least 4 feet tall. The tea sandwiches, scones and desserts were delicious and we even got to see a Chinese wedding in the garden. Heather is meeting more of them for dinner tonight. Kyle is going to a shrimp boil at the International School. The girls and I are going to enjoy a bubble bath, pedicures and a sleep-over in my room!

We called Marion so the girls could sing her "Happy Birthday!" They are the birthday ambassadors!

Roger, Megan and Carlos called to let us know they had just eaten at the new Lupe's Tortillas (our favorite Mexican restaurant in Sugarland and they just opened one in San Antonio) and the fajitas were as good as they remembered! Then they went to Starbucks for pumpkin spice lattes! I gott'a get home!!!

Turkey Day

No Turkey Day in KL - Kyle at work and kids in school. Heather and I went to Samantha's class and made turkey hats with the kids and then went shopping in the afternoon on Thursday. We talked with Roger, Megan, Carlos and his niece Olivia this morning - it was about 6pm in San Antonio and they were getting ready to eat Thanksgiving dinner. So glad Roger wasn't alone. We are cooking a turkey with bread stuffing this afternoon and joining friends for a traditional dinner this evening.
The girls called and talked with Santa Claus last night! He talked to them for awhile and then they got to leave a message telling him what they wanted for Christmas. Emily told him she wanted a "bouncy ball" and then after she hung up she said "I no have an Ipad - I want an Ipad!" Heather told her Santa has limits!! Samantha wants a "2 wheeled scooter." It just so happens that her best friend Claire, across the street, wants one too.
They woke me up this morning all excited because "Sonny" their Christmas elf arrived last night. He is Santa's helper and comes early to watch them and report to Santa how good they have been. Nobody can touch him - otherwise his magic disappears. He "flys" to a different perch every night so it's fun to find him each morning. We are going to put the Christmas tree up this week-end so I can see it before I leave.
Heather and I are going to Chinatown one last time this morning!

The "Bon Ton"

We took a taxi into "town" to dinner at the "Bon Ton" on Saturday night. Kyle & Heather ate there when they were in Lankawi 2 years ago. A little "Bohemian" but very good food! It is actually, a resort with individual cottages in stilts above the water. The sunset against the mountains was lovely.
In addition to being a hotel and restaurant it is also a rescue mission for cats and dogs! All the dogs were on leashes and just lounging around but the cats made themselves at home where ever they wished. Walking on the ceiling beams and the roof, sleeping in the chairs and any comfortable area they could find. We had to prove to Samantha that the dogs were tied up and couldn't reach her but they loved the cats! Emily said she saw one in the kitchen, which Heather & I were hoping was not true!
In the middle of dinner Emily stood up in her chair and sniffed the air and said "Something smelly!" then sniffed again and announced in a loud voice "Dog poop!!" She is so funny! On the way home she said "it so bumpy my butt going up and down a lot!"
Samantha slept in her sleeping bag on a couch and her bag is so slippery that she slid right off in the middle of the night! I got up and picked her up and put her in bed with us. I think she was so tired it didn't register what had happened! At breakfast I said to Emily "Did you hear sister fall out of bed last night?" and she said "Like Humpty Dumpty???"
We spent our morning at the beach again and flew back to KL this afternoon. The girls were so excited to see Kyle and tell him all about our trip. We had such a great time - lots of good memories!
Back to reality tomorrow!

Langkawi

Kyle flew to India on Tuesday night on business – will return on Saturday evening. Heather, the girls & I flew to Langkawi on Thursday morning and will return on Sunday afternoon. A 4 day “ladies holiday” at the beach!

Langkawi is  beautiful vacation destination on the northwest coast of Malaysia with mountains, rainforests and gorgeous beaches. turquoise water and sand like the Caribbean. The temperature is in the 80’s and less humid than KL with a nice breeze from the sea. We are staying at the Andaman Resort on the Andaman Sea which flows into the Indian Ocean. It is a perfect beach for the kids because there are small waves, lots of shells, shallow water, and nice sand. It’s perfect for the adults because the shade trees are very close to the water – we can relax in our recliners while the girls play. Samantha has had fun with her goggles – watching the tiny fish. Of course they have beautiful pools and a water slide. The slide “dumps” the kids in about 3-4 feet of water and they can easily swim to the ladder to go up and down again! They never tire of it! I pretended that I was scared  to slide down and Emily said “it OK Tima, I be right by you! It’s terrible how content I can be in a lounge chair! Especially, when Roger is back in the states working!!

We took a boat tour of the Mangrove Forest yesterday. We were afraid the girls would be bored but they were so good and really enjoyed it. The mangrove trees have adapted to live in the coastal area in salt water and where the tides leave them swamped sometimes and dry at other times. They are surrounded by rainforest and rivers and all sorts of wildlife live there. We saw many different birds; one clawed crabs; a fish that walks on ground when the tide is out; a viper snake in a tree and a large monitor lizard and of course, monkeys. We also visited a fish farm where we fed the groupers and stingrays and then we walked through a bat cave! Our guide, Wendy, had a flashlight so we could see all the bats hanging from the ceiling. To tell the truth, I wasn’t all that excited about the bat cave but the girls were so I had to act brave! On the way back, the boat went into the Andaman Sea and along the coastline – so beautiful, a great place for one of our houseboat trips! The boat went very fast and Emily giggled and laughed and loved it! This morning Emily woke up and before the rest of us were quite awake she said “ shhh… the bats are sleeping, look, I shine flashlight so you can see them!” I’m sure she absorbed more than we imagined!

Heather & I were disappointed that our room does not have a balcony. We thought we could put the girls to bed and then relax with our wine but…..the monkeys are all around here. They are not domestic but people do not frighten them and they can be aggressive if you have food or drink. The girls were scared the first day because one was sitting on the window sill peeking in! This morning they saw one sitting in the tree eating an apple! The sign on our door says to leave the doors locked because they will come in your room and raid the fruit bowls!

This morning Samantha told Emily if she was really good she would give her “the prettiest seashell” she found! Such a sweet big sister! We were eating lunch and Samantha was upset about something – Emily pipes up and says “I eating good – I no have attude!” (Because, Heather tells them not to give her attitude!”)

Heather had a facial this afternoon while Emily napped and Samantha & I did an activity book. Off to dinner in town at the “Bon Ton” tonight! Such a hectic schedule!

Art Projects

The girls and I have been working on art projects. Each of them made a picture for their room. Samantha and I were doing hers in her room while Emily napped. We locked the door so she wouldn't come in and get into everything. When she woke up she started knocking - we ignored her for awhile until she really banged on the door and said "Open the door, I can not be out here all by myself!"

Emily received a beautiful ballerina doll as a birthday gift from one of her friends. Samantha covets it (apparently she had seen it earlier in the toy store.) I told Heather it is just a matter of time before the bargaining begins to "trade!"

We were eating dinner last night - 6 chairs at the table and 5 of us - Emily says "One missing - Tima gots to bring Grandpa next time - he sad at the carhouse all by he self!" I got tears in my eyes!

Emily can spell her name and Samantha read me a story - sounding out the words she didn't know. They are growing up too fast!!

Heather volunteered to help with Samantha's swimming class during PE at school (she had to get in the water!) so I went along to observe. What an ordeal to get all the kids changed into their swim suits and then dried off and back into their clothes! Samantha was very upset because her friend Hali called me Tima - she told Hali that I was not her Tima and she should call me Kathy!!! It was interesting to see what all the kids brought in their lunch boxes - foods from all over the world - and there is our little American eating seaweed!

Sleep Over

We went out to dinner last night to a tappa bar - great food - we went early enough that it was OK for the girls to eat at a bar. It was in downtown KL on a street similar to 6th Street in Austin - all bars and restaurants. There was even a new place that sells roasted pork - something you don't get much in KL.
Emily talked all the way there and all the way home - just chattering away about everything she saw - she is so observant - nothing gets by her - and she has a million questions about it all! Especially the monorail that runs in the downtown area.

Samantha and I had a sleepover in my room. We read books and giggled and had  a fun time. She is such a sweetie with such a tender heart! On the day of Emily's BR party Samantha gave her a hug and said "I'm glad you're 3 and had a nice party!"

Emily wanted a snack the other day while Heather was gone - she told me about 4 times what she wanted but I couldn't understand her. I finally figured out she was saying "vegetables" - "frozen vegetables." She opened the freezer drawer, poured frozen corn kernels in her cup and started nibbling on them!
Samantha's favorite snack is barbecued seaweed! It comes in a small bag like lunch chips and is paper thin rectangles. Nasty looking stuff! I tried some and said "it tastes fishy" - to which she responded "that's because it used to live in the ocean with the fish!"

We were eating dinner at the table tonight -  6 chairs but only 5 of us - Emily says "we missing 1 - Tima  bring Grandpa next time - he sad at the carhouse by he self." I got tears in my eyes!

Samantha's Soccer Game

We went to Samantha's soccer game this morning. Kyle stayed home to work but, he told her if she scored a goal he would go to all her soccer games from now on. I said, "I take it you think that's a pretty safe bet!" Samantha scored 2 goals and had a great assist to Joshua who scored a goal and her team won the game! She was so excited! Kyle couldn't believe it - he's committed to a lifetime of soccer Saturdays!

Matt & Me

Wish I had known Matt Lauer was going to be in KL - I would have bummed a ride on his private jet! Actually, my 30 hours of travel wasn't too bad this time. We left SA at 10am on Monday and drove to Houston - my flight left at 4:30pm. I flew to Moscow (where we had to get off the airplane, walk through the terminal, go through another security check, and then get back on the same plane - go figure!) then to Singapore then Kuala Lumpur and I arrived on Wednesday at 9:30am. I paid $50 extra for a seat in the first row behind business class where there is more leg room and it was well worth it - great just to be able to stretch your legs out and stand up once in awhile plus there isn't someone in front of you that's reclined back with their head in your lap! Singapore Airlines has great service and decent food.
Heather picked me up (so good to see her!) and we went to a charity Christmas bazaar at one of the hotels - very similar to the ones in the US - on our way home. Had to keep going - didn't want to sleep during the day and have my body clock really messed up!  A fun reunion with Samantha and Emily - a quick dinner with Kyle and Heather - and in bed at 7pm. Thought I did well to stay awake as long as I did! I slept well until about 5:30am so that was a good start at beating the jet lag. It is always worse, for me, going home!
We've been busy - took cupcakes to Emily's school for her birthday on Thursday morning; celebrated Kyle's BR on Thursday night; and had Emily's birthday party with her little girlfriends at the house this morning. Heather had a "baby doll" party - all the girls brought their dolls and strollers and played with them at different stations around the house: feeding area, bath area, play area, snack area, nap area - too cute!
Kyle & Heather had a work party tonight so the girls & I had "movie night" and watched Annie. Well, we watched the beginning - they were so tired from a busy week that they wilted quickly. They love the movie and know all the songs and most of the dialogue!
Off to Samantha's soccer game tomorrow. Hope it's cooler in the morning - the humidity has been oppressive!
I'm feeling guilty about being here having fun while Roger is home working. But.................

San Antonio

We arrived back in San Antonio yesterday at 4:30pm and were at Nicha's Mexican restaurant at 5:30pm!!
Poor Roger drove all day Monday because I had an earache that got progressively worse as the day went on. We stopped at an Urgent Care clinic in Tucson and I got meds that have given me relief. I haven't had an earache in years - forgot how miserable they can be - certainly didn't want to fly for 30 hours with ear congestion!

I spent the day shopping for last minute items before my trip to KL - mostly food and medications that Heather can't buy there. Plus Heather and I have both been ordering items on line and having them shipped to Megan's - she says her place looks like a warehouse! I bought 2 cardboard "suitcases" from UPS to pack all the items - hope it all fits!!

We are going to Austin on Sunday and I leave on Monday! Can't wait to see "Fancy Nancy" and "Annie!"