December 20 (and Big Trip Day 1)

Jeremy did make it home from the States, at about 3 a.m.  This is what "coming and going" looked like at the bottom of the stairs.

We left the house in a Maxi Taxi at about 4:30 p.m.  WE have always taken 2 taxi's to the airport (at about $30 each).  We decided to try a Maxi Taxi and found that the typical booking fee, plus the $18 maxi taxi advanced booking fee plus the regular fare only came to $48.

We arrived at the airport for a Qantas flight leaving at 8:00.  Sarah knew a Navy family on the flight, and Allison knew a boy from High School.  Always such a small world.  Upon check-in, though we found out that we did not have visa's into Sydney.  "Someone" read that website wrong!  We could either pay $20 (each) to the online site or $70 each to the ticket counter.  You can probably guess which one we preferred, but found that the laptop would not pick up the correct Wi-Fi carrier and both Blackberry and iPhone had trouble with the website past the home screen.  (All prices in SG.)  Dunkin Donuts took the edge off.  And we curled up with blankets, dinner, and our own movie on a 7-1/2 (-ish) hour flight.

December...thus far

1.  The Nutcracker at Singapore American School (not your mother's traditional or classical ballet (or music!), but fun nonetheless

 McKenna's number:

Madison's number:

  

2.  Allison learned how to shoot archery

3.  Had a lovely evening with neighborhood church friends reenacting the Nativity

4.  Enjoyed a fun kindergarten Christmas concert

5.  Enjoyed a fun night at church celebrating Christmas

(insert Madison playing Mary here)

6.  Enjoyed Gardens by the Bay (and the Flower Dome)

7.  Jeremy spent the whole month (until the last few hours before we left) in Virginia for work.  He did get to stop in and check on our house, see our neighbors, and go to our church.  He also got to see these fabulous people (my brother and family, my cousin,  and my dad's sister) a couple times:

8.  Christmas came early (because it sure isn't all going on the airplane!):

November

Here's a pictorial review of our month of November:
1.  Parker participated in our church's Activity Boy's Raingutter Regatta

2.  Parker participated in the annual school music class gamelan performance

3.  McKenna took her own initiative to start doing the dishes

 4.  The girls began showing their support for Addie Napierski, who is a 12 year old girl in our church ward, our neighborhood and our school who very recently found out that she has cancer/lymphoma

5.  Sarah's front bumper was finally fixed and during that time she had a rental car with this sticker in it

6.  On occasion that her roomate/sister/Madison is up past bedtime doing homework, McKenna will opt to sleep on the couch nearby instead of going to her room by herself

 7.  On occasion that Sarah finds a US holiday off and the kids are still in their Singapore schedule school, she enjoys yellow dhal, butter naan, and a mango lassi at the Indian restaurant at the other end of their neighborhood...which also happens to be open 24/7

 8.  McKenna had her turn as her class "Star Student"

 9.  We enjoyed Thanksgiving

10.  Parker had a belated birthday party

11.  McKenna attended a super-cute birthday party of 2 good friends