Holiday Activities

Here are some fun and educational, yes those two words CAN go together, links and ideas to keep your kids occupied over their school holidays or to supplement your home school curriculum during this holiday season.

WriteShop’s Christmas Story Builder – Downloadable ebook that you print, $3.95

Super Teacher Worksheets – free online printables for all types of subjects and ages.

Free Typing Game – This is loads of fun for parents and kids. Practice up on your typing skills or game each other to see who dominates the keyboard.

Host a Baking Party with your kids or just let them make the goodies for you!

If you just google “Christmas activities” and then click on images, there are so many coloring pages and puzzles it’s ridiculous. FREE!

Get a puzzle that you can all work on a little at a time over the holiday break.

Give them the video camera (older children, of course) and let them write and produce their own epic film. This is sure to be a treasure!

Give them one day when they call the shots. You do what they want to do (within reason and budget, of course). Novel idea, eh? They’ll love it!

And then of course, there’s always reading. Take them to the bookstore and buy them a book or load a new book on your/their handy dandy Kindle. Then go hang out at your local coffee shop and hang out for an hour or so. Anna loves it when we do this! And so do I!!

Often we get so busy with our holiday commitments, events and activities that we forget that it’s our kid’s holiday too.

Oh! Don’t forget to start your Advent Devotions. We’re going to use Behold The Lamb narrative this year by Russ Ramsey based on the amazing musical story of Christmas by Andrew Peterson. The narrative is available for Kindle on Amazon which is what we’re using.

Feel free to comment with other ideas you might have. I’d love to hear them and I’m sure other readers would as well.

8 hours

I sat in a 4th floor of a tall, skinny building, nice, clean, air conditioned, jazz music playing shop for 8 hours in my little corner with a few things to fill my time.

I listened to a dull constant buzzing and had this as my view:

Got it figured out?

Hop on over to Tommy’s blog for the full story.

Tommy only flinched once or twice and said there were only a few moments when he thought he might have to tell him to stop but never got there. Moon, a really nice guy, the artist and no relation to Frank Zappa, said he was impressed that Tommy took it for almost 8 hours especially since it was his first tattoo. He said he had endurance. Fitting… Tommy’s verse to live by is

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with endurance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. Hebrews 12:1-2

And now he has a picture of it on his arm to mark it forever.

before

prep

final touches on the design

stencil

it has begun

where it all happens

just a picture of coffee in a bag in a mug

steady hands

spectator’s corner

finished!

Hebrews 12:1-2

Moonstruck Tattoo

Melaka, Melacca, Melakka, Malacca

Tommy and I recently went to Melaka for the weekend to celebrate our 23^rd anniversary. I still can’t believe we’re old enough to have been married for 23 years but as the calendar and other various physical evidence would indicate, we are. It cannot be denied. Nor would I want it to be. I am so proud of our 23 years. They are the culmination of a lot of love, laughter and hard work and also offers hope for 23 more.

There are way too many ways to spell this town! I have no idea why they can’t make up their mind, but I choose “Melaka”. We love how easy it is to drive there. About 3 hours easy drive by car. Listening to music or talking or just enjoying driving on the open road which we don’t get in Singapore. You can’t let your guard down driving in Malaysia, though. Tommy said he constantly has to be watching in front and behind. Lots of speeding going on and not just a few kmph above the speed limit either.

We’ve been to Melaka before, in February 2010, for Anna’s birthday. On that trip we pretty much did whatever Anna wanted to do which involved swimming in the hotel pool, playing cards in the room, shopping in the mall and eating french fries.

This trip was very different.

Our hotel, Hotel Puri, didn’t have a pool but we had this:

Jacuzzi in our room

Swallows in the lobby

Now you see ‘em. Now you don’t. We woke up the morning after I took the above shot to find the nest removed. I’m sure they went to the “pharmacy”.

We didn’t play cards in our room but we did:

Order room service and watch shows on my computer.

We did go to the mall but only for Starbucks.

We did, however, shop here:

Night market

Melaka’s Cracker Barrel

The only thing we really bought was Gula Melaka,

a delicious block of coconut sugar used in many local desserts. Or you could just eat it plain which I can highly recommend. That stuff is scrumptious! The gula melaka in the picture are small portions and jellied to eat like a piece of candy. We did not buy the durian ones. blech.

We didn’t eat french fries, not even once. We ate this:

Buah keluak, Popiah, Chendol from Nancy’s Kitchen.

Bali chicken from Bamboo Hut Bistro. I’ve got to learn how to make this!

And breakfast at our hotel:

Bee hoon, fried bananas and papaya. Bee Hoon is a rice vermicelli chicken broth soup with veggies and topped with fried shallots. It comes with fish balls which I did not include in mine. Bee Hoon can also come in a dry version, stir fry.

Tommy’s American breakfast

We sweated a lot! I swear all sun rays on the continent of Asia were bearing down on Melaka!

This would be the only picture of us from our anniversary weekend. Neither of us have mastered the long arm shot.

And here are just some random shots that I really liked.

On that, it’s time to “scoot” and thank the our friends for letting Anna bunk at their place for the weekend.

Thanksgiving 2011 – The Feast

I cooked.

They cooked.

They came.

We gave thanks.

We ate.

The kids played.

The adults chatted.

They left because they had to not because they wanted to.

It was a great Thanksgiving Feast!

Winter in the Tropics

For our Thanksgiving evening we turned our aircons on pretty low since were having so many people over and the oven had been on for a few hours. I was definitely NOT going to be sweating or have my guests sweating during our Thanksgiving feast! Made the wassail and homemade pumpkin spice lattes taste so much better too!

We pretended that the condensation on the windows was frost and the rain outside was snow. We get good at pretending living in the tropics during winter.

So the low setting on the aircon was ok until everyone left. Then it got downright frigid in our cozy little condo.

I have no idea what was on the tv. We were about to watch something but not whatever that is. Looks like he’s about to shoot her.

Thanksgiving 2011

Today is Thanksgiving in our time zone. I have nothing really profound to say so I will just say I’m thankful. We are blessed and have so much to be thankful for. Even if it’s being thankful for our tiny barbie sized oven. I’m thankful I have one. If I situate it just right I can fit TWO pies in it. That’s amazing!! And I had to be careful of the size turkey we bought so that it would fit in the oven. Someone posted yesterday on facebook about how they are thankful for their double oven. I’m thankful for them too. I just don’t happen to have one.

I digress…

Tori is spending her Thanksgiving with her boyfriend’s family. Jakeb is hiking this week in the Grand Canyon with a group from college. I miss them! But they are where they should be so it is right. Not easy, but right. We’ll get to see them in just a couple of weeks so I’ll be ok!! My side of the family is going camping. Oh, how I miss that! I’m sure it will be quiet around Tommy’s family’s house but that’s the norm and I will miss that too. We are blessed, though, to have friends here that count as family, especially during the holiday season.

Last year we had over 30 in our home. It was awesome! I took a lot of pictures but guess I never blogged about it. Might have to do that cause it was a good one! But our home twice the size as it is this year. Somehow, though, we’re managing to fit in 12 adults and 8 kids. 7 of which are under the age of 6, I think and one who is almost 13. Poor Anna. Yes, she is still sitting at the kid’s table. She is a kid. And she is SO not happy about that. We all paid our dues, right? In fact, due to our smaller space this year, the kid’s table is actually going to be in our guest room. Poor things. They won’t even be in the same room as the adults. Oh, the guilt. Not.

This morning, I am finishing up my baking and writing a blog post. Yesterday I made Blueberry Jello Salad, got the Cornbread Dressing ready to put together, made a Buttermilk Pie and homemade Cranberry Sauce. Today I’m going to make a batch of peanut brittle, two pecan pies and candied yams (sweet potatoes) and bake the turkey and ham. My goal is to get everything finished early and go take a nap by the pool this afternoon. One of the perks of living in the Tropics. We’ll see if this rainy season weather cooperates.

Here is what we are having tonight for our Thanksgiving Feast. It includes what everyone is bringing. We will NOT go hungry! You must have leftovers right?

Turkey

Honey Baked Ham

Corn Bread Dressing

Cranberry Sauce

Steamed Broccoli

Pecan Pies

Candied Yams

Blueberry Jello Salad (not really a salad at all but it’s nice to think it might be healthy)

Chocolate Pudding

Deviled Eggs

Green Bean Casserole

Pumpkin Pies

Spinach/Cheese Crockpot Thing

Mashed Potatoes

Salad

Rolls

Warsail

Chocolate Chess Pie

Macaroni & Cheese

Homemade Mustard (for the meats)

It is a time to be grateful. It is a time to reflect and be mindful of those who have little. It is time for joy. It is a time to feast. It is a time to be with friends and family. It is a time to be thankful for God’s amazing and bountiful provision for us. He has outdone himself this year and we will sit around and eat with friends and laugh and fill our tummies with goodness as we bask in His goodness.

James 1:17
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

Deepagiving 2011

In October (yes I’m a little behind), Tommy and I were so honored to have been invited by our friends, Kay and Karuna, to their Deepavali (Festival of Lights) holiday dinner. The food was amazing which we knew it would be since Kay is a chef and we absolutely loved experiencing a new piece of the culture we live in.

We were a little nervous about going. What to wear? What to take for a hostess gift (see below)? What would we do or say that might be offensive? Once we got to their place, though, we found we had nothing to worry about. It really was just like walking into my parents house for Thanksgiving only with Americans, Indians, British, Germans and Singaporeans and maybe a few others in an array of clothing styles. It was about celebrating with people you cared about and eating good food.

Deepavali or Diwali is, in loose explanation, a festival of lights celebration to bring in a new year. It’s technically Hindu but many celebrate it whether they practice Hinduism or not. Similar to our Thanksgiving. It’s technically a Christian holiday, celebrating God’s bountiful blessings and harvest but many who are not Christian still celebrate it.

I titled the post Deepagiving because as Tommy and I were sitting enjoying the fellowship and delicious traditional Indian holiday foods we both thought it was so much like our Thanksgiving. Steeped in favorite foods and tradition and the focus being on sharing the meal with family and friends. Kay even mentioned how she was using some of her favorite dishes to serve in, some handed down from previous generations. I do the same thing. There is just something that makes a dish taste better when it is served in an old dish that probably had that same food served from it 50 years ago.

Here are  few photos from our evening. Some I took and some were taken by Karuna.

Our deepest gratitude to our friends, Kay and Karuna, for allowing us the privilege to share your special holiday with you and your family and friends.

Oh, in Singapore, it is customary to take a gift to the hosts. Chocolates, a bottle of wine, flowers, fruit basket, etc. Since this was a festival of lights and since it is our Autumn season in the US, we decided to combine cultures and we took them an Apple Cider scented  Yankee Candle.

I’m The One You Love

Tomorrow is our 23rd anniversary. I’m posting this a day early because we’re headed out of town for the weekend to celebrate.

Regardless of what goes on in the world around us, what choices we make, whether it’s a good day or bad day, a good month or bad month, a good year or bad year. Regardless of what our address is. I know that I’m the one he loves. And I love him too. And we’re in this to the finish.

The Good Pride

There’s good pride and bad pride. Bad pride is selfish and harmful. Good pride is well, good pride. Not selfish and not harmful. The kind of pride a parent feels about their children’s accomplishments for instance. We’ve always been extremely proud of our kids throughout they years and we’ve shared many of those proud moments with you here on this blog. Here’s another that definitely qualifies for it’s own post.

I got a call from Tori this morning and she told me she got a letter that said this

Then she went to the university bookstore and bought this

So on December 16th she could wear this

Tori has gone through her university years with her parents being on the other side of the world. She has not had a home to go home to for holidays. She has a storage unit for her closet. She takes her finals and puts her belongings in a storage unit and packs a suitcase and gets on an airplane for 25+ hours once or twice a year when others can pack their cars and drive a few hours home anytime they please. She has handled some tough situations on her own and done an amazing job of it.

Not only is our girl graduating from 4 years of university in 2.5 years but she is graduating with honors.

Yep, we’re proud!

Tommy told me “You have a smart kid!” I told him it was his fault because she definitely didn’t get her smarts from me. She got other good stuff from me (and a few not so good stuffs) but she didn’t get her brains from me.

I immediately sent an email to our parents because I knew that no one could share in our pride more than grandparents. Of course they responded just as expected with “not surprised”, “so proud”, “as expected”. But my dad said this

“Andrea, this is a big deal to me. Graduating is big enough, but graduating with honors!!! If she was here, I’d hug her ’till she puked. Love, Dad”

and it made us all smile. That’s some serious pride.

Tori, I can’t wait to hug you but I promise I won’t make you puke. We can leave that for Pawpaw.

Your parents are SO incredibly proud of you.

Looking Forward

It’s ok to look back and see where you’ve come from but it’s not usually a good idea to dwell there. So in the spirit of being thankful in the now and looking forward, here are a few things I’m looking forward to.

This weekend. Tommy and I will road trip to Malaysia and celebrate our 23rd anniversary.

Wednesday. I’m hosting my 8th cooking class at our house this week. Two more scheduled for January.

Thanksgiving. We’re planning a yummy traditional dinner with a few friends at our place.

December 14th. The Stunz family 3 hop a plane for Texas.

December 16th. We watch our daughter graduate from university.

Christmas celebrations with family and friends in Texas.

Christmas weekend in the Texas Hill Country with just the Stunz Family 5, taco soup and a fireplace.

The Stunz family 5 being all together for a few weeks in Singapore. And a bonus kid (friend of Jakeb’s) here too.

Celebrating Anna’s 13th birthday in Rome.

Holidays make me a little melancholy over here. We’re happy to be here and make new memories but even after two years I still long for holiday dinners around my parents big table with a house full of kid noise and chaos and then relaxing in the quiet with the low roar of a football game on tv and some shut-eye over at Tommy’s parents later that afternoon.

This will be our first holiday away from Jakeb. We’ve gone through so many transitions over these last 2.5 years it’s ridiculous. So many life changes that are challenging for families who live in the same time zone much less on the other side of the planet. But we’re makin’ it and we’re all stronger for it.

Jakeb is going on a trip to the Grand Canyon with a school group over Thanksgiving so he’ll be happy. In his element. I hope he’ll at least have a turkey sandwich on Thanksgiving. Tori will spend it with her boyfriend’s family and I’m sure she’s in good hands.

Looking forward……

“There are fish in the sea better than have ever been caught.” Irish Saying