Home

Finally we are home. Madeleine is more excited than I thought she would be. I don't know if it's all of the room to roam, all of the "new" toys or the fact there are REAL cats here. Anyway, it is good to be home!

Things I won't miss

O.K. I've thought about this all day and I am going to make a list of things I won't miss. I don't want anyone to be offended, these are just little things that bother me about most of the places we have stayed in Asia as well as being far from home:

Things I won't miss

1. Marble floors - not good for baby learning to walk.
2. Steps and tread lips in hotel rooms and apartments - again, not good for baby's heads besides being completely unnecessary
3. Having to take the subway to the grocery store
4. Not being able to communicate effectively for basic needs
5. Being worried about Lee or Madeleine getting sick so far from home
6. Little couches
7. tiny, Tiny, TINY kitchen trash cans

Kitty

Kitty is a girls best friend

Madeleine

A few pictures of Madeleine around the property of our complex. She loves leaves, sticks, rocks and flowers. She always has a collections by the end of our walks. There is also a large outdoor chess set and she loves to move the pawns around.

Countdown

Oh my gosh!! I am so excited to be almost home. Lee is in Australia this week so I have been trying to get organized to pack as soon as he gets home on Friday. We leave Sunday and since we are flying east, we arrive Sunday as well. I am not looking forward to Madeleine's jet lag but at least we will be home!
A short list of things I miss (family and friends are understood)
1. Target
2. Dishwasher
3. Normal sized washer and dryer
4. OVEN!!!!
5. Reasonably priced organic food
6. My cats
7. Houston's!!
I can't wait to see everyone!!

Phuket

We had a very nice time in Phuket. All of the Thai people are very nice but they are exceptionally nice in Phuket. Our hotel was across the street from the beach and we spent a lot of time there. We finally figured out how to get Madeleine to like the ocean, let her walk in! She is so independent we should have known that was the answer. After that she loved it all, the sand and the water. I had a wonderfully relaxing facial at the spa. One evening we went to an elephant show called Phuket Fantasea. It was a little cheesy but we stilled enjoyed it. The best part was feeding the elephants. The actual show took place in a very large theater like the size in Las Vegas. It was complete with 16 elephants, half a dozen chickens, goats and a couple of water buffaloes, not to mention 50-75 performers. There were no signs of the tsunami that hit there in 2004.

Bangkok

We were in Bangkok, Thailand for my birthday. The hotel was very nice and gave me a solid chocolate elephant and a tray of delicious candies. Oh yeah, there was fruit too! Lee arranged to have a birthday cake for me and he even brought candles with him from Singapore. Madeleine and I went to the aquarium one afternoon. They had a bunch of otters and she really enjoyed watching them play around.

I love the expression in this picture. She is very determined to destroy the decorative flower carrot!

Funny pictures

A few funny pictures of Madeleine playing around in our apartment.