And The Winner Is...

Big Cat #1 is the Leopard! Click on the picture below to read what the difference between the two is...

Now that you are so smart and know the difference you can tell which cat this is in the video below:)

Ice Cream Friday's

Every day after school there is a man who sits at the back gate of school selling ice cream. This year we decided to make Friday afternoon's "Ice Cream Day" on our way home from school! His little stand is attached to a small motorcycle and when he's done for the day he will collapse the umbrella, close up the freezer, and take off! It's a little funny to see him driving up the street...! I didn't get a picture of our ice cream man but I did get one at Changi Coastal Walk a few weekends ago. It's $1.00 for a cone or an ice cream sandwich of sorts and we think it's pretty good!

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Does anyone else do this??? I have a color coded calendar - Ryan is light blue, I'm pink, He and I together are a purplish color, the twins together are green, Kenton is blue, Kaitlyn is red, Ethan is purple, all of us together are orange, and birthday's/anniversary's are yellow (except I shouldn't say that last part since I haven't sent anyone a card in....WOW, time to change the subject!) Let me just say that if I DIDN'T do this the twins would never know which uniform (PE or regular or sometimes free dress) to wear which day, which library books go back on which days, which day I'm supposed to be at the PTA office, which days Ryan's traveling, and which days Ethan has a playgroup...

A Jaguar or A Leopard?

Okay, so when Ethan and I were at the zoo the other day I took a picture of both a leopard and a jaguar. Back in March I posted a picture of Ethan watching one of these cats and commented that I had no idea which was which. I'm giving YOU the chance to vote to see if you are any smarter than I was (am!) One condition...NO CHEATING! Do not Google, check a dictionary, or ask a zookeeper:) Good Luck!! Results will be posted when poll ends.

Big Cat #1
Big Cat #2

UGH!

And you all thought that having dental work done in the US was bad! Ryan and I were at the local mall today and looked down to the first floor from the second floor and saw that they had a dental clinic set up in the middle of the mall!! Anyone could watch you having your teeth cleaned from the second floor, it was loud, and there were long lines of people waiting for their turn. No Thanks!!

Zoo Meetup

Today we went with SATP to the zoo. This works out well because we only live about 10 minutes from there so it was an easy meetup to go to! When we got there it started raining but we all trooped on anyway. There were about 11 moms plus toddlers there.

We got to see something I've never seen before. The Orangutans are put into a special tree top exhibit that so you can view them up close. When their time is done there the zoo keepers lead them by the hand back to their cage - right out in the open!
The rhino's were rolling in the mud to keep cool.
This picture reminds me of the scripture that refers to the day when the lion will lay peacefully with the lamb.
A group of school children were on a field trip here and marched on in spite of the rain. They just donned multi-colored rain ponchos and kept going.
Ethan reunites with his little friend Leann. This is as good of a picture as I was going to get of two very active 21 month olds!

Ethan looks like he's having fun but he was really nervous to be on top of this statue!
These otter's aren't really real:O
Ethan spent quite a lot of time watching the otters swim around. He kept saying, "Wimming!" I would say that this was his favorite exhibit...I like it too except that it STINKS!
Notice how the orangutans are taking cover with their arms from the rain! These are the ones that were later led back to their cages by the zoo keepers.
We keep Ethan dry during the rain with a rain cover. It stays in the bottom of the stroller at all times since a rainstorm can pop up at any time!

Festival of the Hungry Ghosts

WARNING: IF YOU ARE A BIT SQUEAMISH YOU MAY WANT TO SKIP THIS POST (or at least the first picture.)

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We are officially in the seventh lunar month of the Chinese calendar. This is when the Festival of the Hungry Ghosts is celebrated. The following is a quote from my book "Handbook For Expatriates, Working and Living in Singapore" by Goh Kheng Chuan.

"This festival originates from the Taoist belief that the gates of hell are thrown open throughout the seventh month of the lunar year. During this period, spirits are allowed to wander free. Food, incense, silver and gold paper money and paper houses are offered to the dead in order to appease them. Chinese operas and banquets are held all over the island to entertain the wandering spirits. Outdoor concerts and colorful Wayangs (Chinese Street Operas) can be seen at street corners in Chinatown and other venues throughout the island."

I debated about whether to post about this festival because I in no way want to give Satan credit or "free press." I decided though that this is what we experience on every street corner during this month so I would share with you a little about it. The more I have learned about the Chinese culture I have realized that they are enslaved by their superstitions. How freeing it is to not have to live in fear of not appeasing the right spirits or gods but to simply live a sanctified life through Jesus Christ and God will provide for us!

"And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love the Lord your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul,

That I will give you the rain of your land in his due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil.

And I will send grass in thy fields for thy cattle, that thou mayest eat and be full."

Deuteronomy 11:13-15

May we lift up the nations of the world in prayer who do not believe in God and who do not accept Jesus as their Savior that they may learn the Truth and be freed from the bonds of Satan!

Inside the tents set up for the festival there is a huge array of food. In this particular tent was a pig and box after box of roasted chickens and much fruit and wine.
Usually along with all the food you will see joss sticks (incense) burning and a lot of paper money and Papier-mâché clothes are burned. The Chinese believe that by burning these items they are providing for their relatives in the afterlife. They will sometimes keep these offerings going around the clock and it's not unusual to see the maids "feeding the fire" when the employers are at work.