ADDING TO THE ADVENTURE: A TRIP TO THE HOSPITAL!

Carmen is, at left, exploring the Outpatient Surgery Center on the 16th floor of the Paragon Mall, (shop and have surgery, all on the same day!), 7pm, Wednesday night. She had fallen from the monkey bars at school at morning recess (her "hands were sooo sweaty"), and we visited an orthopedic surgeon's office soon after for an x-ray and consultation. She has a "greenstick fracture" in her radius, which puts her in a cast for the next 3-4 weeks.

She was a real trouper... we had some hiccups but once she knew she wasn't getting a shot, and that everyone at her new school could sign her cast her spirits picked up. The cast is plain white, and kind of boring, but it is waterproof.

P.S. You can click on the pictures to enlarge them.




These pictures are pre-surgery:

1. showing off the splint she has from school
2. picture with mom taken by the nice nurses and
3. with the anesthesiologist, hamming it up (guess who wanted to be in the picture?).

Here's the roughest patch, when she doesn't want to "fall asleep" (she had to go under so they could set the bone properly?) and she doesn't want to have these electrode things stuck to her chest. She is the most upset that she won't be able to draw very well with a cast on, though I think she will be fine.







An unusually quiet Carmen, coming out of anesthesia...






Once at home, she is happy and ready to hit the hay. Although it was disconcerting and a little emotional to have her go under, I found all the doctors and nurses to be exceptionally professional and very nice. (I am curious to see what the final bill will be.) It is very strange to walk throgh a super upscale mall (Prada, Salvatore Ferragamo, Louis Vuitton, a million watch and jewelery stores, etc.), take an elvator to the 16th floor, and get a cast/minor surgery... at 7pm.

GOOD NIGHT!

It is nice to have the "1st trip to the hospital due to an accident" behind us!

SCHOOL & SCOOTERS

Hello! Another week has passed and we have reached some important milestones:

• First day of school for both girls (both riding the BUS to and from school, big step)
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• YAY SCOOTERS! to celebrate our arrival and because we left their bikes at home, both girls were presented scooters, at which they are slowly becoming proficient

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• We tried our hand at our first "hawker market," an outdoor center which holds anywhere from 15-50 different food vendors, selling everything from BBQ fish/shellfish, fresh asian cuisine of every variety, fruit stands, drink sellers.... Kevin and I tried the grilled sting ray and the chili crab (we liked the chili crab best); Carmen and Tatum had chicken satay and lime-ade drinks. The Singapore specialty is "chicken rice," which I hear is delicious but have not tasted.
• We all have our Dependent Cards... sort of like green cards in the US, which will allow us to function in this society (bank accounts, phones, etc.)

We did receive our air shipment so we are in full possession of most of our kitchen stuff, as well as the girls' toys and the rest of our clothes. It feels nice to be getting organized, though we still have a way to go.

DO NOT PANIC!!! You will not be receiving (or subject to) weekly updates of our time here in Singapore, as hopefully I will have other things to do with my time besides sweating profusely, taking and uploading pictures and planning my days around trips to IKEA, the market or chinese furniture warehouses...

P.S. It is refreshing not having a car (I say this now)...

P.S.S. I found out the market across the street was the Banana Republic of grocery stores, and was instructed to where the "Gap" and "Old Navy" grocery stores were in relation to us... which means NO MORE $12 QUARTS OF HALF & HALF!

P.S.S. Movie is only for die-hard fans... trying out my camera at video.

WELCOME TO SINGAPORE!

HAPPY NATIONAL DAY!!! Well, we've been here 5 days, though I told Kevin this morning that it seems like weeks... that is not good or bad, it just seems like much longer. The only pictures i have to publish so far are from the pool, where we spent yesterday afternoon after a nice afternoon lunch at a Thai restaurant with one of Kevin's co-workers. I haven't felt like taking my camera anywhere, getting more used to the fact that this is our new home for awhile and we are not just tourists here for a quick visit.

pictures of the pool where we live:



I am trying to forget the flight so that it seems do-able several times in the next couple of years. The girls are thriving and have not seemed to miss a beat, though its evident they need some structure and balance to their days. We have not received our air shipment, so the place that Kevin found for us (killer, convenient, cozy, and just about perfect, though unfurnished) will seem a little bare until the movers unload our boxes and we get our shopping shoes on.

We have been to the girls' school twice: once for an Orientation and another time for an Open House (Singapore American School, www.sas.edu.sg). Both of the girls' teachers are very nice (Tatum will go to Pre-School from 12-3, and Carmen Kindergarten from 8-3) and the school seems to run like a well-oiled machine, which it should with 3700 students.... They will both be taking the bus (did this once crazy and irresponsible? Yes, but both teachers and many parents have assuaged our fears).

I think they're having fun...


Yesterday was National Day in Singapore (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Day_Parade)
though we did not take part in its festivities... The streets seemed a little quieter as I imagine most families gathering together for parties and fun, though all the stores were still open and most business were operating as per usual. Our cab driver told us that holidays were one more opportunity for Sinaporeans to shop, which is serious business around here.

That is all for now! I will try and update our blog fairly regularly with news and pictures. Keep in touch!

P.S. I shamefully admit that I paid $12 sing dollars ($8 US) for a quart of cream. That has been my indulgence so far. Although most things are slightly more expensive here (roughly 25% more), alcohol seems to be roughly double the cost. Which means less drinking, or more expensive hangovers!

Harbour Island 2007

HARBOUR ISLAND
One of the best parts about Harbour Island... it seems as if we had the whole three mile beach of pure pink sand to ourselves. This year our family of four was increased to six as Whitney Hite and Cindy Young joined the party... We enjoyed long days at the beach, burying the kids in the sand, drinks at Runaway Hill, hosting a dinner party (lobster pasta, conch salad & steak, anyone?), a successful morning of bottom fishing and cocktails with some of Whitney's good friends from Boulder.
WE HAD A WONDERFUL TIME.

Playing on the beach...




Lunch at Sip Sip...



Carmen at Queen Conch; the fishermen & woman; Tatum after a chocolate chip cookie.

Easter Weekend 2007

HAPPY EASTER!

The Capitani family spent Saturday of Easter weekend with an Easter Egg Hunt at the Orbocks: Carmen stayed true to her competitive nature, running back to home base with eggs spilling from her basket; Tatum (a.k.a. "the glutton") was content shoving as much chocolate and candy into her mouth as possible (with a speed that would astonish most).

Carmen and her friend McKinley:




Easter morning, at the house:

Tatum worries she's not going to get enough loot from her eggs...

Later she looks on in a sugar induced semi-coma....

Tatum and Carmen relax on the swings in the back yard.

Christmas 2006

MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Sorry about the delay in getting these pictures up.... We had a wonderful Christmas in Athens, with visits from Carrie & Chuck Pope, Robin & Jack (Gramma & Grampa), Sis ("GG", or Great Gramma), and Todd and Sharon.
I believe Santa unloaded half his sackful of toys (mostly dolls, doll clothes, and doll houses) into our stockings and under our tree.
The picture to the left depicts one of the quieter moments of winter, Carmen giving the bewildered Tatum a quick kiss in our backyard...


Tatum had to finish every last morsel of her cereal before she dove into the action, here she shows off her Dora watch and mothering skills...;












Carmen received plenty of dress up clothes, a new raincoat, and a "purple pony," even though Santa messed up on the color. Santa really didn't understand exactly what kind of pony Carmen was vying for, so he did his best...





We did enjoy some time with everyone out at the Bauerle's property one crisp winter day; Great Gramma Sis is still warming up. There would be more pictures of Tatum but she was busy sleeping...

ALL IN ALL IT WAS A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!