Errands & Daily Life Daybook

Outside My Window
Glorious weather!! Currently a nice cool 86 degrees ;) , sun/cloud mix, some breeze.

giant snails around here!

I'm Thinking About

School. This apartment. My family. 

I Don't Want To Forget 
What's important. I tend to get lost in details - and pulling back to take the 'long view' really helps me breathe a bit better and feel a bit more grounded.

I'm Learning
That sometimes, doing something spontaneous can be more satisfying than crossing something off the to-do list.

I'm Hearing
ABear talk to herself as she's completely lost in dramatic play on the other side of the room. Thought about using this quiet nap time to bake cookies with her... but then didn't want to pull her out of her happy space, so sat down to write instead. Amazing that she still does this. Incredible how it feeds her soul.

I'm Reading
Bridget Jones - Mad About the Boy -- what a fun read!
Paper Towns by John Green - a pager turner. dissatisfied with ending.
Next on the list: school and parenting related tomes.

my birthday - out with friends at fav. restaurant

pre-dinner drinks with friends at secret rooftop bar

Around The House

Ok. I really must focus on the girls' room. I mean - it's WAY past time. Somehow a year of not making real solid decisions about crafting this room has left it ... well... an exploded MESS.

Bought new beds for each girl (one is up, needs painting next week. The other will go up the following week.) Opted for perfect dreamy bed for one... then felt guilty about spending money and frustrated with HK options so purchased a "meet the threshold-it'll-be-fine" bed for the other. 

Need to organize their room and try not to stress about the cluttered cupboards, shelves, drawers that need tending elsewhere...

have to spend lots of time at the clubhouse
because the drilling from construction upstairs
is way too loud. BunnyCakes even NAPS at the clubhouse ...
in the billiards room!

or she uses the floor during a game of twister... :)

these adorable girls -- happy new friends!
their mom was in daddy's class at HKIS back in jr/high school
just so happens - they live in our apartment complex now

At Work

Book-O-Ween, Field Day, curriculum PD with my personal hero Marie Alcock, and parent-teacher conferences. In the middle of a very thorough appraisal process.

Eating Out (confession - I'm never in the kitchen anymore)

must do this. SOON!

A few weeks ago date night at Butchers Club for the best burgers in town! They have a freezer with huge hunks of meat that they prep in-house. A secret menu with crazy meat-loving burgers. And fries cooked in duck-fat. Yum Yum.

So Very Hong Kong

Inside this unsupposing building resides a fancy furniture shop. really.
Hunting these things down can be adventurous - but also arduous.

Dr's office - stunningly gorgeous
However, sad that HK doesn't import nasal flu vaccinations. It's needles only here.

view from said Dr's office.

a taste of fall! ... at the French Bistro.

above-mentioned French Bistro. Good stop for coffee, cheese, and bread.

Inside this building in Stanley is a new H&M - hoorah!

So v. Hong Kong -- the athletic store is tucked in one of those unmarked tall and old buildings... and you have to first climb up these creepy stairs... to emerge into a totally fine 'American-seeming' athletic shop to buy Nalgene bottles and sneakers.

My errand? IKEA. First have to elbow way through the mobs in Causeway Bay
IKEA here is smack dab in the heart of busy-town (entire store is completely underground) rather than in a warehouse on the outskirts

more Causeway Bay - talk about over stimulated. aaah!

puppies on the table at a coffee shop (!?)

One Of My Favorite Things
My kids.

A Less-Than Favorite Thing
Being sick. Although -- it does force me to sit on my butt and rest, which is nice. :)

I'm Thankful
For Nimfa, our helper. She does so much for us and always with a joyful heart.

Christmas already - these were up before Halloween!

I'm Planning
A night out with husband and 2 friends we've been meaning to hang with!
A date night with ABear.
The girls room (see above).
To make up for not exercising at all this week.

Picture Thoughts

Mid Autumn Festival Moon Dancer

really really really bad air quality - late Sept/Early Oct

chalk party - for a friend's 40th - super fun!

Fall Weather - sometimes stormy:

SoapBox??

Girls Only - Bangkok

"Prepare for take off!"

Thanks to the wonderful husbands we have -- we were able to get away for a little moms-retreat.

All-Girls-Weekends are the best!!! This amazing group of gals (mostly moms, all teachers) flew to Bangkok for an epic weekend away this September. What's that? Yes, Bangkok. Thailand! It's close enough to HK that we could fly out after school on a Friday and return Sunday evening. I mean, seriously, a GREAT perk of living in HK is the easy-travel.

Shouldn't someone stay with the luggage??  

Bit of drama at the airport -- we watched as hot tempers flared, security guards were called, and glass doors closed mid-boarding (leaving one mom solo on the other side for a few scary minutes!). The aggressive and intoxicated offender was denied boarding (thankfully) and all was well in the end.

Epic weekend contained: sunbathing, hours upon hours at the pool, yummy drinks, healthy spa-like food at the boutique hotel, facials, a thai-massage (amazing!), a night out dancing, a 7-course dinner, and loads of satisfying conversation. It was wildly strange and wonderful to think about my own travel-bag instead of cross checking mental lists about dollies, blankies, diapers, sippy cups, books....

~ Iron Fairies ~ 

This bar is so mysterious and magical! Dark corners, secret doors, thousands of glass jars filled with glitter, gargoyles (fairies), and clever cocktails with a live band. 

From there, now bespeckled with glitter, we went to this gorgeous house where themed rooms served as private dinner parties. A seven course dinner and several party games later, we spilled out into the night.

Time to get our dance on...

nothing says Bangkok like a super-speedy Tuk Tuk ride!!

For many of us, this was the first time away leaving husbands with kids. (WHY have I not done this before!!???) It was such a sweet group - everyone understood when one of us had a moment of panic, worry, apprehension, or just complete discombobulation. (Daddy did GREAT!! Thank you, honey. xoox). Repeat soon, please!?