Bird and Butterfly Park

 

Last week I went with Brady's class to the Bird and Butterfly Park. The kids had a great time and went on a scavenger hunt by taking pictures with their Ipads. The technology these kids have!

 



One of these birds said "Hello" to us

Feeding the birds

Butterfly Park

the kids thought it was cool that this one landed on my cap

a huge beetle

notice the large walking stick insect behind Brady - it kind of freaked him out



this butterfly is camouflaged

the center ones were iridescent and looked like they were glowing



ARRRGGHHH! - Mason got this for his friend's birthday, he had to try it on 1st of course!

Happy Birthday!

I celebrated 38 years on May 11. A double celebration for me because it was also Mother's Day! The boys gave me cards and helped out around the house. We spent some time at the pool. Really, what more could I ask for? My friends took me to lunch and gave me some nice gifts - a canvas I get to paint, a necklace and a hot pink scarf. We were also treated to dinner by our friends and celebrated with a few other couples. I feel like I celebrated my birthday for a week!  Cheers to another year!

Grade 2 Performance

Brady participated in the Grade 2 Performance. The theme was the Poetry Café. We were educated and entertained by young poets. Brady had a few speaking parts and showcased his unique talent by playing the harmonica. He said he was nervous, but he did a great job!

Japanese 5 rm Store

so I can strengthen my grip

There's a Japanese store here that is like a dollar store in the US. They have tons of stuff, pretty much anything you need and a lot of stuff that you don't. Nothing is priced because it's all 5 ringgit, which is about $1.66. There are a few things that I just couldn't pass up. These are some of the treasures that I have found.

 



a tray for nails and screws



it's like a feather duster for your car

a cute bear pan

I really had my doubts on this one, and was surprised when it actually worked! The boys enjoyed their bear-shaped pancakes. I also made some blueberry pancakes - those didn't turn out too well. Our bear looked like he had a bad case of chickenpox!

Isn't he cute?!

Saturday Baseball

The boys have enjoyed playing baseball on Saturday mornings. Mason has the opportunity to play T-ball for the 1st time. Although, he will look me straight in the face and tell me, "I don't know what T-ball is." We explain to him that it's just like baseball, but you hit it from the tee, and he'll say something like "just say baseball!"

 

We also had our choice of uniforms. All the kids play on different teams and there are 5 different jerseys and colors to pick from. So, Mason is on the Red Sox and Brady is on the Yankees. Seemed like a good rivalry!

 

Unfortunately, I didn't get pictures of Brady on this day because it started raining when his group started to play.

Continuing Education

So, I have a bit of free time on my hands now and have enjoyed taking a few classes. I recently took a Vietnamese cooking class. We made fresh spring rolls, a delicious beef salad and Hanoi spare rib soup with rice noodles. It was all yummy and spicy thanks to the Sriracha hot chili sauce. A staple in any Asian dish!

I took an icing and cupcake decorating class. It was so much fun. We made chocolate ganache, cream cheese frosting, buttercream and coffee-flavored buttercream. Who doesn't love a sweet little cupcake?

I took a cooking class at a culinary studio. We made some traditional dishes. Char Kuay Teow is a mix of Malaysian/Chinese cuisine with noodles, onions, shrimp, egg and sprouts. We also made a Chinese chicken and rice dish with ginger, soy and chili dipping sauces. For this class, I received a certificate, chef's hat and apron. I think I'll hang the certificate in my kitchen!

Hess wives

 

I also took a drawing class. This is my friend Anissa and I drawing our hands. We look kind of silly, but it was an exercise in "seeing" before we really got started.

 

 

  

Hard at work



I chose an octopus for my ink drawing

Here is my finished project!

 

I think it turned out really well for my 1st attempt at trying something new.  I was able to work on it for a little while, then come back to it later. I think I'll try some different animals and scenery. Maybe even some colored pens would add a nice touch. I was needing a creative outlet and this is pretty fun! Ok, so it's really just doodling, but it's doodling with a purpose and it makes me happy.

Do you doodle? Do you want to try something new?

What makes you happy? Have you thought about taking a class?

April Happenings

Ryan and our buddy, Max

I Brought The Awesome, What Did You Bring?

 

I love this picture! It really makes me smile. This is our friend Max and Ryan visited him while he was in Houston recently. For the last 7 months, Max has bravely been fighting DSRCT, a rare childhood cancer. At this time, he has no tumors. Praise God for a miracle! He has just started 4 weeks of radiation. We pray daily for Max for him to be strong and courageous and for complete healing. We love you, Max! He has shown so many people the power of prayer and faithfulness.

You really did bring the awesome!

 

Happy Easter!

 Brady was so excited for Easter goodies that he didn't even have time to take off his backpack.

 

Hiking with Mason's class at the FRIM

 We were eaten alive by mosquitos, but apart from that we had a fun time.

Mason and Gabriel

Matthew, Mason and Gabriel -The Three Musketeers