For spring break this year, we took the little Stockdales to Phuket, Thailand.  It is nice, but sounds more exotic than it really is.  The best comparison would be Panama City, Florida.  While the beer is cheaper than Singapore, it’s not as cheap as the USA.

When you go to Florida, you stop at ‘Crazy Dave’s Alligator Farm’.  In Thailand, you stop at the ‘Siam Elephant Safari’.  They are the same.  However, if Thailand also had alligators I’m sure they would let you ride them as well, it just might cost extra.

When we were planning the trip, the little Stockdales had two non-negotiable requests.  A beach and the ability to ride an elephant.  ( See above pictures for confirmation of our compliance. )  However, after witnessing other little tourist girls walking around, that list added a requirement.  The little Stockdales wanted their hair beaded.

Hair not being my specialty, I figured it would take about 45 minutes. Mrs. Stockdale increased the estimate to 2 hours. Since there were only two ‘bead women’, the little Stockdales were beaded in shifts and it took over 3.5 hours.

Luckily there was a Reggae Bar in front of the bead place.

Nothing says cultural Asian experience like listening to Bob Marley and UB40 over and over and over and over and over and over and over again in a Jamaican themed bar with an American, Australian, and British flag hanging overhead while having your kid’s hair braided.

Since we were there over three hours, I had to get the bartender off his bench a few times.

Overall, I think the Stockdales had a fairly good time.  I just hope there isn’t a place to bead hair if/when we ever go to the Great Wall.  If there’s not, I’m certain there will be a tailor and a guy selling meat on a stick from a cart with chickens running around it.  I’m doubting there will be a reggae bar, but it wouldn’t surprise me.

Mrs. Stockdale buys a new swimsuit, get a free tote bag.

I get a new swimsuit, guess what, free tote bag.

For every 3 to 7 good aspects of living in Singapore, there is something like this you get to deal with.  Life on the other side of the world isn’t all hot pretzels, overpriced beer, and swimming on Christmas Day.  Sometimes the harsh realities set in. 

( click image to embiggen )

Regardless, you still get to zip your kids up in a giant plastic bag.

Not sure how life is back in the States, but we have quite a problem with those darn kids and their bicycles.  And their rollerblades.  And their skateboards.  And their Segways???

Happy 5th birthday to the Crazy Little Stockdale!

1.  Insert child into giant plastic bag.

2.  Zip bag, making an airtight seal.

3.  Remove air, I mean INFLATE.

4.  Commence fun!

All this amusement is from the Singapore American School County Fair.  What are the odds of the Stockdales attending two schools in a row, both with County Fairs?  I guess this means when/if/when Mrs. Stockdale moves us again, we are doomed/destined to attend another school that also has a County Fair.  Or, perhaps someday return to Kansas City and just bring the big inflatable death balls with us.

Just twiddling thumbs today.

Guess what you find hunting through the top shelf of a closet as a memento of running a half marathon with a Mrs. Stockdale?

$10 says that Al Gore owns a tote bag factory.  He also probably makes those ugly lightbulbs that don’t last anywhere close to how long they claim and don’t make a lick of a difference in my electric bill.   Long live the soft white 75w bulb and the plastic grocery bag.

Congratulations Kansas City on (thus far) surviving the wrath of Snowmageddon 2011. 

Do the Stockdales miss the snow?  Yes.  

I always loved snow while it was falling out of the sky and I was snuggly tucked into my nice warm house.  However, after it was done falling, school was cancelled, the happy calls of the little Stockdales begging to go play in the snow transformed into the whiny shreaks of being cold after an hour messing up the pristine flatness of the yard, it needed to be shoveled out of the driveway, and it eventually deteriorated into this grey/black wet slush that messed up the inside of the van, the inside of the garage, the laundry room, and turned the yard into a muddy mess that Big Government Stockdale would tear to pieces.  That was when I wished that someday I could live in a tropical paradise and have a maid and no yard and no snow and no cars and live in a shoebox.  Sometimes dreams do come true.

The following pictures were all taken on the same day.  See if you can guess which pictures were taken in Kansas City and which were taken in Singapore.

Have fun, stay warm, and keep digging!

Last week, the Crazy Little Stockdale had a field trip to Chinatown.

Kids love the box-o-eels .

And the guy beating the catfish with a club before he cuts the heads off .

And the old guy playing the string.

Today, I got to take the Big Little Stockdale to Chinatown for a field trip.  Her favorites included flattened dried duck .

And buying stuff .

Fortunately/unfortunately, the Middle Little Stockdale also went to Chinatown today for a field trip.  Had it been next Friday, I would have hit the Chinatown trifecta.   Thankfully/unfortunately one of her friend’s mom’s got that job and I was only able to chaperone two field trips this month. 

Her favorites included a styrofoam cooler full of some dead aquatic thing that would never be eaten at the Stockdale house.

And, of course, old guy playing a string.
 

In Kansas City, you go to the apple orchard or pumpkin patch.  Here you go to Chinatown.  There is no difference, more or less.