Twinkle Twinkle

Here is an old clip of Ethan singing that I just ran upon when cleaning up my video files. 

Star Ferry

When in HK, riding the Star Ferry is a rite of passage.  The Star Ferry shuttles you between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon and thousands of people cross Victoria's Harbour this way, whether it is for their daily commute or just a great way to enjoy the view of the harbour, especially in the evening when the light displays on the buildings are active.  Fares range from only $2-3 HKD, depending on if you are riding the upper or lower deck of the ferry or if it is a weekday versus the weekend.

Even the buoys are personalized.  Most boats are green but there is one red boat in the feet called the Morning Star.

The deck of the ferry.

The back rest on each row of seats can be flipped so that passengers can ride forwards or backwards. 

Enjoying the ride!

When the Star Ferry first operated they were only 4 coal fueled boats in the fleet.  Today, the boats are diesel powered and there are now 8 boats in operation, each named after a particular star.  The crew still sport the same sailor uniforms though!  It's amazing to see them in action, as the rope in and dock the boat. 

As the boat crosses Victoria's Harbour, you can see the convention center in Wanchai and above it the Central Plaza, the IFC building (tallest building in Hong Kong), the Back of China, and the HSBC building.  At the Tsim Sha Tsui ferry pier you can see the landmark clocktower which is the last remnant of the old Kowloon railway station.

First Day of School!

Ethan started his first day of school last week.  I was so super nervous the weeks leading up to it because he is currently going through a phase of separation anxiety when I am not nearby, but it turns out he loves it!  He cried a few minutes when Bob dropped him off, but the teacher said he calmed right down and started playing with toys on the table until class started.  They are super strict about drop off...no lingering in the classrooms which I guess really works since we only had a few tears the first day.  The second day he raced to get inside the class so he really does like school.  I guess he must have been pretty bored at home.  =)

When asked about class he is all smiles!  Look at his cute uniform. 

He started nursery school at Sunshine House:

 

First note on the weeks activities:

Bob is the one saddled with drop off and I get to be the super hero that picks him up.

This is the pose I get when I ask him to look cute:

And a picture of his cute backpack.  We are really supposed to use the schools backpack but as long as they are in uniform they don't really regulate the rest of the gear.

Top 10 of '10

I got this idea from a few blogger friends who had similar posts.  Only since I am super indecisive and can't trim my favorite photos to just ten I thought I would do the top ten moments/memories of 2010 instead so I could display more photos.

1)  Dance like there is no tomorrow. 

Way back in 2000, one of my favorite songs was 'I hope you dance' by Lee Ann Womack.  And if there is a song that captures the theme of living life to it's fullest then I would hope my son would take to heart this one. 

2) My water baby.

I have never been much a beachy person. Never did I think it was fun to just lounge around a pool or spend a day tanning at the beach. But along came Ethan and overnight our best vacations have been at beach resorts.  Ethan has shown us that even lazy summer days can be fun if you add in some water and sand.

Especially if you cap off a day in the sun with some ice cream (OK, he might have actually learned that from me since ice cream is my all time favorite treat. Considering how often I have it for dinner dessert it should be considered a new food group).

3)  Getting sporty.

Running, climbing, jumping, shooting baskets, scooting.  You name it and Ethan wants to do it.  Our outdoorsy guy prefers any physical activity to any toy.  Why am I not in better shape by now?  He is super active and although not yet the most coordinated toddler, he never lets that stop him from trying new things. 

4) And super silly.

Speaking of never letting things stop him from doing what he wants, Ethan always makes us smile with his silly side. He likes to make up funny verses to songs or dress up in our clothes and have us play dress up too. I love looking at the world through Ethan's eyes - it makes you stop and just enjoy each moment. So let's get our silly on!

As long as you don't get too mischievous.

5) Travelling

We were lucky enough to get to explore

Macau

Phuket

Sanya

Tokyo

Kyoto

San Diego

Guangzhou

6) Which was made even more fantastic because on some of these travels we got to enjoy with our friends.

7) Mike got married!

8) Halloween.

My all time favorite holiday. I love everything about Fall: leaves changing colors, pumpkins, apple cider, hay rides, trick-or-treating. Yes I am a kid at heart.

9) Cuddling with my two boys.

10) Spending time with family.

Cheers! And have a fantastic 2011!