Dora, Santas, and Christmas!

When we got back from Phuket we heard that Dora was going to be at one of the thousand malls around here, so we decided to go. I don't think we would have gone if we knew what we were in for. Imagine lots and LOTS of pushy parents and over-excited kids waiting and waiting in line just to get some Nickelodeon swag (we thought we were waiting to see Dora) only to find out that the line to meet Dora was forming hours later. So, we waited around and got back in the line to get a photo pass, and then had to go back to get in a line to get a picture with Dora, which turned out to be kids getting herded across a stage with a picture being snapped somewhere in front of a GIANT scary Dora who speaks Chinese instead of Spanish. Of course, Tilly loved it and we couldn't get out of there fast enough. Here, Tilly is waiting patiently in one of the lines with Dora.

Waiting at the stage for Dora to arrive.

Dora in all her glory - isn't it scary?

Santa was another scary experience. The malls here usually have Santas but there is no formal photo taken. To get a picture you just have to push your way to the front of a crowd to get a security guard to let you through the ropes, and then you have about five seconds to have someone take a picture. In all the chaos, there was no way Tilly was going alone, so I ended up in our Santa photo for the year.

On Christmas Eve we went to the KL Aquarium. The best part was a tunnel with a conveyer belt that moved you through a huge tank with sharks and sting rays, giant turtles and lots of other fish swimming all around you. Though, if you ask Tilly what her favorite thing there was, she will say Scuba Santa.

Scuba Santa!

Chris's hand came dangerously close to getting eaten by a shark...

The rest of the Meltons went away for Christmas Eve so we had a quiet Christmas morning. Here is Tilly's first peek at the tree with presents.


The only thing Tilly wanted Santa to bring was a backpack.

Checking it out to see how it looks...

She likes it!

We had a relaxing Christmas Day at the playground and the pool.

Like Father like daughter.

We kind of combined Christmas and Hannukah this year because Jon and Tania brought Tilly her own menorah. Here she is lighting the candles all by herself!


Bubba and Yaya got Tilly an Ernie doll. She loves him!

We had a great holiday and just realized that we only have three weeks left of our trip. This week we're heading to Penang, an island on the West coast of the peninsula with the rest of the fam, and then back here for New Year's. Hope everyone had a great Christmas and we wish you all a Happy New Year!

We Love the Beach!

It was so nice to get to the beach for a few days. We flew to Phuket, Thailand last Monday (only about an hour flight) and stayed until Friday. Our hotel was on Bang Tao beach, about 35 minutes north of Patong, and even more beautiful. It was very quiet and relaxing, just what we needed. Here Tilly is waiting patiently to get off the plane.

Testing the waters at Bang Tao beach.

The pool at our hotel was great too.

Bucket of crab at a restaurant at Patong. I tried to get Tilly closer for the picture, but she started to gag. I can't say I blame her.

The bustling streets of Patong. We bought some DVD's for less than $2 each - The Hangover, 500 Days of Summer and Season 1 of Glee. Although, its not the complete first season, only through the Mashup - I still need the last episodes!

We even found Mexican food at Patong. It was no Jalapenos, but I was craving a burrito.

Eating a tub of peanut butter with her hands. She said 'I'm a mess'.

Dinner on the beach.


Sharing a milkshake poolside.

Swimming in the 'cat pool'. We couldn't figure out why she was calling it that, but later realized that when we called it the 'kiddie pool', she must have thought we were saying 'kitty pool'.


We spent most of our time playing in the waves and building sand castles. I'm pleased to report that Tilly has overcome all of her sand and wave phobia.


We had such a great time that we are planning to go back to Phuket in January. We like Thailand and it is pretty cheap to get there from here. We would like to be closer to Patong, without actually staying there. Its too crazy, and there aren't many hotels right on the beach. I think we'll go for a week in January as our last hurrah before heading back home.

The Adventure Continues

Tilly riding around on a giant panda - I'm thinking about bringing some of these things back with me to start my own business. Bellis Fair, here we come!

No blog entry is complete without a picture of Chris and beer, in this case, a giant beer. Note Tilly's stroller in the background. It has been difficult to get Tilly to nap in her room because there is no way to rig the door so she can't get out and she constantly comes out and says she needs something. So, if she doesn't nap, we've been taking her on a walk in her stroller so she can sleep. This time our walk led us to the Irish Pub.

Sunrise from the patio - I'll try to catch a better one. If you look closely you can see the twin towers to the left of the big building in the distance.

We went to the world's largest free flying aviary. There were really cool birds everywhere. And a funny bird show where the birds just kept flying away instead of doing what they were supposed to. Though we did see a bird ride a little bicycle and scooter, and go down a slide.


Tilly wasn't too sure about the bird on the back of the stroller. I'm wearing my new $4 shorts.

Playing at the Fountain at Plaza Mont Kiara, just down the hill from our condo. There are some cafes, a Starbucks and an ice cream shop there.


This one is for Pop Pop. She thought he would like it.

Tilly wanted goggles like Bubba's. Except she picked the 'purkle ones'.

At Gary's school holiday party, Tilly spent the evening running around in a variety of different Christmas hats. She is a party animal!

Getting into the holiday spirit.

Yaya was a dance machine! We seriously had to drag her off the dance floor when it was time for Tilly to go to bed.


Next week we are headed to the beach. We were going to go to a Malaysian island called Pulau Pangkor, but we have had a really hard time making reservations on-line. Either the places won't confirm our reservation, and then when I call to confirm it they say it is already full, or the website won't accept American credit cards. So, we finally went to a travel agent and are going to Phuket, Thailand next week. Payed too much for last minute airfare, but found a pretty nice resort for $40 a night. Here is where we are staying
www.phuket.com/amora/
We are looking forward to some beach time!

Exploring KL

Tilly made a friend!
Biggest playground we've ever seen
Petronas Towers in the background
More fun in the pool

Toi's yummy noodle soup
No child labor laws in Malaysia!
Giant gingerbread men! Meat at the outdoor market
So many fresh fruits and veggies
We got to feed the elephants at the zoo!



The last couple days have been busy! We went downtown and explored the area around the Petronas towers a bit. We stumbled across this park in the middle of downtown that had the biggest playground you can imagine. The photo only shows a bit of it, it was like an amusement park, including a water play area with waterfalls. The kids stuff here is unbelievable.

We went to the market with Chris's mom - she does most of her grocery shopping here. There was everything from meals to meat to produce to clothes to random household items. I found a pair of shorts for $4 US. We have been enjoying the best food, mostly homemade pho and stir fry. I have been able to find lots of vegetarian food to eat (except at the German restaurant - yuck!) but I do have to eat chicken broth since its the base for all the soups. Oh well, the soup is so good I don't even care.

Yesterday we went to the zoo, which was fun, but we chose the hottest day yet to go. It was sunny and humid and probably in the 90's. But, we got to feed the elephants, which made it all worth it. And there were so many monkeys.

Tilly is finally adjusted to the time difference. For the first four nights she was waking up at 3 or 4 in the morning for the day. Now we can do more stuff since we know what her schedule is. I found a little yoga studio that I can walk to that is great. A malaysian women runs it and it is hatha yoga, so its similar to what I'm used to but I"m having a hard time understanding her instruction. And, it isn't air conditioned, so it is a pretty sweaty practice for me! Hopefully I'll get used to the heat. Today we are going to stay around here and enjoy some more pool time. It is such a beautiful pool, with a separate kids pool and playgrounds right there. Tilly loves it. Yesterday she went all the way down the waterslide all by herself - we'll have to get it on video.

We are planning to visit a nearby island next week. There are some pretty cheap, short flights to the islands, which will be nice because if you take a bus you also have to take a ferry so it takes a long time to get there. I just hope its not one of those dinky planes... I think we'll leave Sunday for three nights. I can't wait to see the beaches.

I've heard that its cold back home - seems weird that its almost Christmas. Even though there are holiday decorations everywhere, it doesn't seem real. Tilly has been making me read Frosty the Snowman every night, but she probably doesn't even remember the snow from last year. So, you enjoy it if it comes, and we'll enjoy the sunshine while we can!