Flyin' High!

The first time I ever felt Maisie kick was in the Sahara right after I got done riding a camel. That was in Morocco. Ever since (and probably before, too) I've had a great love of Moroccan food. Turns out, our kids like it, too!

Today, we went to the Arab section of town which sits in the shadow of the giant Sultan Mosque. The main thoroughfare is lined with shops and little cafes. The shops hawk rugs and gorgeous material as well as other Arab-type trinkets. We ate at Deli Morocco. I'd read about it on Tripadvisor. Apparently, I didn't read the reviews well enough because we thought the place was pretty bad. The kids, on the other hand, couldn't shovel in the food fast enough. Hudson was high on couscous. 

I'd heard that Haji Street was the place that young fashionistas go for unusual clothes. Um... I should have paid more attention to the word "young." Ah... if only I was 25 again.

The afternoon was a totally different high - the kite-flying kind. Singapore's Kite Festival is today and tomorrow down near the Marina Bay. What fun! THOUSANDS of people turned out to hear the live music, watch the performers and - of course - see the kites!

 

All told, there were about a half dozen street performers. The kids' favorite by far was this woman who blew these GIANT bubbles. Maisie was on Tom's shoulders, Hudson on mine. Finally - both kids finally got their hands on one, popping with great relish!

While there were professional kiters there with MASSIVE kites, the majority of kites were flown by average sorts. In fact, they handed out free kites to everybody there!

Hudson? He flung his around for a couple of minutes and then preferred to RUN wildly about the great lawn with me chasing him like a wild woman. It did nothing to help my really bad cold. Maisie, on the other hand, tried and tried to get her kite up in the air and even managed to do it for :30 here and there. She sweet-talked her daddy into buying a mermaid kite for $10.

Ten dollars didn't seem like much until we got home, greeted by an incredibly excited Cheryl. I've never seen an adult so excited. Truly. For THREE years, she's been saving up enough money to buy toys and finally send some stuff home to her children. She was on her way to her sister-in-law's house to pack the box. This is the first box she's sent in the entire time she's been here. Granted, she always sends money, but never before has she sent toys. The most expensive toy? $20. It made me feel so ... I dunno ... like my kids are the most spoiled souls on the planet. It's a little embarrassing that Maisie has gotten a Barbie and a big My Little Pony since we've been here. Yes, it was for her birthday, but in three years, Cheryl hasn't been able to save up enough for one Barbie. 

It definitely made me stop and think. It kind of took the wind out of my kite.