Fab 5 Friday...

Happy Friday everyone! Another week has come to an end...or almost. Just let me get through Grayson's birthday party tonight and life will be good. (And please remind me next year that we will celebrate Grayson's half birthday - as there are way too many kiddos celebrating summer birthdays and having goodbye parties at this time of year!)

I missed my Fab 5 Friday last week...in fact, I didn't write at all last week. Suffered from some serious blog withdrawal! But, I've found a few moments this morning to get my Fab 5 written...so let's do this thang!

FAB 5 FRIDAY

1. Seoul. Yes, no big surprise here that my trip to Seoul makes the top of the list. I enjoyed everything about it. The cooler temps, the food and drink, the shopping, CrossFit Regionals...it was fantastic! Mabel did a fab job planning our trip and navigating us all around the city via the subway (which is very easy and convenient to use).  I'm seriously hoping I can take the family back soon. I feel like our list of places to visit in Asia keeps growing and the amount of time we'll be here keeps shrinking. (Not that we know exactly how long we'll be here...)

Um, yeah...we ate and drank a lot!

CrossFit Asia Regionals 2014

Just a little of the shopping I did...

 

2. Funny Korean Men In The Subway. I don't know why, but I seemed to attract the 50 years+ Korean men in the subway who wanted to practice their English with me. One dude was a drunk minister and the other wanted to come "live" with me in Malaysia and pray together. Mabel suggested that I pretend I was French the next time this happened, but we just kept our heads down and avoided any additional contact. Too funny!

 

3. Returning Home. And, as great as Seoul was, there's nothing like returning home to hugs and kisses from boys who missed you. Definitely the best!

 

4. Published Article. I just received word last week that one of my articles for WOD Talk will be going in their print publication (not just online). I'm pretty psyched about this as my editor told me the magazine is pretty much planned a year in advance and since I'm relatively new, there was no guarantee that any of my submissions would make anything other than the website. The cool thing is...the article was written as a take on my Fab 5 Friday blog posts. I also just submitted my article about Seoul...so we'll see what they do with that.

 

5. 20 Days. But, who's counting! Yes, just 20 days until the little boys and I hop on a plane and head back to Upstate New York for the summer. I could not be more excited! It's time. I truly do like it here in Malaysia, but I'm longing to see my family, go to Target, eat some Harvest Pizza, and drink a Michelob Ultra...

 

Okay...I just received an email from Caleb's teacher that he has forgotten his PE shirt so it seems as if the mom delivery service needs to go into action - which means I need to stop blogging and drinking coffee. Bummer! Enjoy the weekend, peeps!

 

 

Did You Miss Me?

I'm back from Seoul...and it was fabulous! Had so much fun! Great food, great shopping, great CrossFitting...just a fabulous few days.

I was going to do a big, long blog post about it, but I pretty much chronicled all the highlights for WOD Talk...and I just submitted that article last night. So...as soon as it goes up on their website (or whatever the heck they're going to do with this one!) I'll post a link here...because it's much more in depth.

But, I will share a few photo collages I put together this morning...

There was lots of food and drink...very yummy!

 

 

And we WOD'd at CrossFit Sentinel Downtown...

 

 

And we shopped...

 

 

And we spent a lot of time at the Asia CrossFit Regionals...

 

 

The weather was fantastic. (I thoroughly enjoyed the cooler temps and lower humidity!) I'm hoping to bring the family back in the near future! Maybe we'll even do a little sightseeing next time!

Mont Kiara Menace...

All I can do is laugh at some of the things we do here in KL. Yesterday, I went to the First Annual Highland Games here in Kuala Lumpur. Yes, the American went to the event celebrating all things Scottish while here in Malaysia. Really? Who woulda thunk it?

And, not only did we go and drink beer and hang out in the rain, I joined some Mont Kiara moms to compete in the female division of the tug-o-war.  Yup! Tug-o-war! Our team was the Mont Kiara Menace! Don't we sound intimidating?! And, it was a blast! After losing the first two matches - and pointing out a rules violation to the judge (which I will tell you about in a minute), we got our act together and won the next 4 matches - putting us in the finals.

As for the rules violation, the team had a couple of members wearing gloves - and the rules stated bare hands. The judge said she did not know about the rule at which point I pulled it up on my phone. Yes, maybe it was a little bitchy and nit-picky, but I did it. We all would've liked to wear gloves...

Then, I was talking to some members on the team who we called the violation on (and they were very gracious - saying that they didn't even know there were rules) and I said, "Well, the judge didn't even know what the hell the rules were." And the lovely young woman I was speaking with said, "Yes, well, that's my mom." Whoops! Way to make friends and influence people. But, we both laughed and it was all good!

The finals had us facing off against two teams...and we ended up with 2nd place! Not bad for a bunch of moms who came together for some fun on a rainy day!

And we'll be back next year! Maybe we'll even train a little!

I'm off to Seoul tomorrow. I can't guarantee any more blogs this week...not even a Fab 5 Friday!  But, I'll be sure to catch you up when I get back!!

Fab 5 Friday...

WOW! All I can say is that this week has been exhausting. I'm slightly overwhelmed with projects and family and life in general. I don't often feel that way...but, I do today. The kids have had stuff that needed to be finished for school, I had articles due and stuff to prep to leave for Seoul next week, plus some other commitments for school. In addition, a few surprise things were thrown at me and the schedule just went haywire. Needless to say, I'm scrambling to finish a few things before I leave on Tuesday, but I'll get them done.

Of course, I could've skipped Fab 5 Friday, but I just refuse! Let me have 15 minutes to put some thoughts down and then I can continue on with my 6 million projects.

So...before the list turns to 6 million and 1 - let's bang out Fab 5 Friday.

1. Caleb's Concerts. Yes, I have to say concertS this week - plural. We knew about his school concert this week, but we were treated to an impromptu rendition of One Direction Tuesday evening that he and Michael and Nolan put together. Too damn funny! I'm not a One Direction fan, but I'll give these kiddos credit for singing it loud and proud.

You can click below to see him singing and dancing and playing the recorder:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjWrKoRVnAI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCZtRZ6biGU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQ_6SHSSLNo

2. Seoul. I'm counting down the days until I leave for Seoul. Mabel has been the best travel agent ever...flights booked, hotel booked, box found for us to go WOD, food tour booked. She's figured out how we get a public transportation pass and all I have to do is show up at the airport with our tickets for the games and my suitcase - which will only be half filled so I can SHOP! Bring on Seoul! Bring on Regionals!

3. Korean BBQ. In preparation for the trip to Seoul, I felt I should experience Korean BBQ. So, who do you go with for Korean BBQ? Damien of course! The Korean BBQ Guru. So our family and his family met up for Korean BBQ this week - and it was a hit! Grayson ate his weight in beef and is planning his next Korean BBQ outing. He also believes this is where we will take Nana and Poppy one night when they come to visit. Caleb loved the pork belly. And, well, Blaine really liked the soju.

4. Baseball. We had a baseball theme going this week. Caleb did an awesome Babe Ruth presentation at school and then we introduced the boys to "Field of Dreams" one night...just a good family night. The boys were also happy to be back playing ball as practice started up again last week. Only a couple more to go before we're done here for the season in KL.

Field Of Dreams

 

Caleb's Babe Ruth Presentation

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLokuGjeWEvAmFo4CK8AwPhyxpyrlwhPM4&v=X3zm_eHY6LE&feature=player_embedded

5. Summer. And last, but not least...I'm thrilled about my upcoming visit to Queensbury. Life on the lake for the summer will be amazing...beer, book and a view of the lake. Not much more I can ask for. The kids are signed up for a couple of sports camps and we have friends and family to visit or coming to visit us. The time is passing quickly and it won't be long until we're flying home!

My view and camp registration

Okay...that's literally all the time I've got!! Enjoy the weekend!!

Quiet and WOD Talk...

I am currently reading "Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking."

I'm only about a quarter of the way through the book, but I have to say I find it fascinating. I am an introvert. I know some people will not believe this, but it is true. An introvert is not necessarily a shy person. An introvert is a person who is energized by being alone and whose energy is drained by being around other people. That could not be more true with me. I cherish my quiet time and really try to avoid big groups. I prefer one-on-one or small group meet-ups. It's not to say I can't do the big group thing, I can. But, my preference is a more intimate setting.

The beginning of the book has an interesting quiz you can take to see where you fall on the scale of being an introvert. You can find the quiz by clicking here. I took the quiz and answered true to 17 out of 20. Yes, definitely high on the introvert scale.

One of the questions I found interesting on the quiz was: "I often prefer to express myself in writing." Yup, for sure. Text message, blog, email...you name it, I would much rather write it than verbalize it.

Since we moved, my writing has increased by an amount that I can not measure. Blogging was one of the ways I started to express myself and then came the good fortune of writing for WOD Talk magazine. In fact, my 2nd article was published today. It's an extremely personal article to me and while I found it very easy to write, it was very difficult for me to send it in. You might remember me talking about this article a few weeks back...it sat in my "Draft" folder for a while before I hit send to mail it to Heather at WOD Talk.

Thankfully, the feedback has been so overwhelmingly positive. Heather loved it. And, since it went live this morning, I've received many messages, texts, and emails from friends and strangers who could totally relate to what I wrote. Many felt it applied to more than just CrossFit...it applied to life in general.

If you'd like to give it a read, you can click here.

So, I'd love your feedback on the introvert quiz or the new WOD Talk article or both. Where do you fall on the introvert scale? Can you see yourself in the article? Has anybody read "Quiet"? Thoughts?

Mother's Day...

Yesterday was a very relaxing Mother's Day...not what we had originally planned for the day, but it worked out perfectly.

Friday I received gorgeous flowers. Sunday, we all went out to breakfast in the morning and grabbed some coffee...then it was home to kick the kids out of the house for the day. (Whoops! Did I really write that I kicked my kids out of the house for Mother's Day? But, alas...it's the truth.) They spent the day playing with kids in the 'hood...which was fantastic. Blaine prepped dinner. Yes, a one-legged man still rocked together a great dinner - and he even had a cake ordered for the day. (Because there is nothing I like more than cake...truth. And it can't get much better than a cake from Mabel.)

The only thing missing was my mom and grandma. But, in 38 days I can see them for 6 whole weeks! And I can't wait!!

Gorgeous flowers!

 

 

The two kiddos who made me a mom!

 

The one-legged man practicing his coaching skills for tug-o-war next weekend!

 

Mabel's yummy cake!

 

 

So let's give it up for a great Mother's Day! I hope yours was everything you wished it to be!

Little Things...

Today I am declaring "Thankful Thursday." I am thankful for coffee, uninterrupted time to write, a good haircut, and friends who continue to check in on us.

 

 

I am grateful for children who woke up happy, dioramas that are being worked on without drama, a Babe Ruth presentation that makes me smile, and knowing that in 6 weeks I'm heading home to see my family.

 

I am thankful for emails from friends from afar, a good book, plans that fall into place, and a husband on the road to recovery.

 

“We pray for the big things and forget to give thanks for the ordinary, small (and yet really not small) gifts.”
― Dietrich Bonhoeffer



Fab 5 Friday...

So we've been living abroad for almost 10 months now and there are lots of things I've learned. Some I've learned easily...and others I've learned the hard way. Someone the other day asked me what advice I'd give to new ex-pats...those who have never lived abroad before. I don't know that I've lived abroad long enough to truly provide any great nuggets of knowledge, but today's Fab 5 is what I would tell someone knew to the ex-pat life.

1. Be open to ALL of the experiences. Each and every day you will experience something new - a new event, a new person, a new emotion, a new victory, a new disaster. You need to take the time to learn from each and every one of these new experiences - the good, the bad and the ugly. They're brought to you, given to you, or thrown at you for a reason.

2. Stay grounded and have good friends. There are a lot of spoiled, pretentious assholes in the ex-pat community - people who have an overinflated ego and an even bigger sense of entitlement. You can spot the ones you want to steer clear of quickly as a conversation with them usually is pretty one-sided and you won't get a word in edgewise. Or, watch the way they treat people - poor manners and rudeness are abundant. I'm fortunate to say, I have remained free of those people and have wonderful friends. And, so do my children. A great deal of staying grounded involves your circle of friends. Good friends abroad make you feel like you have a little piece of home with you. Seek those people out and remain true to your values.

3. Travel. I can't say this enough. Travel, travel, travel. Take full advantage of every school holiday, long weekend - hell, pull your kids from school for a few days. (Sorry teacher friends...I was a teacher and I know that kids need their instructional time, but traveling teaches a lot of things too!) Visit various parts of the country you are living in and the countries that surround you. This may be your only opportunity to visit some places - maybe you're not going to be an ex-pat forever - so get out there and explore.

4. Have your bad days and then get over it. We all have them. Days when absolutely nothing goes right. You can't find that ingredient you need for dinner, the repairman shows up 6 hours late, you get a speeding ticket from some corrupt police officer who really just wants 100rm. Whatever the case may be, have your pity party (within an allotted time frame and preferably with a good bottle of wine or Grey Goose) and move on. You chose this life. You chose to be here. Make the best of it! The good far outweighs the bad.

5. Be grateful. Something good happens each and every day. You may have to search for it a little harder on certain days, but it's there. We're lucky as ex-pats. If you're an ex-pat, you or your spouse works for someone who thinks they are talented enough to go and share their knowledge and expertise with others. The perks for most ex-pats are pretty good. (Yes, I know not all ex-pat packages are created equally. Some companies do more than others. But, none of us are hurting.) Be thankful for your time wherever you are and everything it has brought to you and your family. Lots of people never get to experience this part of life...


“Life might be difficult for a while, but I would tough it out because living in a foreign country is one of those things that everyone should try at least once. My understanding was that it completed a person, sanding down the rough provincial edges and transforming you into a citizen of the world.”
–David Sedaris, Me Talk Pretty One Day

He's Escaped...

YAHOO! We made it across the street this morning for coffee! This is big! No wheelchair! Just a slow and steady walk with his crutches! Of course, when we get to San Francisco Coffee, their blender is broken - so no nice blended latte. But, we celebrated with an iced one - and life is good. Back to the doctor's office tomorrow to remove the gazillion staples holding him together. Thankful for the small steps.

Fab 5 Friday...

Oh, so last week was rough, but this week was definitely better. I can actually come up with five good things from this week. YAY for that! It still hasn't been easy, but it's definitely been better...and sometimes, better is all that matters.

Let's get right into it, shall we?

1. Hardcast. Blaine had a hardcast put on Tuesday afternoon. I think he thought I was full of crap when I told him 10 days ago that a hardcast would make all the difference, but it has. He can now more easily use his crutches and that is good. He now has use of both of his feet, which makes him much steadier when he's upright. The doctor will cut a window into the cast next week and remove his staples and then he's got another 5 weeks in it. We've counted our weeks and think the timing for his next surgery will happen right before the boys get out of school - which should allow us to get to Penang for a long weekend before the boys and I head home for summer. Keep your fingers crossed that this schedule remains in tact!

Hardcast, Baby!

 
2. Seoul. Yes, my trip to Seoul to cover the CrossFit Asia Regionals is still on! Thankfully, Mabel took on the role of travel agent when Blaine injured himself - flight is booked, hotel is booked, and she's looking up all sorts of cool shopping/food/cooking things we can do on the Wednesday and Thursday before the regionals begin. And then, it's 3 fun days of CrossFit - Friday, Saturday, and Sunday! Time to be a CrossFit geek!

Asia Regionals here we come!

3. Soccer Tournament. The boys both played in the inaugural Asian Tigers Cup at M'KIS last weekend. While Caleb's team did not have a stellar day - you could not help but love their sportsmanship and team spirit. They played with a lot of heart and soul. Grayson's team received 2nd place in their division...making him one happy little dude.

Asian Tigers Cup

4. Grayson's Concert. Grayson had his spring music concert on Wednesday. At this concert, the kids in grades K-2 had to create original musical compositions using instruments or singing or free verse. They could work in groups or solo. The theme of the concert was spring and each musical piece had to have a title. Lots of things related to rain, playing, Easter, bunnies, birds, rainbows, butterflies...and then there was my favourite title: Fly In The Butter. Muahahahahaha! That just made me laugh. Not sure how it quite relates to spring, but I'm sure they dug deep into their inner artists and that it makes perfect sense to them!

Ah. music...

5. Friends. This week we've had lots of friends helping us out...I met some for lunch, some came and played poker with Blaine, others sent texts and emails and asked how they could help. All I can say is thank you...

So that's it. Another wrap on Fab 5 Friday. It's nice to be a bit more positive about things this week.

*If I had to put a #6 this week it would be my 100# clean and jerk at CFV. I've been stuck at an 85# clean for months...and this week, got 90#, 95# and then 100# on clean and jerk on Wednesday evening. I don't think you could've slapped the smile off my face that night!