Gabriel hits DB

Gabriel, Raphaella, Uncle Bert and Auntie Pinky came over for laksa and a big playdate for Gabriel.  He and Katy play really well together.

Katy likes to play teacher.

Not that Gabriel thinks he needs a teacher....

Katy had some cookie dough left over from a previous playdate, so Uncle Rick helped Katy and Gabriel make some cookies for them to munch on the ferry back to Hong Kong.  They all went together as Katy had tutoring in Pokfulam, at Natalie's house.

Poh Poh also came to lend a hand!

K3B girls in DB

Katy was thrilled to welcome some of her classmates over for a playdate in DB on the third last day of the school holidays!  It's not so easy to invite kids over for playdates in DB when school starts.  Apart from school, everyone is usually so busy with swimming, ballet, art, and lots of other classes!

The kids had a great time creating havoc at home and painting each other with tonnes of make-up.  Even though it was quite hot, they jumped at the chance to go down to the beach for a play.  

Nadia and Katy help each other get cleaned up for the ferry ride home.

 

Katy, Nadia, Elsa and Toby strike a pose in front of the beach.  I can't believe how grown up they look compared to when they first met a year ago, when they were still only four years old!

Nadia was particularly satisfied with the playdate as she has been keen to come back to DB.  Katy has been telling her that I'm the Queen of the Faeries and if she comes to DB, then we can turn her into a fairy.  Her big brother Gabriel, who is a much more cynical eight year old, was very doubtful about the fairy.  Katy apparently had a very elaborate story set out with a very elaborate set of rules and regulations about how fairies operate, at least here in DB. 

I heard from Nadia's and Gabriel's Mummy Daphne that their whole family, including their Poh Poh, is now totally in the know about the fairies in DB, and the hole in the back of the closet through which we apparently access the fairies and become fairies in DB.  Now they've been to visit (Gabriel came too), apparently all of Gabriel's doubts have been put to rest and they can report to their Poh Poh that they are both now fairies and there really is a hole in the closet through which you access fairyland from DB. 

The hole in the closet was a new element I had never heard of before!  I guess that somehow came from CS Lewis although Katy has never heard of The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe...

Hong Kong Loot

Katy told Nana on the phone that she was sad and happy about leaving Phuket.  Sad because she didn't want to leave Phuket and finish our holiday, happy because she was looking forward to seeing her grandparents in Hong Kong.  Well, and for good reason.  Kung Kung and Poh Poh bought Katy and Gabriel Kapok violins.  Katy is thrilled.  She has a 1/10, which is the perfect size.  Gabriel got a 1/16, but it's still too big. 

Kung Kung is really enjoying Katy's enthusiasm and Katy is listening to Kung Kung trying to teach her what to do with the violin, well sort of.  Katy doesn't take well to any kind of instruction and especially when the teacher, Mama or Kung Kung tries to guide her hand.  She always snatches her hand away.

The biggest revelation for Katy was how to rosin her bow.  She is so thrilled with her violin that, although she finds it a big frustrating trying to play it, she takes it out several times a day to rosin her bow!

 She's also super thrilled with the fancy case Kung Kung got her - with the backpack straps!

Katy was so excited about her new violin that she insisted on trying it out before she did anything else on getting home - that's why she's still in her airplane clothes.  A big no no in our house where the first thing you do after getting home from the airport is to have a shower and wash all the airplane dirt off!

Phuket loot

Flying Ritual

Katy seems to have developed this ritual for her flights.  As soon as we take off, she gets out her make-up and spends a long time getting all made up.  She seems to find it very soothing, although she gets annoyed with her mother taking pictures all the time - hence the mirror in front to block!

Mr Yatt

We found a great driver in Phuket - Mr Yatt.  Polite, careful, safe, but knows shortcuts to the airport!  And he has seatbelts!  We took his car for 8 hours to Phuket Town, and then also to the airport.

Farewell Marriott Mai Khao

We spent a lovely late afternoon and early evening lounging by the pool sipping happy hour cocktails while Katy played with Sabrina, a little four year old girl from KL.  It was so quiet and peaceful by the pool - we were left as the only two or three families as evening approached.  Very special.

On our last day - Thursday - we all went down to the pool early for a quick slide and swim.  Then it was home to get cleaned up for the airport.  We loved our quiet setting at the end of the resort, and the walk through beautifully landscaped gardens to get there.

Farewell Mai Khao Beach

The water was a lot calmer on our last full day at Mai Khao compared to the first day we arrived.  We really enjoyed testing the surf 

 

and, seeing Mama and Dada enjoy the waves helped Katy worked up her courage to play in the surf too.

Mama taught Katy to go wave jumping, and Katy really loved getting in close and then running away from the waves as they washed ashore.

It's fun watching Katy play - she comes up with some interesting and imaginative things.  Here, she decided it would be fun to throw sand into the waves as they broke on shore!  Why?  No idea!

Katy loves getting a couple of helping hands to super jump the waves.

Walking with Dada.

The beach always seems to have a red flag out to warn people from swimming in the surf.  There are no lifeguards around and not many people either, but we really enjoyed this beach.  Such a shame it is full of litter.  We didn't end up walking very far because of the litter, which was really dangerous, including cut glass and whole lightbulbs!  The red flag should be for the rubbish on the beach!

Goodbye Mai Khao beach.  We really loved our stay in Phuket and particularly enjoyed our rare day of family only time.

Farewell Yaya

We were thrilled to bump into baby Yaya at the beach.  She walks that way to go home, and we were off to explore the beach.

She gave us a huge big wet kiss goodbye.  It's hilarious how she makes a cartoonish kissing sound.

Katy is a bit put off by the kissing.  She is excited to see Yaya, but is reticent to get too close because she's worried Yaya will kiss her!

We're going to miss Yaya!

Dada's sugar problem

Katy's been hearing about Auntie Pinky's and Auntie Debbie's gestational diabetes and need to test blood sugar.  Dada has also always been very disapproving about Katy eating too much sugar, candy, chocolate...

Katy LOVES candy and chocolate.

So do Mama...

...and Dada!

Mama brought some favourite chocolate bars on our trip for the family to enjoy together.  Dada disapproved of course, but Mama said, "of course when we go on holidays we all have to have a little chocolate treat".

When Katy had finished the Violet Crumble, which she loved, she told Mama, "Mama next time we go on holidays, can we please have more of this chocolate?  I really like it."

Mama said, "yes of course Katy - go let Dada know".

Katy replied, "no Mama, I can't.  Remember Dada has that sugar problem?"

Mama asked, "what sugar problem?"

Katy answered, "you know, he doesn't like me to eat too much sugar."

Jim Thompson

While Dada has his health check, Katy and Mama hit the Jim Thompson factory store at The Courtyard.  It was huge and we loved it!!

  We got lots of hankies, some pareos, cushions, a bag for Katy and a bag for Mama, and some hats.  We also got some shirts for Dada.  We missed Dada and had to send him photos of different choices so we could get his opinion...

We love Jim Thompson fabrics!  We wish we could have bought more.  Even Dada thought we should have bought more cushion covers for Minnesota!

Blue Elephant

Dada went into Phuket Town yesterday to have his executive health check up at Bangkok Phuket Hospital.  It's a lot cheaper to get it done in Thailand, especially if you want to do a very comprehensive set of tests, and it's very efficient as all the tests are done in the same place. 

Katy and Mama came along for the ride and to do shopping.  It was lucky we did come along as we were all able to have lunch together at The Blue Elephant, a very famous Thai restaurant with branches all over Europe as well as Thailand itself. 

In Phuket, The Blue Elephant is set in the old Government Mansion, which is a beautiful colonial building.

 Our friends Yves and Mo recommended the restaurant to us, and the food was superb.  Really great Tom Kha Gai, and some unusual Thai dishes too.

Aqua Fit

I've been enjoying the fitness classes every morning at the Marriott.  They're pretty low key, and the water yoga was great.  This was aqua fit, which was a little corny, but still fun to be exercising in the pool!  The water was quite fresh after a lot of rain and it was funny to see the Thai instructor shivering with teeth chattering.  The water was cool but not that cold!  I guess it was cold for Thailand!

Breakfast!

We'd read reviews that the Marriott Mai Khao did not have very good food, but we were pleasantly surprised to find that the food was actually very good. 

Katy enjoyed the pancakes, which were very yummy and particularly chewy in a good way. 

Mama enjoyed the vegetable curry.