winter 2018.

It's September! Which means that in the States, everyone is heading into fall... while we're heading into a much-appreciated spring season. Here are some random highlights from our previous winter months:

We took Arden to her very first Comic-Con back in June. She still fits into her Supergirl outfit, and I still fit into my Jubilee costume, so we got to cosplay together! It was a fun experience, although to be honest I probably wouldn't attend Oz Comic-Con again unless there was a guest we really wanted to see. Compared to Seattle's ECCC (which we've attended twice), OzCC is really small, and while there were a few fun exhibits and stalls, it didn't warrant the ticket price in my opinion.

a little girl dressed as BB-8!

Arden received these free "Edna Mode" classes from an Incredibles 2 promotion, and insisted on wearing them for the rest of the day

mother-daughter cosplay!

Because Australian winter falls during a depressingly holiday-free season (believe it or not, they don't really celebrate the 4th of July here), locals have to make up their own celebratory festivities, such as the 2nd annual Firelight Festival. Last year's debut was very small, and organisers underestimated the amount of people who might stop by to witness... well, not a whole lot - a few street performers, a fireworks show and some cool fire-themed displays. However, this year they definitely stepped it up a notch, expanding their location and organising much more entertainment and fun:

Arden was a little freaked out by the blazing fire barrels ("it's A LITTLE BIT SCARY" she would whimper), but we all enjoyed the street performers, people-watching and fireworks show. And all of this was right in our neighbourhood! How cool.

Speaking of freaked out, Arden attended her first children's concert: her all-time favourites, the Wiggles! We made a big day trip out of the event, taking an hour-long train to Geelong (the closest city that wasn't sold out by the time I went online to buy tickets) and having some nice meals by the waterfront. Geelong holds a special place in my heart, as it was one of the first cities I got to explore while Ben was traveling locally for work, and we always love going back for short visits.

Geelong waterfront

Anyway, we were all very excited for the show. After Arden's first wonderful experience with live music in Grand Rapids this past May, I had high hopes for her attention span and enjoyment at a live kids' concert. Unfortunately, the moment the lights dimmed and the Wiggles ran out on stage, Arden burst into tears and wouldn’t stop howling until Ben took her off to the side of the auditorium, where they stayed for the entire show. I guess the ambience and screaming crowd was a little too much for her at this age. Oh well! Ben and I enjoyed the show at least. The Wiggles are a pretty talented ensemble.

Arden wore her "Emma" shirt and a yellow bow to match.

 

where Arden and Ben ended up standing for most of the show

My paternal cousin was in town for a short visit (she travels around the world to run marathons, and was in Australia for the Gold Coast marathon), so we got to meet up with her for lunch. I hadn't seen Irene since my last trip to Indonesia, which was when we were just kids. It was fun to catch up and for Arden to meet her.

hanging out with my cousin Irene

We got to witness the blood moon eclipse right from our apartment window. The event was very early in the morning, but Arden was up pretty early and we all got to catch a glimpse of the momentous sight.

blood moon!

Arden still enjoys her weekly classes, and I feel like she's improved a lot this season especially. It's been an amazing experience to witness not only Arden's first baby milestones, but to also gradually see her understanding more complicated instructions and concepts, and to see her relationships with her teachers grow.

Arden at dance class

Arden at music class

Aside from her swimming, music and dance classes, I also regularly take her to the aquarium, various parks, and a local playgroup. Our neighbourhood and city are both very family-friendly, and there's plenty to do even when the weather isn't great.

penguin selfie at the aquarium

Arden got her face painted at a winter fair - she LOVED it.

never without a tutu

This winter felt a little on the longer side, only because we didn't have our usual summer USA trip to break up the season (this year our visit was in April/May). However, we were able to take a short trip to warm and humid Singapore, which was very fun. I'd been to Singapore on a choir tour during my high school years, but didn't remember much about it, so it was pretty much a brand new experience for all of us. The recent visit also helped us appreciate the setting of "Crazy Rich Asians", a movie that means a lot to me as an Asian-American.

Arden's 3rd birthday is quickly approaching. To say that the years have gone by quickly is a bit cliché (and not totally true... it's definitely felt like a good long three years, haha), but sometimes she'll do or say something that makes us stop and marvel at how much she's grown into her own person. I mean, there was a time when she couldn't even lift her head up or smile, and now she's leaping over the house furniture, bossing us around in complete sentences and singing songs in French. We pretty much talk to her like an adult now. She has very strong opinions (especially about her clothes... she changes her entire outfit three times a day, and has to wear at least one tutu or skirt - even if it's just for her afternoon nap) and she's a pretty tough negotiator when it comes to daily bargaining. Also, she's really looking forward to becoming a big sister in just about 5 months.

Wait, what?

CK