Adventures in Bali - Part II

On the very same day I wrote my 'Adventures in Bali' post there was an earthquake in Bali. At 6.1 it was no little one, but luckily the damage was only minor with only a few wounded and no deaths.  My sister is safe and still very much enjoying herself. She is heading for the Gili Islands now and will probably do something I'd never do like diving between sharks or something like that...

Adventures in Bali

No, I'm not the one who is currently backpacking through Bali on my own... but my little sister is!  Thank heavens for the internet as this seems to be our only way of keeping in touch during her three week long adventure.  She left last Sunday and stayed in Sanur for a few days and now she will be moving along to Ubud. 

Besides being slightly worried (maternal instincts seem to cover baby sisters too) I'm also very proud of her that she is following her dreams and traveling the world.  I would definitely not dare to travel on my own, with only a backpack as a companion at the age of (almost) 24. 

If possible, she would love to travel for a year in 2013 and visit New Zealand and Australia for six months combined with six months in South America.  Personally I would opt for the first two since they are on my wish (but-probably-will-never-get-there)- list.

Themed Birthday Party: "Alice in Wonderland " - preparation

For my children's birthdays I have always come up with a specific theme for their parties.  Cowboys, Indians, Princesses, Fairies, Pirates,... They have always been a LOT of fun, but also a lot of work. Timely preparation is therefore needed. 

In February my daughter is turning 9 and we've decided on an "Alice in Wonderland" party after watching Tim Burton's movie. I've been doing lots of research on the theme and my mind is already full of ideas.  However, turning those ideas into something tangible isn't always easy.

I would love to make her a dress, just as similar to the one Alice wears in the movie (so not the blue dress with the white apron as in the cartoon, though, an apron would be convenient... hmm, must think further about that).

I plan to use an easy pattern and I would love to find a light blue fabric that is slightly irredescent. There's a huge fabric sale in November that I would love to go to. (edit: just went through my fabric stash and came across 2 metres of blue satin, so I'll probably use what I have).

The rest of the family also dresses up for these parties (which means I've been a pirate bride, Pocahontas, a Queen, etc). I'm thinking Queen of Hearts for myself and there can't be a Wonderland party without a Mad Hatter of course (uhm, sweetheart...?)

And then of course there is also the invitation to think about, decorations, food, games... ooh, mustn't be late!!

6 months already!

At 6 months you

• are starting to sit up a little bit on your own (but if I leave you without support for more than a few seconds you topple over)
• have 2 teeth
• just started eating solids (as of 2 days ago)
• are still breastfeeding
• are not sleeping through the night yet
• can transfer your toys or your pacifier from one hand to another
• can put your pacifier into your mouth (with the occasional hit and miss)
• have had a few rough days falling asleep