I love lantern festivals !

 swan lake

 hook a duck !

 ( M has a school book she can just about read now called Hook a Duck - and as such was very excited to do so)

 4 wheeling ! This was mayhem.

 these are both is a lanterns - lots of dragons this year

The lantern festival at the Chinese Gardens is possibly my favorite thing in Singapore. I am seldom out in the early evening, as it is the kids bedtime, but it is such a lovely time in these parts!  To be out at dusk, surrounded by lanterns as traditional Chinese music is piped over the loud speakers, is my kind of romance. I wish I could capture the mood for you better. M remembered the wee fun fair last year, and raced past the lanterns to find it again - she has had her heart set on bobbing about inside a giant floating ball for a year, and so she did. (see here) G & V were more impressed by the lanterns - which they had barely noticed from their buggy last year. I think they were feeling the magic ! And G was an absolute pro carrying his own paper lantern. (there is a real little candle - with a real little fire - in there.  And you must balance the lantern carefully on a stick ) He marched around arm aloft, stick held at just the right angle until his candle went out. This was the first weekend the festival had opened and it was almost empty, which was a surprise. It is kind of nice to see people out enjoying it - couples taking photos together, dads fumbling about trying to light their kids lanterns.  Maybe going the first weekend is like going to see the Macys Christmas windows Dec 1st ? There are also lanterns up in China town, and along the river, which we may endeavor to check out. But in my mind this has got to be the sweetest. Hope we make it back at least once more while it is up.