Missing big brother

It's been a few weeks now since Tyler left Singapore to go back to Colorado, and things here still don't seem the same.  Our apartment feels a little empty and so do we.

Missing Alex's chauffeur.  Tyler was the main driver for Alex's stroller while he was here.  And at some point stroller rides switched to shoulder rides, which, of course, became the preferred mode of transportation.

Missing my chief navigator. Tyler became quite the expert on Singapore's public transportation systems, both the subway and the bus.

Missing Alex's best playmate.  Along with daddy, there is nobody Alex would rather play with than his big brother.  Legos, forts, hide and seek, playing in the pool, these two truly enjoy each other's company.

(Now of course, being brothers no one knows how to get the other one going better than each other.  And "telling" the boys to SEPARATE! was a daily (hourly?) occurrence.)

Missing the genuinely sweet kid that is Tyler.  So many people here (from the ladies in the breakfast room to the other parents at the pool/playground) have made comments to me about Tyler and Alexander, and how clear it is that the boys adore each other and what a great big brother Tyler is.

(So yes Tyler is 13, and we were not without those teenage moments, including a day I named "grump day", lots of managing screen time, you know, the usual stuff.)

And Tyler really had the chance to expand his horizons here in Singapore.  So many new experiences!

Public transportation.  As I mentioned, he quickly became an expert.  He even planned out a full morning riding each of the transit lines all by himself!

Food.  Tyler was a champ at trying new foods - naan, pork dumplings, satay.  There was a period of time when Ty went to get buttered naan from the same stall at the local hawker center almost every afternoon.

Getting his feet cleaned by fish!

To name a few.

Alex and I get to see Tyler almost everyday when we are home.   And we are so lucky that we were able to make some amazing lifetime memories exploring Singapore together.  We are definitely missing big brother.

We love and miss you Tyler B!!!