Sophie at the Elizabeth

It's not quite The Plaza, I'm no Nanny, and we don't have a pug or a turtle. But for the past three weeks, it's almost like Sophie's been living the life of Eloise (at the Plaza).

Since we arrived in Singapore, we've been staying at The Elizabeth Hotel in the heart of Orchard Road. Even though it's meant cramming all that we've brought along with us and the energies of a now 3-year-old into one room, it's actually been quite a nice stay. For one, it's literally a 2-minute walk away from the hospital my grandfather was at when he was ill, which made visiting him so easy. It's also right in the middle of the shopping district so Sophie got an immediate introduction to big city living right from Day One. Let's hope she doesn't think walking through fancy shiny malls is going to be part of her daily routine once we've moved into our new apartment...

The staff at the hotel has been nothing but kind- three weeks is a long time to be staying at a hotel and because the hotel isn't a huge one, we've become familiar with the people who work here. The lady who cleans the elevator is always careful to tell Sophie not to run after she's just mopped the floors; Suresh, the waiter in the hotel cafe knows Sophie by name and always says 'hi' and 'good morning' when we go down for breakfast and always has Sophie's highchair ready for her; and the porters out front never fail to ask to help with our bags even when it's obvious we only have the diaper bag with us. Sophie of course knowns everyone- waves to everyone, says 'hi' and introduces herself to everyone-- staff or guest--, and has on more than one occasion, invited various members of the housekeeping crew to her birthday party :) They adore her, I think, which is why we come back every evening to a room well made and Sophie's toys all meticulously laid out the extra bed she sleeps on, no matter the toys were were when we left the room.

We check out tomorrow morning and while it'll be a relief to have more space again, a small piece of me will miss The Elizabeth a little. It's been our haven from the whirlwind that's been the past three weeks and for that, we'll always be grateful.