This past week was a holiday for the national schools and businesses. We did not stop homeschooling, but the kids did have a break from the local schools and we had fun-filled afternoons with friends nearly every day! Some very good friends of ours from our previous city came to visit. It was so good to see them!
When our friends arrived, we all went out to eat lunch. There were not enough seats for ALL the kids to sit right next to Haley. This time, the little ones got to. Lunch was very good and we even found a dish that tastes very similar to one in the States.
It is the custom for the kids to walk around with paper lanterns with candles lit inside on this particular holiday. Last year, we were amazed at how many people were out and how much fun it was. This year, we were amazed that WE were the only ones out! So, you can imagine we didn't stay out for a long time, but had fun letting the kids walk around. After the kids were in bed and we were heading that way ourselves, we heard a lot of noise outside. You guessed it! We went out too early! In our previous city, they went out much earlier than here. We now know that the others with lanterns start coming out around 10:30. Through our window, we could see all kinds of fires burning. It was very interesting.
The holiday continued and we ventured to a park. Someone offered to take the picture to let me in it (Jonathan was off watching the bikes while we got the picture...we had forgotten the locks) Katherine really does not like all the attention they get sometimes...and on a holiday weekend when everyone is out having fun, the crowds of onlookers can be a little more intense.
At the park, a little kid was playing with bubbles and the little ones joined in. It was great because they didn't even pay attention to all the people taking their picture. One guy had a very nice camera and stayed a long time taking their pictures. I finally went over to talk to him (he was trying to be discrete) said hi and asked if he would please email me any good pictures that he got. He did! And this was one of them.
The kids also talked me into letting them spend their own money on turtles! I still can't believe that I let them, but they love the little guys. They were so cheap, but Lauren didn't have enough money. So, Benjamin used his own money and bought one for her. So far, the only one that has a name is Freddy. The others are still waiting to be named :)
Benjamin showing off his new little pet!
The kids also had fun playing with this hover disc. All the kids had them out at the park, so we gave it a try as well. It's basically just a helium balloon with a metal coil inside to make it some back down after you throw it. The kids sure did have fun with it.
This little girl REALLY wanted a picture with Regan. She chased us down in the park and then got all shy on me. I new what she wanted, since she had a camera in her hand, and started talking to her. WE found out that she and Regan are the same age.
This is a typical scene of the kids trying to relax in the grass off the beaten path. They still draw a crowd. The only one you can see in the picture is Benjamin. I'm not sure he ever noticed the other people were there :) haha.
So, I figured if I have my picture taken all the time, I could take this lady's picture. It made me laugh so hard. She really did fall asleep in this rock. I guess it's as good a place as any.
This was a neat little rock formation in the park.
WE also had a friend come over and Katherine got a kick out of her shoes. They were really high heeled shoes. The funny thing is...they fit Katherine!! So my newly 5 year old can wear the same shoes as our 22 year old guest. I guess a size 1 is a little big for a 5 yr old, but I think it HAS to be a little small for an adult!
I had a few more pics that I wanted to show, but it looks like they will not upload this time. I hope you enjoyed what I could get up. We'll have more next week!
