Halloween

This year, Halloween in Yuzhno came both early and late.  Our camp held a Halloween/Fall Carnival for the kids 2 weeks before Halloween.  We couldn't hold it on Halloween because there were many people that were going to be away from Sakhalin.  Halloween fell on the weekend before the mid-term break at the school, which is when many families take vacations.

Just like last year, we invited the kids from the Zima camp to join us in our celebrations.   Adam dressed up as an astronaut, or since we are in Russia, a cosmonaut!  Our little temporary community center was packed!  There were many games for the kids to play and there was also a HUGE bouncy house.  It took up almost 1/3 of the building!  After the carnival, the kids went around Olympia to trick-or-treat.

My little cosmonaut

The huge bouncy house

Playing games at the carnival

Playing a golf game

Costume parade

Sliding

My tired boys

The adults celebrated Hallween a few weeks late.  On Friday, November 13th (a good substitution for the Halloween party), we went to a costume party at on of our neighbor's houses.  Everyone was dressed up, and it was fun seeing our friends in their costumes.  Shane found a Zorro cape and mask, but couldn't find a hat, so he wore a bandana and Aerosmith shirt and called himself "Zorrosmith".  I went as his groupie....and yes, I know I look ridiculous in a black wig!

Posing for pictures with some of the girls

Shane with some of the guys

Port "A"

After visiting my Dad, our next stop was Port Aransas, TX, with Shane's Mom.  We rented a house that was located about 10 minutes (walking) from the beach.  It was nice to have a little vacation within our 'vacation' home.  We ate a lot of seafood, made sandcastles, played in the waves, swam in the pool and got some sun (some of us got a little too much!).  At the end of the week Kim and Joe joined us.  Joe hadn't seen Shane since we moved to Doha!

Relaxing in the beach house

Eating at a local seafood restaurant

Walking to the beach

Sunset

Wading through the sand

On the beach

Playing in the waves

Building sandcastles

Walking back to the house

Playing in the surf

Playing on the beach

I love this picture!

  

Swimming with a noodle - by himself!

Amanda and Kim

Group photo

Dinner with Friends

We went to dinner with our neighbor's, the Gormans, before we all left for the summer.

Shane, Amanda, Kate, Patrick, Kelly, Conner, Adam and Colby

Grilling in a Snowstorm...only in Sakhalin

News flash:  it's snowing!  It started up sometime Friday night and still hasn't stopped as I type this Sunday afternoon.  According to the internet weather forcast, it is going to continue to snow for the next few days.  We were invited to dinner at a friend's house on Saturday night for steaks and chicken (yum!).  Their house is only 6 houses down from us, but we took a car.  The sidewalks were nonexistent and the snow was really coming down.  I got a shot of Mike outside with his grill just for my readers in Mississippi (Hello, Mike's Mom and Dad!).  

I had to share this!

My friend Kim sent me this.  She came across it in her Mom's Conway Twitty collection and of course thought of me. Enjoy!  

Music Playlist at MixPod.com

A bit of trivia:   Conway learned Russian and recorded this song in 1975 for the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project.  It was played by the American astronauts to Russian cosmonauts as a gesture of goodwill. 

Dinner with friends

Before we left for Houston, we went out to dinner with Gill and Aaron at Bentley's in the Ramada Plaza.  The food was great, the company was great, and the wine was great!!  Hopefully, we will be able to go out again when we get back, but that will only happen if we are still in Doha once Ramadan is over...

Ceramique & Chili's

I took Adam to Ceramique, a cafe that kids can paint ceramics which then get glazed and fired in a kiln.  We met Gill and Ella, Tammy and Ellie, and Liam (Gill was looking after him for a friend).  After checking out all the options (they have vases, plates, tiles, picture frames, figurines, etc.), Adam decided on a star-shaped plate.  Then he picked his colors (blue and green, of course - but I added a yellow).  I put one of Shane's undershirts on him in case he made a mess on his clothes and the paint didn't wash off.  Then I let him go for it!   Once his masterpiece was finished, I drew his name and an outline.  I think it turned out pretty good! After that, we all went to Chili's for lunch.  The kids had a great time...now hopefully the plate will turn out good, too!

Adam working on his masterpiece

Selecting his colors

Adam giving me a smile

The finished product

Coloring on the menu at Chili's

Adam, Ella, Liam, and Ellie at Chili's

Lunch at Fuddrucker's

Adam, Alex, James, and Ella

Adam loves it when we go to Fuddrucker's for lunch.  He judges restaurants by the size and quality of their indoor play area.  Since it is too hot to play outdoors in the summer, the only places to play are in restaurants and malls.  We met my friends Gill and Gina and their little ones for lunch and also to let the kids play.  When it was time to eat, we put all the kids at one table.  I tried to get them to pose for a picture, but they weren't interested.  The boys wanted to eat and Ella just didn't want her picture taken!

Playdate with Ella and Alex

Today Adam and I went to Gill's for lunch and to let the kids play.  Adam loves going to Ella's house, and when we get close, he always tells me which way to turn to get there.  I remembered to bring my big camera, since Shane has the little one with him in Sakhalin.  The kids played well together and I got some great pictures.

Adam and Alex on the slide

Alex riding his car

Ella on her tricycle

Adam riding in the car

Adam

Ella

Gill and Alex

Adam and Ella

Adam and Ella

Alex

Their own Indy 500

An afternoon swim

Adam and Catrina

Adam and Robert

Playing in the pool

Adam and Robert

Splashing around in the kiddie pool

Adam

Yes, it's freakin hot here.  But Sam and I decided to take the kids down to the Red O and let them paddle around in the kiddie pool.  After 4:00 pm, the whole area is shaded, so we weren't completely melting out there.  The kids had a good time, and the water was nice.