Weeks 29, 30, and 31

The last few weeks have been busy with getting allowance, learning to tie shoes on one side and helping on the other, and enjoying some warm sunshine in between winter storms.

Week 28- Snow Day

It started with a drizzly rain that turned to hail. The kids said it was snowing; I said it wasn't. But then soft, fat flakes began drifting down. The kids played, had cocoa, and played some more. L even managed a snowman in the front yard.

Week 27- New Years

Happy 2011!

Week 26 Christmas

Good times with family and friends and way too much food made Christmas merry. Here A sports a mohawk hat I made for him. Behind him is my sister's traditional Colombian Llanos Christmas tree.

Week 25-Cookies

Between my mother, my sister, my niece, my daughter, and myself, we had plenty of homemade cookies for our open house. (We have nothing against boys and men baking, but that didn't happen for this event.) This picture doesn't show all of them. I tried to taste almost every one, which gave me quite a sugar overload. Luckily we've got more that we're enjoying all this week in the build up to Christmas.

Week 24- Christmas preparations

Is he talking to Santa? We were waiting in line for a sleigh ride, pulled by two highschool aged reindeer when we saw this through the window. I love getting out of classes early enough to go on the Santa's Village field trip with my kids when they are in kindgergarten This year I got to accompany three litle boys in and out of the little houses in this magical town. We didn't see Santa because the line was too long, but Mrs. Claus passed out cookies, goats and puppies got petted, and everyone tried on a fireman outfit.

Week 23- Piles and piles

When we went to pick A up from our friend's house, we discovered they had great leaves for jumping in. H raked them into two piles, and the kids jumped and jumped. The next day we went back to play some more, and take their family picture. The wind is blowing most of the dying leaves from the trees.

Week 22- Thanksgiving



A very strong wind has been blowing for the last few days, emptying the trees of leaves that have finally changed colours. The weather has gotten cold, then warm, then cold again, in typical Texas fashion. Some  trees have tired of all this playing around and decided to get ready for winter, but others are still green.

In the spring confusion will reign amongst the deciduous again, as they try to figure out when to bloom influenced by the weather.

Week 21- Autumn 10

I'm working on my Etsy shop this week. The first posting is inspired by this blog- it's a postcard of the month club. Now I'm working on a calendar based on the Perfect 10 series- I just need to round it out with a few more perfect 10 pictures. They'll be printed on metallic paper, which gives a neat gleam to pictures like this. This image catches the warm sunshine of yesterday afternoon.
The calendar is now available as a PDF file in my Etsy shop. I will have a physical version there soon.

Week 20- Shadowed

The last soccer game of the season was on a sunny, but chilly day. We packed away the soccer gear with no regrets- except we'll miss our friends. Some parents are already immersed in football season- American football we call it- because this is football for us. Our winter sport is staying warm. When we thaw out, the kids will start a new soccer season, and renew their friendships.

Week 19 Warm Sunshine

L drew this picture, and A is colouring it in- a cooperative art project.At the end of Fall, it's important to enjoy every last drop of warmth and sunshine. There is such a small window of outside playable time in this city that it's very precious. Of course, warm weather could last for a while- we're just not taking chances.

Week 18- Pumpkin Heads

After daddy carves the pumpkin, someone has got to clean out the guts. The kids have been planning for Halloween for months. I refused to talk about costumes until October, especially because some people keep changing their minds. My oldest designed a ghost costume- white shirt, long white skirt, and a white face. I sewed the skirt for her, with long rags torn from old pillowcases and curtains. She even had white fingernails. My youngest was an underwater knight- goggles and a sword, basically. The goggles didn't last long, and the sword went down the back of his shirt. I went as a mom.

Week 17- Teaching 'em young

The kids had a school carnival where a couple of the games were about gambling. L won the frog race, and she also got a cupcake in "The Cupcake Walk" on their second round. Poor A did three rounds and got nothing. He was a little sad.
My favorite game was the recycling game, where L, having been dubbed Recycling Queen by her teacher last year, did very well. A needed a little more help.
There was a bounce house, golfing, soccer goal kick- A shone here- and throw a water balloon at the principal. For some reason, neither kid wanted to do that this year- perhaps they know both the principal and the assistant principal too well?

Week 16 Early Morning Sky

Pink is a pretty color early in the morning, but walking 5 k in just under 50 minutes is pretty difficult. I'm still feeling it today. Walking the Susan G. Komen with a group of my oldest friends, in celebration and honor of other childhood friends and heart family aunts was a great experience.

Week 15- The Force

The Padwan completed Jedi training and was given his certificate of completion. Then they all had cake and watched the birthday boy open presents before hitting the playground. It was my kind of birthday party- all parent made. Dad led the training- lots of light saber control, hopscotch, tire running, and "Yoda Says." Unfortunately, Yoda couldn't be there as planned because of business elsewhere.

Week 14- Kings and Princes

This week we found a wonderful playground that has a castle. The boys played good guys and bad guys, and then I challenged them to go as far as they could without touching the gravel. The princess found a secret hideaway and stocked it with treasures. The Queen enjoyed being in a place where everyone was happy. And for dinner? Burger King, of course. The princess even found a crown.

Week 13- Elvis rolls!

Last Friday the State Fair of Texas officially opened with a parade through downtown Dallas. I was there with my students. This was one of a group of moped riding Elvii. They were also good at striking poses for the camera. These guys and the clowns were my favorites. Elvii for their schtick, and the clowns because their job was to pick up anything the parading horses left behind, and they looked so good doing it.  Before the parade we  toured downtown- Thanksgiving Square, the library, City Hall, Pioneer Plaza, and Dealy Plaza, with a glimpse of the grassy knoll.

Week 12- Soccer season

This week began soccer season. L had practice on Wednesday, and the first games were scheduled for Saturday. We showed up bright and early, only to find that it wasn't our team that was scheduled, but another with a similar name. Since we were all there, we decided to go ahead with practice. We brought donuts for a postgame snack, and managed to hold off the ravenous parents till each kid had had one.

Week 11- Eid

The last weeks of Ramadan were filled with shared dinners with friends, including one for 14 people at our tiny house. They culminated in an Eid celebration with friends. The kids took the day off from school and went to the mall to buy presents and have Chinese food with Dad. In the evening we drove to our friends' house for couscous and other good Tunisian food. Their oldest daughter decorated our feet with harcous- it's a bit like henna, but blacker, as you can see.

Week 10- Rainbow

I had just been thinking how rarely I see rainbows here- on the Colombian llanos of my childhood they were a frequent occurence- when this one appeared. I was just leaving "Meet the Teacher" night at school, but called home so they could share in the splendor.