Tuesday - Travel to Paris

Tasi is finally feeling a bit better. We were up for a bit in the night and I had to wake up the kids in the morning again, but there is some color in the cheeks. I finished packing and we went to the park after checking out. The kids seemed to be having a good time on the swings and sandpit!



I was finally able to take photos of our hotel. We stayed at Hotel Washington on a quaint street in a quiet neighborhood with some crazy, tiny, steep steps up to the 3rd floor.
 
While we were waiting at the train station it was cold, and a group of Indonesian tourists stopped to take photos with Tasi, ah, just like Asia :)

Don met our train an hour further down and he looked horrible. Apparently puking and falling asleep at the train station after he flew in from Poland. Bummer, I was looking forward to handing over the kids. But, we made it to France! I am so excited to be here and our apartment looks great!

Sick Baby Girl

 

I had to wake the kids at 9:30. I hate doing that but I knew it was my only chance to eat today. Makoa was desperate for cold water, so after we ate I carried Tas to the corner store. Tasi made it back to our room then threw up all over the bed. I ran downstairs to get new sheets and towels and when I was putting them on the bed I started to cry. I am sad Tas is sick, sad that she is vomiting everywhere and I cannot fix it, and sad Don is not here with us. Makoa and I did some homework while Tasi slept and then when we showered she didn't want to be far from us. What to do? Put her in a chair and push it to the bathroom door of course :) 

 

 How is that for a scowl?! 

Luckily things were on the mend . . . we are meeting Don on the train tomorrow . . .

Sunday - Sinterklaas Arrived in Amsterdam

We left Colorado on Friday - picking up the kids early from school. They were so excited all week about their new toy, book, and show they got at the airport. Our kids always look forward to flying, but we broke one of our rules to help things go smoothly and had a connection in the middle of the night. The kids had the hardest time getting to sleep, then we had to wake them up to go through customs and switch planes in Iceland. When we arrived in Amsterdam on Saturday morning we could not stay awake so were all mixed up on times and Makoa was up from 11pm to 5am, sheesh. When I woke the kids for breakfast Tasi sat up and puked. Not our best start. I think we have finally caught the bug that was going through school before we left. Tasi kept vomiting so Don went to the store to get medicine and drinks and when he got back Makoa and I ran to catch the arrival of Sinterklaas.

Our friend, whose son is in Makoa's class, used to live in the Netherlands and married a Dutchman and told us we were going to be here with Sinterklaas! Very exciting, but also can be shocking so she warned us a bit :) I will let David Sedaris explain if you care to listen!

It was a bit odd as an American to see kids dressed up with painted black faces as we waited. The parade was mostly Black Pete - Santa's 'helpers' being silly and handing out cookies. Makoa got some to fill his pockets and hood.
 
I did a little research and found that Pete was maybe a freed slave who was so thankful that he stayed with Sinterklaas, but with some racial protest he is now explained as having a black face from going down the chimney. Anyhow, we watched the parade filled with Black Petes as just another cultural learning moment! 
 
Sinterklaas ended the parade on a white horse and looked fantastic.
 
When we got home at 4 Tasiana had vomited a few more times and Don was ready to get on his flight to Poland. He left feeling horrible leaving his sick girl, as she was throwing up while he walked out the door. I was up a few times with her at night, poor girl. 

More Halloween Fun!

Halloween only comes once a year so we really do need to enjoy it as much as possible! As I posted earlier, I took the kids to the Denver Children's Museum on Friday evening. Saturday was Louisville's Monster Dash - a race, trick or treating, goodies . . . I was at a 40th birthday party so Don took the kids. I asked him to take a picture and this is what he got:

 Both kids were Mario as it was a bit cold outside . . . not that you could really tell! And no action shots in town :(
Well, on to Sunday and my mother's group Monster Bash!

Tasi was Princess Peach again, with pink leggins this time. The event was held at a gym so there was a bouncy castle, cakewalk, and carnival type games.

We ran into some friends, ate way too many sweets, and had a blast!

Yesterday we had a big playdate with pumpkin cupcakes, but today, the finale, was the best :) Makoa's school goes on a parade through downtown, with candy bags, shopkeepers open early to see the kids, parents and people in the community watch the few hundred kids walk through town, and the police direct traffic. Maybe we actually live in Mayberry!

 Tasi was Mario again, I love how these hats turned out! And they are fleece so super comfy.

 The parade

 followed by a class party with crafts, snacks, and games.

I was exhausted, but we rallied for our 6 o'clock trick or treating in the neighborhood. Don dressed up too and helped the kids get into the mood (actually killing time until it would be socially acceptable to knock on doors!)

 Then we went and picked up our neighbors, 1.5 year old twins that the kids ADORE!

 My camera wasn't working very well but I wanted to have a picture with the kids. Don couldn't get the flash on with his gloves, Tasi is shoving a glow stick in my face, and Makoa is hiding behind me . . . next year I will be in the Halloween photos!

Happy Halloween everyone, hope you are having as much fun as we are!!

Rock Creek Farms

I love Halloween! It was one of my moms favorite holidays and growing up it was always a fun time to dress up and get candy, and seemed to be the beginning of that magical holiday season leading up to Christmas and New Years. The last 5 years we have been celebrating in Australia. As an American holiday, we always threw a party, but there wasn't much trick or treating and certainly no pumpkin patches. This year I am making up for it and we have so many Halloween related plans it is ridiculous! Last weekend I drug the family to the Rock Creek Farms Pumpkin Patch. 

It is very large and you have to drive to each section of the farm. First stop was the corn maze, a term I use lightly as there were 4 mazes to choose from the lengths varying from .6 to 3.8 miles. Holy cow! For some addition energy Don got himself a caramel apple.

And Tasi helped by pointing out all the corn.

 We felt a bit like tourists - see all the corn and the mountains?!

 We made it through 2 mazes (the second with the help of a map) and were ready to take a picture with the Halloween cat and move on.

 In the second area you could pick your own pumpkin, but we didn't need one, so we headed to the bouncy castle/animal area where their was a bale maze you could run on

 And more of those picture stands.

Isn't Halloween time fun?!

Cottonwood Farms

On Thursdays Makoa's school finishes at 10:50 but we don't pick up Tasiana from preschool until 3, so we have Mommy and Makoa's afternoons! Last week we went to the Cottonwood Farms Pumpkin Patch.


We did pick a pumpkin, but there were so many other fun things to do too. Like go through the hay bale maze . . . oops dead end!

Look at tractors

 
Take pictures by those stand thingies where you stick your head through.

  

Attempt the very hard corn maze.

 And pull and be pulled on a red wagon.

 I don't remember pumpkin patches like these when I was a kid, but it sure was fun to enjoy this one as an adult!

Snow Days

There was one day in September where it kinda snowed. The kids were excited to see some white out the window and on the way to schoold Makoa tasted it 

 But wasn't too sure about the flavor!

I know, sort of funny that I bring my camera on the way to school on our first 'snow day' but my car and the playground had some white on them!

 

 But then this week we had our first REAL snow day. When my Wednesday evening class in Boulder finished at 8, it was snowing. Then we woke in the morning and had to put on snow pants as we walk through the field at school to get to Makoa's classroom.

 And the swings and my house look a little different!

 Makoa had the proper gear (snow boots and mittens from REI, snow pants from the thrift store, and last years coat from Auntie B in Alaska) and was so excited to play in the snow. (Not so bad when you aren't freezing your tushie off!) We sledded after school at our friend's house, had snow ball fights, and built half a snowman with daddy, not a bad day at all :)