Happy Halloween...Karaganda style!!

I was awoken at 6:00AM "mama?" "yes Ciera" "is it Halloween today" "Yes, now go back to sleep".

 

I was up until 1:00AM making a trick or treat bag for Ciera.  I had a paper bag with a handle from a store so I made a pumpkin and a ghost and glued them over the store name and then by some stroke of luck I had packed Halloween stickers so I put a bunch of them on the bag.  I was quite pleased with the result.  Ciera was happy when she saw it, and even happier when she saw that I had put a new plush fish in it for her collection.  It's a dolphin but she decided it was Baby Beluga's mom, so her name is Mama Beluga!

Ciera put her candy that she was given last night into her new bag and then got into her Halloween outfit.  We had decided on her Superman PJ's, complete with the cape and her new Knight stuff….I dubbed her "Super Knight"!  I bought a bunch of candy when I was out by myself the other night and split it up into 4 bags and then yesterday gave each of the other Canada families at the BH a bag and asked them to give it to her when she came around trick or treating.  The 4^th bag I kept and I had her trick or treat with me before we left this morning.   She had decided her sister also needed a costume, so we took her Batman PJ top to put on Mr. Baby.  Ciera was so sweet when we got to the BH, she got a couple of odd looks from the caretakers, but Ciera, of  her own accord, took 2 candies from her bag and gave them to the caretakers.  After Mr. Baby had breakfast and was dressed we went down to the big room where the other families now were.  She got "oooh" and "aahed" which was great.  Then we went up to each family "rang" their doorbell and said "trick or treat" and they gave her the treats.   Once she was done she once again gave each of the adults a piece of her candy, and she has vowed to take candy for Irina and Dr L tomorrow.

 

Mr. Baby was back to her old self today, thank goodness. I had bought a new sleeper type of outfit for her the other night that is her size and I was amazed when I put it on her how small she actually looks.  The 12 month size is so huge on her it makes her look gigantic, so I guess when I go home I will have a buy some 9 month old size stuff for her so she has a few things that fit!!  She is "short" but her thighs are pretty big so I'll have to be careful in what I buy.   Hopefully somewhere will be having "baby week" in the next 6 weeks or so before I head back over here to bring her home (ooh look at me already talking about coming back before I have even left!).

 

After we left the babyhouse we came home for lunch and our NL friends came with us and then we showed them the way to downtown through the park.  It was another fantastic day here, it had to have been 16C again and sunny.   The people here seem to love their weddings.   They drive white cars with balloons, streamers and the like on them and drive around honking their horns.  Apparently the fireworks I hear on weekend are also for weddings.  As we approached City Mall I heard lots of honking as as Ciera always seems to miss seeing the car, I pulled her over to the street to look for it, the white stretch limo drove my beeping…and out of the back window waving madly was of all things Dracula!  Now there is a groom with a great sense of humour, he had on the cape with the tall collar and one of those masks that you pull over your head, he looked like he was having an absolute blast!!!

 

The QC couple had told us last night that one of the shoe stores at City Mall was starting a 50% off sale today (their translator phoned them to tell them!), so we stopped there first and I finally got my tall winter dress boots!! Yeah me!! I am so pleased, they are really nice and at 50% off they are even nicer J.    It was funny in the shoe store, Ciera was talking away to me and a Kazak lady put her hand on Ciera's head and cheek,, looked at her and then me and said "she speaks English so well" and then she just kept walking.  I thought it was so sweet.  One of the sales girls in the store must have made a comment about Ciera's outfit as I heard another sales girl say "Halloween", I'm sure we got a few odd looks as this little girl walked thru the mall in Supermand PJ's with a Knights shield on!!  I refused again to let her carry the sword in public, I figured let's not call anymore attention to ourselves!

 

The NL couple left us and headed off on their own and Ciera and I headed up to Babylon, who had advertised Halloween.  There were a few teenagers dressed up, some just had on headbands but Ciera either didn't notice or didn't care (I love how easy going she is sometimes).  Nothing really particularly Halloween about it but that was ok. She went on the carousel thingy, the bumper cars, did a few games, then into the play centre.  The girl there seems to know us now and she let us have longer than 20 minutes today.  Once again Ciera had a great time there and the language does not seem to be an issue!!

 

We came home and had dinner and after dinner we played trick or treating.  We places some stuffed animals around the kitchen/living room, gave them each some candy and then Ciera would go and "ring" their doorbells and I would be each animal, she'd say "trick or treat", the animal would say how cute she looked and give her the candy, then she surprised me and would say "spaciba" or "das vidanya" …huh…wonder how many times she will say those at home when we get back!

 

Safe trick or treating tonight to everyone.

 

Hector: don't scare too many kids tonight, sorry we are missing the spectacular spectacle!   I look forward to seeing pictures the fruits of your labour and hopefully we'll see it in person next year!!!

 

Todays pictures:

-       SuperKnight with her faithful sidekicks Mama Fish and Mama Beluga with their new trick or treat bag

-       Baby Batman displaying her strength in holding a giraffe and baby wipes!!

-       Oh yes we stopped for cotton candy after Babylon….the largest thing of cotton candy I have ever seen

-       What? It's all gone?

-       The entrance to our apt building