Thanksgiving Adventure

Brace yourselves. This is going to be a long one...there is so much great stuff to share!!! Auntie E just spent 10 wonderful days with us here in Guyana. We got to celebrate both Thanksgiving and her birthday, as well as yet another amazing trip into the Guyana interior. We began with several days enjoying the nice parts of Georgetown, specifically the Pegasus pool.

E takes some good portraits!

Then, Eleanor and I sneak away for two days just the two of us deep in the Jungle at Rewa.

Turns out, we were not alone...

Good morning from Rewa! (do you see who shared my bed with me?!?)

On Thanksgiving morning, Eleanor and I traveled 7 hours by boat, Patrick flew on a bush plane with the girls, and we all met up at Karanambu Lodge in the Rupununi Savannas. Happiness!

The lodge is run by friends of ours who invited us out to celebrate Thanksgiving with them.

Our lovely hostess, Andrea Olive-Fingers and Norah Olive-Fingers.

Andrea is American, and cooked a full Thanksgiving feast for us out in the middle of the South American savannas!

Cheers! Truly a holiday we will never forget.

The next morning, it was up at dawn (which is very early here) to do some giant anteater watching.

The cowboys on the ranch herd an anteater to where we were waiting on the airstrip. This photo is with NO zoom...amazing!!!

Kata, unsure, gives the anteater her best Nichols glare.

Afterwards, Kata unwinds back at the lodge with a good book (Hop on Pop, of course).

The evening's activity was a boat ride on Buffalo Pond, where the water lillies open at sunset.

Silly face on Buffalo Pond.

Posing perfectly for the camera, there was a baby caiman sitting on a lilly pad in between two lilly flowers!

With our lovely host, Salvador.

Our (my) viewing was complete with rum punch.

Saturday morning, we had warm birthday cake for breakfast!

And then afternoon naps on the airplane back to Georgetown.

More cake awaited E. back at home.

Portrait of E. with three of her four nieces (missed you, Clara!)

What a trip, don't you think?!?

Diwali 2012

We just celebrated our favorite local (Hindu) holiday this month: Diwali. As with the last two years, the celebration began with the nighttime parade of lights. The girls both loved the lights, especially the plastic trinkets being sold to the kids as they waited. (and Norah wore her best "Indian" dress, of course!)

On the day of Diwali, we were invited to a family's celebration at their house. We were treated to the traditional meal of Seven Curries, served in a lotus leaf:

The spirit of the day moved Norah to finally wear her sari!

As the sun set, we lit the diyas all around the outside of the house.

Beautiful!

More scenes from the Lime

This may sound strange, but sometimes they just fall asleep on the kitchen counter.

JUST KIDDING!

Giving Stella a much-needed bath. She doesn't fight the water as much as she used to...hmmm, wonder why?

Allow me to introduce you to someone. Friends and family, meet Tooth Fairy. Every day now at school, she insists that her teachers call her "Tooth Fairy." Sometimes at home too, but mainly school. Really can't explain this one.

Getting Spooky in GT

Tropical Halloween number three was a blast! The day started with a costume party at Learning Tree.

These two pictures captured the only three minutes all day that Kata allowed a costume to touch her body.

Teacher Indi tries to convince Kata to put her costume on. To no avail.

Norah with her Teacher Rovena.

Halloween, phase two: trick-or-treating in our neighborhood! Here Norah is no longer able to resist wearing her tutu. The ballerina strikes a pose with her pumpkin.

Kata, dressed as a two year-old. We carved real Guyanese pumpkins (awesome!) and then spray painted them orange (kind-of awesome!)

Part of our trick-or-treating posse.

And they're off!

Trick or treat!

Patrick passes out candy, which is not so easy through the security gate.

Happy Halloween!

Dog's Day

Last week we celebrated our dear dog's eighth birthday. The girls helped me bake a bone-shaped birthday cake topped with peanut butter, and they graciously volunteered to blow out the candle for Stella. Stella, upon receiving her first birthday cake at the ripe old age of 8, needed a bit of coaxing before she believed she was actually allowed to eat this gargantuan yet delicious floor find!

The girls broke off pieces to feed Stella, but when they came in to tell me Stella was finished, they both had peanut butter smeared on their faces. I guess Stella decided to share.

Stella love!

Toddlers and Tiaras

Yesterday we went to the India Expo with real vendors of Indian clothing straight from the Mother Country. Norah has come to the conclusion after three years in Guyana that the height of glamor is all things Indian. In some ways she is right: I took her to the expo to buy her a beautiful, brightly-colored sari. This is what we came away with.

Although we live in a place where you can't just go out and buy "dress-up clothes," I think we are doing just fine.