Sunday morning adventure

This morning we woke up, looked at each other, and decided that if we were going to avoid another day of sister fights, we'd have to change everyone's scenery for a bit. So, we pulled out the Guyana guide book and decided on a little day trip: we went about an hour outside of town to the Guyana Heritage Museum. You may think it sounds odd that, after three years here, we had never done this. Keep in mind this is Guyana, so it's not really what you're thinking. It's a quirky guy's collection of really amazing old artifacts (some even pre-Columbian!) that he basically just keeps on shelves in his house. The tour started on his roof-top deck. Quite a view!

'Twas breezy.

The girls did not really appreciate the artifact tour portion of the day...

...but Patrick and I really did. This man has some really amazing stuff! These are 18th century Dutch bottles.

We were served a tasty lunch after our tour. The girls entertained themselves with this little plastic dog while Patrick and I shopped in the "gift shop" (a closet jam packed full of stuff, hundreds of years old, that they didn't want anymore). What a treasure!

Happy Inauguration Day!

So happy to celebrate the second inauguration of President Obama with our girls today!

Not quite as close as we were last time, but as proud as ever!

More Christmas Highlights!

Many of you have already seen the pictures I put on Facebook of our fantastic trip home (couldn't help myself-- we had such a great time!), so I tried to document our trip here on the blog with some different images. Our first stop of the trip was to Bluffton, Indiana. We spent five wonderful days with Baba and Zedal, and even got treated to an early visit from Santa's elves!

Here comes the Barbie Dream House!

Norah posing with the famous Jordan and her dog, Spike. Jordan is Baba and Zedal's next door neighbor, and a minor celebrity in our house.

Norah working really hard on her letter to Santa. All she asked for was a "dress-up princess dress" and a book called "The New Baby." Thank goodness she just wanted the book.

A joyous evening with the next generation of the Nichols clan.

Making Christmas cookies

...and of course there was Christmas Day...all day spent happily playing with all of our new toys!

Auntie E has always loved story time.

Smothering baby Clara with, um, "affection."

On to Chicago where we had a BLAST in the snow!

Absolute joy for a Guyana Girl!

An adorable little Bulls fan in the neighbor's awesome igloo

Aunt Bridget and Norah making fast friends with Swimmy the Turtle at the Nature Museum.

Uncle Louis and the girls navigate the locks.

Snowflakes in the Spotlight!

Last week, I taught my last ballet class in Guyana. To celebrate, Eleanor conspired with me to get the girls some really fabulous sparkly white tutus to compliment their final showpiece...the Snowflake Dance. Here I am welcoming the parents to the show...can you see the nerves in the girls?

Warming up, playing Follow the Leader.

Plies.

Snowflakes pose at the end of the dance.

Snowflakes, post-show, enjoying the swingset.

Sweet Norah let her baby sister have a turn with the fabulous tutu. Pretty great.

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?!?