Happy Halloween

Today is actually the day when Halloween is celebrated.  That is, if you live in a country that celebrates.  We do and we don't.  It is getting more popular here, mostly in the areas that expats live in, but it is still far from the holiday it is back home in the U.S.   Usually, I am a "When in Rome" type of person but when your oldest daughter chooses Halloween as her favorite holiday of all time and has her costumes planned out for the next three years, you have to do something.  And we did.

First we painted our pumpkins...(and even got our hands gooey for the first time)...

 Then we went to MadHatter's school for their Halloween festival:

The only picture I took at the festival...

Then we trick or treated at her Daddy's office:

 

And finally I sent her off to school yesterday in full costume for her schools parade.  (No pictures as I wasn't there)

And we can call it a Halloween.  Even though they won't wear their costumes on the actual day, we have definitely gotten our wear out of them.  Why are we not trick or treating tonight like most of North America and a small (but growing part) of South America?  Because the Chilean government has decreed that the 31st and 1st are national holiday's.  Which means we have a four day weekend.  And what do we do with a four day weekend?  We travel.  Tomorrow we will spend 7 hours in the car, heading north, until we hit the famed Elqui Valley.  We will ride horses, tour the Pisco plant, and gaze at the stars from out of our very own domo!  See you when we get back.

Happy Halloween everyone (and Happy Birthday S!!!)

I Scream, You Scream...

 I think I have mentioned that we are going through a bit of a heat wave here.  It breaks 90 each and every day, which doesn't seem like a lot when 100 and humid are were the norm growing up, but when there is no breeze and no air conditioning to be found, it is hot.  So we have been trying to keep cool as best we can.  Our pool is our usual go to, but right now it is being shocked back into health after contracting a fungus so I had to come up with something else.  And this really didn't help.  So we made ice cream!

Not much to it actually.  I improvised a bit since we didn't have any half and half but we did have crema espesa (a type of heavy cream) and I thought that would do.  I gathered ingredients, I gathered some measuring tools and I sat the girls down.

I measured.  They poured.

 And then I told them to put the small bag of cream, vanilla and sugar into the bag filled with ice and salt.  After it was tightly zipped, of course.  They didn't think I was serious.  And even as Stinkerbell was doing as I asked, she looked like she didn't believe that this was right. 

 I zipped the bags, handed one to each girl and told them to go wild.  They were pretty tame at first.  But when I showed them what I meant by shaking the bags, they really got into it.  So much so that MadHatter actually split her outer bag and we had to get a new one.  

 It took a couple of minutes of shaking.  I think it took a lot less than normal because we started with a heavier (and much thicker) cream.  But what we got in the end really looked like ice cream...

 Now, I just had to hope it tasted like it because I promised the girls home made ice cream.

And her verdict was...

Awesome!  And she was so proud that she made it all by herself!

The picky one took a moment to decide but then I couldn't get a picture of her smiling at me to give me her verdict because she just kept shoveling it in...

 I broke out the Magic Shell and made it a real treat.  

I think we found a new treat.  And we beat the heat. 

12 Days of Fidget (The Sequel)

Fidget is our elf on a shelf.  She came to visit us the morning of December 1st and has been wreaking havoc in our house ever since.  If you missed the first 12 days of her antics, click here.  She has been up to her usual shenanigans, and even traveled over 6000 miles to find us when we arrived in Colorado.  Without further ado, the last 12 days of Fidget, in pictures...

December 13 - Fidget wrapped our guest bathroom toilet in festive paper.

December 14 - She got invited to Barbie's house for a party and fell asleep in Barbie's bed.

December 15 - She figured she deserved a rest so she took a candlelight bubble bath in the master bathroom.

December 16 - That Fidget is all about herself!

December 17 - She didn't simply turn our milk pink.  According to MadHatter she brought that milk special from the North Pole from Santa's fridge.  She even told me how different it tasted!

December 18 -  Fidget packed her bag (not very well) and even put on she snow boots.  She left us a note saying that she would meet us in Colorado tomorrow when we got in.

December 19 - Fidget was waiting for us in the window when we arrived to Breckenridge!

December 20 - Getting into the spirit of Breck.  She hitched a ride down the mountain her first night.
(and Santa sent her to us with a skirt because she needed something to keep her warm here in Colorado)

December 21 - Naughty elf got into the fudge, the cookies, the candy...

December 22 - Sugar High!!!  At least she left us some for our chocolate chip pancakes this morning.

December 23 - Playing Pool.  She was just about to make the winning shot.

December 24 - Time to head back to the North Pole.  But she left a great note that brought smiles from ear to ear.  Especially when they heard that they finally got to hug her!

Until next year Fidget, we will miss you!