Trunk or Treat

Cheri had most of today off, so with Gryphon at preschool and Alice with Feli, we headed out for breakfast. Then it was off to Pau Pau Beach.

I swam out to the rock out there, and wore Alice's hat for protection. We saw only one other family, which was fortunate since they pointed out that my shoe was floating away (again).

We reclaimed Gryphon and Alice and headed inside for Halloween craft time.


We made Gryphon an eye patch and sword, and Alice got wings and a beak. After nap time we went down to "Trunk or Treat" at American Memorial Park, which consisted of various groups dispensing treats from the backs of their vehicles. It was very efficient trick-or-treating.

Cheri dressed as a nurse-midwife and left for work afterward.



It was very well attended. Eventually the rain drove us off, but Gryphon had a good sack of booty by then.

Coconuts

I went on another coconut hunt with the kids. We wander the property looking for nice juicy ones, use the pole trimmer to snip them down, then machete them open to fill our pitcher. It's tiring but worth the effort.

Here's our classy coconut and tire collection. Gryphon is playing with a "spider."


In other news, Mark's short story collection (with my illustrations), Date of Disappearance, has 19 days left to raise $1,000. They make great gifts, and will more than double in value over the next 5 to 50 years. Please pass the link on: http://www.unitedstatesartists.org/project/date_of_disappearance

Flat tire

I've been keeping busy with zombies and play dough lately, but here's what's been going on otherwise.

Didn't we just have one of these? Not to worry - after I purchased an appropriate wrench and jack, Sandie here was able to patch it up lickety-split.

Last night we cooked up a delicious* vegetable and tofu stir-fry for under $3.

*Unfortunately I made the recurring mistake of adding too many peppers. Gryphon and Cheri weren't pleased; Alice didn't complain.
This evening the children and I tested the tree pruner I got today to get out-of-reach coconuts. It worked well. Cheri has another night shift tonight. Her ideal shift would entail a fast delivery up front followed by lots of sleeping.

Happy face

At long last, Gryphon didn't throw a fit when I left him at preschool. He was duly rewarded: he got to put a Percy train sticker on his chart, put Nanna and Dar Dar's Halloween stickies on the window, and choose a Boppa tattoo for his thigh (he chose a Jolly Roger flag).

During nap time I zombified a girl in my latest Fiverr scheme. Note to Laura and Dad: Sorry!


We hung out and listened to music with the kids for awhile before it was time for dinner at the market.

We're fans of the $1 vegetable grab bags for convenient stir-fry. Gryphon was pleased to see that the rides at the mini-carnival were running, and that he got to drive the whole train alone.

Cheri convinced Gryphon to eat his lumpia by flaunting the dessert banana bread. Alice needed no such persuasion.

I tried a local treat called apigigi, made from coconut and tapioca and roasted in a banana leaf. Delicious!

Dentist

Yesterday after school Gryphon had a dentist visit to check out some spots on his back molars. Nothing to worry about, we were told. He did a good job and got a sugar bug, which accompanied us to the play area after nap time.

Night shift

Gryphon and I peeled garlic and stuck them in a jar of apple cider vinegar, as our Oregon friends Sarah and Kamran do. We'll see how they taste in a year.


After dinner we took a walk around the apartment grounds before Cheri had to leave for her first night shift (7 to 7). This morning she reported that it was pretty dull until 2 a.m. when her skills were required to deliver baby #10!

Life in Kannat Tabla

We hit up the market on Thursday, and brought lumpia home for dinner.

Yesterday we hung out at the pool in the morning.


Then everyone took a nap while I went to the beach to take pictures of messages in the sand, wrapping up my 30th order on fiverr.com.

This morning Cheri slept in to prepare for her first night shift tonight. Meanwhile, the kids and I attempted to find Dandan Beach. We found some dilapidated machinery and a viney trail that became undrivable after a mile.

Back at home, the four of us sat on the porch for awhile as Gryphon rode his bike. He was unhappy after rolling over dog poop, but liked to chase after Spider Ball and bring it back.



We visited with Feli, who is always happy to see Gryphon and Alice. Sunny, our neighbor next door, came out with her dog, Moon, who is always running around the yard.