Our Halloween

 This is my 3rd post of the day-Due to their school schedule, we went to Ashley's Halloween party on Oct 19th. 

 Here are a group of crayons!

 The girl in the blue wig is Lalaloopsie

 Here are many of the children waiting to watch the teacher's performance

Front left is one of Ashley's classmates dressed up as Merida from the movie Brave-yes she is wearing a long red wig and carrying a bow and arrow.

The teacher's play was Little Red Riding Hood this year!

Below-Baby Hulk is watching the play

 Red Riding Hood being chased by the wolf

 and of course it wouldn't be the Philippines without singing and dancing afterward!

Here is Ashley answering a question about the play.  They asked questions while teachers were changing costumes and they were trying to persuade the younger children to walk on the "red tarp" our version of the "red carpet" to show off their costumes. 

Many of the little ones didn't want to do it and Ashley was not the little performer that I expected her to be but she did walk so everyone could see her pink butterfly fairy tutu wearing princess outfit.

 Ashley with her teachers:  Teacher Pearl, now Dorothy-she was the woodchopper in Little Red Riding Hood and Teacher Boom who was Red Riding Hood's mother and wore curlers in her hair-one of the questions they asked the children was if anyone knew what those "things" were that she was wearing in her hair?????  I had not ever really thought about that but I guess not many people use those here.

 Ashley and another pink Princess Naomi

 Walking out to trick or treat

 with another little friend

 Having snacks before we went home

 Sunday afternoon we went to a friend's house who was doing a fundraiser with her girl scout troop selling pumpkins-flown in from somewhere else in the Philippines

 Daniel and Hannah met us there

 The boys won vampire teeth playing a game

 The kids all having fun together!

While Greg was in Australia

He went to Perth and Melbourne and we have stayed busy while he has been gone. 

We had 3 girls from an international school in Beijing stay with us while the APAC volleyball tournament was going on at Brent.  They slept in the playroom-Ashley thought it was awesome to have the big girls upstairs with her.  They were so nice and I enjoyed getting to know them.  We had funny conversations about things like American money:  nickels should not be bigger than dimes if they are worth less and our American paper money is an ugly shade of green and boring because it is all green.  We also had interesting conversations about where they had lived, foods, what they were going to do next year-2 of the 3 were seniors.  We all enjoyed having them for the 4 nights they were here.  Below are some pictures.

 Tracie, Isabella, and Sophia-Ashley obviously enjoyed them!

 The girls "watching some volleyball"

 Above and below are boys' teams playing.  In white is the Brent team.  In blue is the Concordia team-they are from Shanghai and Scott's teacher from last year is teaching there now.

 Above is the Brent Lion

 The girls from Beijing with their team

Friday began the boys break from school.  We had 2 friends-also brothers-over to play that morning.  The boys played so well and nicely that I could have forgotten they were even here-sorry no pictures either.  Then that afternoon our friends the Yaps came over.  We played wii, ate pizza and their oldest, Daniel, who is Ryan's classmate, spent the night with us.  They had a great time!  Then on Saturday we took Daniel home and got to see some of the volleyball games going on at school-pictured above






We have been swimming and playing games and building with legos in the playroom and drawing and coloring and playing with playdough. 

Monday we went to Manila Ocean Park with the Yaps and I got to be cold for the only time that will happen this year.
 
 


Cool seahorses-have always wanted to see them while diving but I haven't yet


 Ashley thought this flat fish was very interesting-a flounder of some kind-right is a ribbon eel
 
 All 6 kids in the glass tunnel part of the aquarium-they were having fun watching for rays and sharks and there was even a diver in the tank feeding the fish
 
The smaller penguins are real-large ones are just statues
 
 Waiting to enter the snow village

 I said "no thank you" when they offered me a jacket
 
 Ryan had already left with Daniel but we all had fun with the "snow" 
 

 Scott had wanted us to have a family Halloween Party so on Monday night, the kids got dressed up again, ate dinner in their costumes, had a parade in them, and then we watched The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown.

Today Ryan wanted to go to Fun Ranch to play.  Since it was pretty we stopped at one of the neighborhood parks before going.  It was fun but we were all so hot and sweaty we came home made sandwiches for a picnic and went out to swim.

 

Greg has been VERY busy on workdays while in Australia but did get to see some Greenville friends who are in Perth on a job assignment and go to the zoo and Melbourne Museum over the weekends he was away.  We will all be glad when he gets home tonight!