Week 187 and Week 99.5 - Capoiera Performance and Halloween Pictures and the Dreamworks Gang

Sorry I am so terrible about getting this post out this week.  Matt was out of town for most of the week and then I went out of town on Thursday for a day - needless to say it has been crazy.

I will let the pictures do the talking - but a couple of cute things from the week:

Charlotte had a cute Halloween event at TIS.  We parents got to hang out with our kids for a while.  She loved her awesome costume!  I am glad she struts her stuff and does not suffer from terminal shyness around her friends.

Sophia had her first Capoiera performance last Saturday.  It was cute.  I got terrible photos.  Charlotte did a back bend over a ball on stage!  Her first performance!

Charlotte folded her hands yesterday and said 'come on (as in your are pulling my leg)'.  So now she is learning colloquilisms!  From whom we are not sure.

Sophia has ditched her sleep sack and now intermittently sleeps with socks on.

As a test run for our Disney visit on Monday, we went to Sands Cotai Central to meet the Dreamworks characters - Charlotte was a sweeping success and Sophia was scared!  O how the world has reversed.  Not sure how well the Minnie Mouse meeting will go on Monday...

OK pictures!

Sock sleeping:

Capoiera rehearsal:

Little like Mama!

Halloween!  

My homemade 'pumpkin' Rice Krispy treats:

School:

Self portrait:

TV face:

Gwen and Maleah:

Lusofonia Festival - Char's performance!

Char with her school mate Mariana:

I love this little boy's face!

Terrible shot - but this is Char on the ball:

Uncle Rob came to support Char.  He got the girls nice gifts.  Thanks Rob!

Waiting for Daddy at the airport:  He was in town for 10 hours on Sunday before travelling out again!

Dreamworks characters!

I am wearing this shirt at Sophia's request:

I don't know these characters' names - sorry Suelika!

Sophia got these cool espadrilles from Grandma and Grandpa in the mail this week.  Aren't they flash?

Week 186 and Week 98.5 - Shanghai and Halloween

Sorry this is such a late blog post yet again!  Matt is traveling this week so I am home with the girls and Charlotte really sort of refuses to sleep unless I am asleep so getting stuff done at night is somewhat impossible these days.

I had my first trip away from the family this past weekend - to Shanghai!  I missed the girls but it was sort of refreshing to be an adult for several days in a row (and sleep in till 10!).    A girls weekend - a hen party that had very little makings of a traditional bachelorette as there were guns and bows and arrows involved.  My friend Jen (the blushing bride) has a fine group of attendants - it will be a fun party in a month!

Charlotte has enrolled in Capoiera - and I did not realize how much of a commitment it is.  Classes three times a week.  This week is Halloween (there was a party/rehearsal) and two classes and a recital of sorts on Saturday at the Lusofonia Festival in Macau.  Char, a two week veteran, already has a concert!  This is a great opportunity but is a bit of an adjustment for me.  I came from the study hard do little else school, different than the we play hockey everyday school of Casa Drake of the 1980's.  We actually gave the Halloween party a miss as I think Char needed time to just be a kid and try to get steal salty snacks from the littler ones in the park.

We have had these dressers for 8 years or so - they have pull handles that I have never even thought about.  These handles stick out and make an excellent ladder for the girls.  These days the girls love to climb my dresser and plop down and put makeup on.  The only way I got Sophia's constume on yesterday was allowing her to wear makeup (some powder and chapstick).

Charlotte was a belly dancer for Halloween - an awesome costume coup that I am not sure we will be able to do again as we bought it in Istanbul.  Matt bought a witch costume for Char/Sophia in Manila a couple of weeks ago (we are tourist costume shoppers).  Imee was eventually able to get Sophia's costume on (and not the witch) in what was the longest morning ever of getting ready yesterday.  I forgot to put my jewelry on!  I don't think I ate till noon yesterday.  It was fun but super crazy to get everyone ready in a costume.

On a totally unrelated note - Matt took the girls grocery shopping two weeks ago and commented on how cooperative the girls were (which is never my experience).  He tells me this as he unpacks chips, Ribena, cookies... well yes of course they are cooperative if you buy them what they want!  I am of the school of buying one thing per trip, and I come from the school where I seldom got anything, EVER.  So we need to come up with a grocery strategy.  Matt asks Charlotte if she likes shopping with him, and she nods yes.  He asks "What about Mommy?" and, as if on cue, she shakes her head no.

Start with various Shanghai shots:

Joe reunion!

Janie reunion:

Tango dancer in the making:

Charlotte loved her costume so much she wore it three days before at Hard Rock:

Bedtime:

Sophia got this bandage so she would not scratch her face.  Once she saw it she immediately pointed to the Angry Birds plush toy in her room: