November Festivities

OK, on to catching up with November. Early in the month we had a Marine Corps' Ball or two. I just went to one. He went to two. His job now means that he gets to narrate the entire ball, and everyone said he did a smashing job, better than anyone they'd ever heard. He did do really great, and the ceremony is always cool. Did you know that the Marines celebrate at the ball by cutting a piece of birthday cake and having the oldest Marine present pass it to the youngest Marine to show the passing on of traditions? This year, the youngest Marine present was born in 1993. That's even younger than my little sis now! I remember 1993. 

We were having a tea party with her magnetic Maggie and Cinderella dolls, which she loves. I thought she looked extra beautiful this day, so I had to take a picture. I looked back at a picture today of her with tight little curls when she was 2. I'd forgotten her hair was that curly. It's still beautiful. 

A good representative "look" of D, I think. She's so cute! 

Kissing her prince good night. You can kind of see the trees I painted on the living room wall. I was going to paint the huge old space, but I didn't really love either color when I put it up and didn't want to repaint that whole space when we left. So the trees will be easier to paint over, and they helped make that wall less stark.

D's room is the only other room I painted. I couldn't get quite the same lighting for the colors for the picture, but this is about how it looks. Just one accent wall. It's definitely bright and different, but I only have to live with it for a few years. It totally changed the look of her room from "barren echoing wasteland" to "a kid could maybe sleep here". I like it alright, so it's okay if you don't. :) Getting the lines straight took the longest. 

She figured out how to sit in the Bumbo, then couldn't fling herself out of it. 

We did Thanksgiving with some friends from church and others, at their tower apartment. This was our authentic dish - beni imo, our purple sweet potato. They put them in a pastry here that's really popular that I actually really like. Then there is beni imo ice cream, donuts, and who knows what else. They taste a little different than regular sweet potato, but not by much. 

A. with two of her friends from church