Power Trip

From Tuesday to Thursday of this week, our apartment complex was without power. No electricity means no heat and no hot water. Hmph. I was prepared though. The last time this happened, I went out to buy a couple battery-powered lanterns. So I got out the new, never-before used lanterns only to find that both of them don't work. Yet again, the bars on our windows prevented me from hurling them out the window.

So we got out a bunch of candles. And the girls weren't pleased to have to go to sleep without their night light and their noise machine. It was a bit rough, but they ended up pulling through.

The culprit for this power outage is pictured below. Here is our neighbor showing her true feelings for the broken item.

And here are our new best friends just after installing a new one. It works! Hooray!

Cakes

As a surprise for our girls, a local friend brought these over for them. Very kind and very cute. They were overjoyed to receive these fun cakes and have them for dessert. They wanted multiple pictures taken in various poses with their tasty treats. Below are just three of them.

As they dug in, they quickly realized that cakes here are a bit different than ones in the States. They didn't finish them, but their steadfast new love would not let them part with them as yet. So they sat in the cupboard ... for more than three weeks. Finally, they gave the nod to send them to the trash.

This episode is more evidence of the sentimental nature they've inherited from their Grammy.

Lanterns!

Fifteen days after the lunar new year, the Lantern Festival kicked into gear. Last year at this time, we observed the lanterns while being herded down the closed off streets shoulder to shoulder with way too many people. It was a nice experience ... for one time. This year, we chose to check out some lantern displays at a city square near the center of town. Observing the lanterns was taken at a much slower and relaxed pace. We enjoyed it.

We arrived before dark set in. I like these vases, but of special note is the high-rise construction happening in the background. This is occurring all over the city.
Lantern displays ...
I would have liked to have displayed these guys on our front lawn in Muncie. I'm sure our neighbors would have liked them as much as I do.
Each of the girls "had to have" one of these light-up flowers on a big spring. Smiles all around. Lia's here showing off hers.The below panda and banana were particularly interesting to the girls. I can understand the former but the latter?

Days of New Year Celebrating

In these parts, the lunar new year is the biggest holiday of the year. Most people return to their home towns to see family and friends. As a result, the city kind of shuts down for awhile. Shops and stores will close for a few days up to 2+ weeks. Prior to this holiday, we stocked up on food. This was a good move.

The week consisted of firecrackers and fireworks going off at all hours of the day. And I'm guessing/hoping there's a special reason for firecrackers to be lit at 7am. Nice. On new year's night, being the fireworkly-inclined man that I am, I had to add to the noise and celebration with our own. We felt we did our part. Afterwards, the girls cried out in unison - more, more, more! I felt the same way. At midnight, the sound was thunderous. Only the twins didn't awake. Lucky.

The following morning, this was the mess outside our window. Yep, being on the first floor does have some disadvantages. It was loud.

Well, this week of celebrating and playing for the locals is about over. Being the biggest holiday, I had to post something about it. Going out today, I could see more stores' doors open. And next year, I definitely want to light off more firecrackers.

Valentine's Day

This is a special shout of thanks to family who sent Valentine's Day gifts and goodies. The girls loved them!

Somebody's Eight

On the 11th, Lia turned eight years old. Crazy. That morning, she opened some gifts. She loves to read so the books were particular winners.
The following day, we invited some of her friends over for a dog themed party. The craft, games, snacks, and cake were all canine inspired. Everyone had a woofing good time.
This is a race to lap up their water.As Val and Lia demonstrate, all the puppies enjoyed the cake in their dog dishes. [Days earlier, I did get a strange look from the vendor at the pet supply market when I asked to buy seven dog dishes. But then again, strange looks are common place.]

Bed Lights

While on vacation, we bought some lights that we could put on the girls' beds. Immediately after getting them installed, they closed their curtains to try them out with some books.