Happy Halloween

It's hard to believe, it, but I think we actually did more for Halloween here than at home. On Wednesday, we raced out of school to trick-or-treat at the Embassy. Each office there was decorated in its own way, some scary, some cute, and all the children of embassy workers went around to collect candy. Amelia was petrified of the haunted offices, so stayed clear of them. They even got some candy from the Ambassador.

Right after that event, we went back to school, which was having its annual Fall Festival. Even though many of the countries represented at TAISM do not celebrate Halloween, I haven't seen an ordeal this big since the last Del Ray Halloween parade. There were tons of games and activities, including a moon bounce, and the kids trick-or-treated through the halls, collecting candy from all the teachers.

The next day, all the kids went to a Halloween party at the MEA, the Muscat Employees' Association, which is a place where we spend a lot of our Wednesday (equivalent of Friday) nights. They played even more games, decorated cookies and pumpkins, and ate hamburgers and hot dogs. That night, Dan and I went to an adult Halloween party at the Marine bar, another place we frequent on Wednesday nights (without children). Much to my chagrin, we dressed up as the Cat in the Hat (real original, Katy) and a Fairy Godfather--dark suit, greased back hair, cigar, and Amelia's Tinkerbell fairy wings. Not surprisingly, Dan won for "most original" costume and vowed he would "grant everyone wishes they couldn't refuse."

We had a break on Friday, but on Saturday, the actual day of Halloween, the kids got in their costumes again and went over to TAISM for the family trick-or-treating. There are about 12 housing units right on campus where a bunch of families live. The set-up of the housing reminded me of our little strip on Mosby Street. The kids went from house to house and then to someone's backyard to watch "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown." We took a group photo and then headed home.

I've definitely had enough Halloween to last a year. I hope everyone back home had a great time with their sweet ghosts and goblins. Looking forward to seeing you in about a month and a hal!