Where Did November Go?

The month of November seems to have disappeared. It was a busy month for us. The highlights were...

Granny's visit: Mar arrived from Ottawa on October 31 and stayed for two weeks. We had a wonderful time together, and she was the easiest-going, most helpful houseguest. Denis was over the moon spending all that time with Granny and introducing her to all of his friends and teachers. And Dima finally figured out what's so great about Granny - everything! It's safe to say he's now smitten. Thanks for making the trip over, Mar. We're still missing you! And Dima's still telling us how everything is 'licious!

My trip to Hong Kong: I went to HK for an IB librarians' conference over a long weekend. It felt good to get some PD and have a few days away. I was able to catch up with a former colleague from Peru and see a few of the sights in this vibrant city.

Angry Birds: Although it's got nothing to do with Hong Kong (other than the fact that I bought it at the last minute at the Hong Kong airport), the boys' souvenir from my trip was the game of Angry Birds. To say that it was a hit would be an understatement...not to mention a great pun!

A Night of Beaujolais Nouveau: Wolfgang, our wine-importer friend from Austria (who happens to be Denis's teacher's husband) gave us a good deal on this year's Beaujolais Nouveau, so Jon and I threw a TGIF in order to celebrate. It was fun night with a French-themed potluck, lots of laughs, and well...lots of wine.  I forgot to take any pictures other than this one, which is probably for the best.

Thanksgiving: We celebrated American Thanksgiving this year with some other families from CA. We happened to have Friday off from school, so that's the day we filled up on too much turkey and pie.

Dima's Gotcha Day: It's hard to believe that a year has already gone by. When I was explaining to Denis that November 25 marked one year since Dima officially joined our family, he said, "Mom, Dima has always been a real part of our family." Well said, Denis! We celebrated the occasion with some chocolate chip cookies - Dima's favorite. Dima, we love you bunches and bunches!

Another Birthday:  It was a quiet evening in with my three boys. We ordered our favorite dishes from the Indian restaurant here on island and had leftover pumpkin cheesecake for dessert. Jon went all out this year and gave me some very nice wine glasses, imported from Austria by our friend Wolfgang. Oooh la la! 

Ginkgo Snow: I secretly tell myself that Japan's birthday gifts to me every year are the golden ginkgo leaves. The autumn colors always seem to be at their best during the last week of November - just in time for my birthday! We don't get a lot of snow here on Rokko Island, but the other day I was treated to a bit of "ginkgo snow" while I was having a warm cuppa at Tully's cafe.

Random Moments: Other highlights this month were everyday moments. Dima's "goo-goo-ga-ga" face, Denis's silly face, Dima cuddling with Nazca, the boys playing giddy-up, and their all-time favorite...hallway hockey!

December promises to be just as busy... Let's see if I can stay caught up!