Food, Food, and Cold Weather (not in that order)

Doug flew with Karis and her friend back to Turkey on February 6th and met up again with her mom.

She left just in time before we experienced a stretch of bad power in our neighborhood and before Doug had to go to the school to talk about someone slapping Keira.  Oh, the joys of parenthood!

On February 13, 2020, it actually snowed in our city.

Yes, this is as much as we got...a few snowflakes in the morning, and then...nothing.

The lack of power was a real issue though. Usually, we can stay warm by crowding in front of one of our propane heaters, but there was a shortage at this time, so without the use of electric heaters or propane heaters, we were just like Texans during the snowpocalypse of 2021. 

Below are some of our empty propane bottles waiting outside.  

Trucks playing the old national anthem on loud speakers usually drive through every neighborhood in the city at least once a day so you can hear the music, go out of your gate and stop the truck, and trade out your empty bottles for full ones.

At some point, Doug heard of a place that had a few, and he drove to go get them, paying a much higher price than normal, but we were grateful!

A few days later after school, Keira was invited to play with some girls that go to a different school.  Their mothers' got together and made quite the feast for an "after school get-together."  

February 16, 2020

One of these ladies (two days earlier) had held a birthday breakfast brunch for her daughter (turning 9 or 10) at a nice restaurant in town.  Keira and I were invited, but we were WAY underdressed.  First off, I had never heard of the restaurant, and secondly, I didn't know that the birthday girl would be switching between a party dress and a floor-length formal during the festivities. Not to mention, most of the moms and their daughters were also dressed very nicely.

At a few nice restaurants here in the city, they have their basements made into play areas so parents can visit undisturbed.

While you are dining (and after kids have eaten), you can take them downstairs and a restaurant employee will watch them.  Sometimes it's free.  Sometimes it costs around $1.50.

I thought this basement was pretty impressive!

Trampoline

Pretend kitchen

Make-up and hair

And I love that you can see evidence of all the moms who come down to get their kids.

Small tricycle track

As I was leaving, I saw several of these "dust busters" plugged in the walls around the restaurant, and thought these guys must be pretty smart, especially when I saw them cleaning up parts of the kid table with one.

I had one when my kids were smaller, and I used it A LOT!