Happy Diwali and Halloween preparations

We'd been warned to leave town. Everyone said the fireworks last all week, go all night, and we'd never get any sleep. We decided to brave it and I think we got lucky for our first Diwali experience! Yesterday was the first full day of rain since we've arrived which I'm sure kept the fireworks at bay yesterday and today. Today we woke up to the fireworks around 6am, even through the drizzle. They come in spurts, loud bursts of a ton if firecrackers for about 30 seconds. Then silence until the next spurt. They aren't startling when you're inside since we're a little bit away from a main road but they are loud enough to keep Livi from wanted to go out when they're going off. There aren't any big coordinated displays like you see in the states for 4th of July (that I know of) but everyone buys some and sets them off throughout the day. The rains have continued intermittently today too, which I think is also helping to keep it mild. Oscar took little Oscar on a walk to the corner on the main street and he did say it was a little crazy up there. They dodged a few and headed back home! Let's see what tonight brings....more rain I hope!

Diwali, the festival of lights, is the most important Hindu holiday. Part of Diwali (along with lots of fireworks!) is the lighting of small oil lamps to symbolize good triumphing over evil. For more on Diwali (since yet again I am humbled by it's complexity) google "diwali" and you'll find a ton of info.

Diwali is coordinating nicely with Halloween this year, so while everyone here is setting off fireworks, we're planning our costumes! We have a few Halloween activities planned, including a party on Saturday night, trick-or-treating to some consulate houses, and some fun activities at Oscar's school and the consulate on Halloween! Livi is going to be a pink princess (no surprise) and Oscar has decided to be Spiderman (thanks to a costume from Sam from this summer).

Tonight, we carve our not-so-orange pumpkins to the din of firecrackers!! We have 3 pumpkins to carve and I could only find two of them this morning:

 Mama: Um, has anyone seen the other 2 pumpkins?

Oscar: I know where they are! They're in the tents.
Mama: How did they get in the tents?
Oscar: Livi put them there!
Mama: Livi, did you put the pumpkins in the tents?
Livi: Yup!
Mama: What are they doing in there?
Livi: Hanging out!

Sidewalk painting after we finished painting our rainbow pumpkin-bags which tie in nicely with our not-so-orange pumpkin theme this year!

a very serious artist described his drawing "a man with an umbrella in the rain"

finally got the sandbox set up too!