Hoppin' House

My friend Karen and I planned a little trick-or-treating/Halloween party last week because we don't think our kids eat enough candy. No, that wasn't it . . . because our children never dress up on their own - no, not that either . . . because we enjoy celebrating controversial holidays . . . nope, not that . . . because we just wanted an excuse for a party with lots of kids - yes!


And so it was that our children bounced around with about twenty other kids (and Gerald who was unashamedly trick-or-treating) from one place to the next in search of - CANDY!!! After visiting eleven apartments everyone ended up here for a few cookies and the classic, "Charlie Brown and The Great Pumpkin." It was fun to see the parents of the kids take it all in and several commented to me later that they do not have fun activities for kids here. One parent hired a photographer especially for the occasion! The best part was having so many people in our home. It seems much easier for the parents to be comfortable coming to an American home if it's a party for children instead of a gathering for the adults (as we've tried with little success). We had so much fun we'll try to do some more parties, although we're not sure how a Christmas party will work in this culture.

The unspoken rules here are - don't stick out, don't do anything that will get you noticed, don't take initiative, don't push or introduce anything from western cultures . . . Hmmm - guilty on all accounts. Sometimes it's hard to know how to act and we feel we can't win since everything we do sticks out. But yet, the parents who came were genuinely appreciative - and the kids? I think you can figure that out!

Pictured: A few of the kids, two little Spanish dancers