Fall Pleasures

A wave of wonderfully warm fall weather has rolled over Kyrgyzstan, so we are taking advantage of it by spending time in the sun. Last weekend, the kids and I joined Anara and her son Alihan for a nice long stroll, followed by a relaxing meal in a cafe. We walked through beautiful Erkindek boulevard, stopping at many points because Misha was climbing up a tree or the boys were jumping in a pile of leaves.

Misha and Alihan

Misha and Sebby in their "nest".

Beautiful colors

The train bridge

When we arrived at Jalabad Cafe, the kids knew just what they wanted to order. Sebby decided on lagman and Misha went with the ever-popular Shashlik.

Lagman

Shashlik

We sat on the floor at a nice low table called a tapchan. Tapchans are great - and easy for kids!

At this time of year, every family is busy canning, canning, canning for the winter. They can cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, cabbage. They chop them and combine them and make all kinds of salads and spicy side dishes called priprava. My friend Marina invited me over to see how she makes one type of priprava, and it turned out absolutely delicious. 

Diced tomatoes, red peppers, and green beans ...

With various greens (dill and parsley, perhaps), a few spicy peppers, garlic, and salt ...

And then it's all ready to pour into sterilized bottles and left to cool for two days. Delicious!

The nice weather is perfect for getting in a little football practice. Here, by our apartment, Misha and his friend Vladik have recruited two little guys to be their goalies. Sebby guards Misha's goal at the far end of the "field."

Misha has also started playing football (soccer) with some of his friends after school at the school's nice little field. Thanks to his Ushu lessons, Misha knows some big-shot second-, third-, and fourth-graders now, and he plays a bit of ball with them.

Between the football field and this fancy slide, I can barely convince the boys to leave their school playground to come home!

At home -

Trying to beat Daddy at a game of Gobblet.

Legos ... with a cat

The little kittens are growing fast!

At a newly built little park:

King of the world

Piggy back time!

The boys and I at Anara's birthday party

Extreme trampoline for Misha in the park

In preparation for Halloween, I bought some face paint. Sebby was so eager to try it out that he had the package open within minutes of arriving home, and when he saw me coming toward him, he started begging, "Don't put it up high! Don't put it up high!" Naturally, we had to get in practice for Halloween  so I turned both of my boys into little tigers. Since trick-or-treating isn't practiced here, we will simply enjoy painting our faces every now and then this month. And of course we'll buy a pumpkin!

Misha already has the perfect color fur.

"Roar!"

Another park we often visit we simply refer to as the "Willow Tree Park." It's the only park that we can walk to using ONLY small streets with little traffic, so whenever Misha wants to ride his bike, we come here. We spent a lot of time here this weekend!

Tree climbers.

A week or two ago.

This weekend: Fall colors!

This path is just begging to be photographed.

A picnic under a willow tree.

Beautifully draping willows.

When I can, I like to close with my favorite sleeping shots:

They started out on separate couches, and in the morning we found them like this.

Sleeping just like Marty McFly!