Emma's new VERY pink room.  Wasn't meant to be quite so pink but since we couldn't buy precoloured paint we had to just go with the flow :)   There is no doubt that it is now her room instead of the boys!  We switched their rooms as Emma had the bigger room and the boys are getting a new bed that doesn't fit in the room they were in.  

This was Emma's purple room but now it's a very blue room.  We will get the new bed (a bunkbed) for the boys soon. 

Can you tell which boots are David's and which ones are Saiid's?  :)

Our friend Saiid from the village spent the week with us as he was attending a conference here in the city. 

We had a fairly large English Club again tonight.  One of the girls was celebrating her 17th birthday so it was extra fun.

Warming Up! -16C

I took this picture out our kitchen window.   These birds are always out there.  There is a lady in our next entrance that faithfully feeds them everyday.  Notice the sky?  so blah this time of year.  most of it is because of the coal though.  otherwise today might have been a nice sunny day.

Pretty In Pink

Interesting Evening

Just as we were getting the kids ready for bed tonight we had a knock on the door...it was the fireman telling us to get out of the building.  we of course had to put on many clothes.. but still made it out quickly.  actually we were the only ones outside for a good 15 minutes. :)  not bad for having 3 kids!  and we even remembered all our important documents and my camera.  (patting myself on my back)   We figured it would be nothing...but better safe then sorry.  The fire was a result of the people who live under our building.  They live in the basement (a little step up from the people who live in the manholes)  and during the day they shovel and pick up garbage around the building.  There are 3 people that live down there..we saw as they brought them out that they were pretty drunk and very wet.  our basement is full of water- i know...not nice.  Our guess is that they had started a fire to keep warm as it is very wet and cold down there.  It took them a long time to get them out of the basement and get rid of all the smoke..i saw a burning pillow that they had brought out.  Anyway, it's sad.  We were very glad that no one was hurt and quite relieved that our stuff is still here..there's no fire insurance here.  Sorry the pictures are so dark   but it was dark outside :)   The last picture is the firemen opening up the basement window (though it's just a sheet of wood) below our living room window to let out the smoke.  Good way to get to know your neighbours a little bit more...standing huddled together in -30C wondering if the building was going up in flames...  

Room Changes

The boys are going to be getting a new bunkbed soon, problem is it is too long to fit in their room :)  SO they are switching rooms with Emma.  I know..makes sense that they would have the bigger room since there are two of them...but their room is blue so they liked it.  Emma's room is purple.   So we are doing a major switch.  Emma's room will be painted a boy colour over top of the pretty purple and after we get down the old (and partially ripped off already) wallpaper in their room we will paint it pink or something for Emma.  In the end it will be much better.  Emma likes the idea too..everyone in the family likes change...good thing :)  This afternoon we got all the wallpaper off...that is the worst stage so I'm glad it's over!

We just celebrated New Year's...  yes it's February the 3rd here too.  It was such a beautiful day today..super dooper warm (I say that in comparison to the last hundred days)  and tons and tons of snow which is very rare here.  David saw reindeer outside of his office (not many can say that can they...)  and so he called us to tell us to head over there to see them.  I LOVE reindeer.  nice looking animals.  anyway- the kids really enjoyed it..it's always tricky to get them out the door in the cold and make them walk somewhere but I think they thought it was worth it in the end.  though they didn't mind one bit when i said it was time to head home. 

English Club

Oops, I haven't posted any pictures since last English Club.  We have done other things this week.  Pictures of us studying and walking to the store and cleaning the house etc.  just don't get taken.