settling in to our surroundings

Jeff worked only a half day today so we got to do some fun stuff like register Heather for school, check our mailbox (they're like the wooster mailboxes which cracks me up!!), and go to the BX and Comissary. The comissary was of course out of baking powder, karo syrup, and canned yams so we will not be having monster cookies or candied yams for new years...we will be having expensive ham and some yellow things that looked like potatoes which will be mashed!! We also went to one of Jeff's friends houses who lives off base and met a portugese, extended family. Prior to that we visited the Azorean version of a McDonald's play place which was attached to a burger/ice cream/donut shop (what?!). The kids befriended a little boy who taught us to say happy new year in Felish anu nova (?). We then went to one of Jeff's friends houses who had his portugese landlord/friends and family over for a "party". The family spoke no English save a couple of gentlemen so there was a lot of smiling going on in the room. There was a 2 year old who the kids were playing with at the end of the night and Heather seemed to think it was hilarious that she had no idea what he wasy saying and vice versa. I tried to pick up a few phrases and came home to consult my book...we're kind of still on east coast time with the kids going to bed around 10 and getting up around 9 or so.