Halloween, extended...

For YEARS I have been complaining to Rob that I am "no prepared" or "never got into" any particular festive holiday time.
This applies to mostly Halloween & Christmas... two of the biggest marketing-filled, decoration-laden, blow-out holidays in America. They are also the two holidays that conjure up the most fond childhood memories for me.

I looked forward to having kids so that I could relive these "magical times" vicariously through my kids. I looked forward to the return of the magic that came with the monthly celebrations throughout the year: Easter, Valentine's Day, the Fourth of July fireworks... I looked forward to the l-o-n-g anticipation of a holiday... the "forever wait" that applied to anything I so desperately anticipated.

I wanted to feel the daily excitement.

Evie was born near the Fourth of July.
That holiday zinged by and so did the other major holidays that followed closely behind: Fall? We had a fall?
What, Halloween? This baby can't eat candy and she fusses when put into any restrictive let alone a costume.
Thanksgiving... I don't have time or patience to help cook anything.... and clean my house, forget it!
Christmas... what? Evie doesn't know how to open gifts and how am I going to get all these new toys to fit in the house?

Needless to say that first year with Evie both flew by and dragged on (dragged on during midnight feedings, ear infections, mulitple naps that rendered your day useless and poopy diapers 5 times a day...)

The second year with Evie was better. She didn't cry and scream at the Christmas light shows but rather said, "Wow!" and pointed to every. single. lit-up house.... every. single. evening. (it was great!). Her cute "oh's!" and "ah's!" were the reward I had been waiting for.
Evie exclaimed "Wow!" at her Easter basket and proceeded to "Wow!" every single piece of candy she pulled out (one, by, one!).
Evie watched fireworks on TV that summer, "Wow! Lights! Cool...."
Last year's Halloween wasn't quite as magical... with a HORRENDOUS ear infection, we stayed inside and never ventured out. She never even wore her costume aside from the one photo I took... we went home to Ohio for Halloween during a friend's party so we had no where to wear a costume, *sigh*. I was deflated.

But this year,... this year is so different. I had to hold back my decorating arsenal in the attic until October 1st (September was deemed way too early by the husband). I slowly eeked out a few "fall-themed" items but added the ghosts, ghouls, and jack-o-lanterns while Rob was away attending a comic convention that first weekend of October. Evie helped stuff baggies ghosts for the trees.... she helped select (and carry) pumpkins... she learned what a ghost & monster was... she would point to anything Halloween inspired and yell out, "Halloween!".... she pointed to the live-action skeleton at Target and would prod us to clap our hands so he would dance and sing.... she learned the words "costume" and "trick-or-treat"....

This month has been one of the longest month's I have had in a l-o-n-g time.
and I am glad to say, the magic has returned.

First Punkin' Patch and Hayride!

This place was FANTASTIC! Thanks to A & B for the amazing recommendation.
This is a family run place. No entry fee (which is rare for something to offer all this with no charge!). It was small & just perfect for us! They had ample parking next to the corn maze. There's a piled of hay for kids to romp in. The farmer's market set-up offered a variety of fancy pumpkins ($.39 a pound!) and other local produce. The tractor pulls up, hop on and take a tour around the pumpkin patch. A temporary stop in a metal shelter/barn provides spooky music, lights and a little "haunted fun" before continuing on the path past where the raise honeybees and turkeys.
We had a great time. Too bad it suddenly down poured.... but we would love to go back one more time this year and will definitely go back next year!

Halloween Dry-Run Pictures

You seriously cannot beat Old Navy for a costume. This thing is warm, easy to put on, fits great and is super cute to boot. We bought it online a little late (2 weeks before Halloween) so it was one of only a few selections left/not sold out. $15!

Halloween Dry-Run

Putting on Evie's 3rd Halloween costume - a tiger.
Last year was a bust due to ear infections (never left the house. She was a cute ladybug/princess in tights).
Two years ago she was snug-as-a-bug in a penguin sack costume (she HATED it!).

I hope Halloween 2009 delivers more fun-filled adventures & fond trick-or-treat memories...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTzSMfWafDE

Click on the link above to watch video.....

Cheers!

Two stories:

We've recently taught Evie how to smack her sippy-cup against our glasses while shouting "Cheers!" and then you must take at least 1 sip for good-luck. Evie will do this a few times in a row before we try to slunk away and/or change the subject... but it is cute.

Evie really likes to imitate me lately. Recently: vacuuming. (backstory: my grandmother-who has very little money-had my uncle-who dumpster dives- find something for Evie when we went to visit her in her nursing home last October. He found a Barbie vacuum that had the plastic battery flap missing. He resolved this by actually taping in a set of batteries. A few spins around my grandmother's room was enough for us... it says, "Hi! I'm Barbie! Let's vacuum!" after every time you hit the button to listen to it whirrrrr & spin around a cyclone of little plastic foam balls. We put it in the attic after returning home from our trip.)
Last week Evie was imitating me vacuuming the floor but only had her grocery cart to pretend with. Realizing we had a new kid interest on our hands, Rob grabbed the vacuum from the attic. Five minutes i,n we remembered why we not only left it to die in the attic but someone else had thrown away the battery pack flap in the hopes of leaving it to die in the alley. "Hi! I'm Barbie! Let's vacuum! Hi! I'm Barbie! Let's vacuum! Hi! I'm........"
Tonight I decided to spot vacuum a few rooms before Evie went to bed. She immediately went to grab her vacuum. She came over to the rug and did this awkard lean into my handle. I had no idea what she was doing so I stopped moving the vacuum for fear I'd knock her over. Her handle finally hit mine. "Cheers!" She then proceeded to vacuum alongside me.

Primping mom

I went out today with K on a "girls' night out". A fancy seafood dinner complete with wine, endless catching up and hazelnut cake for dessert.
When rush-rushing to "spot clean" myself after work (washing off some make up, changing my shirt and re-curling a few key strands of hair) I stood at the end of my bed face-to-face to a pajama clad Evie.
"Hair?" She pointed to my mane. I ran my fingers through it quickly, adding, "Better?"
She replied approvingly, "Yeah."
She then took a step forward and reached for the hem of the sweater I just threw on... my hands reached down and met hers. We both pulled it straight. She leaned back on the footboard of the bed, one leg cocked up like a James Dean sort of stance.
"Do I look pretty?" asking her as I finished straightening my sweater.
Nodding approvingly with a slight childish grin, "Yeah."

Pacifier Free*

We started Evie on pacifiers after 1 week of age. I purchased a few "Soothies," hearing they were the best. At first they fell out (as N called them, "Grenade Pins") and we'd wake-up through-out the night sticking them back in. We started throwing a few in her crib at/around 6 months of age hoping she'd find one at night and replace it herself. Eventually the whole operation smoothed out and it was a well oiled machine. We'd give her a "Pap" at bedtime and naptime & then see her when she woke up.
We should have ended the pacifier at one year of age along with the bottle.
Shortly after Evie was a year and a half old, the pacifier became more than a night-time friend. It became a comfort when hurt, lonely, scared, in new surroundings, without her parents and an all-around side-kick. It was like watching a smoker become addicted to nicotine. We knew she looked ridiculously over-age as we pushed her around in a stroller at a summertime event (She was 22 months old) and I have to admit, I was slightly embarrassed.
On Evie's 2nd year visit to the Pediatrician, I was told to "ditch the binky." The Dr. immediately laughed having caught a glimpse of Evie's evil glare to her words. "She just sneered at me! See! She knows what I said!"
And, the doctor was right. Evie knew. I knew.
Shortly after leaving the doctor's office, I returned a set of recently purchased pacifiers and buckled down for the slow ween.
Evie had been chewing her pacifiers to shreds the last few months and had also managed to loose a few along the way. We must have had about 4 when the doctor said it was time to cut her off.
The numbers diminished and we held onto a pacifier... until 2 nights ago. It was down to just this one.
Evie kept pulling her pacifer out through clenched teeth last weekend resulting in my throwing away the second-to-last shredded friend. I warned her, at the top of this week, to not do that to her last one because after it, that.. was.. IT.
Rob put Evie down for bedtime Monday night. He came out of the room with her wailing in his wake, "She chewed a hole in it," as he held up the final Pap. I told him it was the last one and I cut off the tip with scissors. I had read somewhere about cutting pacifiers down little by little until there was nothing left for the kid to hold onto... figured now was a good a time as any to try this.
We gave Evie the cut pacifier.
"Broken?!." she responded.
"Yes, you chewed it and we told you not to... that was your last Pap!"
"No! Pap.... mumble... PAP!"
The cries and lamenting for a pap continue for quite awhile but she eventually settled in. She rejected the broken Pap and settled on the comfort of her favorite blankie.
I am happy to say that first night was worse for us than her... its hard to take away something that, to a child, seems completely harmless. It sucks having to take away a piece of plastic because it could cause long-term dental problems should she not ween herself after a reasonable amount of time. What a shit-task having to discipline a behavior that might have exhausted itself had we not intervened.
But, Evie awoke this morning at 6AM (only an hour earlier than normal... a very hard task for mom & dad to have to deal with but pretty good given she slept all night long with no problems) asking for her pap. I reminded her it was broken and she flailed a bit until we got up at 6:45AM.
Rob put Evie down for a nap telling her how she was a big girl now and how proud her was of her not needing a pap. I'm not sure how much she believed him but she did eventually drift off for a 2 hour nap. A nap that, Rob tells me, was full of smiles after it ended.
Tonight I put Evie down for her 2nd pap-free night and she did seem really scared/nervous. She cried a little, seriously less fussing than most nights where she plays games to stay up just a wee bit longer. I checked on her after a few terrified, "Mom-my's!" and I kissed her all over telling her how proud I was that she was such a big girl. I am always here if she needs me and she is so brave. I left the room.
Silence.



*Evie lovingly calls them her "Pap."

Baby + Stroller = New Mommy on the Block

I couldn't resist buying Evie an $8.99 stroller I saw at Toys R Us today (this was on my list along with checking out bikes for Christmas). The stroller was so cheap I also got one of those "magically disappearing!" juice bottles that "empties" when you feed your baby. Evie spent the better part of the afternoon locking and unlocking her baby in the stroller, feeding her, and reading her stories while she napped (while she sat perched in the stroller looking down at baby asleep on the floor at her feet, of course).

Evie, get that out of your mouth!

I'm watching her shove an entire wooden sucker in her mouth and beginning to question if she still realizes its fake... I thought she was pretending but it looks like pretend is giving way to complete "space-out" and she is now beginning to try and eat it. *sigh*, genius.