Happy Halloween!

For postcard
Originally uploaded by kristn1284

Happy Halloween to all. Here is my little Raggedy Ann clutching her beloved Andy. We had a costume party with our play date friends and another one at our music class this week. Tonight we will go visit our immediate neighbors and then return to hand out treats.

Sorry I have been behind on blogging - I will post some new updates next week for sure. Crazy, busy time for us, both home and work.

We flunked pumpkins this year.

We have had so much going on lately we ignored the 3 beautiful weekends in October and waited until the last minute when it was chilly and rainy to go pick our pumpkin. We went the Saturday before Halloween to a local patch I had been seeing signs for. My thinking was instead of driving the 30 minutes to the big farm we would contribute to our local economy and support our neighbors. As we were pulling down the lane and seeing the scariness Tom reached down to turn down the radio, I said "those dueling banjos are not on the radio". That kind of set the tone for the whole visit. The patch was dead, the pumpkins looked like they had been grown over 3 Mile Island and there was no one around. All this did not bother Annabelle of course, she wanted to run through the mud. I had her stop to check out a few pumpkins.





Then we decided this was too freaky for words and started to leave to drive to the big place. Annabelle started crying, she wanted a pumpkin. We walked over to where you pay and they had these little ones for $1 - she was thrilled! We left there with a happy child but no pumpkin. Annabelle fell asleep clutching her little pumpkin and we did not make it to the big farm.





The next day on the way home from church Mom & I saw one of our neighbors had a wagon load of pumpkins in their yard with a sign saying all donations would go to the Children's Diabetes Foundation. After lunch, Annabelle and I went down there and had a great time. The people were very nice, the pumpkins were beautiful and they let her crawl all over the wagon. We picked a nice one and took it home, feeling good about our charitable donation.

So next year we know. Next year we will make time to actually carve it too. We are so lame sometimes.

Love the baby (finally!)

More feeding of the baby
Originally uploaded by kristn1284

So one of the many things I have learned as a new parent is you cannot present something to Annabelle and say “Look here it is, do you like it?” I do not know if all children are like this but my little Pinkle has a whole 12 step program of her own.

Annabelle needs to process things. She observes, thinks about it, talks about it, and then makes a decision. Case in point, babies.

I have friends with little girls similar in age that all tell me how much their daughters love their baby dolls and real babies even more. Truthfully Annabelle does not pay attention to babies out in public or baby dolls that are present at playgroup. When our cousin Baby Jason was born last month I found this to be the perfect opportunity to see what Annabelle thought about babies.

When Jason was about a week old we went for a visit. Annabelle appeared not to be paying any attention to him. The first time I held him and tried to show her she wouldn’t even look at him, the second time was similar but with apparent distaste when he cried. I left there feeling defeated. My daughter does not like babies and here we are having one in a few short months. What was I in for?

A few days later she crawled up on my lap and said “Hug like baby Jason”, she wanted held like I held the baby up on my shoulder. Then for the next few days she would say “Nana hugs Jason” or “Mum Mum hug Jason”. Then the next week she woke up one morning babbling in her crib saying “Jason drinks milk” “Jason needs a pants change”. A few days after that while shopping she saw a baby drinking a bottle and talked about it the rest of the day. “Baby likes milk”

I purchased a baby doll with bottle, dinner serving set, diaper bag & its own seat. Sunday after her nap I asked if she wanted a new toy to play with. “OK” replied Annabelle. As soon as she saw it she was trying to rip open the packaging (and who came up with the idea to hermetically seal all children’s toys in the package complete with twist ties, plastic tethers and shrink wrap?) Once we freed baby from her cardboard encasement Annabelle took right to her. She feeds her bottle constantly, hugs her but then hands her off to me “baby needs a pants change”. It is not a Betsy Wetsey doll so I just put her up on the changing table and pretend. Annabelle is very pleased with herself and takes her right back to feed her again.

So there we go. After only a 3 week pondering period Annabelle has decided she loves babies.

I just hope this all goes well when Brother arrives; at least I am feeling more confident.

Where does she get her material?

thinking about doing something rotten
Originally uploaded by kristn1284

Can’t you just see the devilish look on her face? The things that come out of her mouth lately just make me shake my head. Take for example our dinner conversation last night.

Annabelle - Hey Mum!
Me - Yes Honey

She leans forward and passes gas loudly

Annabelle - You farted!
Me - Annabelle Grace - What do you say?
Annabelle - Excuse you
Me - You say "Excuse me"
Annabelle - You farted
Me - No YOU farted
Annabelle - You did.

At this point I turned to Tom, who was laughing so hard he couldn't breathe.

Me - Where did she learn this?
Tom - I have no idea

To my Mom who is wiping tears from her eyes

Me - Where did she learn this?
Mom - No clue

Annabelle - No Clue- Mum Farted

Me – I feel like I am living in a Frat House!

Seriously I have no idea where this came from, of all the things I can accuse my husband of teaching her, this would not be one of them. We do not even use that word.

How does an 18 month old girl get the sense of humor & timing of a 12 year old boy?