Halloween - It's the Journey, not the Destination

Peter really wanted to go trick or treating.  He watched all day in anticipation for when it would get dark.  He talked about it all day and discussed what had to happen before he could go trick or treating.  We've been practicing knocking and thanking for days.

Six o'clock chimed and he watched in fascination as the first big group of trick or treaters came to our door before he and I entered the fray.

We walked around the neighborhood for 30ish minutes...in the wind and the rain and the sub 40 temps.  My legs got soaked and felt like icicles.  And during that entire time Peter only approached one house - our own.  One lady saw his hesitation and brought her candy bowl down to the sidewalk and still he refused to take a piece.  Instead she gave me the Twix bar.

I guess the evening was about the cold, wet journey and not the sweet, chocolatey destination.

Halloween - Keepin' it Real

Peter has been very undecided about costume choices all month.  I heard a lot of ideas: butterfly, work man, horse, girl, etc.  Then late in the month a new front runner - dragon.

As luck would have it, I was at the Goodwill looking through the Halloween stuff and they had a dragon costume.  It is a size too small for Peter, so he looks a bit like Urkel.  The hems fall around mid shin and the crotch is so snug it looks like it is strangling important boy parts.  But he loves it, and it was cheap money, so I was sold.  I threw a pair of green knee socks on him to disguise just how short the pants are and he was good to go.

Except, he refuses to wear the hood.  Absolute refusal even for a few seconds for me to take a picture.  It definitely reduces the verisimilitude.

Now, Elliot, is still at an age where I have complete control over costumes.  I decided on train engineer simply because we had all the clothes, they all fit him and they did not hinder his walking which is still shaky at times even under the best of circumstances.

Except he won't wear his hat either.  I think it is a mutiny...a costume headgear mutiny.

Thankfully, Peter will wear the train engineer hat.  It is many sizes too small for him and you have to use a shoe horn to get it on, but he loves that thing (he is getting a bigger one for Christmas, but don't tell him) even when it gives him a headache.

All that to say, we are finally ready for Halloween, but I'm pretty sure it is going to be rained out by old party pooper Sandy.  It is currently 36 degrees and raining, and tomorrow evening is supposed to be slightly less pleasant.  Boo.

Pumpkins 2012

Costumes

Though not the ones they are wearing for Halloween.

And a random video of Peter building his ghoul bus at Lowes.

Cuisenaire Tower

Ms. Ana's Playground

Peter's Menu Planner

Peter has been in charge of planning the dinner menu for the last week and a half.  Last week we cut out pictures from the grocery ads and he picked which of the foods from each category he wanted for dinner each night.  But, it was difficult because grocery ads are heavy on proteins and processed foods and light on fruits and veggies.  This week, for example, I counted 16 sources of somewhat healthy protein, 4 each of green and non-green veggies and 5 fruits.  So I decided to make my own picture cards.

On the new chart, all the cards are on velcro tabs.  Peter has 14 - 16 choices for each category, and he can pick from those the 9 items in each category that he wants to eat in the upcoming week and a half.  Then we grocery shop for those foods, and each morning he picks what he wants for dinner.  We put that night's dinner choices on top.  Tonight he wanted kale, corn, kiwi and beans.  I made it into soup...well, the kiwi was served on the side.

Tomorrow morning we will take down the kale, corn, kiwi and beans and put those away with the other cards.  Then he will pick dinner from what is left.  By the end of the week, the pickings will be getting slimmer and he will be eating foods that he has previously rejected.

In other news...GO BLUE!!!

Elliot's Joke

For the last few days Elliot has been telling a joke.

It goes like this...
He is laying on the changing table and I am starting to dress him.  I grab a sock and he lifts his right foot (always his right) and offers it to me to be socked.  I grab the other sock and he offers his left foot.  I grab his pants and he offers his right leg, and then once I get that leg in he offers his left.  I shimmy his pants on and I grab his shirt and get it ready to go over his head.  And that is when he, gleam in his eye, mischief in his smile, offers his right foot again.  He can't contain himself, as soon as I look up and meet his eyes he starts giggling hysterically.  Then I slide the shirt over his foot and exclaim in surprise that something is not right!

After Playing at the Kids' Gym...

Peter: Why do we have to leave?
Me: They are closing the gym.
Peter: Why do they need to close the gym?
Me: To clean it.
Peter: Clean what?
Me: The gym.
Peter: What gym?
Me: ??? [hits head against wall]

What we've got here is a failure to communicate.

Bathing Beauties and Banana Butterflies