Halloween

November first. When Dangerboy and I came back from our morning runaround P. had placed the tiny jack-o-lantern DB and I had made on the counter where I'd be sure to notice. We had fun making it--it was a tiny, tiny pumpkin, and I carved just two eyes and a mouth in it. We scooped it out together, but DB didn't like the way it felt and would only try it with a spoon. I chased him around a bit with the pumpkin's slimy opening, which made him squirm and giggle. And he had fun putting the lid on and taking it off. But today, just four days after we carved it, the eyeholes were black and completely opaque. At first I couldn't figure out why the pumpkin looked so sinister. Then I realized the inside of the pumpkin was completely filled with mold. We said bye-bye to it together as I threw it away.

DB loved Halloween last night! We ended up taking him trick-or treating up in the professors' neighborhood, and he learned the routine remarkably quickly. He'd tromp up to the front door and wait for them to give him a candy, then carefully put it in his bag. Then sometimes he'd wave bye-bye and it was off to the next house. He got so good at it that when we skipped a house because it was dark he'd head on up the driveway anyway. He was soooooo cute. He didn't figure out until we were almost done that they were actually giving him food. Luckily somebody gave him a little bag of goldfish cracjkers as a treat so we felt OK about giving those to him on the way home.

New word use: "thank you" (pronounced kay kyu")--says it when he wants us to hold something for him, like his paci while he's taking a drink.

New outside discoveries: snails. He found a baby one in a puddle, so I took it out and we squatted on the sidewalk and watched it slither along. He talked to and about it very animatedly, pointing at it and gesticulating. I thought he would poke it or mush it, but he didn't. Then he went over to the dirt and pointed out many more snails I'd never have noticed.

Also: fallen leaves. I opened the door to let him outside yesterday, and he ran up the the first thing he saw--a fallen leaf on the ground--and laughed at it and ran around it like it was the funniest joke he'd seen. He did it again later. Ah, the simple joys!

Yesterday DB and I were outside during the day, and he noticed the moon. "Oon" he said. "Yes, that's the moon," I said. Then he reached his hands out toward it and whined that he wanted it! (Not in words, just in his own language.) He was a little sad when I let him know I couldn't get it for him!

Best treat ever: baby kisses. DB rarely does this on command, so when he does, it's such a treat! We were holding him the other day, when he looked at us, took his paci out, and slurped us each a big one on the lips. Then popped his paci back in like nothing had happened!

Still have the stupid cough. Peter and DB are better though. Except DB is still getting up at terrible hours...5:30 this morning, still better than 4:30 yesterday. Guess I'd better get my beauty rest!