My little pumpkin certainly enjoyed herself this Halloween. All the Halloween parties and fall festivals culminated in the big event – trick or treating.
This was exciting, yet tough business for my girl. She can get shy around strangers, especially when asked to perform. So the idea of walking up to an unknown person and saying, “Trick or Treat,” seemed a lot to ask. Thankfully, she had buddies Will and Sam to walk with, and I think she was glad for the safety in numbers.
So Supergirl, Curious George and the Veterinarian headed off down the street in search of candy. Camille got to walk with her Boo, so that gave her extra confidence. And once Camille realized that she’d get a treat each time she went to someone’s door, her bravery multiplied.
Although it did take a few doors to perfect the technique. All the kids actually entered the first house, brushing past the occupant and heading right into their living room. Can’t really blame them though – I mean, usually when you knock on a door and someone answers, you go inside the house, right?
By the time we reached one of our neighborhood parks, all the trick or treating excitement was wearing the kids out. So we stopped for a candy break (thanks to the thoughtful folks who put gummy fruit treats in her basket – something toddler-friendly!), and then knocked on a few more doors on the way home. Here they are looking rather outdone.
It was so much fun watching her enjoy Halloween. She’s just bummed it’s over, and keeps asking if we’re going to another Halloween party. I’m already looking forward to it next year too!
Halloween was great fun, as my little Supergirl enjoyed going door-to-door and dazzling neighbors with her cuteness and her polite “trick-or-treat!” I’ll post more on that later when I have a chance to download some video from my camera…
Meanwhile, as soon as the trick-or-treating was over, Lee and I took off for a weekend getaway to Atlanta, leaving Camille in the capable hands of her Boo. Although in retrospect, we should’ve taken the Halloween candy with us. Saturday morning, Camille announced to me on the phone, “Look Mama! I have a sucker!”
But that’s ok – grandparents are supposed to spoil them a bit, and we’re just grateful to Boo for taking good care of our sweet girl.
I was really looking forward to these five things: spending quality time with my hubby, lingering over meals, sleeping in, reading my book, and seeing The Hold Steady and Drive By Truckers in concert.
The Hold Steady is my latest musical obsession. We got to see them back in September in Athens, but I was coming down with a stomach virus and spent most of the concert trying not to puke. I was barely successful, and although the band was awesome, I was a bit distracted by all that nausea. So I needed a do-over.
And it was SO GREAT! I just love The Hold Steady, because not only are they great musicians, they’re so fun to watch live. They look so … normal and approachable. And on stage, they act as excited to be there as you are.
I managed to get this photo with my cell phone – it’s terrible quality, but still a nice reminder of the fun show.
Supergirl soared again tonight as we enjoyed a Halloween party at our church. Can I just say I’m glad I go to a church that has a closet full of Halloween decorations, complete with a plastic cauldron for punch? This supergirl sure had a lot of fun!
Church Halloween Party from Ginger on Vimeo.
For more than a year now, I have been lucky enough to enjoy a very easy bedtime/naptime routine with Camille. Once she hit 12 months of age, she began to accept the necessity of sleeping in her crib, and even seemed to welcome night-time.
I know this isn’t the case for everyone, and would often be told how fortunate we were, and I really don’t think I took it for granted. But today, out of nowhere, things changed.
I put her down for her nap like usual, and was in the next room and could hear her whining. That’s very unusual for her, so I peeked in the door to be sure she was okay. She has a cold, so I was feeling especially protective of her. She started to cry, so I picked her up to comfort her, and then put her back in her crib. Typically, if I tell her it’s night-night time, she believes me. But she started fighting like I hadn’t seen her do in ages. So I decided she needed some alone-time to work it out, firmly told her it was night-night time, and closed the door behind me. She wailed so loudly it broke my heart, but my heart stopped when I heard a loud “thud” on the floor. I jerked open the door to find her standing on the other side of it, in tears.
My child escaped from her crib.
Suddenly, I was overwhelmed with two realities – Camille didn’t seem to want to go to sleep peacefully. And she had the ability to get out of her crib by herself. A terrible combination.
I think getting out of her crib may have frightened her, because she was inconsolable. I rocked her, sang to her, and she just kept getting worked up. Finally, I got in my bed with her – a last resort. I love cuddling with her, but I’ve always been worried about setting a bad precedent.
She needs her naptimes, but I need them too. It’s when I catch up on work, when I eat, clean, and occasionally relax. I feel I am a better, more focused mother during her awake time because I know I can count on her naptime to do other things.
Or at least I could count on it. What now?
I was (and still am) depressed about it. Maybe, just maybe, it was a one-time tantrum that won’t soon be repeated. She protested going to bed tonight, but Lee was able to get her down without any attempted escapes or any major shedding of tears. But either way, we all now know she can get out, and I no longer see her crib as a safe, secure place.
I’m probably overreacting. I tend to do that about anything that threatens a major shift in our happy schedule. I’ve always thought one of my weaknesses as a parent is a real need for a reliable schedule, because I go into panic mode if things aren’t moving along predictably.
So I’m going to try to take some deep breaths – and start thinking about turning her crib into a toddler bed.
I’m so annoyed. I spent several hours Saturday shopping for Camille’s fall/winter wardrobe. The temps here suddenly went from hot to chilly, and dressing her appropriately has become a challenge. It’s not easy to find time to shop by myself (Camille doesn’t yet have the patience required for the digging involved with bargain hunting), but I had some success Saturday and was feeling confident about the mid-thirties temps we’re expecting tomorrow.
Until she tried them all on. I bought 3T, because some of her 2T stuff seemed to be getting small, but they were huge on her. So big that I will have to return all of it (and find time to return it). I can’t really wait for her to grow into it all, because she needs the clothes NOW.
In organizing her closet last night, my frustration grew. All of the new pajamas I bought earlier in the week are 3T and fit perfectly. Yet her winter jacket that was too big on her last year is still too big, and it’s sized 18 months. What the heck? The other day, she had on an 18-month shirt and some hand-me-down 4T shorts that both fit well.
And I do NOT think it would be wise to bring her along to try on clothes before buying them. Getting dressed once per day can sometimes be challenging enough – I don’t want to multiply that and try to keep the peace in a public place.
So I guess I’ll just make some exchanges and hope the 2T ones will fit for a while. But mostly, I just wish the whole sizing thing made sense!
Camille has been enjoying all our recent celebrations of the Pumpkin’s birthday – at least that’s what she seems to think this is all about. Saturday, I asked her if she wanted to go to a Pumpkin Party (thought that would make more sense to her than Fall Festival, which she might assume was about losing balance), and she asked if it was for her birthday. I explained that her birthday is in the summer, and so she said it was the Pumpkin’s birthday. Sure, why not?
So we went to the Ottawa Farm in Bloomingdale, the same place we picked strawberries earlier in the year. She was very excited as we pulled up, but soon decided she was scared of most of the events there. Sigh. Sometimes I think I push her too soon, hoping she’ll get excited about something that may be just a bit too grown-up. I figured a hay ride would be a fun activity, and as we were sitting on the bales waiting for the ride to start, she was showing me all her different facial expressions.
I love Happy Face, of course:
But this one was probably more accurate, because once the tractor started and the hay trailer began moving, she was not a happy camper. “Go back. I want go back,” she pleaded, then covered her face.
So we stuck to the things that I knew would make her happy. She wandered around the festival, looking at the booths. We watched tap dancers in fancy skirts. We ate Italian Ice (the mango flavor, because the color was the closest thing they had to pink).
Then Saturday night, we went to Oatland Island’s annual Halloween Hike, where she had a great time showing off her Halloween costume to all her animal friends.
Camille wanted to be Supergirl this year, and I think she’s the most beautiful Supergirl I have ever seen.
We gave her three choices – a Princess, a Cowgirl (b/c she likes horses), or Supergirl. There was no hesitation. She likes to wear the costume and pretend to fly, or run around the house announcing that she can run real, real fast. ADORABLE.
Lee got this video as we walked from the parking lot to the start of the Halloween Hike. She was giddy with excitement.
A Very Excited Supergirl from Ginger on Vimeo.
We have even more Halloween events to enjoy this week – I can’t wait!
I’d forgotten how much fun Halloween could be! But thanks to Camille, I get to enjoy so many things all over again – not just the trick-or-treating part, but the pumpkins and decorations and all the fall festivals, too.
Yesterday, Camille and I picked pumpkins at a local pumpkin patch. She was quite excited about the idea, and as we were getting dressed to go, she quickly informed me that she wanted a pink one. When I told her they didn’t have any pink ones, she revised her request. “I want a little one, mama!”
Ta-da!
She got her little pumpkin, and I picked out a larger one for our front porch. I think she was pretty excited about the whole thing.
Pumpkins are all fun and good, however, Camille has been much less enthusiastic about some of the darker aspects of Halloween. I got her costume at a local party store, and took her with me to pick it out so I could try it on her first. But I didn’t consider the in-store Halloween decorations. As soon as we walked in the door, she wrapped herself so tightly around me and started saying, “No. No. No. No. Camille got scared!” There were all sorts of ghoulish creatures posed throughout the store. I realized I was in over my head when she pointed to a devil with red glowing eyes and asked, “This, Mama? This?” I wasn’t ready for a conversation about devils, so I just said it was a pretend monster and moved quickly past it.
Now, she quite regularly tells us she’s scared of practically any and every Halloween decoration other than pumpkins. I can’t decide if she’s really scared, or just enjoys the attention, but I keep trying to explain to her that they’re not real. “Not real. Just pretend,” she repeats.
Apparently, this is happening at school too. One of her teachers told me today that any time they do a Halloween activity, she has to take Camille into a different room because she says she’s scared.
Tomorrow morning, I hope to help her to re-focus on some of the fun parts of the season when we go to a fall festival complete with pony rides and a train. Then in the afternoon, she gets to wear her costume for the first time when we go to Oatland Island’s Halloween Hike. Busy day – bring it on!
Here’s my favorite internet photo of the day (that does not involve my daughter – hers are always my favorites).
It’s a new bushbaby at the Woodland Park Zoo! OH MY GOODNESS!
Found this photo on one of my new favorite websites, zooborns (thanks for showing it to me, Lee!). And yes, I have plenty of real work to do, but we all need a fun diversion once in a while, right?
Hi sweet girl and Happy 27 month birthday! You’re
all snuggled down in your fleecy pajamas for the first time this
season, thanks to a cold front that has our temps dipping into the 40s
tonight. Your Daddy and I refuse to turn on the heater just yet,
because we know it’ll get warm again in a matter of days. Actually, the
cool weather is wonderful, and arrived just in time to for some fun
fall activities.
Tonight, we went to our neighborhood Fall
Festival and had a blast. You and your friend Will loaded up in the
wagon for a short walk to the park where the neighborhood association
had a bouncy house, free food and drinks – even yummy chocolate cupcakes.
But best of all were the FREE PONY RIDES! You were quite smitten with
Snickerdoodle, the gray gelding who was carting kids around the square.
It took all your willpower to wait in line for your turn, but we sang
the “Have Patience” song and you persevered. I was actually a little
surprised by your eagerness – I mean, you love horses, but you are by
no means a daredevil. You know those little cars in the mall that you
can sit in and pay 75 cents for them to move gently to and fro? You
like sitting in those cars, but I can just go ahead and save my
quarters because you DO NOT want it to move. You don’t even like it if
the car next to you moves. “ALL DONE!” you say, and demand to be
removed, lest your car suddenly lurch to life.
As we waited in line, I
watched the bouncy horse carriage with some trepidation – could you
really be expected to hang on to that contraption? Would you get
halfway across the square and decide you’re “all done,” except Mommy
and Daddy wouldn’t be there to pull you off the carriage?
But you didn’t hesitate to jump onto the bench with Will and the driver to head off into the sunset on your sturdy steed.
I Heart Snickerdoodle from Ginger on Vimeo.
You
look incredibly calm and even nonchalant about the whole thing, but
spent a good deal of time tonight talking about Snickerdoodle, so I
think you had a really good time.
Sweet girl, your
transformation from baby into little girl grows more and more complete each day. When you were younger, you used to love going to
Michael’s craft store and looking at the racks and racks of little
plastic toy animals. We’d let you pick out one treasure, and now have a
nice collection of the creatures in your toy box. So last week, when I
needed to run to Michael’s, you agreed to come with me on the promise
of a new toy animal.
Like usual, you were delighted to see the
animals and spent a long time picking up penguins and polar bears,
trying to pick just the right one. After selecting a lion, we moved on
to the next aisle, where you spotted a pink feather boa. That
poor lion didn’t stand a chance. Once you took hold of those soft, hot
pink feathers, you gladly agreed to put the lion back in exchange. I
think your pink feather boa is very cute and sassy, and it’s also
further proof to me that you are indeed turning into a little girly
girl.
I’ve previously mentioned your growing affection for princesses despite
the fact that your Daddy and I never really tried to nurture that
affection – until now. Yes, I must admit to you – your Daddy and I have
begun exploiting the whole princess passion for our mutual benefit,
most notably in the area of potty training.
We’ve tried to be laid back about this whole potty training business.
Many months ago we bought you a training potty and didn’t push the
issue, but you seemed curious and would sit on it for a bit. But
suddenly back in May, you used it. Three times in a span of two days!
We felt this was a sign you were ready for potty training, so we
started encouraging you. But for whatever reason, you
didn’t use the potty again for about 5 months.
Then a few weeks ago, you decided to use the potty again! Elated, we
really turned up the encouragement. As we would talk to you about how
GREAT it is to use the potty, we’d talk about all the other people you
love who also use the potty. But what you seemed to really latch on to
was the idea that princesses go tinkle in the potty too! “Like
Cinderella!” you say. “And Belle! And Jasmine! And Ariel!”
I can honestly say I’ve never seen a princess go tinkle in any of the
Disney movies, but I’m fairly certain I’ve heard no mention of diapers
either, so I don’t feel that I’ve lied to you in any way. We’ve just
tried to help you see that going potty is a very princess thing to do. I even bought you princess underwear and let you wear them around the house. What a big girl you are!
I’ve had many, many reasons to be proud of you this month, and one of them happened while I watched you play with cousin Stella. In general, you’ve been having a difficult time sharing your toys. “Mine!” is one of your favorite words, and often seems to play on a loop when other children are around. A couple weeks ago, we were visiting with baby Stella when someone brought out an old keyboard for your entertainment. You love to bang at the keys on a keyboard and announce, “Mille working!” So I sensed trouble when Stella crawled over to see what you were up to. I reminded you about the importance of sharing, and you made room for her to type alongside you. But soon, Stella had crawled on top of the whole keyboard, preventing you from reaching any keys. You sat back and looked at her, and I was ready to intervene if you got angry. After all, Stella is much too little to know better.
But instead, you leaned forward and gave her a big hug. Then you turned away and found another toy. What a sweet, sweet girl you are.
This month has had a lot of high points, but it’s been a really hard month too. Last week, Grandma Lou passed away. It’s hard for me to write about, and even harder to imagine explaining it to you. She was your great-grandmother and was one of the kindest, gentlest souls you could hope to meet. She accepted me into the family and always made me feel welcome, but there’s nothing that warms my heart like watching someone love you. And Grandma Lou did love you.
At her funeral, her hairdresser came over to talk to us. She recognized you immediately from all the pictures Grandma Lou brought to the salon. Said she felt like she watched you grow up through Grandma’s stories and photographs, which were always shared with pride and love. I’m so glad Grandma Lou got to meet you, and I’m so sorry you won’t likely have your own memories of this wonderful lady. But your Boo, your Auntie, your Daddy and I will tell you stories so she can still be a part of your life, because she’ll always be a part of ours.
Your Daddy and I briefly considered not taking you to the out-of-town funeral, because we weren’t sure how you’d handle the situation or how we’d be able to handle it as well. But I’m so glad you were there. Through all of our heartache and tears, you were often like a ray of sunshine to brighten the room. We spent several days at Grandma’s house, and you really had a great time there. It’s what Grandma would’ve wanted.
Boo introduced you to the swing set she used as a child. I showed you which trees grow those delicious blueberries you enjoy every year. Your Daddy took you to the creek to look for bullfrogs. Boo showed you how to climb the old fig tree. And you helped us smile.
I’m so thankful for you, sweet Camille. Thankful for your tender kisses, your wild laughter, your funny faces and your curious spirit.
I love you more and more each day.
Several months ago, I heard that a group of people were organizing to support the development of a Children’s Museum in Savannah. I was vaguely interested – I want to encourage the arts, and I’m always looking for something fun to do with Camille. But in my mind, a museum was a place to hang art or display objects that cannot be touched, and I wasn’t sure how exactly a children’s museum would work.
Then a friend told me about the Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry, and it sounded like a lot of fun. I had an opportunity to visit Jeff, Michelle and Stella when they were on a trip to Charleston last week, so we decided to all go check it out.
AND IT WAS AWESOME!
Tucked into what appeared to be an old warehouse in downtown Charleston, was a haven of fun where kids can learn, explore and imagine. I don’t know which exhibit was my favorite. Camille and Jeff liked this one, where you learn about the natural water cycle and how we use dams and other mechanisms to control water. Camille was a bit young for the lesson, but she enjoyed playing with the boats and plastic sea creatures while Jeff tried to float a barge through the play town without flooding the crops (I think Jeff liked it as much as the kids did).
We also loved the room with a huge shrimp boat, complete with nets you could cast over the edge to haul in plastic fish and shrimp, and scales to weigh your catch. They even had rain boots and ponchos for the kids to wear.
Then, it was on to the pretend grocery store, with kid-sized shopping carts and all sorts of healthy (fake) food on the shelves. Camille would’ve put everything in her cart if I let her (girl, I know the feeling – never go grocery shopping when you’re hungry), but I encouraged her to stick to the 6-item limit and take her cart to the super-cool checkout, where Uncle Jeff was waiting to ring her up.
Camille Goes Grocery Shopping from Ginger on Vimeo.
There was an infant/toddler play area too, with lots of tunnels and soft blocks and baby dolls, even a few comfy chairs for nursing mothers. Stella was quite happy in this room too!
One of my favorite exhibits was the castle/medieval room. Kids climb the spiral staircase to find miniature medieval beds, benches, and even costumes. Camille snagged this wizard getup and marched around the castle, happy as could be.
If we lived in Charleston, we’d be getting a museum membership. Better yet, I need to find out who’s organizing the effort to bring a children’s museum to Savannah and get involved. We need one of these!