Pre-Halloween Jitters

Halloween is less than a week away and Ian officially HATES his bug costume. We've muscled it on him a few times, but it will take a minor miracle to get him to wear it happily around the neighborhood. We're working with him on it daily, even wearing part of it ourselves to try to convince him that it's silly and not scary (the bug hood actually fits both Shawn and I..not what I consider 2T).

Yesterday, we headed back out to Remlinger Farms for pumpkins. I really wish I had put my foot down 2 weeks ago and demanded pumpkins then. At that time, they were all beautiful, perfect, and we had our pick from hundreds...maybe thousands. Yesterday, it was obvious that the patch had been worked over big time and barely a decent pumpkin was to be found. We did find 2 good ones and Shawn (again refusing the wheel barrow for some reason) carried them both back while I handled a muddy shoed 2 year old. We took the tractor ride back from the patch to the lot and it took the long way through the fields. Ian had the biggest smile on his face the entire time. It doesn't sound like much fun, but it was a really nice afternoon and it wasn't all bad. I realize now that we could have gotten pumpkins just as nice at the grocery store...but there's something about the pumpkin patch that completes my vision of the Halloween tradition.

Today, I set out upon the task of carving. We decided to do it outside, but it was extremely windy (not uncommon for our area). Ian was interested for a few minutes, but soon wanted to be on my lap, which usually doesn't work when you're holding a 8 inch serrated knife. He even said "Ian crib" and "Ian naps" a few times. A kid has to really dislike something to actually ask for a nap as an alternative! Needless to say, my pumpkin carvings turned out crummy. I soon realized that the $4 carving kit we bought was about $3.99 too expensive. The blades snapped off all the little knives before I even got through the first pumpkin. I managed to finish, but not before everyone had HAD IT with pumpkin carving. It was not at all what I imagined the event being. Oh well. At least I'll get a couple of pies and some roasted seeds out of the deal.

Below are a few pics of the weekend, including one "then and now" of Ian reading. He loves to (pretend) read and be read to... If I did nothing but read to him all day, I think he would be perfectly content. He even wants to be read to in the bathtub. I hope it's not just a phase. I would love to have a son who is as passionate about books as I am.

This week is a real whirlwind. I have one day that I don't leave work early or come in late...and on that day, I'm taking a long lunch with a friend. Ian has an Audiology appointment at Seattle Childrens tomorrow. I'm geared to pick him up from school right in the middle of nap time, so we'll see how that translates in his audiogram. He also has a mild cold, which sometimes skews the hearing tests. We'll see how it goes. In exchange for being good at the doctor's office, I promised him a "spicy milk", which is essentially steamed milk with a little bit of chai. He always gets so excited when he gets something that he perceives as only for grown ups.

Tuesday, he has his first dentist appointment. Our dentist is Chinese and has a boy Ian's age, so it should be interesting to see how they get along.

Wednesday marks the 1 year anniversary of when we left for China! We didn't officially arrive in Beijing until almost midnight on Halloween (a full day in the air), but that will be when we start travelling down memory lane.

Thursday, Ian has his 6 month Speech Therapy evaluation...also, 6 months from now, he will be ending his "birth to 3" state funded therapy program and will need to go through the school district for speech services. Thursday will be our appointment to start setting goals for his expected transition in March. Because he has unilateral hearing loss, it is expected that he will qualify regardless of his delay at that time. Ian does so well with his therapist that I want to continue as long as the "powers that be" will let us.

As earlier stated, Friday marks anniversary of our China trip, Day 1...Our first day of sight seeing in Beijing. It is also Halloween, which means the moment of truth for Ian and his bug costume! There's lots more happening on Friday, but I'll wait until then to share the details. Given the fact that the costume might be a flop, things might happen differently than I envision. I'll just think positive thoughts and wait to see what happens!

The "Screaming Bug"

Not to be confused with "The Tantrum Bug".

We thought showing him his costume in the mirror would help...

But then came out the "Get this thing off me now" bug.

Finally, the close relative "Stop crying for one picture so they'll take this off" bug.

Ian spots the pumpkin he wants

He was not expecting dirt to be part of the deal.

I can't believe how close I had that knife to my child's face and fingers. What was I thinking?

Checking out the pumpkin guts.

The insides of the pumpkin were ice cold. He was a good sport though.

Helping me scrape out the insides.

Lured away with gummy snacks while I finished the second pumpkin.

Braving the cold/wind with a smile