3 Halloween Costumes = 1 Lesson in Parenting

It all started with the ill-conceived idea for a sheep costume.  So cute, right?  Puffy, soft, and totally endearing; it was candy-getting' gold!  Well, I'll have to show it to you on the model hired by Pottery Barn, because my little darling wanted absolutely nothing to do with it.  Plus, when I put the hat on she alternately thought I was a kitty cat and a bunny.  Confusing, to say the least. 

See how this kid's not screaming?  Yeah, that would have been nice.

Moving on...

Next, Andy and I headed to Target to pick up what I naively thought was going to be a sure thing.  Ava is obsessed with princesses, so a sparkly Cinderella dress (no head gear required) was the answer to our problems, yes?  Uh, no.  That too was met with ear-piercing screams, and thrown directly to the floor. 

This final fit happened about half an hour before we were leaving for Boo at the Zoo, and Mama was gettin' desperate.  Who was going to give candy to a kid dressed up as, well, nothing?!  I ran to her closet and pulled out an Iowa cheerleader dress someone had given us last year.  It was a size too small and didn't even cover her diaper, but matched with some tights, and an old pom-pom from the toy box, it was the best we were going to do. 

This time, no tantrums, and she had a ball at the zoo.  She gamely ran from station to station, holding out her bag for candy with an enthusiastic "trick or treat!", offering up a polite and hearty "thank you!" with each treat she was given.  But I think the best part of this debacle was that her coat covered the whole costume, so most of the time you couldn't tell what she was anyway.  *sigh* 

The only thing she actually cared about was that red sucker in her hand.  She didn't put it down until we got home.

More trick-or treating tonight, in a cheerleader dress that fits.  Pics to come.  Happy Halloween!

Milestones

Kids come with lots of milestones.  Some are big (first steps, first words, the first time you get more than 20 minutes of sleep after they're born), and some are smaller, but no less thrilling for them and you.  Saturday morning we had one, and  - at least for us - it was a biggie. 

It was The First Haircut.  (And yes, the boldface print was necessary.)

We went to one of those places that specializes in cutting children's hair.  It was perfect - cartoons, chairs shaped like little cars and motorcycles, and everything from the walls to the floors covered in festive colors and kid-centric artwork.  It made me wish I was five and in need of a trim. 

Ava however, smelled trouble.  As soon as we tried to put her in the little red fire truck that should have been her seat, she lost it.  It was clear we wanted her to do something, and equally clear to her that she wanted nothing to do with whatever it was.  Luckily, it wasn't the stylist's first rodeo.  She distracted Ava with a cool toy and let her sit in her dad's lap.

Then she presented Ava with her first-ever lollipop, which she - literally - sucked on for the next 2 hours.

It was all over in record time, and topped off with a jaunty pink bow. 


Well hello, gorgeous.

And once we were done, she decided those cool chairs weren't so scary after all.

Hopefully this is the last motorcycle she'll ride.  Ever.

Have a great week!

Is "autumn" a color? If so, I think it's mine.

Fall is in the air.  The temperatures are dropping, the sweaters and boots have come out of hibernation, and recipes for hearty soups and stews that have been laying in wait all summer have found their way into the cast iron pot once more.  I do love summer, but there's something about changing leaves and the need for a warm pair of socks when you get out of bed in the morning that I find exhilarating. 

And what better way to kick off the season than a trip to a local pumpkin patch?

"I like this one!"

The look on her face in this one cracks me up.

 

They also inexplicably had a bunch of hula hoops lying on the ground.  Score!!



Ava and Brady liked the giant climbing-pumpkins.

We walked away with two fabulous pumpkins.  We haven't done the carving yet, but I have a feeling Ava's recent obsession with Mickey Mouse is going to factor into the design plan. 

A few days later Ava helped us put the jack-o-lantern lights along the front path.  And by "helped", I mean "stuffed the heads full of leaves". 

Ok, so I'm not sure if autumn is my color, but it is definitely Ava's.

It was time for something new.

Denver is an amazing place to raise a family, and we like to pride ourselves on taking full advantage of everything this fabulous city has to offer.  But even with all we do, we're always on the lookout for something new.  Enter, The Denver Museum of Nature and Science.  Now, before you wonder if we've been living under a rock for the last 4 years, let me assure you that we know the museum has been here forever, and Andy and I have been there quite a few times by ourselves.  The "new" part is introducing it to Ava and seeing it all through her eyes.  I love this part of being a mom.

I wanted to make sure that Ava's first impression of the museum was a good one, so on the advice of the lovely lady at the ticket counter we hot-footed it straight to the Kid's Discovery Zone.  It was the right choice.



Andy had a good time too.



We spent so much time in there that the only other room we made it to was the Space Odyssey.  Also, a very good choice.

We flew a spaceship...

Retrieved moon rocks...

And learned all about planet earth...

I'm sure it goes without saying that I now have another membership card to keep track of.