The magic of Halloween?

Super Evan!
Evan dressed up as Superman for Halloween. He was cute in his cape and red hair.
We went to the mall - how depressing. We remember when we were kids, going door to door with our friends, visiting houses spooked out with fake witches and cob webs, playing pretend in our costumes. However, at Arden, we were like herds of cattle, barely able to move forward, let alone breathe well. Lots of older kids where there in search of candy. Participating stores stood out front with baskets of candy, handing out one piece at a time to people who stood in long lines. And there were tables of marketing folks lined down the middle of the mall handing out coupons and getting people to fill out their personal information to win free prizes. What happened to the cavity-causing, fear-inspiring, fun-loving childlike magic of Halloween???

Oh, and at one point, an older lady stopped me to say some interesting words to me... not "Where does he get his red hair?" or, "That's a cute costume," or, "You have a booger on your nose," but, "It's so nice to see some white folks tonight." What???

Next year we'll go from door to door, and if the kids in our neighborhood aren't doing that, then we'll travel to a neighborhood that does. Bring back the magic of Halloween!

It's haaaaaaaaard. It's haaaard work....

Our family is a proud member of the reality-based community.

Please vote november 2.

15 months

Today we were driving in the car, and I turned up the music -- "No sleep 'till Brooklyn" by the Beastie Boys. Immediately I heard Evan giggling in the back seat. I turned around, and he was head banging. Might I add: he's got good rhythm.

Words
He's starting to say lots of new words. Today we saw a toy train, and I said, "Look! A train... choo choo" and he said "too too." I'm not sure if he was trying to say "train" or "choo choo."

He points out many cars throughout the day and says, "ca!" but sometimes it sounds more like, simply, "ah!"

He says book: "bow" (he blows a raspberry while saying "b.")

He says balloon: "a-boo"

He says Barney: "a-boo."

He says up: "up!" or "uh" while pointing to the ceiling.

Yes, we can actually tell the difference between these words, but we don't expect others to!

Circles
Today I read him a book that explained shapes. I decided to focus on the circle, so after showing him the one in the book, I showed him others around his room: his ring-shaped toys, his bear's button nose, the circle-shape of his teddy's eyes. I then grabbed circle-shaped blocks. He got a sparkle in his eye, took the block, and put it up to my eye with a big smile on his face. Yes, my eyes are also shaped like circles.

Body parts
Earlier, we read, "Where is baby's belly button?" When I got to, "Where are baby's feet?" he immediately pointed at his own foot, then bent over and pointed at my foot. I had made that same connection for him a couple weeks ago. He remembered!

Family outing
Last weekend, we went on a family hike. We drove north of Folsom (off hwy 49) to a day campground and hiked/walked to the American River. The path is meant for strollers and wheelchairs, so it wasn't difficult, but it was peaceful. We kept enjoying the sound of quiet. We forget how noisy the computer and traffic are. Evan explored every twig and leaf along the way.

Mr. Laid-back
His personality lately is extra sweet. He listens well. He seems really concerned about making us happy and doing what we ask (for the most part). I realize that now that I've said that, his brain is preparing itself for many, many tantrums. But we're enjoying him now.