Little Quack's Halloween

My goodness, this autumnal season has been quite the hit at our house. After the trip to the pumpkin patch, C's been enamored with every pumpkin she's seen. Of course this means Halloween (to)night was a bit overwhelming on the pumpkin front. We had to go see every pumpkin in every yard. We had to wait until this evening when Fred got home from work to carve our pumpkin into a Jack o'Lantern. I'm just glad C was enthralled by the process, rather than horrified by it.
Last year "Tigger" was quite content to stay at the house and help Daddy pass out treats. This year, "Little Quack" quite quickly figured out what was going on and wanted to go around to the houses and get treats of her own. She even insisted on carrying her own pillowcase to get her treats. By the time she got tired, she'd figured out how to say "Trick or Treat, Please." and "Thank You," without prompting. I was quite pleased by her use of manners. We made it around our cul-de-sac and up the connecting street's cul-de-sac and up the next one over before she decided she was tired of walking. All our neighbors and friends commented that C was very cute, especially when she'd say "quack quack". We chose a duck costume for her, based on the "Little Quack" books she enjoys having us read to her, repeatedly. She loved her costume, touching it often even before she got to wear it; it was so soft. I'm just glad that she enjoyed herself...well, that and that I took the stroller along for when she was done walking. Our dear "Little Quack" has had her Halloween.

Growth Spurt

Part excitement, part disbelief...that's what I'm feeling just now. We have to go shopping this weekend! C has once again run out of clothes that fit--she grew again. She _just_ graduated up to the 18 month clothes, and now we get to go buy 24 month clothes/and 2 T's, except pants. The 18 month ones finally fit. I love buying little clothes! I'm also really excited because Grandma Wong gave C an absolutely gorgeous dress for Christmas last year, and C can finally wear it comfortably, and we'll have an opportunity to wear it that it's suitable for--Christmas! Good thing Halloween is tonight, since C's costume is a bit on the tight side; any more waiting, and I think we'd be in a pinch, since I doubt it will fit in a week or so.

Moving Ticker

I've found this site that lets a user make just about any type of countdown tool that they want to. So, now I'm counting down to moving day...just for fun. I actually keep losing track of how much time is passing.

Pumpkin Patch adventures

C went to the "pumpkin patch" for the first time on Monday. Kimberly and I took Sophie and C down to Redlands where there was a pumpkin patch more like the ones I recall as a child. It had more of an agricultural feel to it rather than the pen with pumpkins on tables that was set up in Victorville. C and Sophie got to pick out their pumpkins for the season, climb on a giant "hay castle" and visit a little petting zoo.

C was delighted by getting up and close feeding the goats running in the pen. She wasn't at all scared of having them eat out of her hand. In fact, when she got crowded by them, she started chasing them and giggling. It was a hoot! She was actually more afraid of the animals that were inside pens that she couldn't touch. She wanted a big pumpkin, but I decided the rule would be that she could only have a pumpkin that she could carry. She was pleased with her pumpkin, and has been saying "pumpkin" for several days, finding pictures of them in magazines and on the television. It's quite cute

We did have quite the adventure on the way home. We made it to the bottom of the Cajon Pass, where the I-215 and the I-15 merge and the pass had to be closed because of the wildfires. There was even a time when I could have taken pictures of the guardrails along the median of the road we were driving on, in flames. Freaky! We almost had to stay in San Bernardino or Redlands, but I called Papa, my dad, and he found a long way around the mountain range so that we could get home that night. It was really late by the time C and I got to crawl into bed. I'm just glad I wasn't driving!

Wong Memory

I think C has inherited the Wong memory, also known as the memory of an elephant. I think I will have to be careful because she'll never forget anything I ever say...that I want her to. A month or so ago the axel on her wooden scooter cracked, and I sent it to Papa in the hopes that he'd have the woodworking tools to fix it or remake it. I put the remaining scooter parts in the garage. When we left to go in the car, she kept trying to ride it without the wheels, gouging the bolt into the pavement. I finally told her it was broken, but Papa was going to send us a part to fix it. After that, she left the scooter alone. Papa did indeed see to it that we got a new part, by asking the shop teacher at the local high school to do it, and we got the part about two weeks ago. (Yes, I'm just now getting 'round to blogging about it.) When I opened the package, I told C that we were going out to the garage to get her scooter. (I mentioned nothing about Papa at all!) She ran to the garage, shouted "Papa fix! Papa fix!" and started dancing around. She remembered what I'd told her weeks ago. It took a bit to get it put back together, as she kept trying to "help". Here she is though, happy girl, to have her toy back.

Smells like...

Ketchup. That's what a toddler smells like. You know how when they're babies, they always have that "baby" smell, sweet and soft, no matter if they're just bathed, or it's been a day between baths? Toddlers, at least my toddler anyway, smell like ketchup. All the time. Some days it seems like everything she eats must be dipped. She prefers ketchup, but will tolerate tomato sauce such as can be found on spaghetti, Spaghetti O's, or even for dipping things like mozzarella sticks. Yesterday she dipped her grilled cheese sandwich in ketchup...ewww...I think she ultimately ingested more ketchup than either cheese or bread. She was covered in it. She bathed, and even then still smelled like ketchup during the before-bed rocking ritual. Eeeeyuch!!! She still smelled like ketchup this morning. Then she proceeded to eat more things dipped in ketchup. I guess this means she's getting plenty of lycopene, right?

Music and Lyrics

Not exactly the kind the movie was about, but C is, of course, developing an ear for music and tunes. She's begun singing. Actually, this has been going on for some time, but I want to share about her progress before she progresses past the cute learning part. First, she sang notes with no particular syllabication. Then, she began picking up parts of songs. Instead of learning the beginning, then middle, then end, like most people, she started with her favorite portions. The first one I noticed it with was "Itsy Bitsy Spider." She started with "washed spider out" and then learned the rest of it. This song also, incidentally, helped her master the concept of "again." Yippee. She's gone on to "If you're happy and you know it..." She learned "know it" *clap hands* first. Her current favorite is "Ring around the Rosie." Her version: while spinning sings "rosies, rosies, ashes, ashes, down!" followed by plopping on the ground. The first part she got of that though was not the rosies, but the ashes! Most recently she's added the ABC song to her repetoire. She started with H, I, J; added O, P, R, S and now sings..."A, A, C, D, E, E, E, H, I, J, K, O, P, R, S, double Y, X, Z". It's getting there. I'll try to record it and figure out the whole posting a video clip thing sometime. It's awfully cute, but I think I'm a tad biased.

Concepts

Oh boy, C has discovered several new concepts in the last few days. It's amazing to see her little mind develop and understand new things. She came up with "princess" recently, even though she's never been exposed to any "princess" stories in tv, movie or book form. She's pulled out her Usborne touch & feel books on her own and keeps coming to me with "Look!" and showing me something new she's discovered. Most striking though, is "Catch!" followed by her throwing something at me. Today we worked all evening on throwing a ball, not Roley, books or packages of baby wipes, and she's doing better about throwing appropriate items. She also started doing better about waiting until I'm ready. She says, "ready, go!" and then throws. However, she doesn't always wait until I say "okay." Oddly enough, she's become enchanted by the Iron Chef on Food Network. I was flipping through channels and she crawled up on my lap and said "stop" when I got to it, her eyes big, making "ooh" noises and saying "hot!" referring to the steam she noticed. When I changed the channel, she looked back at me and said "No! Back! Hot!"I couldn't help but laugh. I think all the action is what held her attention. I don't think she knew it was food. Considering her food pickiness lately, I think the knowledge that it was food would have turned her off. I wonder what she'll learn, or figure out, next.

Clothing sizes update

I no longer feel like petitioning the children's clothing industry to change their sizing. C must have had a growth spurt since the last time I tried her 18 m pants on. Today she got to wear pants that fit! They were labeled 18 m. and they stayed on! So, she now wears 18 month pants, 18 month shirts, and 24 month dresses? How much sense does that make?

Lost Pounds

I heard a funny the other day from my British friend, Louise. I suddenly realized how much weight I'd lost, and blurted it out. She responded, "I'm sure it'll turn up again somewhere, in the couch cushions, in a purse pocket. Just keep looking." Then she explained, "That's a joke in the UK, since our money is in pounds, not dollars." I couldn't stop laughing! Here's my latest ticker, updated--even though the other posting updates when I change the data. I'm pretty thrilled with the results so far.

Crazy Kids' Clothing sizing

Okay, I'm just about up to "here" with the sizing on kids' clothing. C started out "normal"--when she was 3 months old, she outgrew the 0-3 clothes, when she was 6 months, she outgrew the 3-6 months clothes. However, she kept wearing 6-9 months clothes until she was 12 months, and wore the 12 months clothes until she was 21 months old. I know that's all because she's small, but now we've reached the ridiculous point. At 21 months, she started wearing 18 months shirts, and stayed in 12 month pants! She's still in mostly 18 month shirts (dresses and jumpers) and can wear some 24 month ones, if they're on the small side. Pants, on the other hand--12 month pants are now too short, but 18 month pants are sometimes the right length, but too big in the waist and fall off (I tried taking them in with the sewing machine, but they're not too big enough to have enough extra fabric to use)! BUT, I put her in 24 month/2T crops the other day, and THEY fit, at crop length and without falling off the waist. How bizarre is that? Dresses, skirts and jumpers are about the only thing I can find that fit the child correctly, but F doesn't want her in skirts all the time (just church, basically). He thinks pants are better for playtime. I feel like pleading with the kids' clothing industry--would somebody out there make a pant that'll fit my skinny kid!?

Go Fish!

This last weekend (4 October - 6 October) we went "down the hill" to see F's Uncle Peter and Aunt Amy. Our big event was visiting the Aquarium of the Pacific at Long Beach. C is quite enamored with fish right now, and there were plenty there for her to look at. As soon as we walked through the door, she squealed "fish" and wanted out of her stroller so she could get right up to the glass and see them up close. She was definitely impressed. I'd be hard pressed to figure out what her favorite part might have been. I just know that my favorite, the seals and sea lions, failed to capture her interest.

As for the travel part, it was a bit of practice for C and a trial run at how long we can drive without having to stop for a wiggle break (for our road trip to Leavenworth when we move). We stopped several places and shopped along the way, letting C push her own stroller and run around in the stores and mall a bit. The travel wasn't all that bad, actually, except for the fact that she thought she didn't need to go to sleep at night. We also learned that buffets are a "go", fast-food is a "go", but sit and be served places are definitely a "no-go"...for right now at least. Our best meal (comfort-wise) was probably the take-out pizza that we took back to our hotel. The worst was the cafeteria at the aquarium (C wanted her food NOW, and screamed until Daddy made it through the line). Soup Plantation was good, and the meal at the Sea Empress, while quite tasty, was uncomfortable because C just isn't quite suited to sitting still and eating right now.

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Cranky toddler

I've figured out why C's been in such a mood the last few days/weeks. She yawned this morning and I caught a good view of a second bottom molar on each side! No wonder she's been a whiny, fussy, particularly persnickity pickle with a runny nose and no appetite who's primary purpose in life was to drive Mommy bonkers!

Decisions, Decisions...

I feel like all I do these days is make decisions...or make decisions about making decisions. Ugh. After getting the news about moving, we had to decide about housing. First, we were going to put it off until Fred got some more specifics about dates and such, but I was browsing the available housing off-post in the Leavenworth area, and discovered that the houses I liked that were open one day for our intended time-frame, but were snapped up by the time I looked again, so we decided to decide about housing! I spent a number of days on the phone with friends more familiar with the area than I, and after much "going 'round", we have determined that the best choice for us is going to be taking on-post housing. Even though there's no guarantee of the type of housing we might be assigned, I'm confident that I'm more likely to regret not living on post for social support than I am likely to regret not living off-post so I could get a house with more perks.