My little Minnie Mouse

I love Halloween on a military post!  I love that everyone gets in on the act--parents and kids--it's a family affair. I love that everyone in a neighborhood sits out on their front porch (weather allowing) and passes out candy together. Most of all, I love that trick-or-treating has a time limit--no starting in the morning, and no doorbells ringing at 11:00pm. I also love that I know so many of my neighbors and they all got to see my sweet Minnie Mouse. This year, I saw Halloween through my daughter's eyes, and I wouldn't have missed this for the world. We'd talked about dressing up as Minnie Mouse for a few weeks, but I didn't let her see the costume until tonight because dress-up is her favorite thing to do these days and I didn't want to ruin the costume or have it lose it's appeal before t-or-t-ing. While we ate dinner, I told her we were going to dress up and go get treats and she wasn't too sure she wanted to dress up, but when I got out the costume, she saw it and started peeling off her regular clothes. Her eyes widened with serious disbelief when I got out my makeup box and told her she was going to get to wear Mommy's makeup (mascara on her nose and cheeks). 

We started out with our neighbors, Pammie and Maddie, who ran from door to door boldly, but C wasn't so sure about going up to strangers and talking to them (not necessarily a bad trait!) and we were left lagging behind. After the first house, she came back to Mommy and Grammy and said, "I got a treat!" with some surprise. The expression on her face when I said we could go get more treats made me giggle. I'm not sure she believed me right away. I was so impressed with C's politeness tonight. At some stops she forgot to say "trick or treat," but only once did she fail to say "thank you" (and that was toward the end and I think she was just tired.) Most of the time the order got confused and she'd say "thank you," and then "trick or treat." But everyone thought that was just the cutest thing. A few people didn't believe she was (just a week shy of) three years old. She spoke up loud and boldly after she got used to the whole ritual. Such a grown up girl! Everyone thought she was adorable as Minnie Mouse (the only one I saw all night). At one house, the treat-giver must have said, "you're so cute." three or four times. When she came back down the steps to Mommy and Grammy, she quipped, "I'm cute."  A few houses later she started announcing, "Minnie Mouse is here!" as we climbed the steps of the porch. We laughed so hard. 

As far as her treats go...she was very proprietary over her pillowcase, wouldn't even let Grammy or Mommy carry it for her when her arms were really drooping. She wouldn't let the givers put the treat directly in the bag, she carried the bag up, took the treat, and then brought the treat and bag back to G & M to put hold the bag open for her and she would place it in. When she received more than one treat at a house, she would meticulously place one treat in the bag at a time. 

I was also really impressed by her responsibility. She got a piece of gum open and was chewing it for a while before I realized she had her first piece of gum in her mouth. She didn't swallow it, just chewed it for a while. When she was done, she pulled it out, held it up and said "Mommy throw this away." She didn't swallow it, throw it on the ground, but gave it to me to toss. What an awesome kid! 

By the time it was all over and we headed back home, she was so tired, but she still told us all about the evening: "being Minnie Mouse in the dark, and say trick-or-treat and thank you, and get treats! It's so much fun! Go home, show Grammy and Papa my treats. I share with them. I share with you." (So sweet--she was willing to share treats with us, without being asked!) I guess the challenge tomorrow will be explaining to her that just because she dresses up as Minnie Mouse again, she doesn't necessarily get treats! Then again, I think the dressing up part was the bigger hit of the night.

In more detail #5: Red Barn Farm

Earlier this month we went to the Weston Red Barn Farm, north of Leavenworth. When I told C we were going to the farm, she got so excited. "We're going to see pumpkins?" yes. "We're going to see goats?" yes. "We're going to see cows?" yes. "We're going to the farm!" She was ready to go and at the door in seconds, no dawdling. She is fascinated with farms and all the animals on them, and enamored with pumpkins. She shouts and points at any pumpkin or jack-o-lantern she sees. All the way to the farm C babbled about all the things that would be at the farm. When we got to the ponies, it was all I could do to keep her waiting in line and not shoving forward. She held her own tickets and was so grown up when she handed her ride pass to the pony handlers. When we went to pick our pumpkin, I thought I'd have to talk her out of a big giant one. Not so. She went straight to the bins of small pumpkins and went through them, obviously searching for her ideal. It turns out she was hunting for the smallest one. Too cute. Outside the pony corral, a small haystack pile was set up for children to climb, slide and jump on. C joined in with the other children who were playing. We left, to get a snack, and C kept wanting to go back for more jumping and sliding on they hay pile.

In more detail #4: Renaissance Festival

South of Leavenworth in Bonner Springs, technically a suburb of Kansas City, is the site of theKansas City Renaissance Festival . This is an incredibly huge event with vendors, crafters, games, performers and experiences all set in the renaissance period. I've been to a renaissance festival before, and I was impressed that this one didn't just use "Renaissance (generic) Europe" as its setting. There was a bandit's den, a more "orient" area and the other areas each had a different geography from Europe as its theme. C got to feed some goats, which were quite feisty about getting to their treats, getting a tad intimidating for her (they tried to nibble a bit on her dress!) We also got to ride on a giant swinging boat that was literally man-powered...by two men pushing it. Unfortunately I didn't get pictures of that. C played one of the games, in which she had to try to throw rings on bottles. Now, they didn't have pony rides available, but we took advantage of another option--a camel and elephant! C giggled as both of them began. I found out that the elephant's backbone was surprisingly prominent. Oh, and we also had to get her a princess outfit. Not exactly authentic, but she oohed and ahed over it, so I indulged. Check us out!

In more detail #3: AppleFest

Honestly, I wrote the most interesting thing about Applefest on my previous post: that C was chugging the apple cider. I mean, seriously, I asked her if she wanted a sip of mine, and she took the cup and handed it back to me, empty, about a minute later! However, we also got to go on another pony ride. Here's the pix. 

In more detail #2: Ciderfest

South of Kansas City is a little town called Louisburg, "famous" for it's apple cider and the mill that makes it. During apple season they offer tours of the mill. There's also a quaint little country store where they make quite tasty cider donuts. The first weekend in October it's the site for the Louisburg Ciderfest; we went on Saturday, the 4th. There's a corn maze, and a big ol' pile of pumpkins to choose from. The crowd was crazy that day, and the craft vendors were plentiful. Along with the craft fair, a vendor offered pony rides. Of course, that was something C had to do. She sat that little pony so confidently that the man running it asked if she'd ridden before. Maybe horseback riding is in her future? (Every time I think something like that, I imagine all the number of things that could be in her future...how wonderful to have so many possibilities!) We got to taste the Louisburg Cider on Sunday at the Weston Applefest. C loved it. She guzzled down a full cup and a half of it. I'm thinking that sometime soon we'll have to get down there and buy some. 

in more detail #1: Raggs

Now that things have begun to slow again, I wanted to share about some of our adventures in more detail and post some pictures. 

Relatively recently C discovered the Raggs show on PBS, as it was on when I turned on the television one day. Shortly thereafter, my friend Kimberly told us about taking her daughter Sophie to a Raggs concert out in Virginia--so I knew that a live-show/concert existed. The last 

weekend in September, I was reading the newspaper and came across a very small blurb about a Raggs concert in Liberty, Missouri...not too far for us to go. I don't know that I would have noticed it if I hadn't known the event existed. On the 3rd of October then, I skipped the gym and we were off to the concert. We got a third row seat and bought a paw for C to

 wear during the concert (imagine one of those big foam fingers that fits over your hand at a football game, only shaped like a pawprint). We also picked up a new "friend" at the concert, a beanie-baby sized version of Trilbie, one of the Raggs band members. C bopped and wiggled through the concert. She did a pretty good job of following the storyline of the performance, and she tried to do the dance moves that the dogs did. Her face lit up when they threw the bucket of "water" confetti on the audience; they got us! Of course, that meant  she asked (excuse the hyperbole) another 42 times when they were going to do it again. Here she is, rockin' it out. 

slowing down

Ah, finally, a slow-down. This week we had an ear infection, which meant lots of mommy & me time for the little one. It does explain why she's been so ultra-clingy lately, not to mention cranky and just plain unpleasant to be around. Granted, we've been so busy, I'm pretty sure that she hasn't had enough at-home, attention-from-mommy time. We also had some guests this week: my friend Leta and my 20-month old goddaughters (twins!) What an eye-opening experience. Leta has my utmost respect for being able to handle having two toddlers going through all the same stages--at the same time. They were here for 3 1/2 days, and now that I am back to the one, I'm feeling really relaxed. I'm really glad they came though. C enjoyed playing with the twins, even asking a) if she could keep Katie and b) where the friends were when she woke up the morning after they left. It was so nice for Mommy to have a grown-up to talk to in the evening and the night time. That's the hardest time, I think, during a deployment. For now, though, we're back to the new normal.

For her card...

This is what I want to write in my daughter's birthday card this year. 

Dear C,

Months ago you started talking about your birthday. How you would eat cake and be three! Then you decided you loved ballet.  I think you dress up as a ballerina (aka princess) every single day. You also love kitties right now, and talked about the kitty-fleece-fabric we saw one day at Wal-Mart for three months. Since we're celebrating you today, it's all about the things you love. So we're having a ballet birthday party. You're dressed up as a ballerina. I'll be making your cake this year, and I've made the ballet ribbon wands for your friends to dance with at the party. I bought that fabric and have spent hours making it into a blanket for you. I really wanted it all to be perfect, because I love you so much. I tried really hard to make that blanket perfect. Then I realized something: you'll love this blanket. Right now you'll love it because you're three, it's soft, it's got kitties on it, and it's pink! But later I hope you still love it, when you realize how imperfect it is...because your Mommy made it, thinking of you and trying to make something you'd love. Mommy did her best. When you're older, maybe it will have a message for you about perfection, about love, or about doing your best. I hope it does.

Oh, how the days go by...

Well, I wanted to make sure that C and I had plenty to keep us busy with F gone. I have succeeded far beyond my wildest imaginings. Our ability to "go and do" at this post is so far beyond our ability to "go and do" at Irwin, it astounds me. Let's see, lately we've been to gymnastics class, dance class, a Raggs concert (visit www.pbskids.org for who Raggs is.) the Louisburg Cider Festival, the Weston Apple Festival, the Weston Red Barn Farm and pumpkin patch, a production of Richard Scarry's "Busy Town" by Theatre for Young America, the KC Renaissance Festival and KC chocolate festival, and that's only in the month of October! Of course, there's still more on our calendar to get us to the end of the month, then even more to get us to Thanksgiving and I think we get to breathe a little before Christmas...oh yeah, then we get to get ready for Christmas! If I have a chance later, I'll give some of the details of our outings, but right now, I just wanted to let y'all know what we're up to.