Silly parents

I really love my parents but they are rather dimwitted at times. Take Papa for instance, all Izzie has to do to get picked up is coo a few times, offer one of her toothless smiles and wave around her arms. She has papa wrapped around her little finger, which is exactly where I had him.

Long overdue Halloween photos

Papa has been delinquent when it comes to posting these Halloween photos. So instead of a long, detailed blog on how that night, which I can barely remember now, unfolded, we're just going to post the photos with a few comments.
As you can see, maman is very efficient in putting on my Heffalump costume. If this were papa, well I'd still be getting dressed.

There had been some preliminary discussion about Izzie joining me on my trick-or-treating expedition. As the temperatures plunged below the freezing mark and the lack of a costume, we decided that Izzie would wait to celebrate Halloween until next year.

Before I could venture outdoors, I had to make sure I could collect my loot. So instead of turning to an empty pillowcase for my goodie bag, we opted for a bright, orange pumpkin sack. In the end I think it was a good choice, although I think my pumpkins were prettier.

Not having papa on the Halloween trail would have been unfortunate. He has a way of circumventing all the houses where they wouldn't appreciate my cuteness and taking me directly to the places with all the candy. That is a very handy talent for your Halloween chauffeur.

Once we got back from the outdoor escapade, I dove into my treats. I don't think I had every fully experienced a sugar high until that night. Maman and papa kept a close eye on what I was eating but relented as I reached into the Smarties bag and then the cheezies bag and then grabbed a Hershey's kiss. Considering I haven't seen any of those treats since Halloween, I've come to understand that won't happen all the time.

But here's my broader question. When something like chocolate tastes so good, how does one help themselves to those cravings. At this point I must say, chocolate is definitely better than Dora. I wonder what else chocolate is better than?

The only think better than trick-or-treating myself was watching all the ghosts and goblins running around from our front window. My efficient use of my evening allowed more time for chocolate consumption while others were still cashing in on the candy sweepstakes.

Near the end of the night, I decided that my Heffalump costume was getting a bit hot so I turned to a more appropriate attire. I decided to keep in the evening's theme, so I put on Mr. Potato Head's glasses and tried to pass myself off as a walking potato. So when does Halloween come again?

Taking matching to the extreme

When it comes to making sure Izzie and I are outfitted well each time we venture outside, maman is amazing. However, she does tend to go a tad crazy from time to time. For instance, the other day she decided that it was important that Izzie and Belle were matching as they went for a walk. No seriously it was all her idea, papa and I had no influence on the decision.

A weekend of playing

Normally I love the rain. Papa says Izzie and I have to adapt to these downpours so I'll feel at home when we move to British Columbia later in life. For the record, maman rolls her eyes when he says things like this.
Maman and Izzie were hanging out on Saturday night. We were all reading books and taking turns holding Izzie. Personally, I think I don't get enough opportunities to hold my little sister. I love it when papa holds me up by my ankles, but strangely they don't like it when I do the same to Isabella. Odd.
I don't mind when Izzie and I play together but she has to learn, what's her's is mine and what is mine is mine. The other night she was trying to snatch my Lumpy, Thumper and orange fish. Silly her. I politely reminded her of the internal hierarchy in the house, showed her the org chart and told her to find something else to play with.

Fabulous Fall

I understand that I promised the blog Halloween pictures but the recent dusting of snow in New Brunswick has made me realize how beautiful fall is and how I want to promote all things green for as long as possible. One of the great things about visiting Bouctouche -- other than making fun of grand-papa -- is playing in the backyard. Belle and I were jumping through piles of fallen maple leaves, picking the remnants of grand-papa's grapes and chasing each other over the damp grass.
Papa had me well outfitted in warm clothes and we both came armed with dog treats so Belle wouldn't run in the muddy, insect-infested pond that she so adores. The morning was crisp, you could almost taste the season change with moisture in the air. I love fall.

Election day

No, thankfully New Brunswick is not having another election. However, Belle hasn't stopped yammering on about the U.S. midterm election that is happening today. All she wants to talk about now is food and whether the Democrats can take back both the House of Representatives and the Senate. She hasn't taken her eyes off of CNN for weeks, I think she is developing an unhealthy attachment to Lou Dobbs and Wolf Blitzer.

Grandmaman Christmas obsession starts now

I love grandmaman but even I had to chuckle when I arrived in Bouctouche on Friday and saw not only a fully decorated Christmas tree, but all her nutcrackers, festive lights and figurines placed all over the house. I checked papa's watch to make sure I hadn't somehow missed the entire month of November. Nope, it's still November but entering grandmaman's house is like being transported directly into another world, a very Christmas-y world. The only thing missing, however, is a little hand-crafted Merry Christmas/Joyeux Noël train. Not like that is a hint or anything.

Happy All-Hallows Eve

Preparations for this Halloween started weeks ago. Everything worth celebrating involves meticulous planning and lots of paint. Last year, Papa and I toured the neighbourhood, knocking on doors and friends were giving me candy. It was a splendid affair. This year, much more would be involved, so I thought it only beneficial to start tracing the ancient origins of this rather odd event.
For instance, it's pretty bizarre to start carving pumpkins. As it turns out, some guy named Jack tricked an evil spirit into a tree, he carved a cross on the tree and then when he died he couldn't go to heaven or below. Jack was relegated to walking around the earth for eternity. So now we mock Jack annually by carving funny faces on pumpkins and calling them Jack 'o laterns. That will teach him for trapping evil spirits in trees.
To properly do Jack justice, it takes a lot of effort. Maman and I sat down in the kitchen, newspapers spread across the floor and paint splashed in colourful dishes. When it came to painting my pumpkin, I was all business. Paint brush in one hand and a fistful of paint in the other, my gourd began its transformation. I was yearning to give my pumpkin a unique design that would set it apart from all the other candle-lit fruit sitting on the steps. I hovered over that gourd for minutes, splattering paint in just the right direction to achieve the design that would really make my masterpiece stand out in a crowd .
Before I knew it, the paint somehow seeped onto me. This always seems to happen, I start painting on a piece of paper or pumpkin and next thing I know, someone might as well have placed me on an easel. I could feel papa's eyes rolling from across the kitchen because he knows how paint that is supposed to "come off in water" really doesn't. But I assured papa, that this was the only way to properly release my creative power.
I can't believe all this decoration led up to tonight, where I would run around Leisure Avenue, knocking on doors, smiling for strangers and being handed free candy. Maman and I found this wonderful Lumpy costume at the Disney store in Moncton a few weeks ago. So this Halloween, I was a Heffelump. Personally, I feel there weren't many other kids out tonight as cute as I was, but that's only my opinion. Unfortunately, papa only took pictures of my costume on the slow camera, so proof of how cute I was will take a few days. Rest assured, though, I was pretty cute.
What is immediate, is the proof of how much candy I scored from the lovely people of Lincoln Heights. Coffee Crisps, suckers, Smarties, chips, cheezies, sweet'n'sour candies, chocolates, you name it, it landed in my bag. Once I returned home, I ditched the head gear and gloves and then plowed into my goodie bag. Now I understand the concept of a sugar rush that papa always warns me about. I don't think I've ever consumed so much chocolate in such a short period of time. I was a baby bouncing off the floors, couches, walls, dogs, whatever was in my way.
I have to say, for a weird ritual dating back to the ancient Celts, I'd say I made off pretty well tonight. I can't wait until next year, when I can actually say "trick or treat" without being too shy.