I honestly didn't think that Haven would wear the lion's-head hood. I thought she would tear at it with her little hands, squealing and screaming to take it off. But something funny happened when she saw Sonja dressed as a butterfly: she totally got it. She even stood in front of the mirror and started roaring. And then she roared all through the park on our walk.
This is the walk we took before supper and before trick-or-treating. I wanted to make sure I got a bunch of pics while there was still daylight. And the girls were so cute; Sonja kept hugging Haven and Haven kept roaring and wanted to hold hands. Adorable.
Later on, the girls charmed the entire neighbourhood and amassed quite an impressive amount of loot. I had to limit Sonja to two mini chocolate bars and one box of raisins. Haven just wanted the raisins and was reduced to tears when I told her she couldn't take them with her into the bath. Turns out she was beyond exhausted and fell asleep almost immediately when I put her to bed. ...Fringe benefit of an over-stimulating evening.
Happy Hallowe'en!
Sonja has started a collection. She has turned one of her Converse shoe boxes into the place she keeps her treasures: leaves, shells, stones, and anything else she comes across that warrants being kept.
I confess that I've taken quite a few things out of the box. Things like disintegrating leaves and gravel and other things that likely won't be missed have made their way back to the great outdoors.
Sonja was little confused when she opened her collection today and noticed that her leaves were gone, but as I quickly explained, the park is full of leaves... Luckily she agreed.
Haven has no idea what the heck a collection is. She just really likes picking up sticks and leaves and stones.
Everyone wins.
The most amazing man in the world. The best man, the best father, the best friend, the best, the best, the best. I love you and miss you a tonne and look forward to when you can be home more.
It's no coincidence that I started writing this blog again at the same time you started travelling again. I know you read it; I know that it makes you smile and more homesick all at the same time. I also know you miss it terribly when I don't write.
This blog has always been a love letter to you. A love letter to Sonja and Haven and my family, but first and foremost to you.
Drive safely, be safe, come home to me. I miss you, my Love.
What do you do when your younger child is napping and you need to keep your older child occupied and quiet? You spend a lot of money at the craft store, that's what.
You cut paper dolls, paint paper crowns, glue googly eyes and sprinkles and macaroni and lentils and absolutely anything else onto brightly-coloured construction paper, let it dry and hang it on the fridge (if you can find room). And if you're as lucky as I am, you really enjoy it.
Oh, and you add a drop of dish soap to the paint so that it more easily washes off of skin and fabrics. I learned that one from a friend; feel free to pass it on.
But most importantly, you take a few moments to enjoy watching your child concentrate solely on creating something. It may look like a bunch of splattered paint, but there's a considerable amount of thought that goes into those swirls and dabs. It can be pretty mesmerizing to watch.
The paint, lentils, sparkles, googly eyes and random pieces of snipped paper will be everywhere. It's inevitable. You will get better at anticipating the degree of chaos and become more organized. Cleanup will get easier. Remember that it's a win-win situation; your child loves it and you will love it because they do.
And when they're done, they're done. You can encourage them to help you clean up, but don't expect volunteers. Be firm; you both made the mess together, so you both should clean it up. Having them put things in the garbage or recycling is a good place to start. Pretty soon they'll be wanting to help you wash the brushes.
And once the artwork is on the fridge, the craft supplies are put away and your younger child is awake, you get to look forward to doing it all again tomorrow. ...Look forward? Yeah, I guess so...
Crafts and kids are so much alike: so exhausting, so rewarding, totally worth it.
