Halloween is Fun!

Haley was excited to wear her Halloween costume today.  I let her wear it to school.  I didn't know if other kids in school would be wearing costumes, but her costume was a t-shirt and a hat.  If the teacher or assistant made her take off her hat she would just be wearing a pretty cool t-shirt.

I painted her nails Grinch Green too.

Her bus driver had to think a moment, but then she said "Dr. Suess's Grinch?"  

"Yes," I said.

"So we have a witch and The Grinch."

I said "Oh, that's cool."  I thought, "Good, Haley isn't the only one."

When she got off of the bus this afternoon the bus driver told me that she had a lot of fun today.  I don't know what she did, but she was bouncing off of that bus with a huge grin on her face.

I was hoping that this would be the year that Haley hands out candy.  Her Big Sis had told me that she was planning to go out to a Haunted House with some friends.  Her Big Sis has taken her Trick-or-Treating for the last several years.  I thought that if she wasn't home I could convince Haley that she needed to stay home and pass out candy.  

Haley's Big Sis decided not to go out.  

Her BFF came over and they were talking about costumes, so it seemed normal to Haley and she was ready to go.  I asked her sister if she was willing to take her out and she agreed.

I had a hard time getting Haley to focus on her dinner, she really wanted to go Trick-or-Treating.  Her sister didn't want to leave until it was dark.  We held her off for about twenty minutes and then Haley was going to go with or without her sister.  I got her shoes on and put a jacket under her t-shirt.  I went in to my stash of gift bags and got her a Christmas gift bag to carry for her candy collecting and they set out.

They were gone about forty minutes.  When they came back they went through their haul.

Haley's Big Sis mentioned that she thought we should go to their Fairy Godmother's house.  I agreed.  I needed to take BFF home anyway.  So we got shoes back on and got in the car.  Haley really loved seeing her Godparents, she really liked seeing their animals too.  They have a cat and a dog.  She got down on the floor with them and had a grand time.  Then we took BFF home.

When we got home as we were walking in to the house Haley declared "Halloween is fun!"

~ Haley's Mom

I am participating in 31 for 21 Blog Challenge this month. The challenge I have accepted is to blog every day in October to raise awareness for Down Syndrome. Learn more about Down Syndrome at the National Association of Down Syndrome.

Pumpkin Time

Haley's Big Sis drives the whole Halloween carved pumpkin tradition.  She always makes sure that we get the pumpkins and that they get carved.  

Well, she makes sure that hers gets carved. 

She has carved her own pumpkin every year.  I usually cop out and draw on Haley's.  I really can't stand the whole thing.  The cleaning out the seeds.  The carving.  Yuk!

This year Haley's Big Sis and her friend and I went to the pumpkin patch.  Haley was busy chasing the Daylight.  Haley's Big Sis got a pretty good sized pumpkin.  The rule always applies - she gets the pumpkin that she can carry.  I picked out Haley's pumpkin, it was easy to carry.

Tonight Haley's Big Sis decided it was time to carve her pumpkin.  She wanted me to come out to the garage with her and do Haley's pumpkin too.  I have had a plan in mind for quite some time.  I knew what her pumpkin would be when I picked it out.  

Haley's pumpkin goes with Haley's costume.

Haley has been shopping online for Grinch things all summer.  She brings me over and shows me the screen.  There have been t-shirts, pajamas, stuffed animals, pictures, videos and toys.  I paid attention.  I decided that Haley needs to be The Grinch this year.  I ordered a t-shirt and a hat a couple of months ago and put the costume away for her.

I drew a Grinch face on her pumpkin and then she came out to see what we were doing.

I think she liked it.

When I have something exciting to share with either of my girls I have a hard time keeping it to myself.  I figured I had waited long enough.  So I decided to show Haley her Halloween costume.

I think she liked it too.


~ Haley's Mom

I am participating in 31 for 21 Blog Challenge this month. The challenge I have accepted is to blog every day in October to raise awareness for Down Syndrome. Learn more about Down Syndrome at the National Association of Down Syndrome. 

You're a Mean One...

Haley loves Dr. Seuss's Grinch.  I mean she LOVES the Grinch.

When she is on her laptop she is either looking at steam engine videos, Schleich animals or Grinch merch.  She does more than that, but at any given moment you might see one of those things on the screen.  She multitasks, so she could also be watching a DVD at the same time.  

She has figured out that if she places her mouse just right a very tiny image of her chosen video will pop up so that she can surf the net and watch a movie at the same time.  

No one can every convince me that she isn't smart.

This summer Haley brought her iPod to me.  Usually when she does that she wants me to turn it on for her.  So I turned it on.  That was not what she wanted.  She got really agitated.  She wanted me to follow her.  I did.

She brought me to my desk (which she has taken over) and pointed at the screen.  She was on iTunes.  She had the soundtrack to "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" highlighted.  She was previewing the song "Your a Mean One Mr. Grinch."  She thrust her iPod at me.

"You want that song on your iPod?"  I asked.

"Yeah."  she said.

"Well, I can do that."  I told her.

It took me a few minutes because I had to open my iTunes account on my laptop to buy the song and then I took her iPod and connected it to my laptop.  When I had the song on her iPod I turned it on and handed it back to her.  

She was tickled pink.

It is the simple things in life that make it worthwhile, don't you think?

~ Haley's Mom

I am participating in 31 for 21 Blog Challenge this month. The challenge I have accepted is to blog every day in October to raise awareness for Down Syndrome. Learn more about Down Syndrome at the National Association of Down Syndrome.

Good Riddance

I finally took down and put away all of the Christmas decorations.

Don't get me wrong, I love my Christmas decorations. 

It is just that putting away the decorations means putting away the Christmas videos, specifically How The Grinch Stole Christmas.

Don't get me wrong, I love How The Grinch Stole Christmas.