Things that go Bump....

Hello everyone! It's Fall and my favorite time of year - Halloween!!

Our annual Pumpkin Carve is coming up this Sunday...AND...I still don't have the kitchen cabinet doors finished (big surprise). Having guests able to see directly into our cupboards may turn out to be far scarier than any Halloween decoration I could buy!

This year's Carve should be interesting with a toddler running around the house. I am envisioning Hailey covered in pumpkin guts -which we would be scraping off the walls until New Year's. She already likes to reach inside the toilet up to her shoulder, so getting inside a pumpkin would be no big deal! I think my goal this year is not to create the scariest Jack-O-Lantern face, but to try and avoid a stringy, orange daughter and pumpkin gut wallpaper.

As for Hailey's second Halloween costume...I won't blog about her costume until after she wears it and we get pictures - so you all will just have to be patient!! It may end up that she dresses up in pumpkin guts for the 31st.....hmmmm.....

Well...walking is now the preferred method of travel for our big 14 month old! I have to admit, she is really pretty good at it. She can do all the bending necessary to pick up the latest toy projectile and she has mastered the art of the 'lap sit'. Now if we can lengthen her attention span long enough to completely read through "I'll Teach My Dog Lots of Words" we should be all set.

However, there is one obstacle that without fail will send her tumbling to the floor - erupting in a well rehearsed fit...the dog. Poor Hailey...when standing, her head is now exactly the same height as Harley's uncontrollable tail. She gets whacked in the face more times than Curly from the Three Stooges. But...if I'm being honest here...Poor Harley as well! She takes his toys and climbs on him and is generally the center of attention. I scolded him severely the other day because I heard him (lightly) growl at her as she was climbing on him - I didn't know at the time that he made that noise because she stepped on....uh...er....his... 'thing' that shouldn't be stepped on. Suffering through that and all he did was make a slightly ticked off noise...he's a good dog.

Whatever Harley dishes out, Hailey returns the favor. However, instead of retaliating on the dog, she has been taking it out on the kids at daycare. Apparently my darling sweet daughter is a bit of a bully. The other day she got a 'baby time out' for not letting the other kids play with any toys and for hitting them - that includes a 4 year old boy!! Great - my daughter is just like I was when I was little. I guess Mom's voodoo curse really worked ("I hope you have a daughter just like you someday"). How do you discipline a baby before they understand right from wrong? One minute she is giving out the sweetest (and drooliest) kisses and the next she is smacking you in the face. *Sigh* is this really life with a toddler?

And so....our house is filled with things that go bump this season - whether it is the dog knocking over Hailey, the toilet seat being opened and closed, Hailey throwing her toys or smacking kids at daycare.

Whatever the bump is....it's usually not good (and it is usually followed by crying).

It's going to be a scary holiday!