My clearest Halloween memory is from when I was about 4 years old. I dressed as a cheerleader and went around with my sister and cousin, Van, door-to-door in Morehead, Kentucky. Now, I know that I trick-or-treated for years and years but something about that particular time was special to me.
I've wondered before what Maddie's first memory will be. It may be that monkey jumping on her stroller in Malaysia. She often talks about it. Or riding an elephant in Thailand.
This was M's first year to celebrate Halloween. She dressed as a princess in pink tennis shoes. She made her own treat bag from a Starbuck's paperbag covered in brown paper and she put fancy tape all over it. We went to the Tompkins for supper and then an adult (we had 6 that night) stood behind a closed door in their house and Natasha took the kids from door to door. They knocked on the door, said "Trick-or-Treat!" and then we all had candy to give them. You should have seen the huge smiles all around. Peter was first Spiderman but he peed his outfit so he wore red pajamas and a cape for the actual trick-or-treating, Clinton was a pirate. Phil and I dressed as an old Chinese couple. We just wore really bright, tacky quilted pajamas - Chinese syle, of course. I bought our get-up at a local grocery store. It was classic. The other adults just dressed as adults, with taste. Jason was the best candy giver. When he opened his door he had a towel over his head and talked like he had no teeth. He was an old woman. And he went on and on about how cute they were. I'm so in love with the Tompkins.
Yesterday afternoon, Phil, 3 of our guy friends and I went to the local Xi'an soccer match. Xi'an lost 4-0. The soccer match was super well attended and there were several fires lit towards the end of the game. Not sure why but the matches are never dull no matter the outcome of the game itself. Our tickets were a gift to Phil from one of the Brazilian players. When Phil's folks were here we happened to eat at the same Japanese restaurant as the team one night. I got up the nerve to talk to the foreigners on the team and then Phil ran into on of the guys (Rafael Scheidt) at Metro this week. To bad they lost because he had invited Phil to celebrate after the game if they won. Anyway, we're hoping to develop a friendship with him. His family moved back to Brazil after the earthquake and we just feel like it's not by chance that we/Phil have made these connections with him. Really cool all in all.
Lilian has started a new cry. It's super pathetic and heart breaking. She's also started a new level of anger. She got her first cold this weekend (via her big sister) and last night she was so angry because she had a cold, was tired and her diaper had leaked. If it hadn't been so loud and late, it would have been really funny to me (it was hilarious to Phil). But she just screamed at us until we finally got her all squared away with dry clothes and a good nursing. I mean, really screamed at us. Phil said, "I'm glad she doesn't have teeth because I think she'd try to bite us." It was actually a bit frightening.
We'll start anger management classes soon.