Katharine Lange: Leia Week 71: Leia learns about Trick or Treating!

We had a very fun Halloween this year. Leia was old enough to start understanding a little bit what it was all about. In the morning she got to go trick-or-treating through the hospital with all the other kids from school in what they called a "Halloween parade," and in the evening we made three stops in our neighborhood: Nana and Poppy's, Linda's, and John and Stacia's. She really liked that all these people kept giving her little food and toys everywhere she went, and especially liked putting everything in her bag, since that's already her favorite thing to do! But it was really funny at the hospital because she would have some little treat in her hand, show up at the next collection point, see something else better than what she was holding, and make a "trade" (leave her current treat in the bucket and take the new and better item)! We've been working so hard at teaching her not to just take toys away from others…I guess it's working!! She didn't actually eat any of the sugar or treats from either session, but it was all so exciting and exhausting that we had full melt downs at the end of both sessions of fun…not so fun.

Dad left us to go to Colorado for some ski camps, so that has been pretty hard too. He's never been gone a day in Leia's life (except last year at this time when she didn't really know what was going on), so she's really not happy with his absence. She's been really moody and difficult, and the whole time change thing isn't helping either. Luckily we have FaceTime, and she actually has figured out how to use it and loves seeing Josh and "talking" to him, so we get a little reprieve from the acting out and tantrums everyday. But we do still have to go upstairs and investigate the bed to make sure Daddy really isn't hiding up there waiting for Leia to come wake him up…so cute!

We also had our first snowstorm of the season. Apparently Leia doesn't remember about snow from last year because she was very surprised to see the ground all covered with snow, and very afraid! She wouldn't walk out of the garage onto the snow, and when I plopped her down in the middle of it, she wouldn't stop crying! Pretty funny. Hopefully she figures it out soon.

Fending off an attack from this pesky shark!

Starting off the Halloween Parade in this comfy cruiser with her fellow playmates.

Wow, a tray full of aliens…yep, I'll take one of those please!

Leia the Magic Dragon taking a quick rest and hoping the treats will come to her!

Whoa, those look good…why is everyone giving me all this great stuff today

Yep, I could get used to this little game!

A few other little cuties.

Everyone at the old folks home really enjoyed seeing all the little dressed up babies.

Come on Mom, we have a lot more work to do if we're going to fill up this big bag!

Taking the Mum Mum and trading back the fruit chews…she figures it's pretty even, but really she came out ahead because I'll actually let her eat the Mum Mum!