You meanie! Mine almost never wanted to go out again. My daughter, the first year we lived here, and I went a strollin' through the neighborhood that lovely All Hallow's Eve. In temps of 28 F and wind chills of a few degrees north of that.

She was glad to be home. Interesting colour, that blue flesh against little girl pink.

Dean

Sweet! Cute. Kids don't understand the once or once in a while thing. My 4 year old son is still missing the Olympics....

LP looks like mommy. Is he going in the voting booth with you (or are there booths)? My granddaughter at 8 months pulled the lever with her daddy.

Such a cutie, Liz. I love the costume, too.

Lea, he comes with me every year to the voting booth.

And thanks everyone!

Someone looks like mommy! How cute, wanting to go again. I mentioned this in comments elsewhere - I asked a 5 year old what was best, dressing up or getting the candy and she replied shrilly "EATING the candy!" You forget, don't you, how magical *all the candy you want* is, especially when just *given* to you by people you don't even know!

Remember when life was that simple. 30 minutes becomes a long time, even when it involves candy. If he's like Mom, he might come up with a good argument about why he should be able to ring strangers' doorbells without waiting for a year.

I love the way people say "looks like mommy" when we haven't seen daddy yet (have we?). he's sure enuf cute though. is he astride a donkey, perchance?

what will you do in about 4 years when he wants to be GI Joe toting an AK47? Or is it an M16? I can never keep my machine guns straight...

I feature he must be a combination of Mommy and Daddy's looks -- I see money, but I see dadddy's features in the mix. How about a familu photo, Liz?
PS I am all sappy today, so I will say I want to give his cheeks a little pinch and his mommy a smoochie! He is just too cute!!

I have been drinking, sorry, I meant to write, I see MOMMY, but money is good, too? ;)

Sandra, he LOVES ringing doorbells. Honestly, with his eating disorder, he couldn't care less about the candy. I think he ate like 3 reeses pieces and he was done. With that kind of an outlook, I figure in a few years he's gonna make a great canvasser for the FCDC.

MaryT. I have no doubt in my mind that when the time comes, he will be arguing with me about EVERYTHING.

Lonnie, I have to scan a photo of my husband when he was my son's age. Uncanny is almost not the word. We joke around that I had a stunt belly for nine months and he is the world's first human clone. As for the GI costume -- with my husaband a veteran, it will be hard to keep him from indoctrinating him into what my husband mistakenly calls "the family business."

Lisa, you are forgiven....although if there is money is his looks I am not entirely sure it is money that I want to take advantage of. I'll just squeeze him and enjoy his snuggly goodness gratis.

You know, I don't know why you couldn't have gone trick or treating the next morning. I heard lots of people had left over candy.
I went Trick or 'Tini. I don't remember much...

What a doll! Next to Christmas, Halloween is a favorite. Love this holiday for the kids.

rated

That's what I'm talkin' about, Liz... when Lofton was a toddler, he looked just like my toddler pics. I'm sure you know that old joke about kids looking like their dads is God's way of making the dads stick around...

So, I had to tote L's machine gun around Friday night, because he couldn't manage it and his candy bag together. It was a little on the chilly side here in SF, so I was wearing a black leather jacket and had on black jeans, too. With the machine gun, I looked like a Blackwater mercenary. So many people gave me the hairy eyeball. A few who approached me, asking, "uh, what's up with that outfit..." I told 'em - "Homeland Security. Just go on about your business. This is the safest street in America tonight..."

He looks like he had fun and I like the horse.

Tyler is four and lasted about three blocks before she wanted to "go home and lie down" but spent the next two hours sorting through her candy.

Liz, I've also had troubles with my 19 month old's eating, though not quite to the extent you have described. On Halloween I had mixed feelings when she just wanted to gorge on M&Ms. It's like, great, she's eating something, and it's M&Ms. Will this make her more or less likely to eat anything else?

Freaky, I am sorry to say that trick or tini is only for adults and trolls. But for mommies especailly....

Lonnie, my hubby used to work for DHS. You have no idea how funny the joke you were telling really was from our perspective, where security is brought to you by the lowest bidder.....

Dorrie, I was a big candy sorter when I was a girl. The decision of what to eat first and what to eat next was painstaking.

Skeptic, when you've got a kid like that all food is good food. But you can use her newfound love to do a technique called "food chaining" -- start with the new food, let her eat it a few times. The next time pick something similar in one major attribute like color or shape and try to introduce that. Introduce a new food at least 10 times before giving up. Then morph that new food into another so that you eventually get to a desired food. A good food chain for an M&M would be M&M to Reeses Pieces to peanut butter. Good luck. Food chaining takes a LOT of time. Remember to play with your food with her. Demysitify new food by encouraging her to interact with it by other means besides eating it. Take your progress in increments. If she will even touch the new food, that is progress. if next time she will put it to her lips, again, that is progress. Don't hurry yourself by thinking that eating is an all or nothing proposition. So long as she is slowly working up the steps to actually eating it, you are on the right track.

That's excellent advice Liz. I've done some food chaining and repeat, consistent exposure to new foods. But your advice underscores just how careful and gradual it needs to be for success.

Setting seems to make a big difference for us. Sitting in her high chair does not put her in an eating mood. She much prefers to sit on a lap, usually the lap of our next door neighbor. I keep joking that she needs to come over for all meals.

skeptic, what you will find is that your daughter will eat best for anyone BUT her primary care giver (i.e. you) because there isn't that emotional overlay of the toddler power struggle/independence think going on. One other thing re: taking the emotion out of it. Play with her, encourage her to play with the food, but don't ever instruct her to eat it, or comment on whether or not she is eating to anyone else at the table. Make some fun "num num" noises when she eats to show you are pleased and that you saw, but avoid the "good girl" or worse yet, (and I know you don't do this) "bad girl." The point is to take away the power struggle.

that's great; my little one lasted just about that long as well.

and I just saw your openS bio. Has it always said that?

I remember hiding candy under my pillow and getting caught and in trouble. I think I was all of four. My mom was a health nut and wouldn't let me have any sugar ever so I rebelled young. Glad your little and very cute guy got his share.

Thumbified.

What's amazing Liz is that though we lament all that goes in to Trick or Treating and Halloween (just a little bit maybe), these are the times we wouldn't take a million dollars for 10 years down the road. When they laugh at us for the mere suggestion of dressing up. We must enjoy it and cherish it.
Rated for sentimental reasons.