Halloween

Today was our first Halloween in the new neighborhood. We weren't sure what to expect as the neighborhood is packed full of kids and we weren't disappointed. We were told by the neighbors that there was going to be a lot of kids. Since we are the biggest neighborhood for miles around we get a lot of transplants from the county. I like to hand out full sized candy bars so we bought a few boxes and an extra bag of small candy bars for an emergency supply. Luckily we didn't need to dig into that and we can return the bag of candy.

Alyce was dressed as Strawberry Shortcake and Luke was Thomas the Tank Engine. Alyce has been bouncing off the walls about her costume for weeks. Luke has been kind of cool to his. He likes Thomas for sure but I think he didn't like it going over his head. I had to wear it for a few minutes before he wanted it on. He didn't want the hat either but eventually that went on and stayed on all night.

Mom did most of the candy handing out while I took the kids around the neighborhood. I met up with a friend from the neighborhood Cris. Cris along with his kids Keegan and Kennedy made up our trick or treating party. We are trying to introduce Alyce to more kids in the neighborhood and Cris's daughter Keegan is around Alyce's age. Keegan is a lot more outgoing than Alyce so she can get a lot from the relationship. They were first introduced at the neighborhood Halloween party last Friday night. I wouldn't say they hit it off but tonight they ran around together like kids should. I think a few play dates will solidify a friendship.

While rolling through the neighborhood Alyce and Keegan were leading the way. Luke was picking up the 3rd position. The girls would start off saying "trick or treat", Luke running a few paces behind them would pipe in squealing "twik or tweet", and then run to catch up. At first Luke didn't get the whole candy thing but after a few houses he was able to fend for himself and started to pick out his own candy.

Towards the end of the block the kids were starting to run low on energy.  We had to skip the last few houses as Kennedy, Cris's other daughter, had to go pee. She probably told 20 people in a row the exact same thing. Upon finishing the loop I packed the kids up in the wagon and rolled the back to the house.

The thing I am most proud of was how well behaved my kids were. They didn't run too much and they said thank you to every person handing out candy. They even stopped when I said to as they were about to run into the street without looking both ways.

Dentist

Last week Alyce had her first visit with the dentist. A moment in any child's life that strikes fear into their soul. Well that is how I remember it as a kid. About six months ago Alyce went with Mom while she got her teeth cleaned. She went along just to see how the whole process went so that she would have some experience to draw when it was her turn.

Now 6 months later is was her turn. The visit went very well.  The hygienist went through every tool telling her what they did. He gave each tool a name and said what they did. The name I liked most was for the straw. He called it Mr. Thirsty.

The visit was fairly routine and no cavities were found. We were told that we should continue to help Alyce brush her teeth until she could point to Europe on a map. Next time they are going to do fluoride treatments. I hope that's been improved since I was a kid. That gunk was nasty and seemed to go everywhere.

Alyce came home with all sorts of swag like a toothbrush and toothpaste. Went I caught up after work she was  proud of herself. It probably helped that I asked her lots of questions and told her how proud of her I was. Later in the week when I told the hygienist how proud she was of herself he gave me some more goodies to reinforce the positive experience.

5 Year Update

Here we are 5 years after Alyce was born. No longer a baby. No longer a toddler. Just a little girl that isn't getting any younger. Much has changed in the last year. She can dress herself, get a cup of cold ice water, and can brush her teeth even though that needs some double checking. She's also grown a lot in the last year too.

She had her 5 year checkup earlier this week. She was running a fever so she skipped getting the 5 shots she had coming her way. It's kind of a bummer too. She had steeled herself along with having her bear Hearts for support. She was kind of let down when it didn't happen.

• Height: 43 1/4 inches
• Weight 37 lbs

The height puts her at 70% and the weight is still the 50%. I don't see how she could weigh any less than she does. We can almost see through her. I'm guessing the longer bones weigh a lot. If you are keeping score the numbers from last year were height 41 inches and weight 34 lbs.

Cold Ice Water

Alyce is now old enough and tall enough to get her own cup of water. A cup of water from the water dispenser on our refrigerator. Our fridge also has its freezer on the bottom so Alyce can get ice cubes for her water. All that is left for us to do is to put the cups on her level and she can get water anytime she wants. Not that we want her to do that as we'd have spilled cups of water everywhere.

There is one thing that I find so cute about her getting a glass of water, how she asks for it. When she wants some water she'll come up to Mom or I and ask for some "cold ice water". I don't know why I find it so cute. Maybe it's just because it's funny because most water that has ice in it is going to be cold. I love kids.

Beach

Last night, Mom's birthday, the kids were behaving. If that wasn't gift enough the kids made finger paint artwork. Luke quickly lost interest but Alyce embraced the project and made a few pictures.


My favorite is one I'll title "beach". Alyce made a nice blue sky, orange sand, orange sun, and a purple shovel, bucket, and sea shells. I liked it so much I asked Alyce if I could bring it to work. Initially she was apprehensive but after Mom told her she could make another picture after breakfast she was ok with me making off with it.

Barbie Girl

Alyce has taken to singing along with songs while riding in the car. Her favorite song is "Barbie Girl" by the band Aqua. This song was a big hit in 1997 just after Mom and I graduated high school.  The song is pretty benign in that it doesn't have any questionable lyrics however there is a wink wink an a nudge on one of the lines of the song.

There is a line in the song where the singer Lene Nystrøm Rasted says "undress me everywhere". Now in relation to a Barbie I can see where you are playing with the Barbie and it's all clean. Throw your mind in the gutter and well you get the drift.

I went to all of the trouble explaining that because Alyce doesn't get the lyrics. In her mind she thinks they are saying "rescue everywhere" and sings along the same. So last week on the way home I'm driving the car and Alyce is signing along and says "rescue everywhere" like normal. After that she breaks from the song and asks me if she can rescue everywhere. Of course I'm not going to correct the lyrics for her so I say "sure". Alyce ponders that for a second and then says "I bet she is a super hero". Between bouts of laughter I agree that "yes, yes she probably is".

I love kids. I love the innocence. I love how they will ask a question regardless of how ridiculous it is and not worry about being made fun of. It's too bad they can't keep it forever.

In closing I present "Barbie Girl" by Aqua

Riding Her Bike

A while ago we received a hand me down bike from the lady that cuts Alyce's hair. It was in decent shape but needed a little maintenance before it was ready to be ridden. Specifically the chain needed to be oiled, tires inflated, and training wheels put on. Since we received it I've been dragging my feet getting to it (much to Alyce's dismay). Dragging partly because I was lazy, part because the garage was a mess, and mostly because I wasn't ready for my little girl to start riding a bike. We live on a hill and while it isn't very steep it is long. If you were to coast the entire way down you'd pick up some serious speed. Having a bike makes you much more mobile and is another step away from the protection of your parents.

My fears aside I needed to get the bike ready because this past weekend on Sunday was going to be a neighborhood bike rodeo! There was going to be lots of stations to teach kids proper bike handling and safety. The only requirement needed was a bike and a helmet. I didn't want Alyce to feel left out and I figure there was a lot to learn so I took the plunge and got the bike ready.  I spent a good portion of Saturday getting the bike ready. When it was all said and done the bike was in great shape. Well as good as I could make it without sending it to a bike shop.

When finished we went inside and asked Alyce if she wanted to ride her bike (we hadn't told her we were fixing it up). She responded with a resounding "yes"! I stuck around the house with Luke and Mom took her up the street to the cul-de-sac where it is flat and without cars. Upon their return I got the full report. Alyce did good on the bicycle but was running a bit too heavy on the breaks. Mom cut it short because they went up there without a helmet and a brand new cyclist could use a helmet.

I took the next round. Alyce with helmet brought her bike and I brought mine too. Together we rode in circles around the cul-de-sac.  She did much better with me. Never once did she fall off her bike but she did run into the curb a few times. She didn't lean into the turns like she's supposed to but she did have good balance when going straight. I think she could have ridden in a circle the entire day if would have let her but sadly it was time for lunch.  We brought her bike back and gave it a special parking spot in the garage. I think she's going to like riding her bike. I'm just not too sure about our hill.

When Sunday came the bike rodeo was cancelled on account of rain which was a disappointment. But it got me to let go of Alyce just a bit more even if I didn't want to. Next up will be to get her a bigger bike. The one she's got seems a bit too small for her frame. I'm thinking a bike will make a perfect birthday present. Maybe a new helmet too. Do they make airbags for bicycles?

Helping Sweep

A while ago I caught up with the family while they were at Gram's and Papa's house. Walking outside I saw Alyce sweeping off the deck. She was doing a decent job considering how over sized the broom was.

Goodbye Pool

Labor Day has passed and it is time that we say goodbye to the pool for the year. It has been a memorable summer in the water. It was our first year there. Having bought the house in January this was our first time to enjoy the benefits of the neighborhood.

Alyce got over her fear of having water in her face, going down the slide by herself, and jumping in the pool. As the summer closes Alyce is now making running leaps into the pool even if I'm not there to catch her. With this sort of confidence I think she might be ready to learn from her swimming lessons. Her favorite activity this year with me was to run around a little circular section of pool until we created a current. Once the water was circling well we'd pick up our feet and float around in circles. We call it our "Whirlpool"!

Luke has never been afraid of the water. In fact he loves every minute of it. Now that we have such easy access to water I think he'll embrace water as just another place to play and will never have any fear of it. Luke has learned some things from the pool too. For example he knows that if he blocks one of the water shooter holes the other holes shoot out water even farther. He has pretty good aim and likes to shoot both Mom and I with water.

To compare the two kids I think it is safe to recommend that continued and lengthy access to a pool is the best way to get kids acquainted with and to enjoy the water.

Super Swinging

A while ago I caught this video of Alyce swinging. She had found her Super Girl cape earlier in the day and wanted to wear it everywhere. I thought it looked cool blowing behind her.