Well, Halloween has come and gone, and Angelie would say it was a success. She went to two parties (one at her friend Andrew's house and one at school) and went trick-or-treating twice (once at the mall and once in our neighbourhood.) We did half the stores in the mall in the morning (with her "best friend Jorja") and our street after dark. We hit about 6 houses and then she was done and wanted to go home. She had much more fun handing out the candy to the kids who came to our door. She even wore two costumes, as the one I picked up for trick-or-treating (keeping in mind that October here is usually cold) was too warm for indoor parties.
Angelie the Princess Kitty:
Angelie the unicorn:

We even decorated for Halloween this year. Out on a walk Angelie saw other houses decorated and so wanted to do our house too. In the past I've been lazy and stuck out one plug-in plastic pumpkin, but this year we carved two real pumpkins and hung out garbage-bag ghosts.

We all went to Valley View Little Animal Farm one weekend on a little family outing and Angelie chose her own little pumpkin to bring home. She tried carrying it herself, and I tried to get the photo, but her knees gave out and this is the best we could do.


I tried to get her to help me scoop out the pumpkins but she's in a phase where she doesn't like to get her hands dirty (she won't fingerpaint at preschool either.)


Her imagination is growing by leaps and bounds. Her many stuffed animal friends are being named and developing their own distinct personalities. Here, "little sister kitty" (in pink highchair wearing blue bib) eats supper beside Angelie:
Unfortunately the imagination is also coming through in her dreams. She often has nightmares but can now verbalise what happens in them. Last week she woke up crying/screaming and when I went into her she shook with anger and told me to "let her toys out of the vacuum". "You take them out Mama! You can't vacuum up my toys." She'd had a nightmare that I'd vacuumed up all her toys, and wouldn't calm and go back to bed until I took her downstairs, at midnight, to show her that her toys were still there.

Today she said to Daddy, "Daddy, you have stripes!" She meant the lines on his forehead. I said "they're wrinkles", and Ed said "they're frown lines." Apparently she liked Ed's explanation better because she's now calling them frown lines.

She's becoming her own person. A stubborn, funny girl with her own weird ideas about things. She will ask for something then change her mind 30 seconds later, and then just as quick change it back again. She will refuse to take off her coat and shoes when we come in and wear them around the house all afternoon. She wants to do things on her own schedule and nobody else's. It's getting harder to go anywhere on time, unless I get her all excited about it and then keep her waiting. (I'm learning.)

Angelie plays with playdough (notice the coat but no pants):

She has given up her nap (weeks ago) but now all of a sudden falls asleep in the afternoon again, nearly everyday, but will not nap if I try to put her down for one. Here are some of the places I've found her sleeping:


And one final photo to sum up the reason we have kids in the first place... slave labour: