La Familia Brophy

We had a great Halloween today. Nathan woke up from his nap in a less than jolly mood so we had a rough start to the festivities. I ended up abandoning dinner in the oven (including the apple pie which looks okay although it cooked half time and sat for a few hours before I turned the oven back on) so that we could just get going.

I made Nathan’s costume again. I can’t take credit for the idea of though. Martha gave me the suggestion a few years ago in one of her magazines which I kept. It turned out to be pretty expensive to make especially since I made a mistake and had to buy more fleece. It took three feather boas to cover the body at a cost of $6 a piece. Then I had to buy the hat from Hanna Andersson which was more than I care to share. The feet were a dollar and the felt for his comb was about a dollar too. But it was worth it because he sure looked cute.

We had a hard time getting his feet on the first time we tried so he became opposed to them all together until he decided he wanted to walk and his only choice was to put on the chicken feet. I was worried he wouldn’t like the feathers tickling his face but he didn’t really mind. He just brushed them aside every now and then.

This was probably the last year that we could get away with telling people we weren’t collecting candy. He lucked out at Grandma’s house where he got ginger snap cookies and at a neighbor’s house where they were giving away little bags of pretzels.

Lisa and Nathan did some pumpkin carving last night and you can see it all (Quicktime movie, 1MB). One funny thing is how Mr Jones is in the picture (right behind Nathan) which I didn’t even notice at the time. He likes to be involved in everything we do.

Nathan’s costume for Trick-or-Treating tonight is awesome. You’re going to love it.

As the Boston Globe said this morning: Pigs can fly, hell is frozen, the slipper finally fits, and Impossible Dreams really can come true. (All thanks to the pennant Nathan made, no doubt.)

Kerry’s next!!!

Red Sox Pennant

I am up listening on the radio and and watching the diagrams online. I know the red sox are up by 6, and we’re going into the 9th inning, but it’s still so stressful. As a sox fan, and I think at this point I am undeniably a member of the nation, if not a super-intense fan, I feel like it could all go to hell really really easy. Something horrible is going to happen. I thought it was happenning when Pedro came in for an ining (I’m not the only one). Should I stop listening? is better if I listen or don’t? I’ve found if I wear my hat while listening things go badly, but so far listening sans-hat is working well. I think I need to just keep doing what I’m doing and not make any sudden moves…

20 minutes later: YEAH!!!! Man oh man oh!!

Today Nathan started using the word “and.” It all started this morning while he was laying in bed with me as I tried to savor a few last minutes of rainy darkness before getting up. Nathan began listing people he knows like this: Papi and Mama and Mr. Jones and Oscar. For many months he has recited this list without the conjunctions.

Then after his toddler group I asked him what they had for snack since this is generally the highlight of his two hours there. He said, “Umm crackers and fruit.” “Um” is also new. Sometimes he sits there thinking hard about a question I have asked him and says something like, “Ummmmm, green tractor!” “Um” is definitely not as thrilling as “and” but it is really exciting to see him thinking and having an awareness that his answer really means something.

Sorry folks for the lack of photos lately. It is all my fault.

On my ride in to work the conductor gave us this pep talk:

Attention Red Sox Nation: Schilling is pitching tonight and he’s gonna throw the ball wicked wicked hahd and Ortiz is going to hit the ball wicked wicked fah. We’re comin’ Yankees.

I know the odds are wicked wicked long, but I still dream of getting the Red Sox winning the World Series and Kerry in the White House.

Yesterday Nathan and I went to the park with Nathan’s friends Jackson and Jaxen (no joke) and their moms. While we were there us moms spotted a scary looking toy gun. Ben would probably know what type it was supposed to look like (how does he know these things?). It was quite a realistic, automatic type except for the Star Wars logo on the side. Anyway I assumed that it belonged to someone at the park so we left it be.

This morning when Nathan and I were the only ones at the playground I quickly whisked it away to the garbage can. I wished that I had something to cover it with so no one would take it out but alas…

About five minutes later the Boston Parks and Rec guys drive up with their big garbage truck to empty the can. One of the guys pulls the gun out and points it at me! It was so crazy that I laughed! And he took the gun! I couldn’t believe it. I tried to save the world and this guy takes the gun to give to some poor kid.

As they were pulling away I looked up and the guy (he wasn’t driving) was looking over at us and holding a plastic scimitar out the window. It was probably from an Aladdin costume set or something. I guess he collects lots of goodies from the trash.

OOOo this is really exciting. Nathan has begun to tell stories. This is so exciting for me because as a teacher I felt very strongly about listening to children’s stories and writing them down for them. I was inspired by Vivian Paley’s work and spent a year stalking her around Boston listening to her speak and asking her questions. In my classroom we had actor’s circle nearly everyday in which we read the day’s stories and acted them out based on Paley’s model.

I remember one of her great acedotes about a toddler whose story went like this: “Mama.” She told about how the whole class of toddlers wanted to act that one out. I can imagine Nathan getting into that one.

Here are two of his most recent stories:

This one he told to his teachers at his toddler group as we came in from the van that drives us there.

Van. Wheels. Round, round, round.

Today at dinner he was thinking about our hayride on Sunday:

Farmer Dave. Drive tractor. Hayride. Vrrmm. Vrrrrmm.

You can see a theme.

He also has a story that he tells himself as he plays with his trucks:

Pizza Pit. Go. Drive. Beep, beep, beep.

The Pizza Pit is his all time favorite restaurant. It is in Wisconsin so we don’t get to go too much. In fact he has only been there once but it sure did make an impression.

Soon enough our house will be littered with Nathan’s books. I can’t wait!

My father, Lisa, Nathan and I went to Allandale Farm this morning after reading newspapers at my mom’s house. We went just for the hay ride. One of our family members is obsessed with hay rides. I have to say Allandale has the best hay ride of them all, because it’s long tour of the property. Also the trailer is deluxe with nice wooden railings, quality hay bales for seating, a knowledgeable tour guide, a big John Deere trailer pulling the load, and complimentary apples on boarding.

Nathan And Grandpa with Pumpkins

Ben has challenged me to get a portrait style photo of Nathan during the day when the light is good. This is difficult for many reasons. Nathan likes to turn his head away when I ask him to smile which is the biggest obstacle. I have been experimenting with the various flash settings on our camera hoping for just the right look which often results in a picture that would have been great except that I had the flash off so it is blurry or a photo that is pretty good but half of his face is dissolved in the sunlight. Each day I get one good photo but I haven’t gotten THE photo yet.

Here is today’s attempt. Nathan is wearing a sweater that I knit him months before he was born. The baby who modeled the sweater in the pattern was exceedingly cute and Ben and I used hope together that our baby would be as cute as that one. Obviously our wishes came true.