19 months (two weeks late, 19 months is busy)!

Few things capture what 19 months old is than a big head bonk, legos (he's making a bus, always a bus), and a half-eaten banana.

Scroll way down for the full SPOOKTACULAR

Trick or Treat

He hit the lanes and alleys of our spooky NEIGHborhood in his wagon--his friend Oliana was also along, as a bear. Columbus has a begger's night from 6-8 on Halloween and there were HUNDREDS and HUNDREDS of little goblins. Plus, in the village, everyone does up their teeny front yards all crazy--like mini-haunted houses. Awesome.

Blue Horse, Blue Horse!!

See the inspiration for this get-up in the post below. Yes, I know it's a poncho horse, but it is cold here and I didn't want to make a costume just to cover it up with a coat. And now that I know how to make animal ponchos, drop me a line and I will make an animal poncho for your tiny weirdo in the animal of his or her choice. He was so excited. He got to wear his boots and be a horse all night long. Notice how he totally got into it, getting onto all fours so you could see his tail--and he does the very best horse impressions.

Costume Inspiration

One of Gus' favorite books is Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Eric Carle and Bill Martin. He also loves, oh so very much, horses. He knew he wanted to be a horse for Halloween, but we were stuck on what kind of horse. One day, reading this book for the 24,000,000,000th time, he stopped on the page with the blue horse, excited beyond belief, alternately yelling "NEIGH NEIGH" and "BOO HORSE." Which I interpreted as "Boo" Horse, like you know, a HALLOWEEN horse. And also, Eric Carle's horse is blue. So Blue Horse it was, but, to be true to the book, we decided to throw in the next page for continuity. See inspiration below (these pictures are from his own book, as a way to explain why they are covered in goo).

Pumpkin guts are still gross

We picked the one to match his hair.


Below is when I finally convinced Gus to touch with at least "one finger." We're trying to encourage his inner scientist.


Then, because I am a cruel-hearted mama, I suggested that perhaps it tastes better than it looks, smells, and feels. I was proud that he learned for himself that this is rarely true.

VICTORY

"I'm asking you to believe. Not just in my ability to bring about real change in Washington. . . I'm asking you to believe in yours."
--President Elect (!) Barack Obama

The following pictures are from the last Ohio rally for Obama (more than 50,000 people). It was really amazing, and we feel privileged, as a family, to have been in a battleground state during the last weeks of the 2008 campaign. The excitement here has been infectious--and living in one of the most diverse states in the US, it has been transfigurative to witness elder African Americans, Americans who lived through Jim Crow laws and some of the most shameful moments of our history, vote and march and talk to their neighbors in this election. Obama's speech at the rally was inspiring and motivating, but even more so was the conversations going on all around us, and the looks on people's faces. I don't know how much of this Gus will remember, but he will know the ever important stories, and he will grow up in an United States that knows what it is to come back from heartbreaking rifts, begin to heal bitter racial histories, care for each other in every stage of our lives, and work for unity, not just talk about it. We're anxious to begin the work ahead of us; I know that all of you join us in that work.