Halloween-cancelled

Yup, no halloween at chez Ben this year.
He just isn't into the scariness of it all.
At all.

He is into the candy.
Really really deeply in love with the candy of the season.
Met a witch at Zellers today.

Screamed in terror.
There were real tears.
Begged me to go closer so that he could get a lollipop.

Licked that lolli with joy for the 25 minutes we strolled the aisles
checking
over and over again
that we were not being followed.

By her, the 'cary witch.

Arrived home 2 hours later
to mama's worst October nightmare.

He was thrilled.
i was looking over my shoulder
hoping and praying I wasn't being stalked by a snowplow...
but back to Ben and Halloween.

After he rolled about
inadequately dressed
and chilled himself to the bone
it was time for a nap.

Screamed in terror again

asking over and over again
"lollipop witch come my home boomers home mama?"
"lollipop witch coming?"
"cary witch coming mama?"

Yup,
give him the candy but pass on the "cary" part of the day.

So here we are
at the farm
having a glorious dinner
and no 'cary witches will ring the bell
cause we are in the middle of NOwhere.

And there is candy.

And pumpkin carving

Which is fun
as long as you don't actually expect him to touch the pumpkin guts.
Pointing...watching the process with a flashlight...counting the seeds...

Perfect.

Happy Halloween!

places

I have a favourite place
Well, I have several
But HaLong Bay ranks right up there near number 1

I traveled to sweet Ben in Jan 2009 so it was low season in Northern Vietnam.
It was cold
For Vietnam.
Like 65.
Perfect for me.

And we were practically alone in the bay.

With the locals.

Ben and mama and Auntie Kristen and a few other winter travellers.

Loved it

Next week a soon to be adoptive mama is travelling for her sweet Sophie.
Right straight to my favourite place.

Hope she loves it as much as I did.

The Sweetest Things...

Little Manh comes up with the sweetest things...

Here are a few examples, just so I don't forget.

Me:  Ben sweetie, time for bed.
Ben, wagging finger back and forth, quietly reprimanding me: no no no think so

Me: Would you like grapes or crackers for snack today.
Ben, finger to lips: me think minute mama.  3 more minute mama.  Hmmm...
Me pick oranges n' biscuits pease.

Ben, in a moment of frustration throws something of value onto the floor in the back seat of the moving car.
Ben:  Bend ober geg it now mama, peeeeees.
Me:  Mama doesn't pick things up from the floor when the car is moving Ben Ben.
Ben, wailing in the back for the valued object for 5 minutes suddenly notices T1MH0rt0ns
Ben:  Mama, stop!  Yummy tea! Two milk tea n' bit bit for Ben.  banilla pees.
Me:  Yes Ben, mama would love a tea.  Good idea.
Ben:  Bend ober geg it now mama!  Dribing stopped.

A lovely day...mostly

Makes me giggle...

a few more favourites...with a bit of editing added in

So very thankful....

Lovely weather
A lovely cottage
A large and loving family
Fun
Food
Leaves
And long walks
Together
Perfection

The last time...

The last time dude was diagnosed as ill enough for antibiotics he looked like this.

Not so ill looking, eh?
Probably because in hind site he wasn't ill at all.
There was never any fever.
Millions of dong spent in error I'm guessing to diagnose a bronchial infection where in fact there was a sniffly nose combined with aspirated formula.
He was rattling the first time I met him.
Happy, cooing to his nanny and very clearly making a loud and easily felt rattle as he took each and every breath.

Now I know better.
Now I know he can be well at 5 and sick as a dog at 6.
Now I know his head does not get hot when he has a fever...
his trunk steams like a mid summer day in HCMC.
And he is listless.
And collapses in my arms, snoring,
despite the fact his favourite people are in the room.
And though he responds to tylenol (dye free grape)
at the 3.5 hour mark his fever and it's related symptoms are back with avengence.
I know my boy wants to be held,
and have his back rubbed, and then patted, and then rubbed, and then...

I know that like the last time giving meds continues to be risky business
and looks like this...

I know that when he feels "yucky mama"
he wants to read books and sing songs all day long
and all night long as well.
This calms him.
And when he is sick he really really wants to sleep with mama.

Last night, like tonight, he went to sleep in his own bed.
Tonight I expect he will stay there.
He is on the mend with no fever now for a few days.
But the snuggles? cuddles? books? songs? back rubs?
(and whining when mama is more than 8 inches away?)
Not gone...
Which is mostly okay.

bit by bit...

Just wrote a big long dissertation about the day...and yesterday...and it disappeared into nothingness.

It was witty and catchy and based on the story Alexander's Horrible terrible no good very bad day.

Don't have it in me to do it again.

Short version...

things are getting better...bit by bit...

Yesterday's energetic moment...

Today's energetic moment

yes he is practically naked and is playing harmonica on his head

though hopped up on antibiotics and tylenol and smarties...

And the very best moment from our 12.5 minute trip to a local farm

okay, we may have stayed for 20 minutes 

but the whole time he was saying mama's ome, Ben's ome, Boomer's ome

It was a farm FULL of scarecrows.

literally dozens of them everywhere you look...

Dude is apparently terrified of scarecrows.

Who knows what tomorrow will bring...just need to get through tonight.

My boys...in sepia (edited)

I'm finding I have a couple of minutes of peace and quiet at about the 2 hour mark after tylenol...go figure.  Anyway, the wee sickly dude is eating a few soggy noodles right now so I thought I would share my first 2 efforts to modify images...Ben on the swing is perhaps one of my all time favourite shots - ever.  In colour.  I think I like it in Sepia as well.

Pray for a good solid couple of hours of nap time this afternoon...for ben of course.  His throat is so sore that swallowing in his sleep wakes him up.   The night wasn't all fun...

Update...
did you pray for a nap?
Well we didn't get one.
Not even for a single second.
Made for a very special day.
I am somewhat convinced that tylenol makes my kid loopy.  Like ADHD loopy.


Now he is in bed.
I think he is asleep but I'm afraid to check.
7:58...please please please can my boy have 6 or 8 solid hours????
Please!