Joy and sorrow

Happy Halloween! It's been a weird couple of weeks, but Iris has experienced her first "trick-or-treat"-ing experience. Once she had a bag and was placed on her way up the steps of friends' porches, she knew what to do and wasn't too shy about going to the door. She was a cute angel with a somewhat loose halo. See for yourself.

Earlier today, Dad and Iris spent time carving a pumpkin. Here's a photo of the one Mama did a few weeks ago that didn't last with our warm weather. The pumpkin is saying Iris's clear utterance, "Uh-oh!"

After a downpouring of rain one Tuesday, we weren't able to go through the corn maze on our annual pumpkin picking date with cousins Noah and Matthew and Aunt Ruth. However, Iris got a pony ride that she wasn't too sure of.
We enjoyed lunch back at home with her first viewing of "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" Unlike Charlie Brown, Iris didn't get a rock for Halloween. She did manage to lose her shoe as we strolled down a lively street in town that hundreds of people meandered without cars for several blocks. Iris is a great joy to watch and love!

The sorrow part is that our dear dog, H.G., had to be put down. She was over 13 years old and lived up to her namesake; a good dog. We have her ashes now and memories of her kind, fun and quiet companionship. For those who knew her, I've set up a link to a photo gallery.

On the other brighter note, Mama had a birthday that was celebrated with a couple of friends for lunch, parents for the afternoon, and a delicious mocha cake that lasted all weekend. It's middle age we're talking about, as Mama (and Dada) have realized that we need to watch our diet and exercise more. We're definitely not getting any younger, despite the silliness we exhibit playing with our daughter. Dada truly cherishes the Saturdays (while Mom is working) for bike rides, visits to the park and even grocery shopping. Last week, Dad made an impulsive buy of some sunglasses for Iris. Isn't she cool?

Finally, here is an update of "words" Iris says:
bear, bee (which might mean baby), pee (or pea? or please?), bedtime, cracker, goldfish(as in cracker), banana, mama, dada, up, down, playdough, juice, thank you (in Mandarin), kitty (she sees neighborhood cats), cheers when toasting with drinks, and still the all-purpose uh-oh.

Potty training continues, of course, as well as occasionally dropping food off the high chair. Pray for us regarding that!

Happy Mid-Autumn Moon Festival!

Iris is on the move! Here she is meandering around the park at the recent FCA Moon Festival potluck. There were a few dozen children, but Iris was one of the younger ones. The weather was windy, but the food was delicious, and Iris liked the pineapple mooncakes,

There was a grassy area with some balls, a colorful parachute, a gong, a taiko drum and drum sticks, and a traditional parade lion head. Dada and I helped Iris color and create a lantern. She was happy to hold it as the children paraded behind the lion at the end of the evening.

See for yourself in this video:

As summer turns to fall, we spent a day at the beach. It was a sunny and warm enough day as days are along the coast. Iris found the water too cold and a bit scary, but she loved the sand and walking barefoot. Oh yeah, she loved drinking and eating, too.

That was a thanks to dad's delicious sandwiches. The cheese-flavored baked goldfish crackers were the best!