Meow

Belle spotted a cat while trick or treating, wandered into the owners' house and wouldn't leave.  Then she walked into another house and started watching television.  That sums up Halloween.

Ladybug

I dressed Belle as a ladybug and took her to a picnic in the park last Sunday.  Unfortunately, the weather had grown cold and gray, a sharp contrast to the near stifling warmth the previous day.  I had to layer a turtleneck and leggings under Belle's spaghetti strap "ladybug inspired" dress and zip her into a hoodie.  I didn't bother attaching the wings.

We met another toddler dressed as a ladybug at the same event.  Her costume looked more authentic, with antennae.  She was a true ladybug, not a glam look like Belle.  She was also covered from head to toe and warm.  I am not changing Belle's costume since it's already purchased and worn.  I am a little miffed at the blatant and skimpy girly attempt at recreating nature.  Ladybugs don't wear tulle.

Playground

Belle and I attended a playground construction in Richmond today.  Volunteers worked tirelessly to erect a sandbox, slides, swings and everything else found in a playground.  Belle and I dressed for both Autumn weather (a sweater and jeans for me and a dress with leggings for Belle) and safety in a construction zone (socks and Converse for me and Mary Janes for Belle).  We didn't count on the weather warming up considerably, especially not once we got lost. We certainly didn't count on getting lost either.

The building site would have been a very simple fifteen minute walk from Richmond BART had we been given the correct address.  First Google Maps prompted us to take a bus which led us to a similar address south of what we expected.  That took thirty minutes on foot (and another quick bus ride) with a squirming toddler to resolve.  We were soon very lost again, yet hovering in the general area, of where we were meant to be after we took another bus.  It took another hour to straighten it all out.  The actual site turned out to be two miles away from the address listed in the official emails for the event.

We were led down a road marked "No Foot Traffic" by a skinny prostitute, and into a series of scary and sketchy neighborhoods reminiscent of South Los Angeles, while on the hunt for the address.  No one had any knowledge of this construction zone or this prospective park.  I had to navigate myself and Belle to a foreign address using the limited information given.  We eventually found our way, but the catered lunch was gone by that point.  Belle played in the sandbox while I chatted up an old friend who'd flown up from L.A. to help build the playground.  Community service and old friends aside, I'd never been more happy to come home.

Halloween

Belle has short hair.  Without pierced ears, some people assume Belle is a boy.  I started to capitalize on this by dressing her as a drag king for Halloween.  All this was dependent on what we could redeem with store credit at a local baby boutique.  Of course the boutique didn't have a toddler tuxedo for sale.  They did have a ladybug costume for sale in Belle's size.  Everyone else will be wearing a prefab winged costume too, I bet.  Whatever!  Belle has a costume.

Relax! It's just [free] food.

An old woman at the food bank threatened to beat me up after I dared move ahead of her in line.  Belle and I had been handed number ninety-five after arriving late.  A friend, a recent divorcee who has raised six children, gave us her number twenty-five.  She had a more pressing engagement and couldn't wait (Everyone seemed to be running late!) any longer.  Our friend also doesn't benefit much from this food bank's offerings anyway, skipping over breads and desserts, etc.  I thanked her kindly for her gift of a lower number and wished her well on her upcoming job interview.  I then walked Belle over to a pair of casual acquaintances, including an eccentric old woman.  When I mentioned going from ninety-five to twenty-five, the old woman threatened to beat me up in public as I held a nursing child.  What the fuck?

What foods nearly cost me my hide:  6 bananas, including 3 ripe, 1 apple, 1 organic lemon, 5 pears, 12 new potatoes (creamer's?), 3 red onions, 1 bunch parsley, 1 carton of lite eggnog, 1 yogurt, 6 brown eggs, 1 chickpea salad, 3 donuts, 9 red velvet muffins and assorted breads.  Threaten to beat my ass over steak and lobster, not chickpeas, okay?

Free!

Never underestimate a "mom and pop" business.  I spotted a package of [brand name] diapers, rejected the higher price for such a limited quantity and got the diapers for free.  This wouldn't have happened at a large corporate store.  Merry Christmas from my grocer, indeed!

Buttered ramen

Buttered ramen noodles are quite the impatient toddler happy meal.  I prepare Top Ramen according to package directions, shovel the noodles out of the beef broth and toss them with butter (or delicious, nutrient rich Melt Organic Buttery Spread).  Belle and I enjoyed a bowl yesterday as the chicken cooked.  I was in the process of baking breaded chicken drumsticks, which I wanted to serve with rice, tortillas and a vegetable, when Belle's hunger struck.  Buttered ramen noodles were perfect.  Unfortunately, this meant I couldn't have rice with my chicken dinner.  We ended up sharing a couple of drumsticks later, with peanut butter cups for dessert.