it happened so fast too, it seems like it was just last week we were basking in the heat and lounging on patios...wasn't it? now i am contemplating a snowsuit for cohen, one of those ones i saw two weeks ago at mec and sarcastically said, who would need this in vancouver? i underestimated my paranoia about my baby being too cold. but still the sun has encouraged us to get out and romp. yesterday involved copious amounts of romping. it all started at the reifel bird sanctuary in ladner where grandma was adamant about having cohen experience ducks up close and personal. yes that is him sitting there amongst the birds.
not unlike his first meeting with the horse, he was indifferent to the whole thing. sure he reached over and tried to grab a few feathers causing me to have small but gut wrenching heart attacks but the birds were on their toes (or webbed feet i suppose) and never allowed his saliva filled paws to touch them. i thought the whole thing was slightly absurd but funny none the less and will some day make a good story, pictures included. plus the birds got some seed (the tool used to entice them into cohen's personal space) and most importantly we all made it out unscathed...phew.next up was a trip to the pumpkin farm on westham island. we didn't actually want to buy pumpkins, nor anything else from the farm really. the reason we were there was to get some pictures of cohen with some big orange round vegetables, so that we would feel festive and involved.
so we headed out in the muddy field and cobbled together a group of pumpkins in a way to make them look candid (although now that i have told you that i suppose they don't look candid at all) and leaned him in for the pose. the whole thing was slightly ridiculous (in case my tone didn't give that away!) but it would have made for great photos were it not for the bright sun over our heads. sun makes for great picnics or camping trips, but great pictures it does not. after three near tips into the mud we chose to move our photo op to the manicured portion of the farm. the place where the pumpkins were carved and theme parkesque. so we came and we saw and we left feeling festive and involved, our arms filled with photographs to make us feel like we achieved something. plus it smelled good on that farm, the air so crisp and new. i love autumn.
then of course it was off to the airport to get cohen's baka (grandma). she was meeting cohen, her first grandchild, for the first time. there were tears and hugs and kisses, lots and lots of kisses. both grandma's were there and so cohen was showered with a ridiculous amount of affection and he loved every minute of it. i wonder if a kid could get used to a thing like that? i don't know if i will have enough love to fill the void in a month when baka goes back home. or maybe i underestimate my ability to love, i have been known to tell him it has no limits. i guess time will test me on that!so that brings us to tonight. cohen and i decided to go out with our friends dreena and mike for a walk in the neighbourhood to see pumpkins carved and children costumed. there is an area near us that goes all out for the occasion. it takes up only a couple of blocks but almost every house is decorated with lights and cobwebs and pumpkins.
it seemed like every kid from far and wide showed up to these dozen homes for the loot, lineups down stairs a common site. it was a great experience. you see, i have always had this nagging voice in my head telling me how bad it is to raise a child in the city, reminding me of all of the things they will miss out on. on that list was halloween. i just couldn't imagine actually allowing my child to trick or treat and i also didn't think there were many in these parts that would give candy out. tonight i was proven wrong on both counts. all the laughter and smiles, well it reminded me that no matter where you go it is always possible to have community, you just have to nurture it and participate. there is definitely a community here and tonight it felt like a great place to raise a family. for me this realization was so much sweeter than any candy i could have had (of course i did have some candy too).happy halloween!
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