Oct 31 2002
Halloween
Sam is having a hard time adjusting to the time change. He’s been getting up an hour earlier, which makes our mornings much more difficult. I’m used to showering and dressing while he’s still asleep. I’m not sure what I should do with him when I get in the shower and he’s wide awake. This morning, I gave up and plopped him in front of the TV and played his Baby Signs video for him. I *think* he stayed there the entire time I was in the shower. At any rate, he was in once piece when I got out; he seemed content and nothing in the house appeared broken.
(I’m afraid I’m becoming one of those parents I used to criticize–those who use the TV to babysit their children. Argh! Really, I don’t do it much. Knowing that he would sit still and be safe for 10-15 minutes was my main goal.)
It turned really cold all of a sudden. There was frost on the car windows this morning. I had to bundle up Sam in a blanket and his denim jacket because we haven’t yet found a winter coat for him. That’s on my to-do list for this weekend.
Robert ended up taking him in to see the doctor again this afternoon. We were concerned because he’s continued to tug at and scratch his ears. We thought he might have yet another ear infection, and ever since our visit to the emergency room, we have been vigilently watching for the reappearance of those symptoms. It turned out that his ears are fine! What’s causing his discomfort is the molars which are coming in. Apparently, Sam can’t distinguish between the pain in his jaw and in his ear…it’s all connected somehow.
I never did find a costume for Sam (see my rant about Halloween). That’s Ok. He could care less and I’m not sure what we would do with him once we got him in a costume anyway (besides take pictures). I don’t want to take him trick-or-treating this year. I’d rather wait until he’s a year or two older and can appreciate the experience more. Plus, I think it would be better to take him to one of the events the city and/or merchants put on for small children. They seem like a safer option than going around the neighborhood. Maybe I’m just paranoid.
Still, I feel like I’m letting him down in some way. My neurotic mind is telling me I should have made him a costume from scratch and taken him to see other kids dressed up. My rational mind knows that’s ridiculous. As I said before, he’s not even aware of what the holiday is, much less that his mother is a slacker and doesn’t bother doing things until the last minute 
