Little Joel was very excited about carving the pumpkins.

Joel and Luigi  :)

Little Joel was Luigi, my friends little girl was Princess Peach, and my other friends little boy was Mario.

A very thirsty Luigi

Going trick or treating

My adorable Luigi!

Halloween was fun.  We only actually went to 3 houses because it was late, but I think 3 houses was plenty for the kids.  Also, my friends and I made all of the kids costumes, which I was very excited because I never thought that I would be able to make a costume.  Anyways, though it was a nice night and holidays are even better with a kid :)

Lately Little Joel has started waking up screaming at night, and when I go to get him, he hits at me and struggles, but his eyes r closed the whole time.  I am not sure what to do to help him and I am worried he is having night terrors or something like that.  Tonight he kept screaming and finally I gave him tylenol and he seems to be sleeping better now.  So could all this screaming juts be from pain?  Do any of you know anything about night terrors??

I am so frustrated right now over many things big and small, and I need to get some of it off of my chest before I explode at someone.

Right now one of my major frustrations is people who act like my son is an awful horrible monster, when all he is doing is acting like an 17 month old.  My son is bigger and older than the other little kids he plays with.  He is only 3 months old than the other kids, but he is at least 3 inches taller than them.  And maybe it is because he is bigger and older that he acts the way he does.  My son gets over excited and he pushes the other kids down, and he gets frustrated and wants to take their toys too.  I don't think it is ok for my son to push other kids or take their toys, which is why I try to explain to him how to be nice and we talk about sharing.  But I also believe and know that my son is at and age where he is learning and growing and he doesn't understand why it hurts others when he pushes them down or why he can't just have every toy he wants.  But if people don't stop acting like my son is just an awful horrible little boy and saying things about him in front of me I may just loose it and hit someone.  I do my best to never talk bad about some ones kid, they r just children, they r still learning and I would never talk bad about some ones kid while they r right there.  Also, my son is dealing with a lot right now, his dad is gone and my son is only 17 months, he doesn't understand why his dad left and why mom is sad and frustrated and having a hard time.  And I know my son picks up on my emotions and I do my best not to loose it in front of him, but there r some days when it is just hard.  I am not trying to make excuses for my son, I still do not think it is ok for him to be mean to other children, and I don't want him to be a bully, but he is still only 17 months old!!  People just need to watch what they say about my son, because he is still my baby and it is never ok to talk bad about someone's kid.

I am also frustrated with people who think it is ok to take my son's toys just because their child happens to like the toy.  If we r at someone's house and my son likes a toy, I still make him leave it at that person's house even if it makes him cry.  My son is learning that he can't just have whatever he wants and sometimes toys belong to other people.  But there have been at least 2 times when someone has taken one of my sons toys home just because their child was holding the toy.  It was just stupid little stuff life a plastic piece to a toy and a little plastic scoop, but they  were still things my son liked to play with.  The people did bring back one of the toys but lost the other.  

 Along the same lines, one of our friends tried to buy a little bear from us that my husband had just given me that day for Valentines Day just because their child liked the bear.  That bear, no matter how expensive or inexpensive was a gift from my husband that I had just opened, it is not ok to try and buy it just because your child happens to like it.  Go to the store and buy another bear if it means that much to your child, but it is ok for children not to get everything they want. 

Sorry for this post to be such a downer, but I do feel better after getting some of this off of my chest.