Trick or Treat!!

Happy Halloween!
We just got back from a night of fun. We went to Tyler's Aunt's house and had a party with a bunch of kids and grown ups and then went trick or treating in a great neighborhood. Our neighborhood is in the woods and mountains and not trick or treat friendly. Well, Shaela wanted to be a family of vultures for Halloween. She has been saying this for a week now, after seeing Ice Age 2 at Grandma and Grandpa's house in AZ. So Justin and I went scampering for a white feather boa for our necks, and some masks to make vulture beaks on and cutting up some garbage bags. As I was getting it all ready today, Shaela informs me that she wants to be an Angel for Halloween. I said, "but I made all our vulture family costumes! That means Daddy and Mommy will be vultures and you won't." Shaela then says, "I tricked you!" (Justin and I think she wanted us to look pretty bad next to her cute Angel get up, so she would look even better). We got our trick and she got lots of treats!

Shaela became super proficient at ringing the door bells at each house and yelling "trick or treat" and then proceeded to pull the dish or bowl of candies down from the unsuspecting host, searching madly for any signs of chocolate. Soon she and Tyler were going to each person, "do you have any chocolate?!" Shaela has been uncanny about her ability to tell which candies have chocolate in them. She has always had this gift, even as a toddler. I have no idea how she does it.
She only had one candy after lunch today and one after trick or treating. She plans on organizing her booty in the morning. She is very happy.

On the other side, Shaela got sad today when I put the Muzzy Mandarin DVD on. It was something we played a lot when we first got her from China. She immediately got sad. She gets bouts of sadness and says it was another life time ago or a past life. I think it may be from this life. We talk about it and then find ways to be happy now. I love her so much.

Shaela is extremely moved by music. She does not like any sad sounding songs and will say, "is she happy? I don't like this song, it is sad."

She is quite the artist now. She draws great princesses, fairies, spirals and ghosts and nightmares with sharp teeth and claws. She has some nightmares after seeing Aliens vs. Monsters, about a gigantic Robot that crushes and destroys everything. We have to think of the Robot getting double doodie diapers on his head, to make him not so scary. She was also fascinated by the vultures because of a scene in Ice Age 2 where they were talking about the possibility of everything dying, but that this would be good for the vultures, who would have a buffet. She is so fascinated by the dark side of things. Always wanting to play the Stepsisters in Cinderella. Wanting scary stories. Snow White is a favorite bed time story (she is fascinated with the beautiful evil Queen).

Shaela is very extreme, wanting to stay in school forever when she is having fun, and then never wanting to go back again if she had a bad day. She will give a friend everything if she likes them, or threaten people that they will never be invited to her birthday, if she is mad at them. She says everything with incredible bravado and gusto! (She would be an incredible actress)

If Shaela pushes me past my limits and makes me mad, she will say "You don't forgive me?!" If we have had a rough time arguing, she will say, "This is not the best day. Let's throw this day in the trash and start all over."

When she does something good, she asks "Are you impressed?"

We took some pictures of us as vultures with our angel and with our little vulture. She is a Gemini to the max....

With Love to you all.
Debbie, Justin, Shaela, Kobi and Tara