A Very Useful Engine

For his birthday, Josiah received a Thomas the Tank Engine costume from Auntie Kara. It's a few inches too long, but there was no getting him into a kangaroo costume – which still fits from last year – with this alternative in the closet. So, I pinned it up, and one Very Useful Engine had a great time at his school costume parade and then later doing his first trick-or-treating around our neighborhood. We're delighted that Pop Pop Casler arrived on Halloween. Pop Pop manned our front door and candy bowl so Josiah and I could make the rounds (Jesse was in Boston). And Josiah L-O-V-E-D it. He very quickly got the hang of ringing the doorbells, saying "trick-or-treat" and "thank you," and then literally running to the next home.

Speaking of the kangaroo costume... Although he wouldn't wear it, Josiah fell in love with the baby joey sewn into the top half and spent several days toting the entire outfit about. We tried to get him to carry just the top, but he'd beg, "and the pants! and the pants!" when he didn't have both enormous parts. He slept with the outfit hung over his crib rails, brought the stinkin' thing to school, and loved talking to "baby joey" in a hilarious, sing-song, baby voice.