Random updates

I've been out of town for two days, and Maybelle's been out of school (ECDC was closed while the teachers went to a conference), so Biffle and I have both been too busy to blog.  I've been thinking of substantive posts, but instead, I'll provide a post with highlights of the last week.

Halloween
What a great holiday!  At school, Maybelle made a construction paper jackolantern (which she referred to as "happy face"), and Biffle carved our at-home jackolantern as a replica.

Really good job, don't you think?

ECDC has a parade every year, where the kids wear their costumes and walk across campus:


The parade ends on the Cistern, where Maybelle and lots of other kids ran frenetically around rather than standing still and singing the song they'd planned to sing.


Then Halloween night, we participated in the Halloween tradition we've done since Maybelle was two months old: the party at my friend Lynne's house and subsequent trick or treating throng. This year Maybelle participated even more fully in the trick or treating. She went up to people's porches and said "Trick or treat," and then when they offered her candy, she said, "No bee-tyou" (no thank you). She doesn't like candy.

Getting to fully enjoy Halloween with Maybelle and my friends was a surprisingly big deal for me.  The day felt so special--seeing her in her witch costume (thanks, Nonnie, for making such a great cape and skirt!), seeing her admire the pumpkin, have fun in the parade, give a try to trick or treating--these were surprisingly important moments.  I had this sense of, Oh, yes, this is what I want in my life.

I have other things I might share--thoughts on the conference I attended, thoughts on the fabulousness of the College of Charleston's REACH Program (we actually are, I think, the best in the nation)--but rather than take this post off-track with academic musings, I'll end with the other big news from our household.

Gabe
The SPCA was having a big adoptathon today, and we went and adopted a one year old Great American Black Dog named Gabe.

I have now known Gabe for four hours, and here's what I'd like to say:

• He has such a sweet face.  That was one of the big things that got to us.
• He is quiet.  In the four hours I've known him, he's barked once--and that was playfully, at George Jones.  When he was in the adoptathon tent, 50 dogs were barking, squealing, howling, screaming, and he didn't say a word.  Sirens went by our house this afternoon, and he looked up attentively but didn't break into a howl like some dogs do.  A guy jogged by, and Gabe watched, his body poised for action, but he didn't bark.  We'll have to see what he does when the school kids walk by (that was when Benya would let loose with bloodcurdling barks).
• It is a wonderful thing to have a dog in the house.  Gabe is checking things out, clicking up and down the hallway, monitoring the front door thoughtfully, sniffing here and there, and it's incredibly comforting.  It's comforting for a few reasons--because of safety (I love that attentive dog body that says, Don't even try to mess with this household) and also because of...what...the presence of another person?  As I sat down to blog, he lay on the floor beside me, and he looked up at me just now while I was pondering what to write.  I can stroke his face and get some pure affection.  I really like having him here.
• Maybelle is waking up from her nap, and Gabe is letting me know that he heard some noise from the front of the house (i.e. Maybelle), so I'll sign off.

George Jones, you are a generous cat to have taken it so gracefully when we brought a new dog home.  Perhaps you're happy to have another dog in the family.