my {her}o

I try to make Janie's Halloween costumes meaningful somehow, especially since she doesn't really choose them herself. I want to be able to look back and have them tell about who she was or what she liked way back when. Last year she was a honey of a bee, as she has a reputation around these parts for being quite the little *queen bee* [because, basically, she runs the place.]
And if you were us, you'd let her run your place too.

This past year Janie has taken a liking to all things firefighters/fire trucks. She consistently wants to look at the books we have about them and never gets tired of them. We have collected a few fire trucks for her to play with and we try to point fire trucks out around town. By the time we can get her to look in the direction of the truck it is usually gone.

So I was euphoric the day I saw a fire truck parked in front of Walmart for the "Fill The Boot" drive they do. And, randomly, I actually had my camera with me [I rarely do, so I thanked heaven for loving us so much... a tender mercy!] Janie finally got to see a real fire truck up close. Not surprisingly she seemed a little nervous about it, but I was so excited for her to make this connection to all the reading and playing we do at home! One of the fire fighters noticed us as I was snapping a few shots and asked if we wanted to see the cab. I figured that would be a bit more than Janie was up for, so I declined but happily thanked them for bringing the truck that day.

And so for this year's costume, since we would be using the stroller anyway, it was decided that

our little firefighter would have her very own fire truck.



Red and shiny,



complete with tools and a hose,



a faithful fire dog and [my last minute attempt at] a ladder



and a real flashing light [thanks to Grandma Sue's shopping savvy!]

Saving the day in none other than
{pink boots}
[which she hated and kicked off as fast as she could. but they were cute, dang it.]

Firefighter Jane with her crew members

mommy, teacher Miss Stacey and PT Julie


and daddy

My bestest Halloween treat:
realizing that my little girl really is a hero.

A few days before Halloween I was putting Janie in her stander. Neither of us particularly like this contraption, but it functions as a way for her to gain some leg strength.
On this day, Janie really resisted being put in the stander, but finally [after some huffing and puffing on both our parts] I was able to get her feet in place and strap her in.



I turned on one of her favorite movies [to try and distract her from the fact that she is in her stander and to make the experience more enjoyable] and got busy picking up the house.
Every now and then I would hear her grunting a little.
And as I watched her, I was reminded of the fact that the stander makes her work very hard.
I was also suddenly very aware of the fact that there was no whining or crying, no resistance, no protesting.

When Janie is in her stander I try to make a big deal about how she is standing up and she is "so big" and all of that.
And I think she understands that.
But more than that I think she feels she is there because I want her there.
I put her there and she accepts it.
Usually at first she objects [she is two, after all]
but once she's in, she is very... submissive.
Janie does this for me with many things.
I think... I think it is because she trusts me.

I want to be more like her.
To trust like that...

pure and meek and mild
as a little {hero} should be