Tidbits of Joy: a Halloween visit with Oliver Tate

I just had a short, but marvelous visit with Oliver, Jason & Laura in NYC. Oliver is in that adorable "storing everything up in my head and learning about this world I'm livin' in" stage...headed toward that 2nd birthday come January.

He "read" to me this time. I love 'Oliver gibberish!'

He looks and acts just like his Daddy did at 2 years of age..
..with the added sparkle of Momma's eyes.

We visited the Pearl Street Playground one afternoon. The little man just took off on his own as if he wanted to show me around the park.

It was a good place to play hide 'n seek.
Never fear...Momma & I were VERY close!

...stopping to play drums.

...some 'parallel play' in the sandbox.

...and he had a plan. Each scoop of his sand went up on the ledge. Another little guy came and brushed it off each time Oliver placed it there, but that was okay with him. It was a treat to watch them.

O was pleased that he could get up on the park bench all by himself.

We prepared for our special Halloween outing with great care! O was calm and compliant as we dressed him as the little Big Bad Wolf.

We met Jason (I mean - the Woodsman) at the church. Then we headed over to Trinity Wall Street Cemetery for their Halloween extravaganza. Let me tell you, Little Red Riding Hood, the Woodsman & the Little Bad Wolf lit up faces in New York City as we walked along!

Uncle Joe & I followed behind. EVERYTHING was good :)

The setting was great for a Halloween outing.

http://www.trinitywallstreet.org/galleries/hometown-halloween

All was going well.

(Note the architecture in the building in the background. I was in awe!)

We started through the stations...where historical figures gave a few facts along with some candy for Riding Hood's basket.

O loved the benches.

Looking back, I think this was the beginning of the end of our "festivities."

Oliver loved to climb the steps to this statue...and did so again and again.

It was a challenge to distract him from that task.

We did make a couple more stops...including this stop where Oliver made a new friend. However, I think his mind kept going back to climbing those steps. Shortly after this picture, Oliver had a total "I've had it" melt-down. There was no consoling him and no distracting him...very uncommon for our little guy.

I'll always remember this moment. Oliver was crying...Red Riding Hood's basket had been cast aside...and the Episcopal priest was headed toward us. He (the priest) came through that gate...rolled his eyes heavenward...and kept walking. It was just too funny for words.

Jason packed a still-squalling Oliver into his stroller and we headed back to Jason's church, http://www.johnstreetchurch.org/ . By the time we arrived in the garden, Oliver was as calm and quiet as John Wesley's statue.