A Spooky Adventure

The Nugget is obsessed with Dinosaur Train, and there's this one episode where the characters go on a night train and learn about nocturnal animals. Or as the Nugget calls it, "A spooky 'venture!"

One night after dinner, the Nugget was bouncing off the walls and coming completely unglued. There was fresh blanket of snow, but it was already dark. I rounded up a couple flashlights and told the Nugget and Hubby that we were going to have our own spooky adventure.

While putting on his snowpants and boots, we kept his usual bundling-related tears at bay by chanting, "spooky adventure snowpants! spooky adventure boots!" We layered up and went out into the snow together. The Nugget ordered Daddy to hide behind a tree, the way the conductor does in the episode, and jump out to say, "Boo!" We made spooky tracks, we explored his spooky playhouse, we kicked the spooky purple ball, we wiggled our spooky flashlights on the snow and up in the trees. The Nugget searched for a Palaeobatrachus (Do you know more than a 2.5 year old? When it comes to prehistoric animals, I no longer do). We tromped inside when he had soaked through his mittens and had hot cocoa.

His funk was totally gone, and he slept like a rock. We had probably each used the work "spooky" about 4 dozen times. The way a toddler says spooky is just the cutest thing ever. Sorry, none of the pictures came out (my camera does not like the night), but here's an obligatory shot of the Nugget in his snowpants.

It was goofy (spooky!) fun, and it made such an impression on him. Isn't it amazing that we parents feel like we need to sign up our kids for all the latest and greatest classes and activities, but what they enjoy and want the most is just our simple attention? He was still talking about it a month later, so last week we had another one. It will definitely be a family tradition!