Unhappy pumpkin

Like our jack-o-lantern? It's made of papier mache. In this picture, Dylan is mad that I won't let him play with it. It usually stays up on a shelf so he won't destroy it but I brought it down for a photo op, which he cried through. Oh well. Halloween is not that big in Italy. It's starting to make inroads as a kiddie holiday similar to Carnevale (which is in February) but without trick-or-treating. It seems more a holiday for adults who dress up and go out to the bars. But it's really nothing like in the U.S. and that I know of, there are no real pumpkin patches to visit.

OK, so here's a weird question: does Dylan look special? The other day I'm in Imaginarium (Hilary and Vanessa, they are opening one in Palermo!), which is my favorite store for interesting educational kids toys here. It's overpriced but what isn't overpriced for kids here? I had Dylan with me and the girl working there came up and was shoving a bunch of toys in his face. I told her I was looking for something he could stand and hold on to or a toy he could push around the house since he's in the early phases of walking. Out of nowhere, she says "I have the perfect toy for your little boy" and shoves this big teddy bear in my face. She explains that the teddy bear has one ear bigger the other and one of his eyes has an "x" instead of an eye because it's been clawed out and his arm has been stitched up and mended. "This will teach your little boy about being different. Special." Did she think he was retarded? Granted this girl was in her early 20s and she probably just gets a commission for selling the most number of the store's signature teddy bears. But her pitch left something to be desired. A more paranoid mamma might wonder what this girl was trying to imply. Fortunately for her, I also worked retail in my early 20s and I realize she just needed to work on her customer approach. And, of course, Dylan is OBVIOUSLY physically perfect, isn't he?