And, finally, Halloween

Halloween was pretty fabulous this year. There is something to be said for the first time your baby goes up to a house all by himself, knocks on the door, and says "trick or treat" that is overwhelmingly heart-melting. It was too cute for words, really. 

We were fortunate that the boys got to wear their costumes earlier in the week for a test run at Grandma's office trick-or-treating party before the big night as Beck clearly needed some time to warm up to the idea of sporting plumage. Once they were dressed, however, all was well and aside from Anderson's hot head and Beck's bothersome owl eyes, things went off without a hitch.

 

 

We spent our evening as we have every Halloween since having kids- walking the streets of simply the most fabulous Halloween neighborhood ever. This year's theme was Wizard of Oz and it did not disappoint, though my terrible pictures do it nothing close to justice. Somehow we began our journey in Oz and worked our way backward, though even in reverse it was pretty fantastic. With everything from flying monkeys on zip lines to numerous Dorothies acting out individual scenes, the whole story was brought to life from beginning to end or from end to beginning as it were, reminding me that it has been much too long since I have sat down and actually watched the movie. The night ended with much too much candy, sensory overload, and two very sleepy little guys.

 It's amazing how much I have grown to love this holiday over the last few years. To be able to experience such things through the ayes of your child is something remarkable. My heart swells and yet I become anxious as I think about the profound impact that the memories we are creating will one day have on my boys. With each passing year our actions have become traditions and we have created something all our own. Funny how that happens without even the smallest of intentions, really.  

Now that Halloween has passed and the decorations have been stashed away we are enjoying the little bit of rest and relaxation that exist in the couple of weeks between holidays. The weather is cool, the evenings much darker, and the anticipation of the next big day so great we can hardly contain ourselves. 


A little note so as to never forget: Anderson was the same thing last year. No amount of convincing would get him to change his mind. He had other options which he briefly entertained (a pirate, a turtle, a homemade robot), but in the end the nearly too small pincher bug won out. A creature of comfort, that boy is. I'm placing my bet now that Beck will be a bug next year as well. Thank goodness it's cute.