Happy Halloween! I think I've covered the costume angle pretty thoroughly here, but I have just a few more thoughts, and frankly, I needed some material to go with my awesome pictures of an otter eating a pumpkin (which we saw here).
I talked a bit about my Halloween philosophy two years ago, and I'm standing by that. I don't go all-out on decorations. I don't dress up. But I am happy to indulge my kids' interest enthusiasm, and I love that Halloween is pretty much just a fun holiday, no strings attached. And as we were puttering around today I thought back through Halloweens in the recent past and realized I have a good collection of memories of this particular date.
In 2006 I hurried through Stop and Shop on my way home from work, hoping to get dinner fixings and a "welcome home" cake and get back to the pier in time to watch the Ida Lewis pull in. We had been in Rhode Island for about 3 months, since Don's graduation from boot camp, and he had been away for most of that. I remember how exciting it was on that cool October evening to watch his ship round the bend and head for home.
On Halloween in 2007 I was 3 days past my due date for Miss Amy Jean. I really didn't want a Halloween baby, so I was actually happy that she wasn't coming that particular day, anxious though I was. I hopped up and down from the couch every time the doorbell rang and felt pretty darn good for 40+ weeks pregnant.
Halloween 2008 - now living in Maryland, with an almost-walking, almost-one-year-old. I made chili just like my mom always did on Halloween, and Amy loved it! Amy wanted nothing to do with a costume, which was really fine with me. 2009 - all pretty much the same story, except I was expecting William.
2010 was the famous Maid Marian year, when Amy very resolutely stuck to her costume wish to be the fox from Robin Hood. William wore a costume, too, and we attended a Halloween party but did not trick-or-treat. And then there was last year...
2011 might be one of the most memorable Halloweens of all time. I wrote a bit about it here. That day was one for the books, and it ended at my parents's house, all of us (minus Don), and no power. This year of course, Sandy arranged for the same tree-limb-strewn and power-less Halloween for that part of Connecticut. Talking with my folks this week as they update me on the status of things has sent me tripping down memory lane in a major way and wishing quite a bit that we could all be up there together for this, even without electricity.
But here we are, and today was lovely. Don was home (a Halloween first, since having kids) and Amy and William went trick-or-treating for the first time, and they looked adorable and did a great job. They both are growing up so fast... sigh.
Okay, this post is going to degrade into sentimental nonsense - can't have that!
Hope everyone had a great day!
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