Happy Halloween

I wasn't sure I was going to get Bennett's costume done in time, but since Reeves insisted he be a dino-eggie to his T-Rek Dinotaur, I made it my top priority in the closing moments before we actually left for trick or treating. So with a few last minute stitches, we were ready to go.

We headed out to the country for our annual Trick or Treating Hayride. As the other children out there have gotten older, the numbers have dwindled, but the number of houses we visit hasn't, so Reeves still racks up a ton of candy.

I was able to get a few costume shots before the hayride. Preston was Spiderman again this year. How lucky for J and T that he not only was content with and could fit into the same costume from last year, but he really wanted to be it again. Reeves sported Preston's dinosaur costume from a couple of years ago. He has been in love with this thing since I got it from Julie. He has worn it almost everyday and even tried to sleep in it one night. That didn't last long since he is a hot sleeper anyway. I was worried that Bennett would completely revolt when I put him in his rather cumbersome costume, but he seemed to actually enjoy it. I couldn't believe it. He loved walking around, chasing the big boys - because, you know, an egg is much more frightening than a Spiderman or a dinosaur.

We finally took off on the hayride just as the sun was setting. Bennett and I made it for about 45 minutes, but then it got way too cold for us. We jumped off and caught a ride with another deserter back to the Bair's.

It wasn't long before the hayride finally made its way home. Reeves and Preston compared loot for a while, then we all headed to the back for a fire and hotdogs and smores, but mostly for the smores. I didn't bring my camera, so you'll just have to take my word for it!

It was a wonderful Halloween, and each year, I am learning to love it more and more as I watch the wonder of the holiday unfold through my children's eyes. Maybe one day soon, I'll even dress up too! Happy Halloween, Boys!

Halloween 2007

Well, practice must make perfect because when we arrived at Julie and Troy's church festival, he not only let me put the chaps on him, but I had to do it all in the parking lot. Maybe he was affected by the wonder of the sounds looming just beyond the cars. Or maybe it was because he realized just how incomplete his costume looked without the chaps. But probably it was because I told him he wouldn't get any candy if he didn't put them on since everyone wanted to see his whole cowboy outfit. (Looking back on it now, that would have been fine with me because our house and my body could do without this 10 pounds of candy we now possess. Oh, wicked hindsight and weak willpower!)

Reeves loved the festival and immediately found Preston, his superhero cousin. They played games and got prizes and roasted marshmallows and actually ate a hotdog. (This impressed me with Reeves because he'd already had a lollipop, and eating, in general, hasn't been a pleasant experience around here lately.) But of course, what true cowboy could resist the lure of the open range? All he needed was a horse to take him there and he was free. Luckily for Reeves, the church came prepared.

After the festival, we loaded up for the Goshen Tick or Treat Hay Ride. Bennett's feeding needs kept me off the hay ride for the first 30 minutes or so. I'll have to remember to thank him later. Then Judy drove me to meet the gang. We had superheroes, faireys, Terminators, Scooby Doo, and a couple of country bumpkins. Reeves got so much candy that his pumpkin was overflowing. He fell asleep on the ride home and fought me, semi-comatose, when I tried to put his jammies on, so I let him sleep in the jeans and shirt. I think he's still sticky. We had so much fun, and I'm happy to report that we have faced the Sugar Rush Monster in the face, and we have won.Before we went to bed last night, I took the pumpkin with all the candy in it and hid it in the top of the closet. Bryant asked me why I was doing that. Silly Daddy! I'll be sure to pull it out before my next girls' dinner and let you figure it out!! Let's jut say that, other than the lollipop his hairdresser gave him this morning, we have consumed no other candies on this, in CFS's words, PTTD. Well, at least, Reeves hasn't.

Practice Run

Next year I'll learn to practice the costume before Halloween Eve. I don't know what ignorant part of me thought that just because I had made parts of and pieced together this costume for him that he would be as excited about it as I was. Must have been the part that has never met The Terrible Two Year Old. Luckily, we were attempting to make a run at Fish or Treat the day before Halloween. He woke up from his nap happy. He let me undress him with pleasure and smiles all around. Then I tried to dress him in his costume and all hell broke loose. What!?! It's a cowboy costume for Pete's sake. He's been dancing around for two weeks saying, "Yee Haw!" He's been picking up anything that resembles a gun and pointing it with sounds of "Ptshaw, ptshaw!" Why won't he put on the costume, which, by the way is made up mostly of normal clothes. Finally, I got the jeans and the shirt on. Next came the boots which he insisted on donning himself. Fine. As long as they get on. Then I tried to put on the chaps, the chaps which I so lovingly handmade in anticipation of the costume contest that never was. You would have thought I was asking him to wrap himself in toxic chemicals. NOT THE CHAPS!! I'M MELTING!! So I gave up on them. (If having a two year old teaches you nothing else, it at least ensures that you know when to pick your battles.) Finally came the guns. Oh, how exciting! What little boy wouldn't want to strap a couple of guns on his waist, you wonder? Mine. That's the one who wouldn't. This shocked me beyond belief because as a young tomboy myself, I loved wearing my six shooters. Somehow, I was able to put on a pretty impressive sad face, and he gave in. Whoo-hoo! So we loaded up to head to the aquarium. Someone pulled into the perfect spot right in front of me, and I was ticked. But then, I realized it must have been divine intervention because at that moment, I looked up and saw that the line reached all the way to the street and there were droves of costume clad children still coming. We just kept right on going. I'll try lots of things, but two children by myself in that melee? I don't think so. Luckily, since I'd promised him candy and we'd been practicing "Trick or Treat" the whole way down, we were able to charm some Dum Dums out of Pops as a consolation prize. Good thing Gams and Pops thought the costume was cute even without the chaps!

Halloween 2006

Our Halloween festivities started with the carving of the pumpkin on Monday night. Reeves was very intent on watching Daddy open this orange orb that had been sitting in our kitchen for two weeks. He was intrigued by the strings and seeds, but not so much so that he felt he needed to touch it more than once. By some twist of fate, Mama ended up being the one to scoop out the guts. I'm still trying to figure out how this happened! I'm supposed to be the one with the camera in her hands, not the one with her hands in the pumpkin! Reeves was there to supervise Anna and me. Try as we might to get him to help, he would only watch.
Before carving the pumpkins, we headed over to the barn to see the horses. We were at Anna's sister's house, and they board and coach the CofC Riding team. So there were plenty of horses for us to visit, and Reeves made sure we visited each one. We tacked our way back and forth up and down the barn.
Reeves was anxious for some action other than checking out the insides of pumpkins (been there, done that now), so once we bundled him up against the cold night air, he grabbed Anna's hand to drag her to the barn, insisting to walk across the jump ring rather than around it, as we were all doing. True to form, Reeves was not scared of these gentle giants at all. He even let them eat right out of his hand. We couldn't believe it!
Possessing absolutely no artistic abilities, coming up with a design and carving the pumpkin is quite difficult for me. Thankfully, Bryant does have a bit of a creative mind, so there's hope for Reeves yet to enjoy his art classes. Here is Reeves admiring the final product. He, of course, loved watching the candle flicker inside the pumpkin, then blowing it out, and having Daddy light it again and again. On Halloween night, we headed out to the country for the trick-or-treating hayride. I, of course, got stuck in every possible bit of traffic because the drivers around here are complete idiots with no concept of how to drive by an accident without stopping to gooseneck, all the while secretly hoping to see at least a little bit of blood and gore so that they can go home and tell their families, when the news coverage comes on, "Oh! I was there, right after it happened. I SAW the guy being put in the ambulance! I swear!" What a morbid fascination.
Anyway, swerving back on track.... I got out there so late that I had to park at Julie and Troy's and meet the hayride along the way. Reeves was halfway through a lollipop when I got on, so I was instantly covered in stickiness for the rest of the night. Good thing the little jacket I had on is dry clean only! (I should have known better, but it's hard to think about what you are wearing that night at 7:00 in the morning, forgetting you aren't going to have time to stop by the house before the candy gathering!) By chance, Julie had picked out a dinosaur costume for Preston that was very similar to Reeves' dragon. They were too cute together. And, i couldn't believe it, but both actually preferred to have the heads on!Here is the gang from the hayride. The children all love it, but it is equally as enjoyable for the parents. And thank heavens for the cool weather!
Of course, Reeves was only content in the hay for so long. It wasn't long before he was wanting to be the one driving the gang around!

The Search for the Great Pumpkin (or How I Learned To Love The Gourd)

Last Sunday, we went to Boone Hall to pick out a pumpkin.

It was great fun watching Reeves run around and touch the pumpkins and pick up straw and fall and get up and drag Daddy around and do it all over and over again.

I can't believe the difference between last year (cound NOT get him to look at the camera!)...

and this year.

And it ain't just the hair! Again this year, we only visited the patch and didn't do any of the games/rides, but I know next year we won't be able to keep him away from them. I'm already looking forward to it.

In the interest of full disclosure, I must admit, Halloween is not really my favorite holiday. I think the reason is that I can't stand costumes where I can't tell who it is under the mask. It kind of freaks me out. I think it is a holiday variation of my clown phobia. Other than the readily available candy and occasional party, I haven't really noticed Halloween in the past. Anyway, since becoming a mother, I have made a real effort to embrace this holiday. I have pulled out the pumpkin dishtowels. The jack-o-lantern is on the front porch, in the lap of a scarecrow, no less! The ceramic jack-o is on the china cabinet. I have practically immersed myself in the spirit. No? You don't think so? OK, well, maybe not, but by the time Reeves is old enough to get excited about all this, I promise, I will be Halloween's, like, 5th biggest cheerleader.

Let's be honest, as long as Jodie is still around, I'll never be the biggest, and I'm sure there will always be a few others out there more animated than I. But when you get down to it, that's just another gift of having children. Through their own innocent wonder, they get you excited about things.

The light shining through the face of a jack-o, the fascination with patting pumpkins, the way they stare at themselves in the mirror when they have on their costume, the thrill at being given treats just for having on a costume and asking for candy. All of these are just some of the things I have come to appreciate in the past 16 months. Watching my child dance to a shaking, singing, blinking skeleton makes me want to run right out and get every bit of Halloween paraphernalia. (After the holiday of course, when everything is on clearance!)

OK, not the clown. I will NEVER be into those!!