Hawoween!

I'm at home this morning- a gift to myself of 8 hoarded leave hours for still being pregnant. My mom's amazing pumpkin bread is baking, my very favorite special black tea has been brewed, and I'm watching HGTV while working on Claire's Shutterfly photo album. Life is perfect. It could only be more so if this baby was out of my body and sleeping beside me rather than still in my body squishing my lungs and causing constant Braxton Hicks contractions, but at most we've only got 11 more days!

But back to more important matters. Last night was the much-anticipated Hawoweeen night!

 

Landon has been excited about it because costumes! candy! glow bracelets! pumpkin plates! candy!

 

Claire has been excited about it because for the last 7 or so months, every time she's asked me, "when is our baby coming out?", I've answered "after Halloween." In April, this made sense, but it did cause some disappointment last night when we got back from trick-or-treating and she looked very suspiciously at my still very present belly. Again, 11 more days. I think Claire is even more impatient than I am.

 

Tex was excited because he got to be a manly bumble bee this year. Actually, he would have been happy to don the princess costume again if it meant getting to come along for all the fun. He's such a family guy.

 

The kids loved going from house to house- huge smiles, fast feet, lots of jumping. Then we got to a house with a giant blow up automatronic cat. We've gone on many family walks past this cat over the last few weeks and the kids love it. But suddenly, at night, when the cat was only a few feet away from the path that would bring Claire to her candy, she froze.

 

Froze and cried. Moments like that remind me that my fierce and fabulous little Bear is also a regular 3 year old who finds giant cats that turn their head to follow her to be a little disconcerting. But I held her hand and we survived the walk up to the house and back. And that house gave our Reeses pieces, so thank goodness we risked it.

 

We roamed both sides of 3 long streets before heading back home. It was the most exercise I'd gotten in a while and probably the longest Claire has walked without the benefit of her bike or stroller. Totally worked off the Halloween candy I stole from their buckets throughout the night.

 

We got home about 7:30, the kids got 2 pieces of candy and a shower, and I was tucked into my favorite corner of the couch reading a book and wishing I had a glass of wine by 8:15.

 

Halloween is such pure fun. I've loved it at every stage: trick-or-treating kid, parties with friends in high school, parties with friends and enormous quantities of alcohol in college, partying with friends and large quantities and better alcohol in law school, and now back to being all about the kids. And, best of all, it kicks off the holiday season which is my very favorite time of year. May the candy eating commence and the baby snuggling/holiday celebrating season begin!