Halloween

You made pumpkin, cat, leaf, and acorn sugar cookies

You picked out Hero's hotdog costume!

I love your Daddy's Proud Papa face!
Handsome even in yellow!

And he's off and running!  

"George!  George!  Come back George!"

Not only do you adore Curious George books, 

you ARE George 100%

Our silly monkey

This is your suddenly shy talking to grown ups face!

It only takes a second before you are back into action!

Inviting your friends to play games

Ready to bob for Apples!  

You called your friends over then did a George hide

 I LOVE Ryan's look here!  

You kept saying it was hard and you missed and you were getting all wet but none of that stopped you from trying over and over again!

Peter pan wasn't so sure about a head dunk!

Nor was hickory, dictory, dock

Time for TREATS!

Time for trick or treating!

Your prized lollipop!  

"Daddy!  Yoot!  (look) Yoot! (look) Mickey Mouse cards!"

You asked Daddy to carve a kitty in our giant family pumpkin

Checking out your pumpkin bag 

You gave everything to Daddy except your playdoh and cards

Before you were born your Dad and I deliberated celebrating Halloween.  I was Celtic and Roman con.  Then, I became a mom.  Baby costumes swirled in my head.  Who doesn't love dressing up?  Seeing you in ridiculous animalious attire nipped my morals before they could rebuke.  Is Halloween creepy?  Completely.  But in mom zone the buzz is, "what are your kids going to be?" And I am sunk.  It's all about the costumes and we are so so IN.

We had a unspooky, enchanted evening.  Your bubbly excitement replenishes me in a deep soul feeding way.  I love how you begged to put on your costume all day long.  You stroked your soft long johns and admired your monkey feet.  You didn't just watch the water roll over the pumpkin seeds, you buried your hands into them and kneaded and tousled every seed in the strainer.  You don't ask calmly to help.  You run to me screaming as if I could ever forget my little best helper.

You filled the pinata to perfection.  You asked to make homemade apple juice for your party but resolved my redirection by picking out the cider.  You had to have the small baby donuts to go along with the "baby oranges."  You asked everyday to sample the candy corn and were so shocked I put two on your cupcake on Halloween you just stared at them for a bit before you could even take a bite.  

You wanted to eat every apple in the water tub.  You dunked your head right in without hesitating for a second.  You wailed the pinata with all your might then shared your favored yellow bat.

No one has to teach a child carpe diem.  Children suck the marrow of life naturally like breathing.  You enjoy and marvel because it is who you are and I love to watch you.  When it was time for trick or treating you grabbed your bag and were ready!

You told the neighbors giving out candy, "candy is only for Daddy's" and wouldn't grab it from bowls so they had to chose for you and place it in your pumpkin bag.  You told me later, "Mommy, I didn't thank them.  I said, "trick or treat" and told me who said thank you and who didn't.  Afterwards, you have to ask me a zillion processing questions.  What does trick or treat mean?  Why do people do scary things?  Why do they enjoy them?  Why is being scared comical or fun?

The saddest thing was that you observed a scary costume and didn't mention it at the time but later...the next morning-post nightmare told me in great detail about a, "large black and white thing" that was "coming in our house to bite my head."  Yeah, you might have some of your Mommy in you.  You don't care for anything creepy or scary and turned down the ghost train this year because Daddy couldn't come and you needed Daddy to bury your head in his chest in case something was scary.  

Halloween is over.  There are still satin candy corn colored ribbons hanging from the tree reminding me to take them down every time I walk outside.  But, sometimes there are dodo's and dogs with diarrhea and meals to cook and neighbors cats to feed and husbands clothes to wash before he has to leave for work and nightmares to soothe and satin ribbons fall to the bottom of the priority list.  

We planted spring tulips for the Easter bunny and it took a toll on my pregnant limbs.  Thankfully being a mom there is no wimp out escape hatch.  You have to rebound and smile and say, "what game are we playing?"  There's no time for self indulgent pity wallows.  You are needed.  Servanthood is a true blessing reminding you that joy and kindness are holy habits.  On those exhausting days, where eyes are dry for seeking inspiration, it has to be revisited from inside.  In a despairing moment, my eyes caught the sight of a sticker you put on my wrist.  It reminded me that you always make sure I have a sticker or stamp when you receive one.  Always.  You have always just been love.  It is you.  Truth resurfaces.  Patience and forgiveness are not only for convenient times.  It is the way.  Jesus' way of life.  The situation?  It doesn't matter.  Love always wins.  You are my golden nugget.  When I tell you this you say, "no Mama!  I'm Daddy's peanut!"  I love you mooncake.  May God be merciful on me and quiet me when I need quieting and stop me when I need stopping and remind me when I need reminding and move through me when I need the willow love tree to raise up my roots and lift up my eyes to the light around me.