Halloween 2008

This was the first year the boys drew the faces they wanted onto their pumpkins. Kyle's pumpkin is left, Owen's in the middle. Meera's is on the right-- since she couldn't choose for herself I asked K & O what we should carve on hers-- they wanted Meera's to "be a heart." They love the whole idea of jack-o-lanterns, they just don't have the attention span for them... so as usual I ended up carving them. But they sure did love taking the tops off, pulling the guts out, and getting the seeds all ready for roasting...

Sweetness. Since she goes to bed so early, we decided she wouldn't be dressing up for trick-or-treating this year... she's got the rest of her life to do that. Plus, no need to dress her up as a princess since she is a princess to all four of us all day every day around here. Here's Little Miss Princess Sweetness on her pink Bumbo throne, up after her afternoon nap, ready to join (observe) the action of the Halloween festivities. Her brothers adore this girl. And this girl adores her brothers.

We had a gorgeous Halloween day.

Kyle plants pumpkin seeds in the back yard.

Owen and Meera.

Meera had green beans for dinner. She then retired for the evening. She was sound asleep by 5:40. Just in time for the boys to get their costumes back on (earlier they had worn them to school too) and get ready for trick-or-treating...

The end of their night, checking out their loot.

Thoughts, The Day After

When K & O were 1, our first Halloween, it was just so incredibly fun. I simply couldn't imagine that Halloween could get any better. But the year they were 2 topped it. And I thought that was it: Halloween could never be more fun than when they were 2. Then last year, when they were 3, it was the best. But last night, seriously, last night was the best Halloween that there could ever be. These boys are just so much fun. Gosh darn do they give us a run for our money--- they are non-stop every.single.day. and they are TOUGH. They are not times two, they are exponentially more challenging as two. Four year old active willful spirited boys can be a handful. These two are off the charts. You can't let your guard down for a second. And the past month has been hard with them. Everything that we've had going on has really taken a toll on our boys. They've been pushing our buttons and trying our patience and bringing us (well, just me really) to tears. But nights like last night... those moments... they just make it all so very worth it. These boys could not be happier, more excitable, more fun-loving, life-affirming boys. Trick-or-treating with them is like trick-or-treating on Cloud 9. They make everyone around them feel good. And to be able to be their Mom on a night like that. Well, it is just an honor and a privilege and just plain pure bliss. "Look at the stars!!! THE MOON! We're trick-or-treating Owen! We're sooooooooo lucky Kyle! Good thing I ate my carrots Owen cuz I can seeeeee innnnnnnn theeeeeeeeeeeee daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaark!!!!!!!!!! ME TOO KYLE! Look! Look at me run! In the dark! I can run so fast! Like the wind! WAIT, stop look! Look at the beautiful tree leaves! And look!!!! A PUMPKIN! They have a pumpkin at this house! We have pumpkins at our house! We love pumpkins! TRICK-OR-TREAT! TRICK-OR-TREAT! TRICK-OR-TREAT! We're princes! Island Princes! We were really really for real born on an island! I love chocolate! THANK YOU HAPPY HALLOWEEEEEEEEEN! Mommy, let's walk on the grass! It is dark! THE MOON! THE MOON! The moon is RISING! Look at all the stars!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHAT A BEAUTIFUL NIGHT! What a beautiful sky! Owen look at the sky! I know Kyle, it is sooooooo beautiful Kyle! We are so lucky! Mommy, I love you! You're the best mommy ever in the whole wide world! Kyle, you're the best brother ever. Owen, I love Halloween, and I love you my brother!" Honest to goodness, these are verbatim quotes and it was just like this the entire, entire time. With the volume turned up as high as it could possibly go. House to house to house. Leaving ear-to-ear smiles in their wake. Yes, much of the time, these boys are so bad, but oh how they are sooooo good. So bad but so good. So, Halloween 2008... the day after I'm left thinking that surely for real this time there is no possible way that any Halloween could ever possibly be better than the year they were 4.

More photos below (click here)~~