Halloween

Upon our return from Cali, we had one week to get our Halloween together. This year was the first time Reina was really aware and excited, I imagine Thanksgiving, birthday and Christmas will be much the same. Costumes had already been decided. Pumpkins were acquired thanks to Gina-mom's spontaneously growing ones and Nana and PGa's trip to the pumpkin patch in our absence. Due to the busy road we live on, this was the first year I haven't bought candy. We made plans to trick or treat in a friends' neighborhood and were good to go.

The evenings leading up to Halloween included a portion of "The Great Pumpkin" and another cartoon with some very gremlin-like alien pumpkins. Reina didn't seemed phased by any scariness, just liked to say Halloween is pretend a lot. Cool. Not interested in nightmares here.

We got out our pumpkins to carve, Daddy with his sharp knife, Reina with hers. Liam with his little pumpkin gourd in his mouth.

We got dressed in our costumes, me in my old standby Snow White (don't tell me I'm too old to dress up). Reina was a ballerina butterfly, her own concoction. Liam was a hand-me-down pumpkin, but a cute one. All the squash he's been eating lately has made him a little orange anyway. Bill was a game-time decision. A mohawk and old football jersey transformed him into: Bill with a mohawk and old football jersey. At least he was festive.

We joined friends Libby and Logan along with little Jonah and hit up some pretty nice homes with some pretty big candy bars. Reina alternated between ecstatic and worn out but stuck it out with the other kids...there was some carrying involved.


The best part about her haul is not that Mommy and Daddy now can steal her candy. The best part is that she thinks she can ONLY get candy if she uses the toilet instead of a diaper. I have now seen the true meaning of motivation. She can muster up even a few drops if it means two more M&Ms.

I admit I don't relish the idea of bribing with candy, however I was also starting to get a little anxious we'd be changing diapers well past her 3rd birthday. Keep fingers crossed, she's doing great over the past 4-5 days. Mental note to self, start Liam's potty training around Halloween.