November 1, 2007 by Barbara.

As I wrote a couple of weeks ago, I’m participating in National Blog Posting Month or NaBloPoMo. All I have to do - and you, too, if you want to particpate - is post every day for a month. Post-dating posts is legal but back dating them is frowned upon. There doesn’t seem to be any policing, though, if you did resort to this.

Are there any questions that you have for me? Any ideas for what I should write about if I get stuck for ideas? I think it would be a good time to write some messages to Reid’s grown up self but where to start?

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November 1, 2007 by Barbara.

I bet you’re wondering what Reid thought about the whole Halloween experience. Let me put it this way, before we were out of bed this morning she asked if she could go trick or treating tonight. I’m glad that I had the promise of collected candy to soften Reid’s disappointment at learning that she had to wait an entire year. It was good, too, that this week has been pajama week at daycare. Best $20 I ever spent was the donation to United Way for Reid’s participation in pj week. Okay, that was an exaggeration but it has been money well spent.

Reid wore her costume to daycare over her pajamas on Wednesday. They had a parade from the prescool building to the toddler room. One of the other mom’s had forgotten to bring her little guy’s costume and she felt so guilty. The teacher said that the kids without costumes could choose from the dress up box. There are many kids who didn’t dress up. I saw the mom again this morning and she told me that she had returned home to get the costume. I would have done the same. Reid brought home a treat bag with a plastic spider in it. Between food allergies and religious prohibitions, the daycare has to be so careful with what foods are given.

Thanks to the extended daylight savings time, we had time for a leisurely supper - or at least as leisurely as one has with a 3 year old. We got outside while it was still light out and so Reid and I pulled out a few impatiens and the garden creatures while we waited to see some trick or treaters. As soon as we spotted the first ones, I put Reid’s costume on and we headed out. Ken had called dibs on walking Reid around but she asked me and we went to a few houses before stopping back at home so that Ken could have a turn. They went to only a few more houses before Reid declared herself to be done. She had lots of fun handing out candy to the kids that came to our house. There were fewer kids than last year and fewer houses handing out candy, too. I would guess that half of the houses on our street weren’t giving out candy. This bodes ill for the number of kids that will come to our house next year.

 It was such a nice evening to be sitting on the porch with Reid and Ken! We visited, ate candy and were together. The kids stopped coming by 7:45 or 8:00 and we had Reid blow out the candle in the jack o’lantern and come in. Correction: Ken asked Reid if she wanted to blow it out and she ignored him because she didn’t want the candle out. When he blew it out, she started to cry. He relit the candle and Reid blew it out. We went in and up to bed. Reid and I both fell asleep like that (imagine fingers snapping).

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November 1, 2007 by Barbara.

Reid’s eager smile of anticipation

After only 10 or 15 houses, Reid had gathered enough treats. We sat together on the porch. Reid handed out the candy, ate some of her own and shared some with Ken and me.

Lights out. Halloween is over.

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