Indispensability

Remarks on Halloween: as Reb was raised with a healthy dislike of trick-or-treating, we also stayed away from other people's doors last night. We did, however, dress up the kids in their costumes (Gus was a monkey and Jed a headless toucan (no blood, he just doesn't like to wear the beak part)), take pictures of them with the pumpkin, and take them out for ice cream, where they were appropriately sugared up and oohed and aahed over. We saw the Cat in the Hat and a whole family dressed as the Little Engine that Could. Anyhow, after Jed went sugar crazy after 3 pieces of candy at Jim's work party, I don't want him acquiring much more. Also of note, we saw a mom *pushing* two kids in a stroller trick-or-treating! No way--no walk, no more candy. "We're trick-of-treating as future participants in the obesity epidemic." Jim noticed how different the costumes are here than in Houston, b/c either they have to be warm enough to walk out in the chilly fall weather or you can't see them b/c of your coat. We voted as "most inconvenient" the hockey player complete with rollerblades. It must be awful to climb the steps to 30 porches in rollerblades. It was sweet to see one house that was clearly staffed with college students excited to be grown-up enough to hand out the candy.

Jim and Gus picked out the perfect pumpkin to carve on Saturday. Undisemboweled, it weighed 24 pounds. That's only 3 pounds less than Jed weighs. Jed loves the jack-o-lantern. It's currently sitting on the coffee table and he will point it out to me several times a day. "Mommy! Pumpkin!" with a huge grin.

We also had our first three-word-sentence this week: "I WANT SHOES!" I was very impressed and told him so, but he was too busy howling to take the compliment.

On Sunday afternoons I often crash on the couch while the kids take their nap. When Jed woke up and came out to the living room, he immediately climbed up for some more snuggle. Only half-awake, I settled him in next to me and thought how quickly someone can become indispensable to your life. I don't mind at all him climbing on me while I'm mostly asleep, and I miss him when I'm not home, and he's only been here 2 months.