Halloween, extended...

For YEARS I have been complaining to Rob that I am "no prepared" or "never got into" any particular festive holiday time.
This applies to mostly Halloween & Christmas... two of the biggest marketing-filled, decoration-laden, blow-out holidays in America. They are also the two holidays that conjure up the most fond childhood memories for me.

I looked forward to having kids so that I could relive these "magical times" vicariously through my kids. I looked forward to the return of the magic that came with the monthly celebrations throughout the year: Easter, Valentine's Day, the Fourth of July fireworks... I looked forward to the l-o-n-g anticipation of a holiday... the "forever wait" that applied to anything I so desperately anticipated.

I wanted to feel the daily excitement.

Evie was born near the Fourth of July.
That holiday zinged by and so did the other major holidays that followed closely behind: Fall? We had a fall?
What, Halloween? This baby can't eat candy and she fusses when put into any restrictive let alone a costume.
Thanksgiving... I don't have time or patience to help cook anything.... and clean my house, forget it!
Christmas... what? Evie doesn't know how to open gifts and how am I going to get all these new toys to fit in the house?

Needless to say that first year with Evie both flew by and dragged on (dragged on during midnight feedings, ear infections, mulitple naps that rendered your day useless and poopy diapers 5 times a day...)

The second year with Evie was better. She didn't cry and scream at the Christmas light shows but rather said, "Wow!" and pointed to every. single. lit-up house.... every. single. evening. (it was great!). Her cute "oh's!" and "ah's!" were the reward I had been waiting for.
Evie exclaimed "Wow!" at her Easter basket and proceeded to "Wow!" every single piece of candy she pulled out (one, by, one!).
Evie watched fireworks on TV that summer, "Wow! Lights! Cool...."
Last year's Halloween wasn't quite as magical... with a HORRENDOUS ear infection, we stayed inside and never ventured out. She never even wore her costume aside from the one photo I took... we went home to Ohio for Halloween during a friend's party so we had no where to wear a costume, *sigh*. I was deflated.

But this year,... this year is so different. I had to hold back my decorating arsenal in the attic until October 1st (September was deemed way too early by the husband). I slowly eeked out a few "fall-themed" items but added the ghosts, ghouls, and jack-o-lanterns while Rob was away attending a comic convention that first weekend of October. Evie helped stuff baggies ghosts for the trees.... she helped select (and carry) pumpkins... she learned what a ghost & monster was... she would point to anything Halloween inspired and yell out, "Halloween!".... she pointed to the live-action skeleton at Target and would prod us to clap our hands so he would dance and sing.... she learned the words "costume" and "trick-or-treat"....

This month has been one of the longest month's I have had in a l-o-n-g time.
and I am glad to say, the magic has returned.