Month: November 2011

halloween 2011

Posted on by mommyinthemidwest

I was looking forward to Halloween this year but really didn’t have high expectations.  I knew we would take Theo to a handful of houses and assumed that he would be over it and want to eat all the candy as soon as he saw it drop in his jack-o-lantern bucket.

Y’all.  He loved it!  We went first to our next door neighbors so they could see both boys in their cute costumes, then took Dexter back to the house to pass out candy with Nana.  We live in an older neighborhood with beautiful trees that were covered in gorgeous yellows, reds, and oranges.  The sky was blue.  The air was crisp.  Perfect setting for trick-or-treating.

Before we set out, Theo was saying “trick-or-treat” perfectly, but of course when we showed up on a stranger’s door, he just stood there and stared at them blankly.  I think he did say it once or twice.  He watched as the candy fell in his bucket or carefully selected his piece if the candy bowl was offered to him, then he would turn around and start heading to the next house.  We had to turn him around and prompt him to say “thank you” every time. He loved all the decorations and I thanked the neighbors that went all out with creepy skeletons, spider webs, and cackling witches.

We started just after 6pm and Theo was still going strong at 7:30, but it was time for Dexter to eat and Theo needed to start getting ready for bed.  At the end of the night, I was so happy.  I don’t think I ever had more fun trick-or-treating as a kid than I did last night with my own kid.  Loved it with my whole big mommy heart.  Now I can’t wait for Dexter to be a bigger part of it next year.  We had a blast.

Just another failed attempt at a family photo.
Our little hot dog.  The top is supposed to be over his head, but he wouldn’t leave it that way – not even long enough for a picture!
Mommy and her hot dog. 
Cheeseburger boy, checking out his goodies!
Theo wanted to walk the whole time.  Houses in our neighborhood are not close together and the driveways are long.  He didn’t care.  I kept asking me if he wanted me to carry him.  “No!”  I asked him if he wanted me to carry his bucket.  “No!”  What an independent little boy my baby has become.

And of course, Nana and Pop Pop came with toys and candy for the boys as well.  Best Halloween ever!

~C~

hopes. dreams.

Posted on by mommyinthemidwest

 When I saw that the topic for Toddle Along Tuesday was “hopes and dreams for your children” this week, I took a deep breath.  Seems like such a loaded question.  Where do you begin?  Where do you stop?  I had to think about it.  I wanted to keep it simple.

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I hope they know they are loved.  Not just “hey, love ya man” loved, but that there is a deep love emblazoned on my heart that will never fade.  I hope they know that they were created and born out of love.  I hope they feel that they were raised in a loving home and I dream of them recreating that same thing with families of their own.  Because if there’s one thing I’ve learned from being a mama, it’s this:  Family matters more than anything.  Family is everything.

I hope they have true friends.  Because I do believe that friends are the family we choose.  I can’t imagine my life without the exact people that have been placed in it.  I hope they know that they can always come to me for love and support.  But if they can’t because I’m not around, I hope they have a wonderful circle of friends that they love like family.

I dream of them being the very best of friends to each other.  To think of them not speaking breaks my heart.  To think of them not delighting in one another’s children someday makes my stomach hurt.  I hope that their closeness in age translates into closeness throughout their lives.  I hope that one another’s families are as important to them as their own.

I sometimes catch myself dreaming of them being this or doing that, but none of that matters.  I will love them to the bottom of my heart, regardless of what they do.  I hope they are kind and compassionate and considerate.  I hope they are responsible.  Throughout their lives, I hope people say “he’s a great kid,” “he’s a nice guy,” “he’s a wonderful man,” “he’s a devoted husband,” “he’s a loving father,” and most of all, “he’s just like his dad.”  That will make me as proud as anything they could ever achieve. 

I just hope they’re happy and fulfilled at the end of the day.  Satisfied with where their path has led them in life.  I hope that’s not too much to ask.

~C~