Halloween 2011

My desk in a solid mess but my pictures from Halloween are uploaded and ready for viewing. Seriously, I was actually asleep about 15 minutes ago and just randomly woke up. I could not think of a single fun thing to do except to update the blog.

This Halloween marks Anna's third Halloween in the States. In so many ways it feels like she has always been here and in other it feels like she has not. I was trying to think back to last Halloween and I realized I missed most of it because both Gerard and I had to work. Last year I loved Anna's costume, she was pebbles and Hans was Bam-Bam. I remember driving to work last year upset that I was not getting to take her trick or treating. Thank goodness La-La and Me-Me have this holiday down pat. They stepped in and made sure that Anna got the full experience.

This year I made sure I was going to be off. Insert I had no idea what to dress her up as. Gerard and I are somewhat conservative and many of the girl costumes seem a little grown up for us. This is one situation where it is nice that Anna is so little because she fits into the toddler costumes.

My sister Jackie found a Mickey Mouse costume and I thought that was perfect until La-La and Me-Me found a Simba costume in Anna's size on clearance. I am a BIG clearance shopper so it was right in line with what I would spend. Plus here in New Jersey it gets pretty cold so I knew she would be warm.

As we waited for our first trick or treaters to come to the door, Gerard looked at me and said do you remember her first Halloween? He took the words out of my mouth. That first Halloween Anna had virtually no English speech. She was so quite, active but quiet. Gerard and I have remarked that she lately as to how much she speaks today compared to a year ago.

On Anna's first Halloween the door bell rang, at that point the door bell would startle her now it is one of her favorite toys. She jumped then went with me to the door to see who it was. When she saw the little child dressed she bolted. I remember thinking this is not good but oh how wrong I was. She bolted to get her bumble bee costume on. That year we only went to a couple of houses like 6 or 7 and those were family members and the neighbors. We walked up and rang the bell and she took the candy with no express on her face. Don't get me wrong I think she liked it but in retrospect I think she was scared.

This year has been so different from 2009 in so many ways. This morning she got up excited to go to school to show Mrs. Maloney her costume. They had a little classroom party just for the children no parents allowed which I think is strange more on that later. My cousin called to see if we wanted to trick or treat with them and I said sure. I knew La-La and Me-Me were going to have a bunch of kids with them so I knew that even though Anna would me missed, Hans would still have kids with him.

Gerard and I waited to see Anna's reaction to the first trick or treater. This year was much different she was excited to see them at the door but then went straight back to playing with her guys. Lyric arrived and he dressed as a knight which I thought was pretty neat. So off we went with 'Prince Philip' as Anna called him and Simba.

Anna and Lyric ran up to the first house, Anna rang the bell squeaked "Trick or Treat" and ran straight back to me yelling I did it. My neighbor than told us that she did not even take her treat. Well by the third or fourth house she had gotten the concept down. I think she was just so excited to be able to ring all the door bells.

At the house I had Grammy, Papa and Nanny positioned to give out the candy. Many of my neighbors let out bowls of candy and I was so pleased to see all the children only taking one piece. At this house we do not get many trick or treaters because we are on the out shirts of town. My other two house I was bombarded every year with more than 150 children.

Half way through the trick or treating Anna was tired of wearing her head piece so Momma got to be Simba too. We turned around and headed home. Gerard ran out to pick up the pizzas and Lyric left to go show his other Grandparents his costume.

So up until this point I thought Anna loved ringing the door bells the most until the trick or treaters came to her house. The bell would ring and she would bolt for the door yelling "trick or treat" she helped me give out the candy and was quite generous if she felt they did not take enough, which is fine by me less left over is a good thing. Then as they were leaving she told them "You go home now to your Mother!"

I know I will be sad when she stops saying this one day. I just love how far she has come in associating being "home" with having a Mother and and Father.


Wonder who isgetting to the door faster?

Simba

Prince Philip