Just as a Flower Needs the Sun...

Dear Delilah,

Last year, you were a bit too young to really grasp the activities surrounding Halloween. This year, well, you were still too young to really grasp a lot of the activities surrounding Halloween. When I wrote to you last year about your first Halloween, (side note: were you the cutest little mouse ever, or what?) I made some speculations about what this Halloween might be like. Specifically, I said "Next year, you’ll probably be able to take a more active role in choosing your costume. You’ll get to trick-or-treat for real, and we might even let you eat some of the candy!"

Well, most of that came true! You still weren't all that involved in picking out a costume this year. Without having a frame of reference for what costumes and Halloween are all about, you usually responded "yes" or "no" when we asked "What do you want to dress up as for Halloween?" When we hit the second stores to do our costume shopping, we started offering you choices, which do you like better? This bear, or this lady bug? "Meooooooow!" You'd answer. (Hmmm...in hindsight, maybe you were telling us you'd like to dress up as a cat?) We settled on a frog costume (which sadly ended up being too small) and a sunflower costume that was perfect for our cool weather, with lots of room for warm clothes underneath.

Our first Halloween adventure took place on Saturday, when we headed downtown to trick-or-treat at some of our favorite local businesses. Our first stop was the store Daddy works for, and you were the first trick-or-treater!

Trick-or-Treating Downtown
(click photo to enlarge)

We trick-or-treated downtown for about an hour, and no matter how many stores we went to, you always seemed surprised to receive a piece of candy to put in your bag. I know that many people have mixed (or straight out anti) feelings about trick-or-treating on days other than Halloween, but this was a fun, safe experience, and it helps promote local businesses. Grandma Laurel and Grandpa Bruce were visiting, and they loved seeing the shops. Grandma Laurel even did some shopping and did her part to help boost our local economy! Daddy said the trick-or-treating brought 200 people through the store, and since the candy was cleverly located all the way at the back of the store, every single one of those people got to see their selection of musical instruments and accessories.

On Sunday night, we carved our pumpkins. This was still a bit too grown up of an activity for you, so you mostly supervised. Here I go speculating again, but next year, I hope that you'll help us decide how to carve them, and help pull the guts out. Daddy hates that part!

Yesterday, you got to wear your costume at daycare for a little Halloween party, and brought home some goody bags. Auntie Janelle got a special Halloween treat just for you, so Daddy took you over there to trick-or-treat. After that, you and Daddy passed out candy at our house until I got home from work, and then we set out for some treats on our street.

(click photo to enlarge)

You had so much fun marching up and down the street in your costume, dragging that candy bag behind you. You never did say "trick or treat" (or "thank you" for that matter!) so there's another hope for next year! We explained that we could only go to houses with lights on, so every time you saw one, you pointed and exclaimed "light!" And yes, this year, we are even letting you eat some of your candy. Daddy "inspected" it and left you over half of it! This Halloween has been your first experience with candy, and let me say, you are a big fan of the sweet stuff! We're big ol' meanies and are limiting you to one piece per day. Kind soul that you are, you even fed some of the Reese's Pieces you picked out last night to mama!

It is incredible how much you've grown in changed in the past year as it flew by. Before we know it, you'll be leaving your father and I behind to trick or treat with your friends, and we'll have to be much more sneaky about stealing half of your candy!

Love,

Mama


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