Glad That's Finally Over

Some people complain that the Christmas season goes on just a little too long, overstaying its welcome and becoming a bit of a burden on the spirit.

For me, that happened with Halloween this year.

It just seemed the parties and parades and pumpkin patches and pandering went on and on and on. Don't get me wrong; each of the events in and of itself was delightful, and the kids had tons of fun celebrating the season. It was just cumulatively exhausting for me ushering the kids from one costumed event to the next, especially when Finn changed his mind every twelve minutes about his costume choice.

I know, I'm a party poop.

But I'm genuinely glad it's November. Thanksgiving is just the right low-key holiday to bridge the energy required to traverse from Halloween mayhem to Christmas bedlam. Bring on the stuffing.

That said, here's the recap of what we did and where we went:

At Brian and Geri's annual Halloween party, Reilly and Finney were once again each other's constant shadows. It's always good times with those guys, and this year was no exception. They hired a large, inflatable bouncy contraption for the backyard, and the kids--Brian included--jumped their hearts out for most of the night and much of the next morning.


Then, of course, there was the pumpkin patch--the highlights of which I already posted here.

Then came the Halloween Haunt at Doheny State Beach, which had one of those black-light haunted houses lined with creepy fish and nautical motifs.

Followed by the Halloween parties and parades at Finn's preschool, which went on for TWO days (hence the plurals). The upshot was that I was able to capture the image below, which has become one of my favorites of the entire year for its dizzying range of blank four-year-old male expressions and focal points.


I mean, c'mon--that's priceless.

On Halloween night we trick or treated in our neighborhood, more to show off the kids to the neighbors than to collect candy. Since Shea was a bundle in our arms last year, this was really her first taste of toddling from door to door and she just rocked Finn's old tiger costume. Unsure of how to handle the whole treat bag thing, though, she would give her candy to her brother or me as often as she would place it in her bag for safekeeping. The instinctual protectiveness over her confectionary booty will surely develop in the coming years.


Afterwards, we visited Cari and family, where Finn and Daisy (aka Spidergirl) had a chance to play and trade lollipops.

To top the season off, baseball ended for the year and the clocks got turned back--two events that always send me into a bit of a psychic tailspin.

Finally, to see a slideshow of all the Halloweenerie and visual proof of why October kicked our butts, click here.