Happy Halloween

We had fun tonight, and for several days leading up to it. Sarah wanted to go creepy this year, and while it wasn't my first pick, she was a vampire. (She's holding Scarlett, my parents' dog, who is a Jack O'Lantern! That dog has some serious patience.) Eric had all sorts of ideas, and we thought he had settled on being a bat. (I liked this - it made Sarah's idea cuter.) But, in a last minute change of heart, he chose to be a ninja. Our dear friend Anna joined us as Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. (She was wearing brown clothes with a clown nose and antlers. Loved it.) Her costume reminded me of how much of my own Halloween memories are tied to the costumes I wore. My mom made ours, and they were creative, unique, and special because of it. (One year I had told her I wanted to be a witch's brew, and she pulled through. It was so cool.) That said, I may not have sewing skills, but I do have pumpkin carving pretty well figured out. This year, we went with scared and scary . . . there was a pumpkin with arachnophobia and a pumpkin-eating pumpkin. 

Eric at 6

Today he is six. While another year is always bittersweet for me, I love who he is right now. He's funny, loving, sensitive, and generous. He's obsessed with Legos and often gets it trouble because he's too focused and can't pull himself away. He loves school and wants to go on weekends. He tells really bad knock-knock jokes. He never wants to move out of our house and gets sad and choked up thinking about it. He wants me to give money to homeless people when we see them on the street. He tells us all the time how much he loves us. And while I don't want him to grow up and it hurts a little each time I think about it, I also look forward to knowing the person he will become. I think I'm really going to like him!

Self Portraits - Eric

He's been into taking pictures lately, many of them include shots he's taken of himself. I like that he's showing an interest in expressing himself, and I'm happy to give him the camera whenever he asks. His preferred self portraits seem to be individual body parts - I've included several of them below. Now, I'm going to spare you from one photo that I happened across the other day in our August photo file. Can you guess what he might have decided to photograph? The good news? It's the rear view. When I questioned him about it, all I had to say was, "Eric, I found a photo you took." He replied, "Oh yeah, sorry about that." I am constantly bewildered and almost always entertained (though I do my best to not let on).

Sarah's Swimsuit

Sarah picked out this swimsuit from the Little Girl section, and it brought to mind so many things when I first saw her in it. First, I couldn't believe that she actually wanted to wear it. She desperately wants to be a big kid, and I was fascinated to see her so excited about a suit that makes her look younger, rather than older. Second, I realized that this would be the last summer that she would be able to wear a suit like this. It's a 5T, and in a year, she won't be able to fit into little girl clothes anymore. (The cute "little girl" look seems to end abruptly at size 6 - why is that?) 

I was concerned she might notice that other kids her age weren't wearing tutu-skirted suits, but she loved it, and I bought it. Well, it took her a few swims, but she did realize that she was the only one and refused to wear it where she might know someone. This struck me because her awareness is fairly new - she's become self-conscious, as we all eventually do. It's just one more step towards growing up. The good news - she still loves the suit and wears it whenever she can, whenever she feels safe to be the little girl she still (sometimes) is. 

Eric's Teeth

Seriously. Why is it that so many posts I've written about him start out this way? Because it's deserved. Seriously. You want to know how he lost his first teeth? The ones that we had no idea were loose? He bit down on his Legos to pull them apart (of course - when in doubt, use your teeth) and found two bloody teeth in his hand. He showed them to us (and all of the cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents that were there to witness the event). He shoved a (now bloody) tissue in his mouth and went on playing - at the time he was dropping Lego cars down the steep driveway and watching them crash. Unlike his sister, there was no build up, no great anticipation. But, just like his sister, he couldn't wait for the tooth fairy to come.

Side note - That night Isaac learned that the tooth fairy doesn't really exist. He was so freaked out by the idea of someone coming into the house that Christine and Andre decided to break the news to him. He did a good job of keeping the secret, and Sarah and Eric still believe.

Chasing Fireflies

Watching them, so excited, so full of joy, brings me back. I have fond memories of chasing fireflies, cupping my hands and watching them glow. I couldn't get enough - and neither can they, it seems. 

I'm happy to let them stay up later, so that they can remember these lazy, warm, firefly-filled summer evenings. They're the best, aren't they?

                                           

Eric's Graduation

Eric made us proud on Friday when he graduated from Ms. Nancy's preschool. Not because he graduated, but because he behaved himself far better than we expected. Last year at this time, we cringed/laughed when he sang his own opera instead of following along with the rest of the kids. Last year, he played to the crowd, and he had parents cracking up. A friend of mine who showed the video to her extended family mentioned to me how much everyone "enjoyed Eric's performance". Ah, yes. Eric and his performances . . . what mixed feelings I have about those . . . 

This time, he was serious and focused. He followed along and did his best, and it was good to see. While I'm sad to see our time at Ms. Nancy's come to an end, I'm so glad to know that Eric has grown up in the last year. In the fall, when he goes to kindergarten, I'm less concerned about how he'll handle himself, and that is a relief. 

Side note: Ms. Nancy hands out awards at the end of the year, highlighting every child's strength. Eric got the "Engineer Award" for his constant building while at school. Aunt Christine and Uncle Andre will be proud!