30 Candles

The thought of turning 30 had me filled with dread, well, the day I turned 29 last year. I don't know what it was about that age that made me feel like my life was a ticking time bomb with the numbers ever getting closer to zero. Admittedly, I sort of turned into a narcissistic drama-queen about the whole thing.

Thankfully (during one of my "I can't believe I'm turning 30 rants") a wise person, whom I look up to very much, told me that she felt that the 30s were the best years of her life. Thankfully she told me this several weeks before my 30th birthday. Something about this comment completely changed my outlook on this milestone birthday in a matter of minutes. I started asking those who had already lived through their 30s if they felt the same way and the general consensus was YES! (Except for my mom--she said her best years were her 40s. Bonus! Something else to look forward to!)

So now, rather than feeling dread, I feel grateful. 30 isn't an age in which you suddenly aren't allowed to live a fulfilled life anymore, or an age by which you must accomplish an insane amount of goals or they don't count (although, I do feel like I accomplished a lot in my twenties.) It is a jumping off point to live the rest of my life, set by the bounderies that I decide. I think by this age, too, I am less concerned what others think of me. I feel like I am finally figuring out who I am and who I want to become (though I don't think this process ever stops entirely.) And maybe my brother is right afterall: Age is only a number.

So my 30th birthday has come and gone. Although I had to work, it was a very special day and I am so very thankful for everyone who contributed in making it such. Especially to Bean who, as S told me, went to a lot of effort to make my birthday cake all by herself (she's a prodigy, I tell ya'.)

Happy Hallow-Bean!

This Halloween was full of...

Parades

Our local library had a special toddler-time where we learned all things Halloween and had a small parade around the library. I dressed her up in her cowgirl costume for the occasion. It was the first of several outings in her costume. I swear by the time Halloween actually got here, she must have thought it was her uniform or something. We definately maximized it's use!



They gave the kids little egg shakers to shake and played fun Halloween music as we marched around the library. Bean was hesitant to let go of my hand, and the patrons seemed a little confused as to what was happening, but overall I think the kids had a lot of fun.



A few months ago when S told his mom (an elementary school teacher) that Bean would be a cowgirl this Halloween, she suggested that she dress up as a cowboy as well and that they could march in her school parade. Bean was super excited to see all of the kids walking past her in their costumes. Little did she know that soon she would be a part of the parade as well. I made a quick handoff to Gma before Bean could protest and went and staked out a few spots so I could get pictures.



She held up the parade a little bit. After all, that's a long way for a toddler to walk.



Mom H said that couple of rooms had Halloween music playing and she stopped and started to boogie.



I'm pretty sure her Gma had as much fun as she did.



I hope Mom H doesn't mind coordinating costumes for the next several years to come. This was a lot of fun!



Pumpkins

Well over a month ago, my dad picked a special pumpkin for Bean while she was over there for the day. She carried around calling it "Bean's" pumpkin. I kept it inside the whole month so she could watch over it. The day before Halloween we decided it was time to carve our pumpkins. She watched with strict fascination.



S helped her gut her pumpkin while I gutted mine. And took pictures.



We let Bean draw the faces on both of the pumpkins. It looks like S is helping her but really he is just stabilizing it. Bean is drawing those circles all on her own.



Naturally S did all of the carving. This is how "Bean's" pumpkin looked once it was all carved.



She was pretty happy with how it turned out (although she's almost dropping it in this picture.) PS-in case you are wondering: in nursery, music lady put pumpkin stickers on all of the kiddos' heads.



Then she helped us put them on the front porch. She was done with pictures at this point.



The Main Event

The week before Halloween we started training Bean how to trick-or-treat. She would knock on the pantry door, saying "Trick-or-Treat" and then we would put goldfish crackers in her pumpkin bucket. When it was time to go trick-or-treating I told her I was going to take her picture.



Then I told her she was going to go trick-or-treating so she ran...



...over to the pantry door and went trick-or-treating.



(For a funny story about the socks on the floor see * at the bottom.)

When I was growing up my dad always took me out while my mom stayed back and handed out her famous cookies. I LOVED it! In fact, to this day I feel a little wistful as I wonder how he must have felt the year I told him that I wanted to go with my friends instead.

So I asked S if he wanted to take Bean trick-or-treating. He seemed a little confused that I didn't want to until I told him my past tradition. I hope this becomes a special tradition for the two of them.

I made Italian Pasta and Bean Soup and homemade rolls for dinner and then it was time for them to go.



She wasted no time.



It was very sweet watching the two of them together.



I thoroughly enjoyed staying home and boogying to the Halloween mix on Pandora. I may have sung into a wooden spoon as I was doing the dishes :) Plus we actually had a decent turnout this year. Bean came back loaded with goodies. Then S suggested I take her over to Aunt A's (who is practically my neighbor) so she could trick-or-treat at their house. Bean came home one exhausted, but extremely happy little kid.




After bath that night she tried to go trick-or-treating again and threw the tantrum of tantrums when I told her we were done. But I kind of get why. Once you teach them that if they knock on a door and they get candy, why wouldn't they want to make it a career? In fact just this morning I woke up to Bean knocking from the inside of her door. As I got closer I could hear her saying, "Trick-or-Treat!" repeatedly.

I think Halloween just became my favorite holiday.

(*--we made some of those Pillsbury pop-them-in-the-oven Halloween cookies before her nap that day. I asked if she wanted to see them baking in the oven--meaning for a few seconds. She plopped herself down on the floor in front of the oven, took her socks off, and watched them bake for the entire 10 minutes. She is such a funny kid...)