My Little "Wish"

our pumpkin family matches our real family

Zeben was all set to be a frog for Halloween this year, using the costume I bought for him last year at the consignment shop (but which he didn't wear then either, since his bird costume from the year before still fit--and being a bird is always a better choice over just about anything else), but at the last minute, after seeing me dressed in my witch costume, he decided that he wanted to be a witch too (these days, matching with mom is actually really cool). Except, for whatever reason, Zeb can't say "witch," so he told me that what he really wanted to be was a "Little Wish." Who could deny him that? One old black tank-top later, and Zeben, the little wish, was born.


We pretty much dudded out on Halloween/Samhein this year; we didn't even carve pumpkins! I had been planning to do a whole ceremony in remembrance of Gramma Kate, Lena's grandmother who passed away in September. But I think everything with the puppy and the fact that we're still not especially done unpacking distracted me. And instead Luke and Jaz wore slight variations of what they wore last year (Luke was the clown this time, and Jaz wore much of Luke's Zoro costume, although he called himself a vampire [and my mom, the queen of Halloween costumes, spent many hours altering the Zoro cape so that it would look like a vampire cape]), Zeb was the low-maintenance tank-top witch and a frog (different costumes for each of the festivities we attended), and Leo went as a really cute baby (which required very little costume).

Again, I was inspired by the fact that the kids seem to enjoy handing out candy to other children (they hand out the very same candy that they've just finished collecting) even more than they enjoy acquiring it. And they excitedly told anyone who would listen about how the Halloween Fairy would be bringing them books in exchange for their remaining candy the next morning (and the Halloween Fairy, unlike the absent-minded Tooth Fairy, actually remembered to deliver the books on time!). Luke and Jaz are both really on the cusp of learning to read right now, and I feel like we are getting a taste of the future what with all the practicing going on these days (I picture them sitting on the couch for hours on end with their noses in books). I love it.


Today Zeben started a new schedule at preschool. Instead of going 4 mornings a week, he will be going 3 full days (staying for nap in the afternoon, and getting picked up at 3:00). The other schedule just wasn't working out for us with our work schedules or our attempt at car-free living (Lena wasn't getting any alone time with Leo (something we both agree is important), I was only getting one day a week with Zeb, and we felt we were spending the bulk of each day commuting by foot). And even though this schedule makes so much more sense (I'll now have 2 full days with Zeb and Leo, Lena has 2 full days with just Leo, and Zeb gets picked up at the same time as Luke and Jaz, making commuting much simpler), it's a little hard for me to swallow the idea of my baby (and by baby I mean my 35-pound, nearly 3-year-old baby) being in school for such a long stretch of the day. My BIG wish is that he just takes this transition in stride, sleeps all afternoon at school, and continues to be the fabulous small person that he is.