Missing Out On Halloween

I've tried not to focus on the fact that my husband was going to be gone on a work trip over Halloween.  I hadn't mentioned it on here yet, and I really put it out of my mind until I was forced to acknowledge it and prepare to solo parent for a week.  He did try to get out of it with no luck. 

I think it stinks though, that for Sam and Anna's first "real" Halloween, he's missing it.  Sam and Anna were 7 months old last year- we dressed them up, but they had no clue about any of the festivities.  We didn't take them anywhere in their costumes.  It was purely for a photo op.

Anna banana and Sam our little monkey man- Halloween 2010. 

I attempted to sell their costumes on craigslist, but I just couldn't break them up to two different people.  Maybe I just need to hang onto their first costumes forever?

This year, Sam and Anna are learning some of what Halloween is about.  Anna loves "umpkees!" (She's in a stage where she adds "ee" to most words, probably because she loves her "babies" aka dolls so much right now.)   They helped us carve a pumpkin.  We went on a lighted pumpkin walk at the local nature area.  I took them to our church's trunk or treat to practice wearing their costumes, and get more comfortable being around other dressed up kids.  And I plan on taking them Trick-or-Treating... if only to a few of our neighbors.

pumpkin carving

Anna was a little unsure of the pumpkin once it had a face.  She kept covering her eyes and then peeking at it through her fingers.  It was too cute for words.

(side note- now that I have my own children and plan to take them trick-or-treating, it dawned on me that it feels weird to go get candy from other people for my children, for free. Like, if I wanted my child to eat something, I should be buying it myself.  The act of going to someone's door for food seems odd. Does anyone else feel this way?)

Next year Sam and Anna will get it even more, and be able to say "trick-or-treat!" even more clearly.  Maybe next October when they are 2 1/2 years old, I'll consider that their first real Halloween.  But for now, I'm feeling a little sad that I'll be taking them around trick-or-treating this year, for the first time without their daddy with us.

Our costumes Halloween 2011: a flower and a bumblebee

 (poor girl fell right before this picture and got mud all over her legs)

side shot for the stinger view

Blurry, but I've never been able to capture Sam and Anna holding hands in a photo before.  I was soooo sad when I saw that they were running too fast for it to be in focus.

The flower costume was $3 at a garage sale.  The bee costume was chosen because, well- every flower needs a bee, right?  I almost changed my mind and did a bee and a ladybug at the last minute, but I wanted something that went together without being too common/overdone.

Heck, I'm just glad they both tolerated wearing a getup for Halloween at all!