All Hallow's Eve Adventures

Gabriel Francis is... St. Francis!

At 8:30pm tonight, as our trick-or-treating guests were heading back home, I offered them some candy for the road. Gabriel, ever on the lookout for treats, took the opportunity to help himself to yet another piece. "I'll just take this," he said, thoughtfully, "as an...appetizer."

Peter's first pumpkin carving. He was gleefully in the middle of the action all day today.

Come, Mommy!

Smiles have been hard to find of late, but my almost-1-year-old Peter managed to pull one out of me with this little manoeuver. I was attempting to get him to sleep on his floor bed, and he finally decided he had enough of this going-to-sleep stuff. He wiggled off the bed, and took a long look at the crack of light spilling in from the door. I continued lying on the bed, hoping he would take the hint and come back. He glanced back at me, then stood up and toddled precariously over to the door. He edged it open a little bit, then scooched part way back towards the bed. He seemed rather undecided. He made a move towards the door, then finally, he lunged for my arm and pulled me meaningfully towards the light. I got it. He wanted to have his cake and eat it too–adventures in the lit-up hallway, but not without Mommy! He doesn’t say any really recognizable words yet, but he is learning to communicate loud and clear. When I finally dragged my half-asleep self from his bed, and followed him into the hallway, he wanted to go straight for the room where big brother Gabriel (the source of all excitement around here) was already sleeping. Instead we went downstairs, where he rode koala-style on my back while I finished the dishes. Probably not his idea of excitement, but it was all I could muster for 8:30 on one of those baby-should-already-be-in-bed nights.

Blog silence...

The blog has been silent as the days have been so hectic and my mind has been both full (of seemingly mundane daily details) and empty (of anything seemingly worth recording) at the same time. I think the key may be to write anyway, to not expect depth or masterful words, but to write nonetheless.

(Deep breath)

Here goes.