Parenting these teens and tweens is such an interesting journey. Guiding these emerging humans along the tenuous path between childhood and the rest of their lives- they are so grown and wise at times, and so very very young still. Holidays especially feel liminal right now. We are holding hard to the traditions that shaped our lives when the kiddos were tiny- but trying to fit them into the spaces left by new schedules and interests and burgeoning independence. Such it was with Halloween this year. We made our cookies, and carved our pumpkins, and Ivy and I designed and pulled together costumes- but no family costume this year, or Coventreat or Spooky Pooch or other "extra" Halloween events (due in part to a lack of time and in part to a lack of interest on the part of these teens, with all their studied apathy.) Both kiddos treick or treated (one always wonders if this year will be the last, if next year they'll decide they are too grown up) but they rushed off to go with friends from other neighborhoods. Not only did we not have a houseful of costumed littles, but even our own were too busy to pose on the porch. It's just as well as I had a COC rehearsal on Halloween night (festive and fun in its own way with costumes, and drinks with friends of course). But I still felt the loss of all of those years of amazing (if unmanageable) homemade costumes, and little hands in mine and the thrill and adventure on their tiny faces and the joy of sorting candy and the magic of our neighborhood on Halloween night. The years go fast, my friends.
A tour of Halloween weekend 2022.
School party and costume parade. There was no way to encapulate all of the cute going on in our building that day. Say what you will about this year's crop of second graders... they sure are adorable.
Spent the evening carving pumpkins and decorating the house.
... and then the next morning at our final Saturday ski patrol class. I can't beleive we've made it this far.
It was a glorious day that Saturday and I would totally have been on the water with Betty...
...if I didn't need to spend the afternoon getting the house ready for a party. Like so much of what I've spent my time on this fall, having a Halloween party seemed to be a good idea at the time. And, once I got through the cleaning- it WAS a good idea. Not as big or long-lasting a party as I'd thought it might be, but a lovely assortment of friends came- in costume- and many cookies and drinks were enjoyed. And the house shined up nicely, and it wasn't even too strange to have a bunch of people in it at once. May do it again sometime.
A beautiful Sunday-- 6 mile run...
...coffee with cats...
.... loveliest of church services.
Then off to Ivy's first horse show!
Ivy and Vio shared Goose and participated in a whole host of events, including barrel racing and bareback riding (which was, according to Ivy, not all it was cracked up to be). It was adorable. And long.
But as always these faces make it worthwhile.
And then it was Halloween! a bit anticlimactic for me as we'd already celenrated at school, and I saw my kiddos for roughly 45 minutes and 5 minutes repsectively. Crazy, just sending them off to have their magical nights without me.
It's the way it should be, but still.
I was grateful to drive through a few neighborhoods on my way to chorus, where I soaked up the images of young families, out with the teeny-tinies before full dark. And at least a third of the chorus came in costume, which made my heart happy (including several singers who dressed in version of "the Christmas Star"). And we went for drinks at the bar where we're now regulars and it was fantastic fun.
A different sort of Halloween, no doubt. But not bad. Life is made of change, and joy always abounds, if you let yourself see it.
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