In the Dead of Night...

Without mistake, it was a very dark and eerie night...one that forced the hair on the back of your neck to stand on end...accompanied by an icy chill that runs then length of your spine. This combination of things could mean only one thing....HALLOWEEN!!! Ok, really it was in the middle of the day…and it wasn't very scary, unless being around a bunch of infants in cute costumes scare you (in fact, the costumes don't take on a scary form until they are teenagers...the age when they try hard to get a reaction by adding plenty of blood and mangled parts to their outfit).

The babies' Mini Monster Mash was great fun! Nine babies and sixteen adults gathered for this festive event. There was a lot of crawling, picture taking, food, and good conversation…the perfect definition of chaos, but also the perfect recipe for a great time! All in all, we had the company of a love bug, lady bug, two bumble bees, a lion, two flowers (flora unknown), a skunk, and a pixie.

Unlike the first two gatherings where we were able to line up the babies and take a few quick pictures…with their new found mobility and independence, it was a task that would not be accomplished at this event. To adjust to this new challenge, we were able to get each of the mothers to wrangle their kids and produce a new and fun group picture. Each of the babies were also proud and happy to demonstrate new unique skills and growth…from talking to walking, to showing off new pearly white teeth. Each was a fun little bundle of energy, talking, playing, and sharing toys. We had a great time and hope everyone else did, too :)

For Sydney's part, she got to be Tinker Bell. Her dad was able to acquire her costume in California when attending a work conference. Fortunately, TSA security did not ask him to remove the little pixie outfit and try it on for the return flight. She looks forward to reprising her role this coming Saturday on Halloween!

Tip #15: Halloween

For parents that have children 6 months to a year old, Halloween is a unique period. Many parents at this point are not giving their child any sugar, or only a very limited amount. The realistic outcome is that new parents will end up with all of the tasty treats acquired this year. So…if you are a fan of chocolate and candy, by all means use the cuteness of your child to solicit and secure as much loot (candy) as possible. Remember, this will likely be the only year that you will benefit from a healthy collection of treats, as next year they’ll be more than happy to keep it all for themselves.