Happy Halloween!

Before writing the 2009 Halloween post, I cruised the blog archives back to last year's Halloween, when Emma was seven months old and not even crawling, yet. She was a pumpkin last year and spent a good portion of the holiday waving an orange flashlight around. What a blast this last year has been. Thank you, Bee, for being such a delightful little girl and for bringing your parents such happiness. It's hard to believe it's gone by so fast.

OK, all mushiness aside, we spent this year's All Hallows' Eve with friends and took the tiny tots on their first trick-or-treat adventure. Emma was in her bee suit, of course, Emily was Mickey and Greyson was Elmo. We were also accompanied by Emily's brother, Eli, who was a storm trooper and Taylor, a family friend dressed up as Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz.

Before strolling the streets in search of candy bars and other sundry treats, we feasted on pizza at Emily's house, where the little ones got to play on the trampoline, shoot (mini) hoops and watch some vintage Halloween Sesame Street. Fortified by cheese and pepperoni pizza, we set out to collect some serious loot. The base was alive with princesses, vampires, Mario brothers, storm troopers and Darth Vaders, and even a few bumble bees. Greyson's Elmo suit was totally a hit, as was Emily's Mickey costume. I am pretty sure they were the only ones that we saw last night. We didn't turn a single corner or approach a house without hearing a chorus of "Elmo!" from the delighted children.

We walked Lauman Ave at a toddler's pace (which is actually pretty slow, even with the enticement of candy) for about an hour and a half, and with bulging candy bags and absolutely exhausted toddlers, we headed back to Emily, Eli and Sara's house. The kids took inventory of their winnings and tasted some of their hard-earned candy. Emma tasted Dots for the first time, and Greyson was enraptured by a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. Thank you, Sara and family, for a wonderful Halloween Night!

A Perfect Fall Day

The Bee Family is heartily enjoying the fall season here in our fair state. It's a welcome respite from the crushing heat of summer. Seriously, there were days in our old car (which did not possess the elusive ability to blow cool air) that felt like we were driving on the surface of the sun. Here, in Oklahoma, there are definite seasons, and fall is shaping up to be my favorite one. The sky is a pure cerulean blue, the air pleasantly cool with a delicate crispness and the trees resplendent with gold and red leaves. While the grass is still green, thanks to some autumn rain showers, there is a golden blanket of leaves on everyone's lawn and that makes the whole neighborhood look like a patchwork quilt. I love watching the constant rain of leaves fall lazily from the trees. On one of these perfect days, Emma and I got out for an afternoon walk to breathe the fresh air and soak up some sunshine.

My name is Me

Lately, Emma's Mom and Dad have been making an effort to call Emma by her name, instead of Baby. Not that there is anything wrong with calling her Baby, but we just want to make sure she knows her name at some point. I privately suspect I will think of her, if not call her, Baby for at least the next 15 years, no matter how quickly she grows up. Anyhoodle, when asked what her name is, the Baby Bee proudly responds, "Me!" It makes us laugh so hard that we don't have the heart to correct her. Oh well, it's progress all the same.