Halloween Eve in downtown Putnam

Beatrice clapped and waved as 1/2 my school paraded down the halls with their handmade masks today. She also had her first taste of a KitKat, as well as "dirt pudding" and survived. This evening she donned her pumpkin outfit and we headed out into the throngs of trick or treaters on Main Street here in town, when all the local businesses hand out candy for a couple of hours. There was an insane number of families but we felt really proud of our town. The weather was beautiful, Halloween music was blaring, and everyone was having a great time. Believe it or not we only saw one other pumpkin! Beatrice took it all in stride and had fun using her boxes of DOTS as rattles for most of the night. The only treat she was interested in eating was a fortune cookie from our neighbor's restaurant, China Star. She had the most fun hanging out at the Victoria Station patio with cousin Anne-Helene. Tomorrow we'll continue the tradition that my mother did with me: decorate gingersnap cookies with jack-o-lantern faces, then we'll go pumpkin carving at Fulcos and have trick-or-treat/dinner with the Schultzes at Pepere's house in costume number two. I have more Halloween traditions than I ever realized and it is wonderful sharing them in a simple way with my daughter.

Cousins, Part II

Here are Anne-Helene and Arnaud, who have been visiting with their mom, my cousin Aude, from Paris all week, along with their cousins Daniel and Philippe, twin sons of my cousin Ellenore, from Sacramento, CA, and my cousin Marie's daughter Angela, from CT.

More photos from yesterday

My Mongolian Gnome

It is a beautiful New England fall day and Beatrice and I had quite a busy one. Sometimes I think I am just stringing her along through the day. I feel that way when we do errands and I do chores around the house, and other adult things that Beatrice goes along with. But she is just as content sitting in a shopping cart as she is sitting in her club house. She finds wonder in each experience she has. I admire that. I've been trying to enjoy each moment as well but my mind tends to wander into my To-Do List mode. I try to look at Beatrice for support when that happens. She smiles at me like she is saying, "Play here and now!" The here and now is, I guess, all we really have.

Costume Contestants-CAST YOUR VOTE!!!

1. Purple Bumble Bee Butterfly whose wings are heavier than my daughter and she is back-heavy when she walks!

2. Before I put it on her, I called this one "Leopard Prostitute," although I'm amazed at how beautiful it actually looks on her. The settings on the camera were funky, but I like this artsy shot.

3. "Witchy Cat"

4. Pink Butterfly

5. Jack-O-Lantern

Thanks for leaving a comment, even though my mind is made up. I've actually picked two. One for the town's trick-or-treat on Friday and one for a couple of houses on Saturday. Thank you Tita Lucy for all the great hand-me-downs! Two or three of these will probably still fit next year.