Our Happy (But Soggy) Halloween

Halloween and kids go well together. 

(especially Halloween and MY kids!)

Halloween and pouring rain are not such a good match.

(We had to bring our pumpkins up onto the porch because they were filling up with water on the steps!)

But, of course, the rain couldn't stop all our fun.

Our annual ghost-topped pie was still a hit . . .

as was trick or treating at Grandma and Grandpa's--and the few minutes out of the soggy weather even made a few group pictures possible.  As you might be able to see behind the jackets, we had two Meridas, a frog, Iron Man, a bottle of ketchup, a Jedi, a werewolf, and a 50s girl :)

 Janae and Alaina were the first to call it a night, followed by a few of their well-drenched cousins.  

Ben was once again crowned "King of Halloween"--he kept trick-or-treating a full hour and a half after everybody else and got a mountain of candy to show for it.

I think they all got more than enough sugar, though (as can be ascertained by Janae's photo shoot of herself that I found on the camera--I'm not sure how well the chocolate on her cheeks shows up in the picture . . .).

It was the soggiest Halloween we've had in a long time, but it really was a happy one!

Janae's Big Brother

My sisters and I grew up happily with no boys in our family (besides our dad) . . . although I'm sure each of us wondered at times what it would have been like to have a brother.  An older brother to watch out for us, or a cute little brother to dress up--either one would have been interesting, and might have helped us learn a bit more about boys and all that they entail.

Anyway, when Ben was born, and then Janae, I wasn't sure what to expect from their relationship.

We all know that sisters have close bonds . . .

but a brother and a sister?  I really didn't have much to go on.

Ben, of course, has turned out to be a wonderful big brother.

He puts up with a lot,

but he is always willing to play with his little sisters, teach them what he knows, and comfort them when they are sad or scared.

     

In fact, I would go as far as saying that Ben is the PERFECT big brother.

On Friday something happened to confirm this point of view.

As I've mentioned in previous posts, part of our new routine--the part that gets Janae into kindergarten most mornings--is visiting the school grounds at lunch time.  In the morning as Janae walks through her classroom door she asks, "Are you coming at lunch," and I say, "Yes, I will be here." 

As we were completing this ritual Friday morning, Janae's teacher--who I think feels a little sorry for me because of how many times I drive back and forth to the school every day--said, "We are having an assembly right after lunch, and you are more than welcome to attend.  It will be a fun one!"

I said Alaina and I would love to come, and planned on arriving at the very end of lunch and then just going into the assembly. 

As it turned out, I waited too long and got to the school after the end-of-lunch bell had already gone.  I saw Janae's class lining up outside the kindergarten door, then realized Ben was there, too, with his arms around Janae.  Janae was crying because lunch was over and I hadn't shown up.  Ben had noticed this and gone over to Janae's line, even though his class was also already lined up.

Ben hates being late, and it might have been a little hard to go over to his sister when his whole class was watching, but he was there anyway, comforting Janae.

It brought tears to my eyes to see the love Ben had for his little sister.

In all my imagining about what a big brother would have been like I don't think I ever could have come up with a brother as loving and kind as Benjamin. 

And I'm pretty lucky he is Janae's big brother, otherwise my tardiness at lunch on Friday would have made me feel even worse :)