October Birthdays and Halloween

My birthday is two days before Halloween. Occasionally when I was growing up, there were parties at school or the church on my birthday, and I could dress up and play games and eat lots of goodies and candy with my friends. I rarely had birthday parties with friends, but that was ok. My Mom was always good about having a family celebration for my birthday, even when other activities competed for our attention.

Then I grew up, got married and moved away. And had children. When I was twenty and something, some twenty odd years ago, I was blessed with a beautiful early birthday present, DD1, who was born two days before my birthday. In those days, in that neck of the woods, new mothers were kept in the hospital for several days, so I spent my birthday resting up and reading a new book (a gift from my mother who was visiting and taking care of my two little boys), and getting to know my new daughter. The picture above is DD1 on her fifth birthday.  The one below is DD1 with DS1 and DS2 (the top of his head, anyway.)

Six years later, I had another beautiful early birthday present, DD3, who was born two days before her sister's birthday.  Now DD3 insisted on being born by Caesarian section, so of course, I spent another birthday in the hospital with another new baby:

 . . .and then promptly returned home just in time to finish sewing the Halloween costumes for our Mario, Luigi, and Princess Toadstool to wear in the neighborhood Halloween Parade and trick or treating.   DD2 refused to dress up as Yoshi.  The Little Mermaid was her choice of costume for the year and had been purchased previously.   DH is dressed as a prophet, if I remember correctly.

(Don't you just love the girls' makeup job?)



And so the years have passed, with the last week of October always filled to the brim with baking of cakes and cupcakes and birthday parties and pulling together Halloween costumes and Halloween parties and harvest festivals and trick or treating and trunk or treating and lots and lots of sugar!

This year the last week of October has not been nearly as hectic as in years past since DD4, the tail end of the crew, is now a high school senior. With only two children living at home right now, we ended up combining all of the birthday celebrations into one weekend filled with cakes and presents and lots of phone calls and good wishes. Do I miss the hectic last week of October of days gone by? Yes! And No! I wish I had a few more pictures, but I am grateful for a bit slower pace. I guess I'm just getting old(er).

Have a wonderful Halloween!  Here are a few more Halloween pictures for your viewing pleasure:

(Can't remember DD1's costume!!) Robin Hood and Donald Duck

Inspector Gadget, Clown, Bugs Bunny, and a neighbor

Garfield, Daffy Duck, Robot, and Cabbage Patch Kid

 . . . .  without the masks

Corn Flakes, Mom, Pilgrim, Princess Bride, Granny, and Gorilla (from planet of the apes?)