437 questions....

I just read a statistic that said the average four-year-old asks 437 questions every day.

Whoever conducted that study GROSSLY underestimated the number of questions asked. Really!

Or, they never met my Anna.



This weekend was a particularly good example. Anna just had SO much to be excited about. SO much to talk about. There was the big all-community preschooler costume extravaganza on Friday night. (Anna channeled her inner-princess). Then a family outing to Chuck E. Cheese for pizza and games on Saturday night (Ray's idea!) Yesterday was all about pumpkin carving and costume prep and treats, treats, treats. (we had to test the merchandise, you know!) And of course it was all that fun, plus non-stop imagining of what Monday - the REAL deal - would bring.

Anna could hardly contain herself.

After Friday evening's Halloween party, Anna decided it would be a good idea to continue wearing her princess crown for the rest of the weekend, just so she could really "feel" the part by Monday. And why not? It seemed perfectly fitting for my darling diva!

Anna danced in the morning sunlight, with the crown atop her head.





Then, she read and she twirled. And the crown stayed put.



I think it's a good look for her.

However, I must say that the whole crown-wearing-thing did give me pause once.....My dear Anna was less than pleased when I said "no" to treats for breakfast. As her crown slipped to the side just a little, Anna told me that I was the meanest mommy e.v.e.r. In that moment, I wondered whether an actual 4-year-old princess threw a fit from time to time? You know, at Buckingham Palace or somewhere in the Saudi Kingdom? And, would that princess get a time-out? Or would her personal butler simply say "Yes, your Highness," and proceed to deliver a Butterfinger on a silver tray?

Who knows.....

But, needless to say, there was no pre-breakfast chocolate and no silver tray at our house!

(well, at least not until after her oatmeal.....)



So, I am all about holidays and tradition and celebrations. Like over-the-top festive. (More on that coming later this week). But I must admit that my absolute least favorite holiday tradition is carving pumpkins. Always has been. First of all, I'm just really rotten at it. I have no interest in spending hours on artwork that will only be admired for a few hours before it collapses into vegetable mush. Plus, I really, really, really hate sticking my hand into the pumpkin innards, trying to pull out the slimy pumpkin guts. Yuck! And most of all, I have an irrational fear that I am going to accidentally impale one of my children as I'm trying to carve out a particularly tricky eye shape that one of them drew on their pumpkin. (At our house, they draw, I execute).

"Just do your best," Anna tells me, with reassurance.

"Stand back," I say. "I don't know what might happen next," as another pumpkin seed flies across the room.

Really? Who started this awful tradition?? (no offense to all the pumpkin-carving extraordinaires out there....)


(by Sunday, Anna had traded the crown for fairy-princess face paint).

Of course, I can't disappoint, and so we muddled through. As expected, we ended up a pretty good version of Anna's 4-year-old, hand-drawn, happy-smiley-face pumpkin, and Henry's traditionally simple (because mom's skill level demands simple), scary-faced pumpkin.



But there is always a silver lining to this whole pumpkin carving adventure. Ray makes the best roasted rosemary and sea-salt pumpkin seeds ever. And they are almost good enough to make me forget about the pumpkin slime underneath my fingernails. (I said, almost!)

I hope your Halloween festivities are a screaming delight, and plenty safe!