First Birthday

Ethan,

A few weeks ago we celebrated your first birthday.  Your grandmother from New York and Aunt E, from New York both came down to help you celebrate.  It seems like such an incredible milestone.  I have survived, you have survived and your mother has survived.  I can't believe how fast the time has gone.  I look at your pictures and the video from month's ago and you only have a passing resemblance to your younger self.   You are becoming so independent.  You want to feed yourself, you want to walk instead of crawl, and you stomp your feet or fall down when you don't get what you want.  As I think about it I miss those times when you were completely dependent on us, but I am so much more excited about what the future holds.


Love,
Dad

Halloween

Ethan,

So last weekend was your first Halloween.  I'm still not sure, after 30 some odd years, what the holiday is all about, so we'll just say that it's for having fun and getting strangers to give you candy.  As an aside, this day is the only day you are allowed to take candy from strangers, but only from their houses not their beat up jalopy.  I remember my first Halloween.  We were living in an apartment complex and I must have been about 5 years old.  There is a picture somewhere of me and your Uncles and your Aunt dressed up.  The costumes were the kind that you buy and were all plastic with a plastic mask.  We probably got them at the Mott's 5 and Dime from around the corner.  Uncle Derick was dressed as Sylvester the cat from Looney tunes, and I was dressed as a Devil complete with a pitchfork, and I think Owen was Spider Man, and I'm sure Fleur was some kind of princess. People may say that I really didn't dress up as a devil, or that not much has changed, but don't you believe them.

We dressed you in a skeleton costume that your great aunt Erica bought for you.  Mom wanted to paint your face but I thought you might try and eat the paint, because that's the phase your in.  I built a box and painted it black to be your coffin. We put the box and you in the wagon and pulled you around the street.  Your cousin Zara (who was dressed as a pumpkin) was also in the wagon.  We only went to a few houses, mostly neighbors, because you're not even one yet, so what's the point?

Here are 10 rules for your future Halloween's:

10. If the porch light is off don't go to the house.

9. It's time to stop "Trick or Treating" when your voice changes.

8. Always wear a costume. Creativity counts! No costume, no candy

7. Save some of the junk candy (you'll know what that is) to give away.

6. Always be polite and say "Thank You" 

5. Resist all temptation to "Trick" someone ( it just isn't right and I've done enough for the both of us)

4. Always carry a flashlight.

3. Find some way to remove candy from your bag (without eating it) so it looks like you have less and people may give you more.

2. If you do "Trick" someone don't get caught.

1. Hide the good candy from Mom and Dad.

Happy Halloween!

Dad