Halloween and Libby's Departure

As most of you are I'm sure aware, yesterday was Halloween. To celebrate, we spent the day in Cunningham with my folks and a number of the locals joining in the city's day-long celebration.

Now, don't take this personally. I'm sure your kids are great. EVERYONE'S kids are great. But there's something I've been thinking a lot about lately. I'm not going to beat around the bush here. I don't think your kids and I should see each other anymore. Maybe it's time that your kids started being around other adults. No, no. It's not their fault. It's MY fault. They deserve better than me. So I think it's best that we just keep our distance from here on out. We can still be friends, sure, but let's be friends from far away.

Break ups are always so messy.

It's no secret that I'm not a "people person." I like the idea of people. And I like studying people. I have a pretty good, innate grasp on how the human brain works, and I've always had a curiosity about how human nature plays out in everyday life. But I've never been much for hanging around with people that I don't know and who don't know me. I'm one of nature's voyeurs, I guess. There's all that pretense and awkwardness and carefully considering what's been said and what's going to be said when personal interaction occurs with casual acquaintances. Yes, yes, I know. There doesn't NEED to be all that stuff, but that's the way my brain works, so social interactions are rarely a natural, fluid thing for me, and, frankly, I don't need the extra hassle right now.

But for all the not being a people person there is going on in my life, I think there's even more of me not being an "other people's kids person." I also like the idea of kids, maybe even more than I like the idea of adults. I think kids are adorable. They say and do funny things. They're cute. But they're just so . . . there, EVERYWHERE, and all at the same time. They get in my personal space and they expect me to interact with them. I appreciate your interest. Really. But no thanks. Go wipe your boogers on someone else.

Now, before anyone progresses into full-on chastisement mode, I'm fully willing to admit that my attitudes towards other people are unhealthy, unproductive, and really not something that I want to pass on to my children. Don't get me wrong. I would love to see them both develop into self-aware, introverted people. The world needs more introverts. Sure, the extroverts might be the ones to get things done, but, for the most part, they get things done wrong. It's always do, do, do with them and never think, think, think--and while action has it's place, without the benefit of reflection and planning, that action usually takes on a circular motion, which is just as unhelpful, possibly MORE, than doing nothing at all.

So it it is with the understanding that I want my children to grow up thoughtful, but interested in being around other people, that I willfully participate in activities like yesterday's events.

And the day went fine. Exhausting, as I hovered around Gabe to make sure he wasn't beating up anyone else's kids (or trying to tell everyone on the playground equipment to "go away" or "stop"--as he did because he felt sure that the equipment should belong to him and him alone) or pestering some unsuspecting adult, but fine.

The Costume Parade. We were under the impression that this was going to be some sort of actual parade--that, perhaps, the kids would march up main street for a block or two while people lined the road to watch. Instead, they marched around the community center then, for some reason, went out the door, walked to a nearby "park" (a gazebo in an empty lot), and then returned to the community center. Nobody but the kids and a few adults taking pictures were outside, though.

Besides the parade, there were a half dozen or so other activities. There was a chili cookoff, a fair number of activities set up for the kids at the big park, a dog show (for some strange reason--not costumed dogs, mind you, just dogs), bingo, and a cake walk. We missed out on a fair chunk of the afternoon activities because Gabe melted down and needed a nap, but it was otherwise pretty OK. He had fun, at least.

As you've no doubt guessed from the video, Gabe went as a cowboy. After we got home from Cunningham--right about 6:00--we called the McHugheses and decided to walk around the neighborhood for a little trick-or-treating.

Cowboy Gabe. Sadly, the best picture that we got of his costume also includes his finger up his nose. But what can you do? That's Finn racing off camera to the side there. He's a dinosaur.

Trick-or-treating was about as much fun as I expected. We walked about six blocks and managed to find four houses with their lights on. Apparently, people don't do much with trick-or-treating anymore. Two of the houses were pretty creepy--and not because that was how they were decorated. I expect it will be a bit more fun when the kids are old enough to do most of it on their own. Since Gabe got tired of walking after about four blocks, I ended up carrying him, and, of course, he couldn't comprehend the concept of "one piece of candy per kid" and kept digging his hands into the candy bowls and trying to hastily shove as much food as possible into his pumpkin.

To me, trick-or-treating always feels like aggressive pan-handling for sweets. But maybe that's just me.


Then, this morning, Libby left for Taintlick, Texas, to defend her thesis tomorrow afternoon. She will be gone until Wednesday evening. Then she leaves again Thursday morning for a business trip and won't be home until Saturday night. It should prove to be a most interesting week. I'm curious how it will all play out.

She took Gabe aside a few times this morning and tried to explain to him that she was going to be gone for a few days. Not surprisingly, he paid no attention. I really don't expect there to be any troubles today. It is, after all, just like a normal day of work. And going to bed tonight won't be an issue either. Plenty of times Libby has had to work late and Gabe has gone to bed without seeing her.

Overnight tonight and tomorrow morning is when I expect the fireworks to begin. Libby has been gone overnight a few times, but I don't think Gabe actually remembers what it's like. And any time she's been gone for more than one night, we've taken Gabe out to my folks' house so the distraction of being and Nana and Poppa's has offset the tragedy of Mama not being around. As I said, interesting.