Trick-or-treat

A freezy frosty evening. The girls went trick-or-treating with loving husband, so we were on our own. It was perfect for the fine young knights. They had a grand time walking down the street in the dark, ringing doorbells and greeting the neighbors.

As I wrestled the mouse costume over the youngest gent's double layers of clothes, I realized we won't have another trick-or-treat with a little mouse. Practically, that's probably for the best. The poor costume has certainly seen better days. It's a little ragged and the ears are kind of floppy-- the little guy was mistaken for a sheep, an elephant, and three times for a bunny. C'mon, folks, since when does a bunny have round ears? This year I didn't have time or patience to re-sew that cute little Swiss cheese bow tie when it was ripped off and thrown to the ground. So he's got just the safety pin instead. He liked the safety pin, go figure.

I remember the mouse costume on this round middle gent, before he grew up and wanted to carry a sword and wear a cape. When this little gent was the one who ripped the bow off and threw it on the floor. He wasn't sure about this whole mouse thing, and refused to let me near him with the face paint. But he was absolutely delighted when he had the big "Aha!" about trick-or-treat.
I remember when the oldest gent wanted to be a mouse for Halloween. The ears stood up and he was delighted by his costume. He got so excited that he dived on the floor and tore the bow tie right off. I remember when this curly-haired gent and thought he was supposed to go in the houses when people opened the door. When people looked at the costume and immediately said, "Oh what a cute little mouse!" and thought he was a girl.
I got a little misty tonight watching the youngest, my baby, walk down the street with his brothers. No riding in the wagon for him, at least not at first. He thinks of himself as a Big Boy. Where did my babies go? I know that we tell our children that they'll always be our babies, but it's not really true. They grow up and away from us every day, so quickly. I wish that I could hang on to these sweet baby days just a little longer. Tonight I know I should get rid of the costume. We don't really need it and it's not worth saving. But I think I'll hang the mouse back in the closet, just for a little while.