November First

Well, first of all, I pledged to do National Blog Posting Month (or, abbreviated, the verbal diarrhea-sounding NaBloPoMo). I have to write a post every single day for the month of November. So check back, because I'm doing this to entertain you, my loyal readers. All 5 of you.

So, it's the first day of November. Do you know what that means? It means Halloween is finally over! Don't get me wrong, I love Halloween. It's just, does anybody feel like Halloween went on for several months this year?

Part of the problem is that retail establishments don't have any theme to showcase between back-to-school and Halloween, which is a good 2 months. So as soon as Target clears out the school supplies, they bust out the candy corns. Then you get to feeling that if you don't have your kid's Halloween costume by October 1, it's probably too late and your kid is doomed to be a ghost wearing a bed sheet.

Anyway, so in total, we did the following fall/Halloween things:
1. Homewood Fall Fest
2. Oak Lawn Fall Fest
3. Apple/pumpkin picking at County Line Orchard
4. Scarecrow exhibit at the Morton Arboretum
5. Bengston's Pumpkin Fest
6. Two kids' Halloween parties
7. One adults' Halloween party
8. Costume parade at library
9. Halloween party at Nathan's babysitter's
10. Trick-or-treating
11. Park district Halloween party

That stuff all lasted about a month. It was pure fun, and Nathan had fun, and we got some great photos, but every single one of these things was a high-energy event. And Nathan is at that stage where every transition is a giant hassle. So each time we get ready to leave for some fun-filled, once-in-a-lifetime activity, Nathan throws a massive tantrum because he wants to stay home and play with his plastic toys. Then when we finally get to the fun holiday activity, he cries when it's time to leave.

So, I'm happy for November. Thanksgiving is a fun, low-key holiday, and it really only lasts one day. Of course, Target is already breaking out the Christmas stuff ...