Two Fairies

I hadn't seen them for two days. The car door opened, and Meghan seemed to erupt from inside. Her long blond locks twisted with the breeze, and her size 9s jumped up and down with glee.

"Hi Mommy!"

Grace emerged next, as Meghan sprinted toward me at our front door. Gracie seemed more subdued, but she smiled a wide grin. She shouted, "Hi Mom! When does trick or treat start? In like twenty minutes?" Why she likes to think that 20 minutes is a long time, I'm not quite sure, but it is so endearing. I giggled as Meghan squeezed her spindly arms around my thighs to hug me as I held the door open.

"Grace, it starts in about an hour and a half."

"Okay Mom. When can we get our costumes on?" It was the day...Halloween Day, which to the girls is code for mass quantities of candy. It is also a day of reflection for me as I've watched them grow up so quickly in the last 4-6 years. Very soon, they'll be telling me that they are too old for trick or treat.

It was a surprisingly warm fall day here in Wisconsin with a high of 71. That alone was reason to celebrate, and this year, the girls wouldn't need to be bundled up like Ralphie's brother, Randy, in A Christmas Story.

As the sun began to set, the girls' excitement oozed from every pore, and it was hard to contain their enthusiasm in the boundaries of our house and yard. They scarfed down pizza and bread sticks in a hurry, and readied themselves with light-up glowing jewelery and plastic pumpkin candy buckets.

As I slid their costumes over their heads, wriggled and squiggled them into warm tights, and kissed each cheek, they nearly hovered off the ground in their anticipation. Their fairy costumes of Silver Mist and Barbie Mariposa were complete.

The start time arrived, and they bolted out the front door. Darkness had set, but the sound of the leaves blowing around the neighborhood added to the ambiance of the night. Princesses, goblins, ghosts, and pirates scampered from house to house. Grace and Meghan's fairy costumes blended right in with the rest. Parents stood on the sidewalk waiting to escort their dressed up children, and my heart fell even more in love with my girls.

My nieces and nephew joined us for the evening, and with the five of them combined, it very much reminded me of my time with my siblings. How quickly that passed! Chloe wore the same costume her mama, Kristen, did when we were kids. I could go on and on, but pictures reveal more than I could ever write of my reflections on last night.

Enjoy!