Painting, Halloween, and Bears, Oh My!

I just finished painting the dining room a creamy white or as the card says, ‘courtyard tan.’ I really wanted to paint it a dramatic dark, dark teal, but Dustin vetoed that idea quickly. So, cream. We’ll see. 

It felt good to finish something. I’ve really struggled lately with the nature of my position as a housewife. My work is just never, ever done. Painting a wall did a lot to remedy that.

Remember last October I posted this picture on this blog:

Well, here’s this October:

Can you believe that? So much more happens in the life of a child in one year than in adult lives, don’t you think? I mean, Blake was barely a bean, and now, look at him!

Also, Halloween and bears. So, on Halloween Dustin was out-of-town and the afternoon just dragged into eternity for my excited 5 and 3-year-old. I mean, percentage-wise, those 6 hours between school and trick-or-treating. Well, they are just so long. Finally, (finally!), we were putting on costumes – giraffe heads, and jaguar ears and whiskers and LOTS of lip gloss because, well, because we can, and fifteen more minutes of waiting seemed completely unbearable now that my little animals were all dressed up. I heard neighbors calling to each other out in the cul-de-sac, so I sent Claire and Avery out to wait with them (we were planning to go with them anyway). Out they went with breezes of excitement swirling all around their fresh little faces.

I mean, I’m sure the bears felt them coming from all that excitement.

Yes, bears! (Probably these very same bears who were in our trash the day before:)

I proceeded to gather last-minute items and dress Blake as a monkey. Then, I hear a shout, and I feel the breeze of excitement rush into the front door in an explosive burst of WINDY excited fear.

“Mom! There’s a bear!” Claire exclaimed.

I poke my head out and hear the neighbor shout:

“Sally! The mama bear and her cubs are going up Margaret’s driveway!”

I turn my head and in the dusky light see that big mama bear and her rowdy cubs lumbering up my next-door neighbor’s driveway. The very neighbor that I was meeting up with to trick-or-treat at that exact time. 6:30.

I shut the front door with force simultaneously realizing that I had literally just sent my children out to 

the bears.

Just breathe, right?

After some phone discussions and waiting and watching, we decided to venture out as planned in our very large trick-or-treating group. I waited at the front of Margaret’s (do you recognize her name? she just had BEARS in her driveway) front stairs with Blake in his stroller. The girls went inside.

The breezy excitement encompassed the adults as well. Only it was very tinted with a jumpy fear, so when another neighbor trudged up the drive to trick-or-treat, I sensed before I saw:

The MAMA bear is back. She is coming down the driveway of Margaret’s neighbor straight toward me and baby Blake!

What have I done?! My baby and I are right in her path! So, I grabbed Blake’s car seat and ditched the stroller and we went inside, too.

How was trick-or-treating for you?

P.S. We did go trick-or-treating after all, but when we left the group a little early because our kiddos are the youngest, well, that walk back to our house. .  . It was a little more spooky than a  normal Halloween if you know what I mean.