Trick or Treat...or Tramp?

It’s that time of year again, folks:  it’s almost Halloween.  I’ve always enjoyed this holiday, whether I was dressing up when I was younger, handing out candy to cute kids as I got older, or even going to grown-up Halloween parties with Heidi and our friends in more recent years.

But, as is true of so many things, having a kid to dress up for Halloween changes one’s perspective a bit.

Now that I have a little one to buy costumes for, I notice little kids’ costumes whenever I look at Halloween displays.  And frankly, all too often, I’m horrified at what’s out there.

Photo from merchantcircle.com

Friday Fun: Anna's Snuggly Friends - A Photo Essay

I was a collector and hoarder of stuffed animals as a child. I absolutely loved them and kept many of them through my teenage years. So, understandably, I get it that Anna loves stuffed, snuggly friends and I often buy them for her.

Perhaps this is my little reminder to myself NOT to buy Anna any more, at least for the time being, because it’s clear she already has more friends than any kid needs.  Here are some of Anna’s friends in these first 3 years:

When You Get Caught Between the Moon and New York City....

Please forgive me an easy listening classics reference now and then. Christopher Cross was a favorite part of my nightly elementary school years, forced muzak bedtime routine (see “Alligator, Go Away!” for an explanation). And, that background has been invaluable to my “there’s a song for everything” philosophy.

Now, to the meaning behind my musical reference to romance and the Big Apple: as most of you probably know, last Friday night, New York became the 6^th state to pass a marriage equality measure for gay couples. Predictably, I had passed out with Anna while putting her to bed and I missed the actual vote. But I’m glad I woke up in time to hear the news and enjoy some of the jubilant coverage before dozing off again. Two years ago, we had such a celebration in my home state, thanks to a courageous legislature and governor….until a voter initiative narrowly stripped us of our newly found freedom to marry before we could even make it to City Hall for a license.