other people's projects

I guess it was inevitable, and all signs have been pointing this way for awhile: S is not interested in Halloween this year.

Pumpkin patch? No, he doesn't think so. Costume? "Don't you think I'm getting too old, Mom?" Party...? Corn maze...? All politely but firmly declined.

Given his entry into the school system and the amount of work he has each week, it's probably just as well. I have no idea how we'd get around to all the things we used to have time for, anyway. And yes, typing that sentence made me sad.

The irony is that one of this blog's most popular posts has consistently been the one about S's homemade Halloween costume. Recently I had a brief email correspondence with a young mom who had seen the truck costume and asked for construction details.

A few days later, I received a note from Gonzalo in Spain, mentioning that he and his wife were planning to make iPhone costumes for a birthday party. I love how theirs turned out—the accompanying Steve-Jobs-with-iPad is a nice touch!

image courtesy of Gonzalo Aragues Rioja

In this same period, my sister and niece created their own interpretation of a project from the blog, the sun jars (themselves a version of many other people's work). Be sure and check it out—the colored paint and marker-drawn faces are the perfect adaptation for doing this with a small child.

These emails, photos and blog posts came at just the right time. We are going through a lot of change right now: the kids not only are giving up Halloween, they are both in school and very, very busy. Our days are newly scheduled and in trying to rebalance to all this, I haven't been doing much that seems worth blogging about. So I'm grateful to hear from those who are, or who take the time to ask a question, say hello, or connect in any way. Thank you, all.