Halloween and Whatnot.

Claire decided a year ago she wanted to be a paintbrush for Halloween.  We were making her costume, a doorbell, when she stopped, looked at her brush and said, "Next year, I want to be a paintbrush". And it stuck.  So I bought a bunch of black felt and nylon tule and shredded it to make a skirt which in my head looked a lot more paintbrush-like.  I think the problem was trying to make her upper body look like a handle.  It just didn't, no matter what we tried.  But she had fun and thats what counts.  I think one year, when she was two or three and brand new to the whole trick-or-treating idea, she was a princess because she had a dress.  The following year she was Diego, and that was the end of the recognizable costumes.  She was a red blood cell.  Then last year she was a doorbell, and this year the paintbrush.  For the record, she's been thinking about being Venus next year.  If nothing else, she keeps me on my creative toes.  

Thats one of the things I love so much about Claire and hope that she holds on long past childhood.  She doesn't just go with the flow or do something because her friends are.  She's just so purely herself and doesn't give much thought to what other people will think.  I would love to be more like that. 

Anyway, I have a new nephew, which is pretty awesome.  Here he is:

His name is Mason, and he is super sweet.  He likes to sleep all day and party all night, from what I hear.  He is my brother's first kid, and its pretty obvious 'dad' suits him well.  Lots of new things going on over at his house, so we've been taking it easy at our house to balance things out.