Halloween and Staying Focused

I have been tearing my hair out and tearing the house apart looking for the cord that will let me pull pictures of 'Rado in his Halloween costume off of the camera and onto the computer.  After half of day of casually looking for it, yesterday morning was devoted to finding that damn cord.  Alas, no luck.  So I will be making my way to some big box store to get a new one.  For now, here are a few pictures that others have taken and so kindly shared with me:

 Caught on the dance floor

 We were the last entrants in the costume contest.  We didn't win, but it was still fun!

Chowing down on some good ole Filipino food.  Why does Connor look like he just got caught doing something he shouldn't be?

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays, but this year the most I could muster for it (besides Connor's costume) was to hang my Halloween "Welcome" sign on the garage door.  No carved pumpkins, no candy for the trick-or-treaters.  Every year at this time of year I have grandiose plans for decorations and fun little craft projects, but very little ever seems to come of it.  Maybe because this is the time of year that we often choose for big life changes: 'Rad was born just a couple of months ago this time last year, we just moved 2 months ago, and a few years ago we had just bought a house.  I declare that at this time next year I will achieve one craft project, so start throwing ideas my way!

Maybe I'm just saving up all of those fun, crafty ideas for the time when 'Rad can help me with them.  He is so on the brink of things.  This morning when he stood up in his crib he looked so tall.  He's been biding his time in the morning while Z gets ready by surrounding himself with books and flipping through the pages, regardless of the fact that he's always looking at them upside down.  Although he will cling to me like the only   life preserver on a sinking ship when anyone else tries to hold him, at home he wanders through the house freely, jabbering at Z getting ready in the bathroom or calling out when I'm making coffee in the kitchen.  I love that he's becoming such a little person.  His own person.  I'm steeling myself for the mood swings and tantrums that age may often dictate, but he's just a cool dude who like to dance to Michael Jackson and throw his head back so he can look at the ceiling or through the tree branches to the sky.

I think he's on to something there, looking at the sky straight on and taking a different perspective of a room. With my new job starting on Thursday it will be time to take a new look at what I expect from work and how I plan to spend my time with the little dude since almost an entire weekend day will be taken from us.  I've let it run my life for over a year, so I am determined to not let the guilt of working on Saturdays ruin the time that I have with 'Rado and Z.  This is one of those numerous times when sacrifice is necessary for the greater good.  Live in the moment, yes, but keeping your eyes on the prize can be just as liberating and less distracting.