Grasshoppers, Halloween Costumes, and Missing Mike

Hansie is so dear. I took the kids to parent teacher conference last week. Hans paid very close attention to every question his teacher asked--replying with thoughtful and clearly-spoken answers. At the end of our little meeting his teacher said, "Well, do you have any other questions or worries?" Hans thought for a moment then said, "Well, I don't much like when the kids at recess stomp on grasshoppers. I don't mind when they just scare them away, but I don't much like them stepping on them."

I don't much like it either. Cute boy.

We got the Halloween costumes out yesterday. I put it off as long as possible because, despite all the pleas, warnings and instructions I might ever give, within minutes the costumes are spread hither and yon, separated from all their matching parts, scattered and stepped on.

The kids started by putting on actual costumes. Princesses. Skeletons. Witches. Wolves. But before long they were wearing Darth Vadar masks with snoopy heads, Sherlock Holmes hats with vampire capes, and witch dresses with pioneer bonnets. Had I thought to take more than these very few photos I could have had photos of about 1000 different costume arrangements. 

(Hans cleverly realized that this torn shirt from an old "hobo" costume quickly turned our wolf into a werewolf.)

Here everyone is, post costume frenzy, watching a Fall-Break-Night movie.

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The other day I looked out my window and noticed the craziest and coolest light! Storms were moving and we seemed to be caught between one going and one arriving--setting us in a spot of bright between sharp darks. I rushed out to capture these few photos:

But then the clouds moved again and the moment of drama was past. (You can see the streak of light they'd been in--back beyond the cows.)

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Little friends out at night:

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And that's all. Except ... I miss my Mike. I miss him so much. He's down to about three and a half weeks of madness, and we've been doing it--surviving and managing. But I just love him so much and feel sort of a dull ache all of the time wishing he were here with us! He has been coming up after work every day ever since getting the house projects done a few weeks ago, so he's here by about 10 or 11 pm. I worry about him driving back and forth on so little sleep and have a constant prayer going for his safety, but it is good to at least have him next to me at night. I just love him so much. I feel so lucky that, of all the people in the world, I'm the one that gets to have him. I don't know that it's so much that absence makes the heart grow fonder (it just seems to make my heart grow achier, and even when he's here regularly I am always already saying prayers of gratitude for him), but absences does make me realize how wonderful all the completely ordinary moments of having a husband and father around really are!

But at least I have this little person nearly glued to my side at all times. That's some solace! :)