I'm so sorry that I've been so out of touch. I love being a mom, but my days fly and I fall into bed at the end of the day, exhausted. Physically and emotionally. As hard as it can be some days, it is soul enriching others...  and always, always she fills my days with light and love.

Our first Halloween was perfect, everything I would have hoped for her. Kajal walked in a neighborhood parade the weekend before and as she walked through the streets of the North End, clasping her black balloon her eyes bulged at the sight of little green hulks, 8 year old superhero's and so many beautiful princesses. It was a bit overwhelming as everything new is, and she had her quiet moments but at times her eyesl lit up with wonder and she'd laugh out loud joyfully. It's hard explaining Halloween though, I tripped over my words the first few attempts and finally gave in and read her a bunch of Diego and Dora books to help set the mood. We practiced saying Trick or Treat and the concept was so new for her that when she had her first box of chocolates to sell for school she went running up to a man in the street and instead of asking him to buy one she screamed 'Trick or Treat' and tried to give the stranger a bar of chocolate. She did have a few nightmares leading up to Halloween, she was convinced green monsters were chasing her. I can't imagine what all this is like, seeing it for the first time...

We joined our dear friends and neighbors (as close to family as you can get and not be family) Holly, Brian and Brian Jr for the big night. Brian made a cool Ghost Buster and Kajal kept trying to see if there really were monsters in his backpack and we headed to Beacon Hill. The cobble stone streets and beautiful brownstones were decked out for the occasion and gouls and witches peaked out of candlelit doorways with smoke machines blowing and expertly carved pumpkins lined the streets. Hundreds of doorways with adults and children in costume handing out baskets full of every candy imaginable and eery music carried in the wind. Kajal ran from door to door, grabbing at the baskets, whispering thank you and running on to the next. I kept reminding her to say trick or treat but she was too caught up in excited and ran until her feet swelled in her sparkly shoes and she dropped in exhaustion. The only time I saw her hesitate was when one particularly creepy witch held out a basket with a dead rat and cut off hand hanging from it. Mom... is it real? She refused to walk away, determined to get at the full size hershey bars propped up in the basket but she couldn't quite figure out how to get the loot without touching what she truly believed to be a 'real dead rat and body piece' oh, my little one is brave!