Super Mario Bros & Difficult Conversations

 The boys were the Mario Bros. for Halloween.  I may be a bit partial but I thought they were the cutest little Mario & Luigi I'd ever seen! Both costumes came with a mustache but Landen was NOT having his anywhere near his face! So, we just let him be Mario with no mustache...Ethan called him "Baby Mario", ha! Ethan had decided that he wanted to hand out candy instead of trick or treating and since our neighborhood doesn't get much traffic we headed to my brother and sister-in-laws to hand out.  They had a pretty decent number of trick-or-treaters but Ethan's attention span couldn't hold out from one group of ghouls to the next. So, we walked up one side of their street and back down the other trick-or-treating while it was still daylight and then went back and handed out more candy.  Once it got dark, we went to all three great-grandparents houses and then ended at my parents where my sweet mama had made us some yummy potato soup and taco soup.  It was just what we needed to thaw out.  We headed back home about 8:45dpm since Ethan had school the next day.  I think the boys had a great time doing a bit of both...handing out candy and trick-or-treating!  And it was nice that we didn't have a TON of candy to sort through.  A little moderation made for a great Halloween.  I had the boys pose for a few pictures before leaving the house and Landen was not having a picture with his brother....little stinker...

Finally, sort of a decent shot...

But then, he posed perfectly for his individual picture with his pumpkins.  I could kiss his cheeks off...well, both of their cheeks but Ethan wouldn't want me saying that about him.  He IS eight after all, so shhhh!  :)

Ethan has started taking lyrical hip-hop dance class and Monday was his second class.  He was out of school yesterday for Learning Community Day and so we had a lazy, fun day until time to take him to class.  The boys were being silly on the drive there and I couldn't resist snapping their picture...

Today, Ethan was out of school again for Election Day.  I voted and I hope all of you did too.  I actually have a cute story to tell about that.  This morning as we were getting ready to head to to vote, Ethan asked who I was voting for.  I didn't want to be dishonest with him even thought I knew who he'd want me to say.  So, I told him the truth and boy was I surprised when he began to sob.  He was truly upset and I wasn't sure how to fix it!  So, I did the only thing I could think of...I sat him down and explained to him that I understand how he feels and that he is absolutely entitled to his opinion, and when he is old enough to legally vote I hope that he does, so his voice can be heard.  I explained to him that while I am very glad that he is respectful and supportive to the person that he thinks should be president, I too am entitled to my opinion and that we should have no hard feelings about the difference in our opinions.  I explained to him my reasons for voting the way that I did (a kid-friendly version of my reasons).  That I  want a God-fearing president who I hope will help create a better future for America....for him and for his brother and their children and so on.  After that, he wasn't upset anymore and we were able to go ahead with no more tears.  I know this sounds crazy, he is only eight after all.  But Ethan is a very smart, strong-willed, opinionated boy who has a mind of his own and in his heart he believes in what he believes.  Now, you and I know that he can't fully understand all of the political debates nor would I subject him to them and the mess they present BUT I certainly am not going to tell him that he can't have an opinion and hopefully his dad and I will show him that it's okay to hear the other side's opinion and debate the differences without hate or anger.  Sunday night Ethan said to me, "Mom, don't you worry about the future, because I do.  I worry about more wars and stuff." And I responded with, "Well, sure I sometimes worry about the future honey but there's no need to worry, God has a plan that's much bigger than us and he will take care of things.  I hope that him having a mature mind for his age doesn't cause him to worry more than normal or to grow up faster than he should.  I sure do love that little man!  I just pray that his dad and I can answer always answer his questions in the best way possible, honestly but in a way that is appropriate for his age.  It certainly isn't always easy and I know the hardest questions haven't even began yet.