Yesterday the entire family got in the minivan and went shopping for Halloween costumes. We love Halloween, the kids have so much fun dressing up, and last year my husband (Todd) went with them as Darth Vader (he's a Star Wars freak) while I sat at home with a newborn Grace and watched a Discovery Channel special about vampires. This year Grace will get to go Trick-or-Treating with the boys, and she will be dressed as a cute little white bunny with floppy ears. I will be taking lots of pictures. Drew always picks his costume out right away. This year he is a Power Ranger. Garrett, on the other hand, is more complicated. He can't make a decision to save his life. I can see the wheels spinning in his head. What if it's the wrong one? What if I change my mind when I get home? We point out to him all of the nice costumes we think he would like, and he shakes his head. By the third store, Todd is getting impatient and Garrett is in tears. I see him looking at all the beautiful princess costumes, and I know that he wishes he could get one. It breaks my heart, I can actually feel the pain. It's like the time we were at the Build-A-Bear Workshop trying to talk him out of getting a Hello Kitty with a pink outfit. He was crying, we had been at the Mall of America for six freaking hours and the place was packed. I hel back my own tears. How do you explain to him why he shouldn't get a Hello Kitty? Why shouldn't he get one? He ended up with a bunny that was dressed in a cheerleader costume, and he was happy with that. I personally hate Hello Kitty, and was glad we talked him out of it. But I still felt bad. You never know when you're pregnant the kind of things you are going to have to deal with someday. All you think about is that new little baby that you nurse and hold and love and cuddle and have total control over. You never think about the difficult situations that may arise in the future. But when you get through them, and survive, and don't screw things up too badly, you are stronger and wiser. I hope. More exhausted anyway.