Halloween

Halloween
Originally uploaded by baseballpajamas

...Before heading out trick or treating. My favorite costume here? The 5 year old girl, near the center, dressed as a "goth strawberry" (her description).

We're back home now, with 5 of these boys (plus Fergus and Norah), riding the waves of emotion that comes with frequent infusions of sugar. I'm exhausted. And miles to go before I sleep.

There is a kind of lull right now as they watch a movie--oh wait a minute, one of the boys just came downstairs in a state of dismay (Lauren is running interference). But it is relatively lull-ish with the movie happening. Still, I'm unusually stressed.

Mostly Lauren and I are standing around tonight unsure what to do with ourselves--half listening to everything that is happening, ready to intervene if necessary, but not too soon, aware that it would be ideal to prevent bloodshed, or even tears. But also aware that these boys work a lot out on their own, at school. Still, I feel like I'm working in the ER, waiting for trouble to burst through the double doors.