November Remembering

It's never too early to remember:

• Trick or treating with my boys in the Francypants' neighborhood.  Atrain was in heaven.  After just a few warm-up houses (when he took a little more than was polite), he quickly caught on to the routine.  He paraded door to door with the greatest of joy, exclaimed "trick or treat," "thank you," and sometimes "I'm a cousin" with fervor.  All the while, little baby Yoda watched the excitement from his stroller, with his bottle in tow.    
• Waking up on November 1st and successfully forcing myself to forgo the spoon full of sugar on my cereal.  It is "no sugar November," except for Thanksgiving day--and it will taste all the sweeter.
• Watching my baby J play with his eye lashes while drinking his bottle before bed.  He closes his eyes and sweeps his fingers across his feathery lids.
• Asking Atrain (the day after Halloween), "What have you been doing in your room with the door closed?"  And hearing his response, "Just lying down on my bunk, eating some candy bars."  I giggled, and said "Wow-chocolate sounds so good right now," to which he responded, "They are candy bars mom, not chocolate, and they're the best."
• When I accidentally bonked my head into Jdog's head, he giggled, and leaned his head forward for more friendly bonking.  Now, it's our secret greeting--like a hand shake, but better.  Sometimes we do it on purpose; other times it's a complete accident.  But, every time it's a funny, familiar encounter that makes my heart double in size.
• Hearing the first word that comes out of Atrain's mouth every morning, "MOM!" he yells.  Even if it is followed by, "I need to go potty!," it's a great way to begin the day.
• Being encouraged by the husband to keep writing.  He believes in me, in my imaginative ideas and my book dreams.  There have been so many moments in the past couple of weeks when he has pushed me out the door to "go write."  
• Seeing baby J courageously set out on his feet to find me.  There is nothing sweeter than that expression: excitement, fear and pride mixed all into one adorable, chubby-cheeked grin.

Memories do have expiration dates.  I try to hold onto them as long as I can.  I guess I'm just lucky to have so many I want to save.  Perhaps keeping pieces of my life in boxes and in words is a way of remembering how fortunate I am, and how much I have to give. It will be a good month of remembering.