Halloween II: The Celebration Continues!...at Preschool...

The day before Halloween was a Thursday - - a school day!
We had been kind of slack-ish about halloween costumes up until the week of and I pulled out a box of costumes...dress up stuff, costumes handed down by cousins, costumes from the year before, etc. Bethany chose to be a ladybug...she didn't seem all that excited about it but she was willing to go along with the idea. Going to school that day, she was quite neutral about the whole thing. Maybe she takes after me and likes nothing more than to blend in to her surroundings and be able to enjoy most festivites as an onlooker.
This could be why the parade ending her day, complete with parents, grandparents, neighbors, hairstylists, pet-sitters and everyone else who could possibly have a connection to these kids watching (cue anxiety for someone who is truly her mother's daughter), was not quite her cup of tea!
Check out the pictures I took, though doing so made me feel a little bad...documenting something that is apparently so painful for her!
If you're anything like me, these pictures will make you do a combination of laughing and making a pouty face, saying things like "poor girl"...

Heading out of the school to begin . . . my little ladybug is about four kids back.

Here's where we start losing her...so many people were looking! But, she is close to what I've figured is her favorite friend at school, Layla aka Snow White...so maybe that provided some comfort. However, I would also like to know where, in my little girl's moment of unsurity, was a certain young man, Nate?

Apparently, Nate is Bethany's sweetheart at preschool. I found this out when, the other day, Bethany says to me, "Mom, I have a friend at school...Nate. (big pause) He loves me SO MUCH."

Oh my.

Well, my little Nate, word to the wise...watch for these moments of anxiety, step in and hold her hand...you'll be golden.

Somehow, when they turned around, she ended up at the front of the parade. But, if I'm not mistaken, Mr. Peter Pan here just may be the Nate I speak of. Good job sticking close, buddy.

Then they made them stand there while all the adults yelled for their attention and took pictures. I have a feeling Bethany is not meant for a lifestyle that would involve being followed around by the paparazzi. (which, as long as we're on the subject, if a bunch of people followed me around taking my picture, exploiting EVERYTHING possible about me and my life I would do a lot worse than shave my head and bang windows in with umbrellas. I have a feeling Bethany would just freeze and go to her happy place.)
This was seconds before I dropped the camera and held out my arms, letting her leave the parade before it was over. Quite enough, my dear, quite enough.

Luckily, this parade is the one and only time she has felt uneasy about anything having to do with her school. She loves it! And if she loves it, we love it.