Spiderman
My little great grandnephew, Max Herr is such a fun kid. He is quick to smile and laugh, and he is the light of his parents’ lives!! Katy and Dylan Herr rejoice every day because Max is a dream come true and a blessing beyond measure. For the rest of us, watching him as he grows up had been truly a pleasure. I love that little boy’s smile. It lights up his whole face. And Max is quick to smile. In fact, he is almost never not smiling. He might be serious on the inside, but his face is always “sporting a smile.”
Max is a total Spiderman fan, and the plan is to have a Spiderman birthday party for him. It’s so fun what you start to see your child’s personality coming out in the things the like and don’t like. For Max, that means all things boy!! And it means all things his daddy likes. Dylan likes to golf, so Max is ready to go with him and learn the ropes. Max loves 4-wheelers, golf carts, lawn mowers, and monster trucks. My 
guess is the fancier the better, but then isn’t that the way of monster trucks? They have to have bright colors, and a great theme, and you can’t fool a true monster truck fan, like Max and his daddy. Max loves the outdoors, and playing in the snow, and his daddy is quick to help him build stuff and have fun in the snow. Unfortunately for Max, sometimes his daddy has to work. It seems totally unfair, but that’s how it is. Sometimes Max and his mommy stop down to Daddy’s store, and he gets to see what his daddy does all day. Max will most likely work with his daddy at the store someday, so he might as well learn the ropes.
Of course, Max loves his mommy too, very much. She may not do guy things all the time, but she makes good stuff to eat and there is the whole “making sure Spiderman is on TV” when Max wants to watch, so a guy has to love that. We all know that a good mommy knows what their kids like, and Max has been blessed with a really great mommy!! 
Katy has wanted to be a mommy for as long as she can remember, and now that she is, she is loving every minute of it. While Max’s daddy is his mentor, for sure, his mommy is his biggest fan. She loves every change that comes along, and every new accomplishment he makes. Yes, Max is living the good life, and who wouldn’t always be sporting a smile when you have the greatest life ever? Today is Max’s 3rd birthday. Happy birthday Max!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My grand nephew, Topher, is going into his last year in the single digit age group. It’s a time of many changes. Topher has always loved cartoons and super heroes. One of his favorites has been Spiderman. As he gets older, the super hero phase will begin to pass…unless he is like his Great Uncle Bob, who still likes super heroes…some people never grow up. Topher likes to draw, and I think his work shows promise. If he keeps at it, he might be able to sell some of his art someday…but, he would not have received any of his talent from his Great Aunt Caryn, that’s for sure.
Topher is a goofy guy, who loves to smile. He is always making funny faces, because he likes to make people laugh. I love seeing all the pictures his mom posts of his smiling face. Topher is very good with younger kids, too. He makes them laugh, and plays well with them, even if they are a bit younger than he is. Lots of kids don’t like kids that are younger than they are. Topher is a good leader and role model for younger kids too, because he is respectful and kind. I think people like to have their kids around someone like that. Topher is also helpful when it comes to keeping an eye on those younger kids.
Topher has been such a blessing to his parents and grandparents. His goofy ways bring sunshine to their days, and smiles to their faces. I can’t imagine what life would have been like if Topher had not come into our lives. It is so hard to think about how fast he is growing up. Next year he will be into the double digits ages, and before very long, he will be driving, dating, grown up, and married. Where does the time go? We don’t get to see Topher very much, because he lives in Rawlins, so every time I do see him, I am stunned by how much he has grown. He has long since ceased being the baby I remember so well, and has turned into a big boy.
He loves video games and listening to his favorite tunes. I imagine that he will be getting into sports and other school activities before long, if he hasn’t already. Some kids start that stuff 
young, and others jump into it as they get older. Topher will be going into the 4th grade next year, so he is almost to the point of being one of the big kids on campus but, I doubt if Topher would take advantage of that. He is too busy making friends, and in general, being well liked. Today is Topher’s 9th birthday. You are growing into such an amazing young man. Happy birthday Topher!! Have a wonderful day!! We love you!!
Sometimes, it hits me that my children are grown and my grandchildren are growing up…very quickly…too quickly. They are almost grown up now. I look at the pictures of them as children, especially on days like Christmas, birthdays, and Halloween. There was such excitement in the air, with the anticipation of the day’s events, that they could barely control themselves. Even the parents were excited, though few of us would admit it then. Looking back at the little kids they were, makes me think of the young adults they are quickly becoming.
They no longer dress up for Halloween, and even might be working that night now, which is something that kind of makes me a little sad. They were so cute in their little costumes. They might be a pirate, or ninja, a mime, or pumpkin, a ladybug, or fireman, Spiderman, or even a lion, but it was not the costume that mattered, because they were our little trick or treaters, and they were the absolute cutest ones ever. They couldn’t wait for the time to arrive to go out and do the one thing Halloween is all about…getting candy. They were practically jumping up and down with anticipation. Dinner simply couldn’t get over fast enough, and in all reality, they didn’t want to fill up on food anyway, even though their parents don’t want them to fill up on candy! You knew there was going to be a huge difference of opinion there. Finally, the time arrived, and you were off.
Today’s, and even in my girl’s day, trick or treating must be more limited. When I was a kid, Dad took us all over the area around our house. We went for blocks and blocks. You didn’t have to worry about the candy you got, or have it x-rayed, in fact no had even heard of such a thing back then. No, we just collected enough candy to last us easily until Christmas…thought it never did. It was a great time.
Sometimes, I wish time did not have to pass so quickly, because those days are gone forever, and now so are the days of my grandchildren trick or treating. I wish I could go back there sometimes. That said, however, as it is with life, the next generation is right around the corner. Before we know it, these kids, now young adults, will be married and having children of their own, and the next generation of the cutest trick or treaters ever will be upon us.
Halloween is here, and all the kids will be out tonight dressed up as whatever their imaginations can come up with. I personally like the cute costumes better than the scary or evil ones. I always have. I was never into horror movies, and I don’t like scary things, so it just stands to reason that I like the cute costumes.
My grandchildren have outgrown…for the most part…the trick or treating part of Halloween, but during their time they have been everything from a pea pod as a baby to a pirate, because it’s not wimpy. Probably my favorite for Chris was the Lion King, for Shai was the Lady Bug, for Josh was Spiderman, and for Caalab was the Pirate. They have been so many things that is really is hard to decide and of course, the years all run together and unless you are looking at the pictures, you may not recall.
One of the cutest costumes I saw that was not my own grandchild, was last year when we had the cutest little pink Lego Block come to our house. She was about 3, and just precious. I had to ask her parents for permission to get her picture. I won’t show it here, because that is not my right, but take my word for it, she was a cutie and her mom had done an excellent job on her costume.
I like talking to the cute little ones and asking who they are…not who they really are, but who they are pretending to be, because sometimes you can’t tell, and sometimes they have an entirely different idea of who they are from what their costume says they are. Halloween can be a fun time for kids to play a little make believe. I hope everyone has a great time this year. As for me…we are going bowling.
