eighteen halloweens

I have discovered a rift in the space-time continuum. There is no other explanation. Because I cannot possibly have an eighteen year-old daughter when I am barely past eighteen myself.

Apparently, however, she will be turning eighteen within mere days. And that has me feeling nostalgic and sentimental. And old. I am filled with an odd mixture of pride and amazement that I was actually instrumental in helping another human being navigate eighteen years of life and reach the cusp of adulthood. Much like the feeling I experienced on her first birthday when it occurred to me that I had successfully kept a helpless individual alive for an entire year.

While I am inclined to reflect upon the past eighteen years through meandering reminiscences and anecdotes and well-worn platitudes, I thought it might be preferable to simply condense those years into a series of photographs. Halloween photographs. As I pored over old photographs and made my selections, I was overcome with memories. And with immense relief that my daughter does not read this blog.

So in honour of her eighteenth birthday, here are Eighteen Halloweens:

1992 - Year Of The Baby As An Excuse For Dressing Up Even Though We Weren't Going Out And Had No Trick-or-Treaters Because We Lived In An Apartment

1993 - Year Of The Felt Bats

1994 - Year Of Insisting Upon Dressing Up As Favourite TV Character

1995 - Year Of The Super-Hero

1996 - Year Of Allowing A Small Amount Of Make-Up To Be Applied To Face (For The Last Time Ever)

1997 - Year Of The Winter Jacket Under Costume

1998 - Year Of Insisting Upon Store-Bought "Cute" Costume

1999 - Year Of The Homemade Ghost

2000 - Year Of Refusing to Wear Mask Or Make-Up

2001 - Year Of The Cardboard Masterpiece (But Still No Mask Or Make-Up)

2002 - Year Of The First Repeat Costume (And Still No Mask Or Make-Up)

2003 - Year Of The Pizza

2004 - Year Of The Cat/Raccoon/Random Animal (And Finally A Mask!)

2005 - Year Of Dressing As A Vampire Using Own Teeth (Braces Went On The Next Day)

2006 - Year Of The Werewolf

2007 - Year Of Insisting On Wearing Beloved Werewolf Mask Again Despite Parent's Alternative Suggestions

2008 - Year Of The Werewolf - Part Three (Parent Has Now Given Up)

2009 - Year Of The Salem Trip (Because I Couldn't Bring Myself To Include Another Werewolf Photo)