With her brother at a friend’s house, and her neighborhood friends out on the town, we had a very antsy Grace on our hands this past weekend.

“Mom, I’m boooooooooooored,” Grace whined.

For the record, this is the most annoying thing a child of mine can say to me. You’re bored, really? Perfect. Then I am throwing out every single toy, craft, crayon, book, electronics item and making more room for Daddy’s shoes. Instead of giving my standard, “Cool – let’s get some trash bags and pack up your toys!” reply, I opted for my usual Plan B response.

“Ok – give me some ideas that sound fun to you,” I said.

Grace asked hopefully, “Can we decorate for Halloween?”

“Sure,” I said. Virtual high five for this idea – it knocks out two things in one: occupying Grace and crossing something off my To Do List.

Kenny got the decorations out and gave Grace a small stack of outdoor stakes and told her to go to town. She squealed with delight.

Fast-forward about 60 seconds and we have the delightfully festive scene above. As in a clump of garden stakes vs. spreading the Halloween love around our small property. As in this is pretty much the extent of decorating her so-bored-self did. As in the boredom fizzled fast. That, my friends, is a visual representation of the power of the doorbell and a friendly face mere moments after making your parents drag out the Halloween decorations because you’re so bored. Hahaha!

“Ok, Mom – I’m dooooooone! Look – I made it into a little pumpkin patch. Well, with ghosts, too, I guess. Going to play now, byeeeeee!” Grace gleefully shouted as she ran around the side of the house with her friends. And so it begins. And so it begins.