the hippo sleeps

We'd bought the costume months ago and hung it in the closet to wait.

My first anticipated Halloween ever.

Halloween dawns and, lo, it's a day of nap-striking so that by the time we're dressed

for trick-or-treating on 69th street, the pumpkins set out and candy bowls filled,

our little guy is THE GRUMPIEST hippo on the upper west and, having fought sleep through the day,

promptly passes out,

hippo-head nodding, as soon as we're out the door.

xo and baby hippos c