happy halloween, part 2

So here they are... my Halloween sweeties. All dressed up for a night of sugar-filled fun...

I was not really the nice mom when it came to Laura's Halloween costume. At fifteen, I figure they should be done trick-or-treating... but who am I to say no to a gathering of great girls? So we put our heads together (with some accessories around the house) and made her into a gypsy. A very pretty gypsy... if a Mom can say so! And she had a blast with her friends. Is still having a blast... as trick-or-treat turned into a sleep-over party.

And this kooky son of mine... with no influence from anyone, he decided that a lawn gnome would be the perfect costume. And when I told him it was picture time, he wandered out to the garden and planted himself! So full of fun and imagination... he makes me laugh on an hourly basis. He was slightly disappointed in the trick-or-treating venue... as we left our neighborhood for the first time, but he had fun with his buddy and later, making s'mores around the fire.

Not to be left out of the Halloween fun...
Eric dressed up for the annual marching band trunk-or-treat. His costume was quite appropriate, seeing as how he is in charge of the concession stand. Get it? A hot dog grilling up a human? Hmmm... and I wonder where that son of mine gets the crazy streak...

As for me? I am content to put Halloween behind me. While for most it is just plain fun... for me it was full of hurt feelings. Mine. A gathering I wasn't invited to... an argument about what time I was leaving to flee my neighborhood... in order not to see the gathering begin. I'm just glad it is over. I will gladly pack all of the decorations away today and put out my Thanksgiving dessert plates... because they really make me smile. And I will try... to focus on the good things all around me... and pray for the strength to push all of the lingering hurt away.

happy halloween, part 1

It has been a crazy week. Costume making (and finishing!), snake charming, trunk of treating... and pumpking carving. We did manage to "carve" out a little time for the pumkin carving. Only Laura didn't want to do hers. But that was okay... because it took less time! (and her pumpkin will be pretty a little longer!) Camden... he loves the pumpkin carving. He loves the thinking, the slicing and the removal of the guts. Yes... he loves it all.

And while I was making that first slice, and the knife went in easily, he said Oh, this is much better than that white pumpkin!
Halloween 2007

And he was absolutely right! The white pumkin was cool and quirky, just like my son. And he was thrilled to have found something so unusual at the pumpkin patch. Until we started to carve it (20 minutes before trick-or-treat!) We could barely get the knife in. It wa all I could do just to get the top cut out. Turns out, it is a gourd? And not quite right for jack-o-lanterning. Unless you have the strength of Paul Bunyan (I don't.) My heart was broken for that little guy who had taken the time to draw our his jack-o-lantern vision. His little eyes looked so sad... and if I had had the time, I would have run right down to Publix and found him an orange pumpkin. But he was such a good sport... he told me we could get a new pumpkin the day after, and carve it then. I agreed (he was heartbroken! You would have said yes, too!) and then...

he totally forgot about it.

Yay!

write it down

There are exactly two full days (and some kinda half ones) before Halloween... and I, Dawn aka last Minute Lucy, have finished gathering and creating my kid's costumes. Did you hear that? Two full and some kinda half days I had left to do this... but tonight I am done. Yes. That means no last minute green paint on the crocodile ten minutes before trick-or-treat. That means no fringing of Pocahontas's' dress as she is heading out the door. Write it down. Really. Because it will probably never happen again. I can only say I was scared I wouldn't get it done... and that had to be my motivation. Between now and then, there isn't much time... in fact I am not quite sure when those pumpkins are going to turn into jack-o-lanterns. Perhaps tomorrow between 5:15 and 5:45? At least the costumes are complete. Wanna guess?


Easy, huh?