I'll tell you right now this post should be broken in to two distinct parts. One, for all the cute photos of children participating in this great tradition of accepting candy from strangers and the second for all the lessons I have learned for next year. So pull up a chair. Bring your wine or mimosa or coffee or whatever.
The children have been asleep for a whole hour as I write this. And I have just stopped sweating. The sweating commenced at 5:15 p.m. So that's almost four straight hours of stress induced sweat. I know. But I'm taken. So Laurie of 2014! Achtung!
1. Have a dress rehearsal. Take the photos then and not when you are to be out the door in a matter of minutes. In good lighting. With patience and perhaps an ice pack for personal cooling needs.
2. Wipe snot off nose prior to any photo taking.
3. Drink wine.
4. Do not eat pizza! You have a lactose aversion. Or more likely your body has a lactose aversion. Idiot you are.
5. Learn how to work your flash on your camera prior to actually needing it.
6. Do not let a one year old get out of his cage car unless you intend to let him roam free the duration of the evening.
7. Seriously consider investing in child leashes. The Laurie of 2013 will not judge you. Never again.
8. Don't waste a lot of money on candy for the neighborhood.We all know those kids don't obey that 'please take one' sign.
9. Take family photos before any candy has been ingested. See below.
So now that I've got that out of the way. And a glass of wine is down this gullet of mine... back to the post as originally planned.
I've wanted to have a little boy (preferably mine) be Darth Vader for Halloween since I was in high school. I didn't even know if I would have kids or that any of those aforementioned kids would be boys but I knew what I wanted. A Star Wars Halloween. I've attempted to convince Letty that dressing up as Princess Leia would in fact be pretty cool and she has denied me. I know my time for this is limited so this year is the year. David is Darth. And such a cute Darth he is.
Letty bounced back and forth between witches and princesses and Dorothy and maybe a cat but after quite a few discussions and confirmations she settled on Sofia the First. She's finding out what being royal's all about.
Just like the past six years, my family comes over for dinner and normally we watch the kids of the neighborhood steal our candy. For the past four years the neighbor's have joined on in, most of the time with their family as well. It's quite the deal. Pizza. Drinks. Candy. This year the entire lot of us decided to wander the streets and watch some good old fashioned trick-or-treating.
But before all that and yet after the pizza there is the donning of the costumes. There is the attempt at a photo. There is the cajoling to wear the hats, etc. Thankfully this year the weather was pretty dern mild so this process didn't take nearly as long as usual.
//the only photo with the hat on and a smile. and mark's hiney.\\
//the only photo with the four of them.\\
//she used to be photogenic\\
//what one grandson won't wear, another mimi will.\\
//luke. give me all your candy.\\
//boy's first hair cut tomorrow!\\
Now this. The time was nearing when the little hand is by eight and the big hand is by twelve. Letteria (I use her full name because. see below) wanted more candy. David must take after his mother and get hot easily and well he had had enough of that fleece sweatbox of hell. But am I one to just survey the situation and realize a happy family photo isn't in the cards for me this evening? Ha! I laugh in your general direction. Which as you can see worked out quite well for me.
//this last one might be my favorite. i know bud. it's hot in there. i feel your pain.\\
Both kid's passed out with no fuss almost immediately which as you fellow parents know is a very welcome rarity. Hope everyone has a great weekend! Laur's longest post. Over and out!
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