Trickertreat

What a week.  A non-stop party around here.  First it was my birthday, which many of you know if you've made it to your thirties and have children, doesn't really matter anymore.  Hence, I have no photos.  And that's just fine with me--the no pictures AND the not mattering part.  This was my last one in my thirties, so for those of you who might want to plan a big bash for me next year, just note that fact somewhere in your 2010 planner.    "Jacey's big 4-O."   I'll be over here holding my birthday breath.

I let my oldest stage a halloween party for some of her friends in our spooky basement this week.  It's spooky because it's unfinished--cement floors, 2x4's for walls, that sorta thing.  We did it up right (no pictures of this, either--I'm so lame).  Lights hanging from the ceiling, black streamers, yadda yadda yadda.  I spent my birthday night doing the decorating.  See above note about birthdays not mattering in your thirties.

Last night, of course, was the big night.  Trick or treating and buttloads of candy.  When I say buttload, I mean BUTT-load, because when I eat it, that's exactly where it ends up.  Of course, my kids all looked cute and fab in their costumes, but I'm gonna have to say that my costume really was the bomb.  I made quite the wicked Cruella de Vil.   I know a few of you will have some commentary on the appropriateness of my costume choice.

It took tiny Lucas a little bit of time to warm up to the whole trick or treating thing, but once he figured out how it worked, he was all over it like hairy warts on a witch.  I love how he worked the convenience angle by  hanging his bag around his neck.  It's like a feedbag.  Good boy.

This kid doesn't belong to me, but I'd love to adopt her...for a day or two anyway.  This is my niece, Emma, and I dare say she is the dang cutest chicken who ever flew the coop. You can't see the poofy-butt part of the costume here, but it's beyond adorable.  Seems appropriate that her mom would be "flipping the bird" to the camera in this shot, no?  (bottom left).  She swears it was not intentional.  She was just holding her purse. Hmmmm.

We also took a trip out to "the Red Barn" where they do hayrides out to their pumpkin patch.  Small problem:  it was an unexpected 35 degrees and overcast and even snowing a little.  I don't do hayrides under those conditions.  I still consider myself an Arizona transplant.  Baby steps.   So I bought the kids ice cream cones instead.  That seemed to make up for the whole hayride thing.

I can't forget  to mention Crazy Hair Day at school.  They both wanted spiders in their hair.  Ick.

This one's random, but worth posting.  The kids' new favorite thing to do when uncle Jim comes over is to have him hoist them up on top of the arch in our living room.  Ben was too chicken, but for some reason, the other three love it.  I think Ben's the sane one.