I Wish I Liked Halloween....

...but I really don't. It's too bad, since I'm usually pretty big on holidays and making them special and memorable, but I definitely think that going to Disneyland last year for Halloween was one of the best decisions we've made. There are still a couple of days to go and I am ready to be done with Halloween - pack it all up and put it away. We've already had a primary party, a neighborhood party, school parades and classroom parties and we still have trick or treating to do. I don't like to dress up. I don't particularly like carving pumpkins. (Not that I had any part of it this year. It was ALL Shawn at the neighborhood party.) There is so much drama over Halloween costumes every year, mind changing or indecisiveness. I have various pieces of various costumes from the costume box spread in EVERY room of the house. No matter how many times I pick them up, they are magically spread around again. And I can't really put the costume box away until Halloween is over and all of the costume pieces are back. (We have a little storage problem and the work involved in getting the box in and out is far more than I am willing to do more than once.) Every year, someone is still undecided the night before needing a costume and it always involves Shawn and I staying up late to make it happen. Then there's the guilt of only being able to attend the parade at one school since they take place at the same time. Jonas totally gets gipped. There were also plenty of complaints from Amelia because I was going to Samantha's class party but not hers. She ended up being sick anyway and not being able to go so I guess I signed up for the right one after all. ( I'll go to Amelia's class for Valentine's Day.) And don't even get me started on those darn "fun size" candy bars. I can walk past the regular size candy bars in the store every time without even an inkling of regret. They don't speak to me at all, but for some reason, I get a bag full of mini candy bars and I find myself popping them into my mouth all day long. I don't know why. Apparently, "fun size" tastes better and it also means you can eat lots of them. And that's just me. I don't even want to think about the amount of sugar that my kids have been ingesting over the past week and what's still to come! OK I'll (mostly) finish up my rant here and post a couple of pictures.

Jonas as a lego and Samantha as "Alien abduction." Apparently she is no longer happy with this costume and wants to switch for trick-or-treating. (Oh, for the love!) Jonas is hoping for another coat of paint since we ran out. Still waiting to see if that will happen.

Megan as Little Bo Peep. (Yep, that was yet another parade and program to attend - smack in the middle of nap time.)

The craft we did at Samantha's class party. They turned out pretty well - for most of the kids, anyway.

They got to make a tasty witch's brew.

And have mummy races.

A couple of photos from the neighborhood party. I was mostly absent since I was watching puppies be born so I missed all of the carving photos. Our neighbors go all out on decorating their garage and setting up tables and carving implements and then award trophies to the best pumpkins. Not to mention that dinner is provided as well, we just bring a side dish or dessert to share. Not a bad way to spend an evening - as long as I am eating and socializing instead of carving - and the decorations are amazing!

And the finished products - several days later. I think I like Jonas' cannibal pumpkin. I guess he gets points for creativity.

No photos yet of Amelia since she was home with a fever (poor thing) and Peter, who apparently doesn't like dressing up much either. ( He has also expressed a great dislike for masks and wigs. The other kids have been having a great time exploiting this fear.) I suppose those pictures will be forth coming. I guess it's official, I am a Halloween Scrooge. (Maybe I can blame it on genetics.)

Ah, The Joys of Motherhood or The Weather Needs To Improve Soon

This cold, rainy, snowy, weather is making me crazy, and therefore quite a bit less tolerant of all the lovely things that my children do.  Four times in the past 2 days, I have walked into a bathroom to find the entire roll of toilet paper unrolled and piled up on the floor, with parts of it shredded and spread all over. (Kind of makes me wish I hadn't bought the big rolls.)   I dream of cleaning up a room and coming back 5 minutes later to find that it is still clean.  But alas, it is not to be.  (Perhaps if it would stay warm enough, I could send the kids outside!)  Instead I come back to see that my 1 year old has poured herself some cereal or that both Amelia and Megan have helped themselves to yogurt, and in the process, Megan has painted both herself and the counter with it.  And one of my favorites is to find my girls making "phone calls".  (We have quite a history of dialing 9-1-1 around here, so this is never a good situation.)  This all happens in the time it takes me to go change a load of laundry or run to the bathroom, mind you. 

                                                                          I've heard that some kids 

will sit in front of a t.v. and stay put, therefore allowing a parent to accomplish some tasks, but I'm not that lucky.  And even if I leave the younger ones under the watchful care of an older sibling for a few brief moments, I may find when I check on them, that they have all colored themselves blue!  (So much for hoping that with age comes the ability to make good and responsible choices.)  I think even my kids are feeling a little cooped up if I am to judge from  all of the screaming and fighting that is going on between my two youngest, who are usually good buddies.  

All I know is that it better warm up quick if we are all going to survive!!!!