All Hallow's Eve, and surrounding events.

So, I'm a mom of two. And I love being a mom of two. Life is starting to sink in, and I love every minute of it. Ali's a month old, but it feels like she's been around forever. And Mitchell is talking in a language people understand, and it's adorable.

Halloween was less than a week away when Mike and I realized we didn't have a costume for Mitch. Ironically we had purchased some (boy, ha) skeleton pajamas for Ali months ago when we loaded up on girl clothes. Mitchell's costume was debated for months because Mitchell doesn't yet have an opinion and Mike keeps forgetting our toddler isn't 13 (re: jason mask and fake blood are not appropriate) I really wanted Mitch to be that man from Caps for Sale, you know, the children's book (we don't even own it.) where the man with the mustache walks around with a thousand caps on his head and monkies steal them while he sleeps. Awesome idea, yes? I wanted to buy a bunch of caps, sew them together, pain a mustache on his face, and dangle his monkey around his neck. But Mike said no one would recognize it, and then went as far as telling me he'd be embarrass to trick or treak with the man from Caps for Sale. Party pooper. How many costumes did you honestly recognize this year? So if anyone wants to steal this grand idea for next year, fine-take it, I'll let you. But all creativity credit has to go to me. And when you're trick or treating with your little man, and someone, say, "gets it", you have to tell me so Mike can owe me dinner (I love that).

So after walking through the remains at targer, and me no-in the scary, bloody, serial killer, and mike veto-ing the garden gnome, we decided to buy a cowboy hat and call it a day.

And look at our cowboy casanova:

He's a real lady killer.

And this is what most pictures of the two children look like because Mitchell refuses to share the spotlight ("if you are not taking pictures of me, and me alone, I want nothing to do with any of you")



It was possibly the cutest thing in the world watching Mitchell grab his trick or treat bag and walk out the door all proud (ha) with dad, in the pouring rain. I don't htink he really knew what he was just about to do, but picked it up real quick. I stayed in with the little one, and Mike tried to keep Mitchell from opening each adn everyone's front doors in the neighborhood. Needless to say, he brought home quite the loot, and has a new love for dots. (of all things. They're probably sitting there rotting his teeth away as we speak. we should get him to a dentist. Start praying now for no cavities. Aside from that, Mitch has this weird thing of absolutely adoring everything his maternal grandmother loves. It's freaking me out. diet coke....chocolate covered raisions....dots!?! see the trend!?)

We had Shelby and Boyd stay with us this weekend, which was fun. It's always fun when Mitchell can drag someone, other than me, off the couch, to the fridge, to watch him try to close the door with him inside (why this is fun for him? I have no idea) or watch him successfully grab his sippy and take a drink. Like his father, my independant son needs an audience for everything.

So, we painted pumpkins. And Mitchell had so much more fun painting than he did last year with carving. I win.

He thought it was so great he'd try to eat it. Awesome.Oh, and every year Cheri, my sister-in-law, throws these crazy halloween pictures with wicked decorations on every wall, and this year she inspired me:

Really. I had to take a picture so I could compete. And yes, this is the only, uh, corner? of the apartment decorated aside from the green ghost towel hanging from the oven. All conveinently purchashed at your local grocer. It's a work in progress, haha. I did get that monster looking man to walk around for me, that was pretty scary.

And we blessed Allison this weekend, on Halloween even, which is convenient because she doesn't have a baby book yet, and this blessing day I'll have to remember till I get around to buying one, which could be ages away, and I'm just not going to forget it was halloween. Mitchell was blessed on my birthday, and that was just as convenient, so I hope to keep this convenience up for every child. Next child is Easter 2013, you can all go mark your calendars.

Anyway, I spent like 8 weeks smocking (well, learning to smock) a blessing dress. And I finished the smocking a week before she was due, leaving me no time to, um, learn, how to sew a dress. an important dress at that. So my aunt Amy actually made the dress, which was so nice of her, and she did such a fantastic job. Ali looked so lovely.

And my grandma made her some little booties which was so perfect.

And my mom and emma surprised us with a little bracelet, which was wonderfully sweet, but.... I don't have pictures of because I'm lame.

And her bow wouldn't stay on, which was also lame.

Mike gave her a really sweet blessing, and named her her actual name (I kept having these nightmares...) then held her up like Simba and Mufasa. Which, he did say he was going to do (I need to start taking him more seriously, apparently) and he sat down and asked "did I embarrass you??" which always begs the question "where you trying to?!" Mike doesn't yet understand that his actions neither embarrass, nor surprise, me anymore.

But, all in all, the day went smoothly, and my apartment stayed relatively clean, which helps when I'm trying to stay in control of my sanity.