Ghost of Costumes Past

I love Halloween. It's easily my favorite holiday. Once the kiddos hit the age where they can decide for themselves what they want to dress up as, I try to make it happen. DH is Mr. Frugal, so we also try not to spend more than a few dollars on a costume. I'll post pictures of the costumes I'm working on this year, but for now here are some costumes from the past.

2008

Someone got Harley a little Harley Davidson onesie and bandana when he was born, so we ran with it. I found the leather jacket at a garage sale for $5 when I was pregnant, and Grammy added the ponytail and stick on earring when he came trick-or-treating at her house before the parade.

2009

Our big cowboy in his uncle Zack's old duster and his daddy's old boots. Swoon....

2010

This is my favorite so far. It will be tough to ever beat. We had the swimming trunks, shirt, and hat. I bought the black shirt and tights and made the flippers and scuba gear out of foam, duct tape, and junk from the garage. Ellie was a pretty cute bumble-bee in a hand-me-down costume. Adorable!

2011

Trying to follow up a pretty awesome costume from the year before, we used a box, junk parts from the garage, and some silver spray paint to make this robot. He LOVED that he could play with the light switch and calculator buttons. His friends loved that the light (end of  flashlight poking through) actually turned on if you turned it. Cheapest costume to date! Drew loved the idea of Ellie the cow, and I love hand-me-downs. 

2012

This was the second year HW got to choose his costume. He came to me and INSISTED he wanted to be a mailman or UPS guy. DH brought me the boxes and paint, and we did what we could. It was a huge pain in the ass when it came to actually trick-or-treating from the vehicle, but it's a funny memory. Elliot didn't care what she dressed up as, but at the time she didn't go anywhere without her "Ellie" wand, so we worked around that!

 2013

 I was very pregnant, very uncomfortable, and very much in love with Elliot's costume. I tried to make both kids a neat one, but Harley's astronaut failed majorly. I let him go raid Grammy's costume box and he became a hippie of sorts. He loved the wig. Elliot asked to be a cupcake. I used a laundry basket we had broken a few days before, and some old pillows from our linen closet that needed replaced anyway. I unstuffed the pillows and stuck them to the top edge of the basket, spray painted the stuffing pink, wrapped a fun $1.00 table cloth around the base, and put some sprinkley accessories on her. She didn't want to ever take it off. 

Nailed It

I was laying in bed last night just thinking all the thinks I like to think out before I stop thinking for the day, and I had myself a little giggle at something that had happened earlier that evening. I thought to myself, "I should really write this shit down."

So, here we are.

I'm sure you're dying to know what the thing was that made me giggle. Or maybe you're not wondering at all, but you came to visit my brain over at this here blog, so you asked for it.

Yesterday, I organized closets and cabinets. Exactly three adults in my life will realize what a profound statement I just made. This means that the rest of my house was clean (never happens), I had leftover energy (what the hell), and I was able to focus (whaaaaaat) on a mundane task like organizing the kitchen cabinets. I'm not sure what got into me (double spark, side of powdered donut), but it was like I was possessed.

I worry that organizing kitchen cabinets is a gateway chore. I just don't think I want to become the type of person who has dusted ceiling fan blades or seen what's behind the washer and dryer. Insert "Ain't Nobody Got Time For That" here.

After stacking all our plastic containers back into the cabinet Porky empties every single evening, I decided I should also make some chili. I cook dinner several nights a week, but I'm not exactly winning any awards. No one ever goes racing back into the kitchen for seconds, but I haven't poisoned anyone either, so the glass is still half-full (of wine).

I got a text that DH was on his way home. I looked at my spotless house, my big kids practicing their handwriting at the kitchen table, Porky snacking on some crackers quietly in her high chair, and the pot of delicious soup simmering on the stove top. We look like freakin' Norman Rockwell painting. I actually said aloud, "Nailed it."

I just knew I was in for some high praise. DH walked through the back door, looked around, and said "Did they cancel dance class tonight?"

MOTHEREFFER

So close.