Two Princesses, Minnie Mouse and a Witch!

So the party was a hit!  At least I thought it was....

There was late night set up (with help from the awesome Grandma Lowney, who stayed over-night to give me the two extra hands I needed!!)

Love this spider!! (It is the only spider in the WORLD I will admit to liking) My Mom has the cutest Halloween stuff!

Mummy Cupcakes!! Yum!!

Christopher made a brief cameo appearance in his costume before he promptly fell asleep for the entire party.

Side note: So I can throw a rock and hit a Minnie Costume.  But a Mickey Costume...
forget it, it's like finding GOLD!! So I had to get creative!

The guest list dwindled a little, but it was still so sweet to see four little girls dressed up in their costumes...

We have a Princess, a Witch, Minnie Mouse & a Princess

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I love watching kids this age play.  They go from playing together, and then someone gets tired of the scene and just walks away to go onto their own thing.  And that's OK.  No one gets mad, no one criticizes their need to do their own thing. 

It's just accepted.  And when they want back into the game, they are welcomed.  It was beautiful to watch the innocence of these little girls.  And not even that, of them just not knowing any better.  When there is only acceptance, and judgement is not yet something that they are aware of.  I love that!

And even though our Halloween party was right in the middle of our Indian summer, it was still wonderful!  Perfect for a Halloween Scavenger Hunt in the yard.  The girls anxiously awaited for the "Candy Man" to get done hiding the candy. 

(The "Candy Man", for those of you not in the know, he hangs with the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus until he is needed around Halloween time.) 

This picture is too cute! Mother & Daughter in deep conversation - maybe debating on the amount of candy Chloe can have, I know that's what I was doing with Carly! (AND I love my girl Angie's shoes!) 

And what better way to work off that sugar high than a game of tag in the yard.

It was a good day!  And even though it was a day for my Love Bug and her friends, it full filled a part of me too!  There is nothing more wonderful than seeing your child happy! 

Total Sweetness

These are just some random photos that never seemed to make the cut...but are never the less sooo awesome!!!

 Potter Park Zoo...Daddy and Daughter enjoying some together time.  I was tearing up as I took this.

I know there are a million and one things wrong with how I have him sleeping and that I am breaking lots of rules (boppy pillow, big fluffy blanket, stuffed animals, etc.) but you know what....he is sleeping!!!!  Those with children will understand.

The kids and their GREAT GRANDPA!! Or Papa, as they call him.  I am so grateful that they have time with him!

Love this!

And this!

"The Girls" Cousin, Sisters, Friends!! (Morgan, Kasey, Carly, Samantha)

That's my Love Bug!!!

Small Joys & Sanity Juice

Christopher discovered water during his bath time this week.  It was somehow uplifting so see his eyes widened up as the faucet poured over his hands and he eagerly tried to grasp at the waterfall.

Somehow, that small moment alleviated the tension that has been surmounting lately in the house.  The past few weeks of "single-moming it" (my hubby is still out of town working) have kinda caught up with me and turned me into a modern-day version of Jekyll and Hyde these days.  One minute everything is great, the next I am ready to climb the walls.  More often than not, I put myself in "time-out" (aka shut myself in the bedroom for 3 mins.) just to regain some composure and pep-talk myself into getting through the last few hours of the day.  (And by pep-talk I mean under-the-breath curses, a few tears, and some serious count-to-ten-deep-breathing.)  And occasionally I have to pull out the big guns.....

Carly asked me the other day what I was drinking...I told her it was "Mommy's Sanity Juice".  (Can't wait til she shares that one with her pre-school class.)

And so I find myself trying to find the small joys in each day.  Like my son's discovery in the bath.  Or finally, finally getting the house decorated for Halloween!

I laughed at this picture...check out the background sign!  "Mommy's Sanity Juice!"

And I just couldn't resist changing it up a little....

I am not a scary, blood and gore kinda Halloween gal.  I like the cute little ghosts and pumpkins to decorate our house.  Carly is anxiously waiting for her Halloween party I promised her this year, and I am stocking up on the "sanity juice" for next week when 6 to 12 little goblins will be charging through my house on sugar highs....

Oh! and costumes this year...

M-I-N-N-I-E M-O-U-S-E!!  Christopher is Mickey...she is still trying to me to get dressed up like Daisy and her Dad Pluto - or as she calls it "the Dog".  Makes me smile every time... see it's the small joys!