October 2009

October is one of our favorite months of the year.  Me, because my favorite day of the entire year is Halloween, and Erin because it is her birthday month!  She turned 8 years old this year which amazes the hell out of me when I think about it.  Where did the years go and OMG what if the next eight go that quickly, too?  She is halfway to driving and dating (if I can get her to actually wait that long!) and yet she is still our little bundle of joy who first made us parents when we least expected to ever take that leap.  As always we spoiled her for her birthday with basically a week of celebration!

First the annual trip to Build a Bear Workshop for yet another addition to the never-ending collection of stuffed animals.  Erin really was never into dolls or Barbies but she can tell you the names of every one of her "kids" as she calls her stuffed animals.  This year we added Jessica (the big one) and Sara (the small one).  She also got a password journal - who knew we would be shopping in the 'tween aisle at the toy store so soon!  Months later I have no idea where the password journal is that she HAD to have but Jessica and Sara are never far from her - day or night.

Daddy was working and the evening was a short one for celebrating since Erin had dance that night but this was how we spent the night of her actual birthday.

God how I love this girl who is always ready for a camera moment or a hug or a game of Wii or a snuggle on the couch.

Next up, friend party at the pool!  Yes, that's Erin and twelve of her closest friends and cousins.  And Yes, I am a touch insane to tackle this group with just Clint and I for chaperone.  But, Sami, Shannon, Taya, Sydney, Linzey, Brynlee, McKade, Brooklyn, Erin, Kylee, Jocelyn, Bailey and Sydney had a fabulous time!

We confined everyone to a rented room, hyped 'em all up on sugar and soda, let them do gifts and then we hit the pool for a couple of hours.

After dragging everyone out of the pool (and dealing with a locker fiasco) Erin decided that's what she wants to do EVERY birthday!  Lucky for us, it was an inexpensive alternative to bowling or other crazy kid party options.

Final stop on the marathon of birthday celebrations was the family party.  I decided I had skill enough to decorate a cake instead of paying a ton of money for cardboard-tasting bakery cake from Walmart so Erin designed and I decorated:

Not too shabby if I do say so myself!

I must have been busy entertaining because these are seriously the only photos we took that night.  Sign of a good party, eh?

Halloween... did I mention that it is my favorite day of the year?  Like I start planning my costume months in advance and ALWAYS dress up?  This year was no exception and I actually have gotten Clint to participate the last couple of years.  Now remember, I'm pregnant this year and most people thought that would hinder my ability to properly celebrate but I am no slouch and thanks to my packrat skills I had a FABULOUS costume.

Flash back eight years ago.  It was September 2001 and one of my friends from high school was getting married.  I was 8.5 months pregnant at the wedding where I was the matron of honor.  Yes, I'm serious.  We had to purchase two of the same dresses and use one to alter the other to fit my pregnant girth and still match the other bridesmaids.  Several months later when I was packing away my maternity clothes - here's where the insanity of packratness comes into play since even then I knew we were DONE having kids yet still I packed away my maternity clothes in a nicely labeled box?  Anyway, this summer when I pulled out the box from the basement neatly labeled "maternity clothes" because we had decided to have another kid after all... what did I find on top?  My formal dress that would fit my pregnant girth at 8.5 months!  Of course nothing else in the box was worth pulling out except a pair of basic black pants but that's not what this story is about...  I HAD A COSTUME!  And a killer one at that! 

I was a pregnant prom queen!

I talked Clint into throwing on his suit and a tie and his 80's wig so we could be a themed costume.  This is us at our friend's costume party which my sister attended this year.  She went as the first attendant in something I just happened to have in my closet for just such a backup costume type of occasion.  Seriously, we threw her costume together the day before the party.  She made total fun of me that I had one wing of my walk-in closet full of Halloween costumes but I say there's nothing wrong with it when it is your favorite day of the year, right?  Finishing touches were the real corsages and boutineers from the flower shop.  Told you I love Halloween!  I even wore the costume to work - up 'do and all!

The actual day of Halloween we gathered at my brother's house for soup and trick-or-treating with all the kids.  This year, I was not the only grown up who dressed up!  Denice was Cinderella for the nieces and I had no date (aka, Clint said no to wearing his costume again) but I still wore mine and had a blast!

Out and about getting candy with the cousins!  Erin's face painting to match her butterfly wings - that took me forever to paint on - lasted about an hour before she begged me to wash it off so she could eat.  Oh well....

Amy the pirate and Amber as herself!

Erin - the butterfly - and Brynlee - Hannah Montana.

Another October is behind us and Erin is already talking about what she wants to be next year.  Anyone know where I can find a Squirrel costume?  I heart Halloween and I heart that Erin loves it as much as I do!