The virtual Halloween parade {2012}

What is the deal with Halloween?  It is by far the weirdest holiday we celebrate as Americans.  We dress up in anything we can think of, from scary to downright bizarre, walk around and beg for candy from our neighbors, put out jack-o-lanterns to ward off evil spirits that don't exist, then we put away our decorations as fast as we can the next day because we can't stand the sight of them anymore.

Don't get me wrong, I love Halloween.  It's my second favorite holiday.  Every year I get excited about the whole costume thing.  I think my family gets a little frustrated with me, honestly, because I bug them and bug them and bug them about their costume until they at least show a little enthusiasm.

Abby is the easy one.  She LOVES to play dress up.  The problem with her is keeping her committed to the same idea long enough for me to sew the costume.

I found this cute pattern at a website called A train to crazy.  It came together relatively quickly, which for me means twice as long as it would take someone who actually knows what they are doing.  I got the fabric on the "value" rack at Walmart ($1 a yard!) and let me tell you, there is a reason why it is so cheap.  I don't think there is a natural fiber to be found anywhere in it.  But that's ok!  All in the name of Halloween!

I got the shoes from Walmart too, which I rationalized by thinking she would most likely wear them every day for regular shoes after Halloween was over.

Doesn't she look freaking adorable?

                                                                   

Seth is lookin pretty cool in his motocross stuff.  His was the easiest one because we already had everything. I forgot to take a picture of the back of his shirt, but it actually says S. SHIPLEY.  He couldn't wear his helmet for the school parade, so we smudged "dirt" around his goggles to make it look like he had been riding all day.

Nate's costume was awesome!  It cost about $5 to make and turned out so funny.  The only problem with doing something like this is that while the people who actually know what you are supposed to be are going to love it, most people just thought he was a funny robot.

If you have never seen LMFAO's Party Rock Anthem video and you are dying to be in the know, then here you go.  Just don't blame me when this song gets stuck in your head for three days.

Here's the story with Alex.  He hates Halloween.  He always has.  We think it might stem from the fact that I sewed him a fuzzy lion costume when he was barely walking and paraded him around in it while he scowled and cried.  He probably needs therapy.

So getting him to participate in Halloween is tricky.  Getting him to dress up is nearly impossible.  But I pitched the Waldo idea and he went with it.  Especially when he decided he would photo bomb every picture he could.

I didn't make this costume, but ordered it from Newegg.com for a great price!

And yes, that is a cemetery he is walking around in.

Happy Halloween everyone!!

Gummy bears and teenagers and happily ever after.

This is Alex.  He turned 16 the other day.  It's a big deal, apparently.  Driving, dating, working and all that junk;  basically being a miniature grown-up.  It's a right of passage--a milestone, right?  Parties must be planned, presents must be carefully purchased and memories must be made.  And let me tell you...did we ever party!  Three parties, actually.  One smallish family dinner with shrimp kebobs on his birthday, a ginormous extended family dinner a few days later and then a huge friend party the next weekend.

Which brings me to the gummy bears.  Let me just add this as a word of warning to those who are contemplating the food menu for a "teenage" party.  If you value your sanity, do NOT under any circumstance purchase any item that has the word "gummy" in the title.  If there is one thing I have learned from the past few weeks it is that gummy bears are never a good idea.  Especially if they end up not in the bellies of those lovely brats you have invited, but thrown around your yard in an all-out food fight.  And might I also add that anything gummy does not melt with the rain or get picked up by the birds.  It gets sticky, glues itself to whatever surface it is lying on and will likely still be there after the zombie apocalypse.

So what was I talking about?  Oh yes...memories!  That is what we are making folks!  Truthfully, I remember exactly two details about my 16th birthday.  First, I had a party of some sort in which people I think I liked came and invaded my house.  Second, the boy I had sat and stared at in health class all year asked me to be his girlfriend.  And I said no.  You wanna know why?  Well, besides the fact that my parents had told me I wasn't allowed to date exclusively and I was SUCH (insert sarcasm here) an obedient child?  Because I had just met another boy.  The boy of my dreams, actually.  Funny, sweet, and devilishly handsome...I was a goner.  I was in teenage love and any part of life that did not directly relate to my new-found love became unimportant.

I guess my point is that it's not the parties or the food or the cute decorations that your mom spent hours making that will imprint in our memories.  It's the people you love.

So where is this boy of my dreams now?

Well...actually, he's upstairs in the kitchen fixing breakfast for our four-year-old.  ;)

How's that for a happily ever after?