Are you ready?

I don’t know about the rest of you, but I often feel like Halloween is one of those holidays that sneaks up on you.  I blame it on the hot weather, making it still feel like summer.  I blame it on the stores who have decided to skip Halloween and Thanksgiving and move straight to Christmas.  I blame it on the darn fires that keep breaking out all over our beautiful state of California.  Okay, so these are all just excuses and the truth is, fall is a busy time.  I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels this way.  Today it suddenly occurred to me that I have to plan the class party…like NOW!

So my question to all of you is: Are YOU ready?!  Do you have costumes picked out, the odds and ends that go with the costumes?  Have you figured out what your child will use to collect the candy?  How about the candy itself?!  Have you bought that?  I haven’t….if I buy it too early it is gone before the actual day arrives!  And then there is figuring out HOW you are going to “do” Halloween.  Just walk around the neighborhood?  Host a little get-together?  Go to a friends’ house?  And if you do go, who is going to pass out your candy for you?  You certainly can’t leave a bowl out because we ALL know how that ends!

For the past couple of years I have relinquished Trick-or-treating duties to my hubby.  I stay home and hand out candy while watching Rocky Horror Picture Show and sipping on some sort of adult beverage.  I like it that way.  I love seeing the tiny costumed kiddos come to my door.  But I feel like I’m missing out, too, and I feel guilty for not joining my hubby and the kids.  So this year I need to figure out a better plan.

This year’s plan….thus far

So here is where I am at, in case you are curious.  My kids have decided on their costumes.  Charlie is going as Elliot from E.T. with a fake E.T. stuffed into a crate to look like he is in the bike scene at the end of the movie.  Claire has decided to go as Gertie.  Who knew it would be next to impossible to find Claire a black and tan striped turtleneck to go with her overalls?!  I ended up ordering a Ralph Lauren turtleneck from Zappos.  Fingers crossed she will wear it again because that thing wasn’t cheap!  Haha!  Now all I have left is to find yarn for her pigtails and get her a potted geranium to tote around with her.  Oh, the crazy husband of mine (his name is Link by the way) will be wearing plastic chains around his neck so he can go as “Chain-Link.”  Get it?!  Haha.  I love my crazy family.

I have not bought candy.  I have not bought bags or pumpkins or crafted pillowcases for the occasion.  I figure worst case scenario, they use their own pillowcase like I did back in the 80’s!  I’m still figuring out the evening.  While I’d love to host something I’m realistic enough to know that probably won’t happen.  There’s just too much going on to be Super-mom this year!

So in the midst of all of this I’m also doing Halloween Minis and Fall Minis.  I got started the day before the Canyon Fire 2 broke out.  Let’s just say I’m thankful an ember didn’t land on my straw hay bales that were (oops) leaning against my house!  I got some adorable shots for the kiddos who came out for it and am looking for another round next Tuesday.  For those who are interested, I’m sharing a few peeks from last week’s sessions.    Enjoy!  Perhaps they will give YOU some inspiration if you haven’t figured out the whole costume thing yet.  You have just under two weeks to get it done.  NO PRESSURE!  

Thanks for listening and have a lovely evening!!!

~Bonnie

Kiddos from this year and a couple from last year, too!