Whew. Halloween is a lot of work.

(children mentioned)

I'm tired. Why? Because I was up until 1am this morning getting things ready for the kids' parties today. And they are 2 & 3. Such productions already! After derby practice last night, I came home and got the kids to bed. Then it was off to the store for party items.

Allison's teacher requested me to get all materials ready for the kids to make "worms in dirt". This meant 3 large batches of chocolate pudding, an entire package of oreos which I crushed up for the dirt and 3 containers of gummy worms.

Ella's teacher requested me to put together "feel" boxes for the kids. I decided to go with body parts and put together six pretty cool things. Dehydrated apple slices will be the mummy ears. Peeled grapes: eyeballs. The leftover grape skin: scabs. Overcooked spaghetti: brains. Cut and shaped lightly oiled banana peels: tongues. Cooked mixed with uncooked rice and gummy worms: worms and maggots. These were all labeled and put into boxes for the kids to feel. I gotta admit, when you can't see them and it's labeled as such, they all feel pretty damned gross.

The kids get to wear their costumes today, but last night I decided they were too warm to wear them indoors. See, we live in Colorado and it's going to be around 33 degrees tonight. It's always cold on Halloween night without fail. Yesterday was warm enough to wear short sleeved shirt and today is cold. This means no cutesy little costumes for the kids. I always buy the warm costumes - my favorite being the ones that are winter outfits in themselves. Old Navy has the best selection of warm costumes like this. The fleece is so soft and keeps the kids super warm. Ella picked a kangaroo and Allison picked a pink french poodle. Well, obviously these are outdoor costumes so I needed to get indoor costumes last minute. A midnight run to Walgreens proved to be a good bet. I picked up a snow white dress for Ella and a "ribbon" witch for Allison. $9 costumes. What could be better?

This morning I get the kids breakfast and then let them in on the new costumes. Score. Ella ~loved~ hers. The only problem was it was too long, but a few stitches later, I had it sewn up from the inside so the dress even puffed out a little. Ella quickly picked her sparkly Cinderella shoes to go with it and she was set. Allison's costumed was so super cute. I like it even more than the costume she has to wear for tonight! It's a little witch dress with pink ribbons sewn on all the ends of material. A black witch hat with the same ribbons, black boots and a little broom completed it.

I packed up the body parts, the worms in dirt ingredients, my little snow white and my little witch and got them all to school. And here I sit at work, knowing my day has just begun. I have pumpkins to carve after work. I have dinner to make and server. I have trick-or-treating to do. I have a candy war between myself and a 2 & 3 year old afterwards.

So I say "whew". Halloween is a lot of work.