Ok, finally finishing up October 2021...in February 2022. But I will get there, little by little. I used to be so type A and need everything done yesterday and show up to events an hour early. Now I've learned to relinquish control and be thankful, especially when I have so much to juggle. Juggle too much and you drop everything. I had so many "hills to die on," but God keeps teaching me how to die to self and let things go, even the things I thought I was doing for Him. One of those things, believe it or not, is Halloween. I used to be so adamant about no trick-or-treating, no Halloween decorating, etc., feeling like whatever you start out with leads to gore and violence. Nowadays, I don't really have a problem with dressing up and walking around the neighborhood. Kids these days, at least in our neighborhood, don't go out there tp'ing houses or egging cars. Some of my change of heart is because of churches doing big Halloween events, including our last church. I saw how it could reach the community and offer a safe place for kids to go (and it wasn't usually held on the 31st, so then parents got more use out of their costumes, too). In Manny's side of the family, some of them celebrate Halloween and Dia de Los Muertos, though not Manny's parents.
For whatever reason, despite my constant push for Christmas and Easter and even Reformation Day, or maybe because of it, Halloween ended up being each of my kids' favorite holidays. What I see for Naomi is that it is the only holiday she feels is her own, where she can plan what she wants to do and isn't tied to so many obligations. For Lucas, it makes him happy to wear disguises and be someone else for a day. For Isaac, I'm pretty sure he enjoys walking from place to place collecting candy. Naomi also said she'd like to start a tradition of watching Nightmare Before Christmas each year, so we did. Each year I also have to work out Lucas's costume with him. I don't care for the traditional scary costumes, so when he wanted to be a ghost, the compromise was a ghost with a cute happy face. I gave in on the mummy costume and made it myself. And now that he's thirteen, I said okay to the werewolf. Lucas also wanted to fill in the eye gaps with black makeup, so it looked scarier int he dark than I'd expected.
Naomi got invited to do a group costume with friends and went to school in costume (she said it was too hot). They also went to the mall to hang out in costume. I was the chauffeur. That weekend, I also got to see my friend O. again to celebrate her birthday at Cheesecake Factory. Once again, several of the stores we would normally browse were closed early due to Covid, but we did find a gift for her at Sephora (yes, we just shop for each other's gifts right there).
At a year old now, Pluto had a few changes in his personality, all cute. He is very comfortable at home, well adjusted to his routine. The one and only time I ever heard him hiss was the first day we got him, when I grabbed him while he was running around the house, but since then it's been all purrs and meows.
I made this wreath with dollar store materials.
Naomi as Hu Tao from the video game Genshin Impact
One neighbor was playing MJ's "Thriller" video, and the werewolf was showing right when we got there, with Lucas in his werewolf costume.
A guy in a jail costume handing out candy to kids from his bike. Seems legit.
You will almost never see Lucas in jeans except at Halloween.
DIY Indiana Jones costume for me. Since I didn't grow up with Halloween, it's kind of fun to join in the dressing up.
Our Covid-friendly pick-you-own candy table. We had hardly any kids stop by, likely because Delta was on the rise.
Naomi and two of her friends. The others were meeting them at the mall.
Halloween/fall charcuterie
O. and I have been going out together for over a decade now. I'm thankful for our friendship.
Corner balcony of the apartments above where we were at in San Jose. Halloween lights are becoming more and more a thing.
Dessert was tiramisu I think?
My dinner was okay, a little bit HUGE.
We enjoyed our cucumber mint lemonades.
Lucas had to decorate a pumpkin for his art class. He really dislikes art, but he worked hard on this sugar skull-themed pumpkin.
I saw this in high school when it first came out. I'd never seen stop motion done like that. I believe it took three years to make. Kind of neat to watch it with Naomi at the same age I'd watched it.
Love the colors of fall in our neighborhood. It's not like the east coast, but still pretty.
I quickly threw this Hello Kitty pumpkin together by cutting up a black envelope I'd just received, using leftover ribbon, and markers.
All the different pumpkins, some for Thanksgiving dinner
Pluto is always around when I'm trying to do something. He has a Halloween costume on by nature.
I was going to get fall nails, but decided to do grayish pink, which somehow came out just pink.
Pluto sleeping on his back and apparently pracitcing his kung fu forms.
Pumpkin muffins Isaac helped me bake
Isaac helping
Isaac loves Pluto so much
Got this for free from our neighborhood Buy Nothing group
Pluto in the slippers again
