Despite a complete and utter lack of planning we have provided our spawn with a reasonably amusing Halloween experience. Kari had at least been thinking about it and got some decorations and I give my self a little credit for purchasing and carving the pumpkins. However, we dropped the ball in the costume department. With whatever cold/flu we have been fighting off just keeping the kids fed and the laundry somewhat under control seemed like a tall order.
I dug out some costumes from a couple of years ago and with a butcher knife and a sewing machine I set to work making them fit. Sewing isn't my forte and despite breaking the needle on the sewing machine I managed to complete the alterations in sufficient time to take the kids out to terrify the neighborhood. Kari, who was feeling particularly awful, managed to get up and get the girls hair and make up done before we left.
Ever the considerate big sisters, Rylee and Reagan took the prized seats in the wagon before the twins could get there. Jordan didn't seem to mind and enjoyed running in aimless directions while I sprinted after her calling her name, carrying Madison, camera flailing about, and dragging the wagon behind. "Jordan, this way...Jo...JORDAN. Over here. Jo! Sigh."
Reagan had the only injury, a skinned knee, and the handle on Jo's bucket kept coming loose. Actually the handle falling off was kind of a plus because it would give me a chance to catch her and regroup the troops. Over all I would have to call the expedition a success. The girls had quite a pile of candy to sort through when we got home. And we did get plenty of coments.
"Oh they are so adorable!"
"Thanks. Do you want them?" I would say.
"I..uh...well...Are they all yours?" they would say, changing the subject.
"Yep!"
"You have your hands full."
"Yep." I would say. I guess the market for little kids around here is a little soft. You can't even give them away.
One guy after looking at their overflowing buckets remarked "I hope you have a good dentist."
"Ah, they will get more teeth." I said with a wave of dismissal.
"Your right." he laughed "Let them enjoy it."
I thought it would be proper to extend the bed time since they wouldn't be sleeping anyway with the door bell ringing every five minutes. And so the girls opened shop on the coffee table and set about sampling all of the goodies. It was quite a mess. I have learned that half eaten lollypops will stick to your socks and Nerds are a pain to get out of the carpet. Reagan will spit out the peanut M&Ms and Jordan will not consume an entire piece of candy before opening the next one.
Jordan would gently place an unidentifiable, wet, gooey, partially masticated lump on the table and come running to me for help opening the next candy. Normally I would give her a short lecture on how leaving unidentifiable, wet, gooey, partially masticated lumps on the table is bad manners, but on Halloween I had to just let it go.
It didn't take more than a few hours for everyone to become tired of eating candy. I myself was pretty well over devouring Reese's and we got everyone off to bed after a little extra tooth scrubbing.