Halloween

With Halloween on a school night this year, my cousin, April, decided to throw a
Halloween bash for the mamas and daddies and babies this past weekend so we wouldn't
have to let bedtimes and homework spoil all our fun.  Her entire house was decorated
with cobwebs and spiders, treats around every corner, even a fog machine creating a
spooky atmosphere as we all walked in.  We dressed up in our Halloween gear and let the
kids run amok, enjoyed big bowls of chili and green slime punch.  It was such a fun night
and we are hoping she makes this an annual event!

My cousin is an elementary school science teacher so she helped the kids make
gooey slime, what a hit!  Who knew glue, water, and Borax could turn into
monster goo?

And, of course, it wouldn't be Halloween without bobbing for apples!  I laughed my witch
hat right off my head watching these two little girls swallow more water and get
themselves into quite a predicament trying to catch the perfect apple!

The girls were asleep before our car was even out of the driveway, their sweet little
faces dirty and covered in candy, their hands sticky, their costumes disheveled.  We
brought home tons of cookies, trinkets, and memories.  Shawn and I enjoyed the quiet on
the drive home and savored the amazing balance of this weekend: a trip away on Friday
for just the two of us and a party with our family all together on Saturday.  I'll be the first
to admit that we do not often achieve such balance, we are not always so aware of the need
to foster both sides of our relationships.  But driving away from this magical night, we
knew that it was one of those rare moments, one of those times that made everyone
happy.  And that is definitely something to celebrate!