Halloween. Remember when it only lasted one day?

Jooj at party 1/4 on Friday. How do the socialites handle "the season?" I can barely handle this week...

I hosted the play group Halloween party today. I planned crafts, theme food, and a Cayata (pinata in Jooj-speak).

All they wanted to do was play with the zoo pal plates.

And as soon as they were gone I fell asleep on the couch. Immediately into REM. I have never done that before--even when she was a baby I could situate myself before passing out. I have no idea what she did to entertain herself for the 40 minutes I was out. Frankly, I don't want to know, because I know what she does to entertain herself when I am awake (see post below.)

Only two more parties to go before we can just go trick or treat. And, yes, that includes the dreaded trunk fiasco.

I Declared the EP a Bummer-Free Zone in September...

This has been a rough week. Lots of hard news, lots of scary happenings, lots of people I love in dire straits. (Jooj and W and I are all fine, though, so don't worry about that!)

I know that everyone else seems to go straight to the scriptures and to fasting and praying when times are tough and overwhelming. For me, though, it feels like if I start feeling anything spiritual right now I will not be able to close the dam. (Damn.) And I can't go there right now, because I have a kid to take care of, a kid who, herself, is teetering on the edge of a meltdown because she misses her father, and anytime I cry she worries herself sick. (Sorry, W. I know you didn't want to hear that.)

What do you do when you reach that point? When you are so filled to the brim with worry and sadness that even a bit of hope or goodness will tip you over into messy, sloppy, anguish? Knit? Watch Gavin And Stacy? I am running out of options.

PS Guess how long a carved pumpkin will last in EP? Three days. Then it melts into itself and ruins your new table runner. And the mold covers every single inch. And it smells. Stupid EP.

The Halloween Pimp Miracle

For Halloween we decided to trick or treat with Las Primas, so we went to Balboa Island where Papa Noel had promised to house sit during the night. We made an executive decision to only go a block or two, because the girls are too young to know any better. (Yay for deception!)
As we rounded the pier, we saw a nun drinking wine and watching the ocean. Then she said her name was Sister Mary Seashell and we realized she was not actually a nun. And she had candy! Now Jooj and the Primas will have a really odd view of the Catholic Church.

We kept going along the shore and ran into a bunch of teenagers, dressed like gentlemen entrepreneurs. The girls, now adept at begging for candy, ran up to the kids and screamed "TrickyTreat!" And these kids responded by UNLOADING their candy bags into the girls' pumpkins. I thanked them and said "My, what generous pimps you are!" and the kids thought that was hilarious, and gave them more candy. Jooj couldn't carry her bag any longer, it was so bulging. Naturally, I wanted to preserve the moment that my daughter first received sweets from a strange man in a large, furry hat.

Then we went back to the house and ate all of their booty.
The girls and their Papis
The girls pose with Grammy Su's Gumdrop Buttons
Jooj and "NoNo"