And Then There Were Three: Trick or Treat! Love, Little Red

DRUM ROLL...She's Little Red Riding Hood! SURPRISE!

I LOVE HALLOWEEN. Seriously.

The costumes, the candy, the pumpkins--who wouldn't love this holiday? (That is, besides our very sweet, very conservative neighbors whose poor kids are missing out on my amazing non-cheapo chocolate candy sitting on my porch. I totally respect their wishes, but on the bright side...more leftover candy for me!)

Last year Emma Vance couldn't even walk (or stand up on her own for that matter!), so we had a fun night carrying around our girl Cookie Monster. This year was a totally different game with an extremely mobile 16 month old--meaning that her costume had to have actual shoes. :) Early on we decided Emma Vance should trick or treat as Little Red Riding Hood (classic)...and that Oscar should be her wolf (typecasting).

This year's costume debacles included (but were not limited to): making two capes since the first one made her look like a gnome (no exaggeration), having Amazon.com randomly cancel my order for a miniature picnic basket {insert panic at that realization}, not noticing that her gingham dress was SUPER short before dressing up tonight, and having to wear 6-9 month tights because the weather turned unexpectedly too warm for her knit stockings. The cape disaster of 2013 was the most time-consuming part of Halloween for me: I had bought super cheap red cotton (trying to be thrifty), but the minute I pulled it out to start sewing, Ryan got a pouty face and complained that it "wasn't the right material for a Red Riding Hood cape." He always does this to me (which I say with a loving smirk); he's too busy to have help me imagine and prepare for a project, but as soon as I'm about to dive in (or already halfway done!), he has opinions galore. I rolled my eyes at his complaint and carried on with my original plan, which resulted in a hood that was so small and round that it fit like a swim cap and a cape that wasn't wide enough to cover her shoulders. Bah. You win this one, Old Man Shove, but don't get used to it! So I picked up some sale velvet, watched a How To video and made a more appropriate cape for our Little Red. :)

As for how our day went, it was crammed full of activity! With a school in the morning, a long afternoon nap and two grandmothers' houses to trick or treat at, we were busy-busy-busy for our All Hallow's Eve. I opted to send E.V. to school in a Halloween-ish dress (don't the black bows look like flying bats, or is that just me?), only to discover that it was "Wear Orange Day" at preschool. (Don't ask me how I missed that one. Oops. #momfail) It didn't matter, though since Emma Vance got a giant glob of orange paint on her outfit so bad that the teacher had to put her emergency onesie on in order to wash the dress (and thus save it from the trash bin). Wasn't that so sweet of her? So much for my bat dress!

After lunch and a much-needed nap, we put on her costume, traipsed around in the woods with Oscar for a bit and then headed to each of the grandmothers' houses to trick or treat. Yia Yia got her Oreos and Froot Loops (which she was obsessed with) and a Little Red Riding Hood book. At Nanny's house she tromped up and down the street to visit the neighbors and had pizza for dinner (yum!). Needless to say, between all of the excitement and sugar, at bedtime tonight, E.V. spent almost 45 minutes rolling around in her crib, playfully calling out for Oscar and Olive to come into her nursery. (Oscar finally obliged.) Even a night-night story with Dada couldn't calm our little one, but I suppose since it's Halloween we're all allowed a little indulgence and fun, right? :)

Happy Halloween, everyone! Sorry for the million pictures, but SERIOUSLY. How could I be expected to choose?!? :)