Halloween Forever

I love this time of year, but I must say that it seems to me that Halloween is a month-long event. I can't tell you how many times we visit the pumpkin patch, trick-or-treat, and get use out of those adorable costumes (thankfully, since they aren't that cheap). I go through more film in the month of October, I swear. The price of having cute kids, I suppose.;) My older daughter is the Statue of Liberty (we took a trip to NYC recently and she is a bit infatuated as only the very small can be...how many times can you watch the same episode of Dora the Explorer?) and also Tinkerbell, courtesey of a friend of ours from church, which suits my girly girl just fine. My younger daughter is a flower. She was also a pony the other day, leftover from her older sister. I ordered her a Holly Hobbie costume online for her, but when it arrived I realized it was *outrageously* large, like it would fit her 3 year old sister, so I decided to shelve it. Costumes, costumes everywhere. At least now that I have kids I don't feel so obligated to dress up myself. Who would be looking at me anyway?!?
Halloween will culminate for us on Tuesday night, of course, with a dinner party at my house for 8 adults and 4 children, including my family. We will also be handing out candy and doing a little trick-or-treating ourselves. We generally receive 100-200 trick or treaters in our neighborhood, so it will be nice to have the additional guests to help pass out, although I think my older daughter is getting old enough to enjoy it as well. I have been looking online for recipe ideas, but I just can't find anything that really catches my eye. I need an entire menu plan. I really enjoy cooking, but all the female guests I have invited are, coincidentally, pregnant, and I can't imagine they would be able to eat eyeball spaghetti, or severed hand chicken. I don't know. I'll have to work on that.
So, today is Sunday, and we changed our clocks back last night. Which, of course, meant we were all up at quarter to seven. Whatever. now we are all ready with hours to spare, which is a nice change. I have hymns on the radio, and my husband is chasing my kids around trying to get them dressed. Sundays are his days to deal with all the kid chores, and I just get to enjoy them. Since I stay at home with them, I find that more than wanting a break from *them*, I want a break from their constant needs. Feeding, dressing, changing, pottying, nursing, then do it all over again. We generally keep a busy schedule during the week (this is no small understatment, it is a whopper, let me tell you), and we don't do anything Sundays, other than go to church.
To update on what is new with my girls, my youngest is pulling up on all the furniture this week (she is 8mo). Not much new with my older daughter. She can recognize all her letters, spell a few simple words, including her own name, count to 20 and count items, although not that many. In terms of personality, my oldest is really intense, active and a chatterbox. My younger daughter is easygoing and happy, loves to clap and wave and smile. Engaging would be a good way to describe her.
Anyway, I have to go put some dinner together before we head out. Catch you later...