the halloween play-by-play

Just because I fessed up to being a bit of a Halloween grinch doesn't mean we didn't have a wonderful Halloween in the MooHoo household! Here are some pictures of our low-key day together:

- Snuggled up in our union suits at Natalie's bright and early wake-up time of 5:30am, just before breakfast

- Just before heading out to the grocery store & to pick up our farm share, we gifted Natalie with this second-hand musical mirror toy that I got for the unbeatable price of $1.50 at our local baby consignment shop. Several rounds of bleach later, and it was shiny and new for our budge.


- Of course, all that shiny newness quickly gave way to smudgy fingerprints and tongue smears as Natalie went to town exploring the baby's reflection staring back at her. She's spent a lot of time just gazing in the mirror, pressing herself up against it to try to get through to the little baby staring back at her.

- After running errands and getting lots of attention for the sweet pumpkin ensemble she wore for the occasion, it was time for lunch! Orange foods seemed fitting, so she enjoyed peaches with cottage cheese and carrots.

- I'd say she enjoyed it. By the double-u, that little pumpkin has become a savior when Natalie's fussy during mealtimes. Watching the pumpkin dance around her high chair tray, or chomping on its little stem, has kept many a fit at bay. I may never make the pumpkin pie I've promised Mikey in favor of keeping it as Natalie's favorite toy.

- After lunch and a nap, it was costume time! We made the regrettable error of sending Mikey in to get Natalie from her nap while he was wearing a (ahem, little girl's) "costume" of a half-tiger mask. Just the sight of her dad lumbering in looking like a tiger sent Natalie into a fit of terror (maybe she does take after me!), and we had to spend much of the afternoon repairing the damage by playing peek-a-boo with the mask and convincing her that it was just her dad hiding behind it.

- I went for a less terrifying costume of a ladybug, to match my little lovebug. Unfortunately, the antenna set that I was supposed to wear ended up on Natalie's head, so mostly I just looked like a lady in a red dress with a strange hair-do. Oh, well.

- What really mattered, of course, was Natalie's costume. Here is our little lovebug, in what will soon be her new playroom. For now it's just a fun surface for her to slide all over (perhaps as fun as a playroom, who knows).

It was a great first Halloween for Natalie, who suffered through the ridiculous costume thing pretty well. We had a handful of trick-or-treaters before just giving up and leaving a bucket of candy outside on our front steps in favor of budgie bathtime and our nightly routine. In all, I'd say the day was a success--and not at all scary! I have to admit, the prospect of taking this little cutie trick-or-treating next year is awfully exciting. Maybe Halloween isn't so bad, after all.