It’s pumpkin-gutting time again, and we had a few more than usual this year due to leftovers from Maddie and Sophie’s birthday party. Mad was more than up to the task of pulling out the slimy seeds and strings.

In fact, we couldn’t get her off the table.

Really! Something tells me she’ll make a great brain surgeon one day. Or mad scientist.

This was my contribution, a Day-of-the-Dead-inspired midget one. I kinda like it. It makes me want to quote some Shakespeare or something.

We ended up with quite the ensemble. Overall the favorite was the big one on the far right, a dog designed by cousin Sarah. You can’t tell but we glued black Snoopy-esque ears to each side - very cute.

And how’s this for an ensemble? Mad made a last-minute decision to be a penguin. Sophie’s still wearing the Cinderella outfit from her birthday. In fact, she’s still wearing it now. She’ll probably go to college in it. We’ll have to hose her down every few days to keep her fresh…

Let’s get a closer look at that….wig? Yes, Soph also made her own last-minute, Halloween-morning request:

“Mom, I want to be blonde.”

(insert needle-scratching-across-the-record-sound here)

Since I’m already defeated on the princess front, I figured it would be no further blow to my psyche to go and get her a wig. You’ll be impressed that I fashioned the up-do myself from a Barbie wig (the actual “Cinderella” ones were too yellow and too scary - you gotta have limits, just like the glass slippers. You’ll note that Soph is still barefoot, ha ha). Bet you didn’t know that art school prepared me for that, too! Sadly, after all of that, Soph decided not to wear it trick-or-treating after all. Something about “it itches” and “it’s hot.” I think I’d feel that way with strange synthetic stringy stuff wrapped around my head, too.

The girls were barely able to carry their buckets home at the end of the night because they were so filled to the brim. Good thing Dad was nearby to help if needed! Though that jersey would scare anyone, dontcha think?