This baby needs your (Halloween) advice

We need your vote.

Last year's Halloween was fun. We finished our costumes in advance. Our cutie girl was a little airbender. And her parents...well, we were really big nerds.

But this year, we're not so sure. Do we go lazy? Or do we go cute? Or are they not mutually exclusive?

See, my awesome neighbor gave me this random pink bunny suit (that a friend randomly gave her). If pink, plus bunny, plus suit makes you think of this, you're right on the money:
















Hilarious, right?

But I had kind of hoped to dress her up as Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz. Why?

• Claire's first word was doggie (and as Dorothy, she'd get to carry a cute little stuffed one around in a basket). 

• Us two grown-ups would have plenty of costume options (witches, munchkins, flying monkeys) to choose from in case we want to make this an ensemble Halloween production.

• AND I almost don't want to pass up an excuse to buy glittery red toddler shoes (partly because I know she'll love them as much as I do—that girl loves her shoes).

Her Dorothy costume would be amazing. But it would also take some time, creativity, work, cash. And here's the thing: I already have a pink bunny suit. Not something I've ever been able to say before.

But are we starting an odd tradition by dressing her up as a boy two years in a row?

Are we giving her future issues by dressing her up as a boy who will clearly have future issues because his parents dressed him up in a pink bunny suit?

Or is she just too cute like this for me to waste my time on anything else?

the geekiest halloween

 

If you've talked to us recently, you've probably rolled your eyes as we've tried to convince you that there's a Nickelodeon cartoon you really should watch—Avatar: The Last Airbender. NOT the blue-people Avatar (although the color of our costumes might mislead you). And NOT the Shyamalan movie (I'll never get those 2 hours of my life back). The cartoon is just a fabulous story about interesting characters, even if you think its medium is suspect.

And if you haven't talked to us recently, roll your eyes right now because I'm about to tell you to watch it.

(Any of you netflixers can watch it on instant play. And if you don't have netflix, come to my house and I'll watch it with you. Seriously. I've made rice krispie treats for friends who have taken me up on this.)

Anyway, we joked that we should dress up baby girl as the show's main character for Halloween. And then her still-bald head and my sister's power of suggestion convinced us that the idea was no joke:

She turned out to be the cutest little Aang. The only thing missing from her costume: teeth.

Christopher dressed up as what you might think is a giant, cheesy, anime monster. But when you watch the show, you'll be so invested in the characters that this will be awesome. Plus, it will probably remind you of us.

I wasn't sure at first about wearing a Halloween costume that a larper might use on any normal weekday. But when I realized I could be the moon princess, I pulled out my blue shoes. 

We had fun this Halloween. And we're well on our way to geekifying our daughter. Please go watch our favorite cartoon, or we might just let her unleash some wicked airbending moves on you.

it's a halloween miracle!

In the neighborhood where I grew up, the "Great Pumpkin" would deliver Halloween treats to people's porches, with a poem that told them to put a pumpkin in their window and then pass the favor on by anonymously delivering treats to other neighbors.

I think my neighborhood now must have a Great Pumpkin, too—just a different kind—because a good deed showed up anonymously on my porch: yesterday, someone swept the stairs in front of my apartment. I thanked my husband, but he wouldn't claim responsibility.

So, dear pumpkin, if you read my blog, thanks for sweeping my porch. I think I'll pass a good deed along to another neighbor.

happy thanks, ya'll

My family has a series of Thanksgiving traditions, which include 120 orange rolls, and a screening of Chevy Chase's Christmas Vacation. Nothing beats watching my dad try to edit the inappropriate parts (which includes the moments that talk about Santa not being real: for the kids).

But some of my most memorable Thanksgivings include those when tradition got tossed out the window--mostly because I was far away.

My Thanksgiving in Hawaii involved a room full of 30 or so Mongolians, eating turkey and laughing at jokes I couldn't understand, and then a drive back home along a beach.

My Thanksgiving in Brazil included an odd, stringy pumpkin pie which a member made FROM ACTUAL PUMPKIN. She probably bought the pumpkin, baked it, and did something magic to it. I say magic because I don't know how to make pumpkin pie from anything but a can.

And that's why I think that my brother's Thanksgiving this year will probably be pretty memorable. He emailed us this week from India to say that he's thankful for carpet. I'm thankful he's not going to be there forever.

happy election day

Well, folks, this is it. After today—November 4th—we can all stop yelling at each other. Christopher and I voted last week, so today feels a little anticlimactic.

If you vote, you are entitled to two of the following:
a. bragging rights because your candidate won.
b. whining rights because your candidate lost.
c. a sticker.

If you don't vote, you are banned from any and all of the following:
a. wearing an "I voted" sticker.
b. griping about the new president.
c. arguing with me about my politics. I mean, really. If we disagree, but you don't spend the time to voice your opinion when it counts...

If your candidate doesn't win, you have a few options:
a. Move to Finland.
b. Hyperventilate, then resign yourself to 4 years of the candidate that terrifies you, as soon as you regain consciousness.
c. Shrug and think, Meh. President, shmesident. Local politics are where it's at anyway.

Happy voting.

happy halloween...

When I was little, Halloween was cool because it was all about sugar. I dressed up in that year's ballet recital costume, visited every house I had the energy to walk to, and came home with loads of free candy. Simple. Fun. We should have done it every week (I actually tried it out one summer; my next-door neighbor sent me home).

But the genius wore off when I grew up and figured out how money works. Knowing it took less energy for me to just buy a bag of candy that I really wanted (instead of getting token Smarties mixed in with the good stuff), took the novelty right out of trick-or-treating.

Good thing I found another sugar-laden practice to substitute. My friend recently starting selling the most amazing bakeware. I bought some. I made brownies. And then I decorated those brownies like spider webs. And I'm taking a big plate of them to my parents' house to share with my little cousins and younger siblings. As if they won't get enough sugar.

Happy Halloween.

under the moon

Last night, Christopher and I rode Sundance's ski lift. They don't have enough snow for skiiing, but that's not why we went. We arrived at 9:30, bought tickets and hot chocolate, and bundled up in our blankets to ride the lift up the mountain and back down.

Gorgeous.

The moon's full about now. The mountains are lovely. And snuggling with your favorite person in the moonlight while cruising over the treetops can't be beat.

happy fall!

A week or so ago, I asked my class to brainstorm things they look forward to this coming fall. They came up with BYU football and the end of finals week. And for a minute, that was about it.

Pushing them to think about other possibilities (I mean, that's the point of brainstorming), I mentioned something I'm looking forward to: "What about scarves?" Scarves? They all kind of laughed like I was their crazy, nerdy English teacher. Which I am, thank you very much.

As soon as the weather gets colder in a few weeks, I will pull out my winter scarves. Yes, I've actually consciously and happily looked forward to it. And then yes, I will be the crazy, scarf-wearing English teacher my class believes me to be.