Halloween for the Win!

Halloween was a total hit this year, much to our surprise. Gavin, who previously wouldn't go near his costume, and who hadn't slept all day, caught a catnap in the car and woke up ready for the party. He wore his costume, including the head piece, all night long. He walked with his cousins for trick-or-treating for about an hour, and only needed some assistance and direction toward the end when he got deliriously tired. He was happy and had a blast...and he even nailed saying "trick-or-treat" and "thank you" at (almost) every door. In the words of Dylan, "I couldn't have imagined that going any smoother." The only unfortunate thing is that I, once again, could not get a single good photo of Gavin.

But it wasn't just trick-or-treating...we gathered the crowd for chili and cornbread dinner, and Jojo totally outdid herself, like always. Dinner was awesome, and the boys had so much fun. Gavin loves being around his cousins, and the big boys are always so sweet to him. They were all so adorable. It was a perfectly fun family night.

I had made a bunch of Halloween treats for Gavin's party earlier in the week and had some leftovers, along with all the cookies and candy and chocolate that I had used to make the treats. On the way home from trick-or-treating, I told Dylan that I don't want to see sugar again for a very long time, and he agreed. When I made my way into the kitchen later that night to get a glass of water before bed, I found that Dylan had thrown away every piece of junk food, including Gavin's entire bucket of Halloween candy, and taken the trash out to the driveway. I hadn't planned on tossing all the candy...but as long as Gavin still doesn't know the difference, I suppose we're better off this way. (There were some full-size peanut butter cups in there, though!)

Feeding the ducks

Some playground time

Rhino ride during eye patch time

We are happy to welcome November and very pleased by the fantastic weather lately. With Dylan being home for a straight week, we have had many trips to the park, walks, and bike rides. (Well...I've had to opt out of the bike rides.) Life is SO much better when the heat breaks. The only problem is that I see people on long hikes and bike rides and a little part of me dies inside. Sure, I fit in a little exercise here and there, but bike riding is a big no-no, and I don't think I'll be summiting Camelback anytime soon. For such an incredibly awesome thing, being pregnant sure is the pits.