Halloween coming up, and I finally sat down and got all the costumes done. I actually sewed a cape for Adam's dracula... excuse me, VAMPIRE... costume. I was going to just buy one, get one of those kits that comes with the fake fangs and makeup and cape all in one, but my cheap sensibilities were offended at Shopko last week, and there was just no going back. 50% halloween costumes is not a deal when the original costume is marked at $60. No deal. Seriously.

Which is how I ended up at Joanne's Fabric store 9 at night last thursday. I got myself a yard of black fabric that I wasn't sure what I was going to do with, but it was half off, which with FABRIC, means 3.99. And some ribbon to tie it around his shoulders.

I'm not obsessive. really. I took the fabric home, figured I'd just tie it around his neck. But, today, I hemmed the fabric all the way around, made a loop for the ribbon, and it looks like a real cape. That with the fake fangs, and it doesn't look half bad. Andrew's ghost sheet makes him look a bit like a hench-man, but I think if I re-do the sharpie mouth, it will look a lot better.

Cole's was easy. He wanted to be ninja again and all he needed was a headband. I got Ben a set of killer monster PJs.

So, I did something productive today. And it was fun. So, double whammy.

The boys helped me rake the leaves before dinner. Adam climbed into the yard waste garbage can, and then helped his brothers in with him. They thought it was pretty hilarious when I started throwing the leaves in on top of them. Giggling til they gave themselves hiccups. When I finally made them all get out so we could go in and get ready for dinner, Adam was shocked by how cold it was actually outside. He wanted to stay in the garbage can where it was warm, with all the leaves.