We Survived! (and I voted - you should to)

Our noses and whiskers are washed off.

The kids are in bed, and I am going to give myself a pat on the back.  Not that I was a stellar mom today.  I was not. Not that I put any sort of fantastic effort into our Halloween festivities.  I did not.  But, we survived the day and that is good enough for me.

Today was one of those unbelievably difficult days combined with a long list of things to do.  I got up extra early so I could sneak in a shower before the kids woke up, but before I had managed to shave my legs, my little man pushed open the bathroom door and climbed on in splashing happily in the water.  By the time we ate breakfast my ballot was filled out, all of the month's bills payed, our bank account balanced (oh, and what a balance remains) and the corporate office of Suzuki had successfully been called. By eleven the recycling was sorted, our bank errand completed and we piled out of the car to wander around the interweaving paths at Kelly Island.

I took a picture of  Ivory and a friend hiding in the grass...  but they are hiding so well, all I can see is a little tiny cat ear sticking out. (Yes, we did everything in costume today..)

The morning was a little more busy than usual, but it was the sound track of Ivory's almost constant crying that made it challenging.

A slight smile for the camera.   Check out that tail! (Yup, we borrowed Dad's dress socks.)

During nap time, I wedged up five balls of clay and threw a few plates, finishing the last plate just as I heard Sylvan calling me from upstairs.  I had really, really hoped that the nap would cheer Ivory, but  instead, while I frantically put together the last few details on Sylvan's kitty cat costume and stirred the last few ingredients into my current default dish (made from scratch Mac-n-Cheese; the secret ingredient - Worcestershire sauce) for the annual Halloween potluck, she was reduced into a sobbing pile on the kitchen floor over socks, shoes....

I just wanted to sit down.  I just wanted to sit down in the middle of the floor and give in - call it a day - go to bed, whiskers and all.  But instead, we made a list on Ivory's dry erase board.

I packed Ivory, Sylvan and my pot of Mac-n-Cheese into the stroller and walked, my kitty tail wagging, through the neighborhood.  Ivory had fun.  She ran from door to door in a pack of cohorts, often a house or two ahead of Sylvan and I, lugging a growing bag of candy.  When she declared the bag to heavy to hold herself, it was time to go home.

I am eternally grateful that the day is almost over.  Our day was more than tears.  It was also filled with sunshine, yellow leaves, friends, good food, cute kids in costumes and candy (lots of candy).  And now, they are in bed, I hear whispers and singing.  We survived the day, and it was good.