Vote for Pedro Holly

I was really going to get around to doing a Halloween post, honestly, but I'm getting around to it sooner than later since there is now a competition that is forcing me out of hiding. Who could pass that up?

I sent a picture of the Girls over to Jen at 4tunate when I saw she was having a little costume contest on her blog (Wonderful blog by the way. Jen is a very godly and sincere woman, and her boys look like more fun than a barrel of monkeys). Their picture was among the 5 finalists so I am now unashamedly asking you to go over to 4tunate and vote for Bo Peep! It only takes one click, and I would get free personalized jewelry out of the deal!

We had so much fun putting costumes together this year. I borrowed this dress for Theia from my sister Robin. Our own mother made this dress for Robin when she was Theia's age, over thirty years ago (sorry, Robin). I should mention that my mom never taught me to sew and I now have an irrational fear of sewing machines.

Isn't this a sweet dress? Mothers, if you know how to sew, teach your daughters! They will thank you some day (at least, they should).

Jessie and I made Eliza and Ingrid's sheep costumes out of white sweater dresses that we've had since Eliza's first Christmas. We fashioned lamb ears with pink lining out of old cloth diapers and a pink onesie, then sewed black felt "hooves" on the inside of their cuffs. Finally, we sacrificed the arms of an old (unfortunate) white teddy bear for tails. The girls LOVED their costumes. Ingrid pranced around like she just knew she was the cutest thing in 4 counties the whole time she had it on.

Unfortunately she did a lot more prancing than standing still, so this was the best we could do for a group shot.

I love this picture of Theia and Eliza. Mostly because of Eliza's expression. This is a very typical Eliza expression. She always throws her head back and laughs over just about anything. Its also the only picture that shows a lamb's tail.

And while we're on the subject of costumes, take a gander at Jessie and me too. We had the bright idea of having Jessie dress as Billy Mays when we saw how many people were doing Michael Jackson tribute costumes. We thought Billy Mays deserved a tribute too, and how much easier does a costume get? It only took Jessie five days of growth to turn out quite a respectable beard. With a little help from some mascara and an Elvis wig with a hack job he turned out to look rather more like Billy Mays than I even wanted. And since we went as a couple, he had a little arm candy in the form of a devoted insomniac senior citizen who is addicted to the Home Shopping Network. I had "As Seen On TV" stickers on my checkbook, telephone, and slippers.

Doesn't he look frighteningly like Billy Mays? And don't I look ...just... frightening?