A Few of my Favorite Octobery Things

There are oh so many reasons to love October...

Halloween is at at the top of my list, well second to the fact that it's my birthday month. I came into the world on day twenty-two, and as I do celebrate that day in particular, I'm not exclusive to it. I mean, sometimes people forget dates, am I right? Sometimes there are family things or church things or school things that fall on say the 22nd of certain months. Oh, we have something on the 22nd, you say? No problem! There are 30 other days to choose from. But why choose when you can celebrate them all? Partay!!


Halloween is enjoyed for the entire month as well. For instance, I get up every morning and wear my housewife costume. This consists of jammies and a robe, which is completely acceptable in the month of October if anyone comes to the door at any hour. Now let me give you a couple of pointers on how to make this work most effectively. You just open up and say "trick or treat!" and then you laugh. This eases the minds of unexpected guests, who might typically judge you or worry about your mental state because you're still not dressed at 2 o'clock in the afternoon. This nudges them gently away from, "Dude, I can't believe she's still in her pj's this late in the day..." and moves them ever so craftily in the direction of "Oh yeah! Happy early Halloween to you too!" Don't mind the confused look. This too shall pass.

But do you see how this works? Now, I only get the occasional UPS guy or rarely a couple of Jehovah's witnesses at my door, as we live back from the road, so I would suggest only answering every 3rd or so person if you get frequent knockers and you want to wear your pajamas, I mean your costume all day. That way people don't start talkin'.



Now in the event that your loved one comes home at 5:30 in the evening to find you in this said costume, that happens to look alot like the pjs you were in when he left 10 hours earlier, then you gotta change directions. You must take the birthday route. It goes something like this... He walks in in his suit and tie, looks at you a little surprised with a pinch of confused disapproval and asks, "You're still in your pajamas?" Then you smile and say, "Of course! What? Honey it's my birthday. I wanted to relax." Voila. Who can argue with a girl about jammies on her birthday?

So that's how it's done around here in the month of October. I do love it so. And if you read my blog with even the least of consistancy, you have gathered that I too, love me some jammies! I've been known to blow the driveway, wash the car, clean house and even pick up the kids from school in them from time to time. But I gotta say, October validates this behavior in every way, as you have just read. Excuses for November through September get a little sticky, but October is a free ride, my friends!



On to decor and other fun, this year I decided to try something new and put up a Halloween tree with the boys, complete with a Poe-esk raven as a topper.



It's really just a Christmas tree with spooky things on it, but the boys love it and I get to pretend it's normal to put up Christmas decorations in October. And yes, those are little skeletons hung with jute string by their necks. I know... Aren't they just precious?!?

This is the kind of celebrating I enjoy. Tiny skeletons swinging on a twinkly tree. Its delightfully spooky. What I don't enjoy about Halloween though, since you asked, is being scared. There's a huge difference between spooky and scary in my book, and one of them doesn't agree with me.

For example:

Reading Edgar Allen Poe? spooky

Watching horror movies? scary

Telling campfire stories? spooky

Walking through haunted houses? scary

Trick-or-treating? spooky

Hiding behind something and jumping out and scaring someone half to death? BAD! I mean, scary.

See the difference?

And on a side note... if you so decide to jump out and scare me at any point, please understand that I will try to kill you. I do not respond to this well at all. Just ask my poor husband, who learned this lesson very early in our marriage. He doesn't do that anymore, let's just put it that way. My kids have had to learn the same hard lesson: "If you scare mommy, you will get hurt. Does everybody understand?"

I just can't help myself... I come out swingin'. Even at small children. *sigh*

That said, Happy October birthdays everyone!! And Happy Halloweeeeeeeeen!!

Peace, Love, & all that Spooky Jazz