What has two thumbs and loves Halloween?

THIS girl. (Me, you goofs.)

Oh, the things I would do if I had a space in the budget just for Halloween. It's fun anyway. I make due with what I have for now. Especially when I can laugh at myself for doing this:

Steering clear of traumatization, I'm trying to teach my children how fun and PRETEND Halloween is. How can you not love a holiday where it's perfectly acceptable to dress up like a zombie, Care Bear, or Mr. Belvedere and venture into public proudly?

Tessa is getting pretty comfortable with Halloween fun as long as we stay away from spiders, bugs, and snakes. She'll get there too one day. Not that I'm a fan by any means, but they are fake and fantastic for decorations. Cole for now, though, does not appreciate the Halloween decoration aisles at the store with the skeletons, mummies, and giant spiders. That'll change when he's older, I'm sure. Until then, he's certainly happy to perfect his villain laugh while wearing a witch hat:
It makes me laugh so hard. Tessa, Cole, and I have had a few villain laugh competitions. My children are quite talented in this arena, if I say so myself, and are perfecting them for the end of this wonderful month.

And, like true Halloween lovers, they are excited for the coming candy.