I woke up to the sounds of Molly crying waking up from her own Sunday nap. As I reached inside the crib to hold her closely I noticed glitter in her hair. I carefully examined her blond locks trying to remember if she had participated in a craft that required glitter during her nursery class....I carried her downstairs to find Abigail spread out on the floor with empty candy wrappers surrounding her.
"Isn't Halloween the bestest ever!?" she shouted when she saw me.
"Halloween...what?" I said trying to wake up. "What is in your hair!?" I then shouted.
"I don't know" she shrugged as she stuffed another recess pieces into her mouth.
I bent down nervously to smell her hair. It was chocolate. Chocolate from candy adorned Abigail's hair, and glitter from Molly's tinkerbell costume adorned her hair. It was all slowly coming back to me now...Halloween was the day before and
I had nothing to prove for it.
No pictures. Just a messy house, tried and cranky kids, a worn out husband and a worn out me.
Thank goodness for friends who came to the Holmstead Halloweenival (a Holmstead Halloween tradition) and took pictures for me, the slacker mom who was too busy ordering pizza and making sure the music was turned up and the fog machine blowing.
And in no particular order, here is the cast of the Holmstead Halloweenival.
CARRAS-Zoolander, 6 years in a row and counting.
KATIE-The famous vampire Rosaline from the Twilight series (might I say, my costume was kind of amazing thanks to my fabulous hair stylist and dear friend, Krista.)

Abigail-Ariel (by choice)

Molly-Tinkerbell who on the night of Halloween decided that she did not want to wear her costume, but play the donut hole game instead. You will see two pictures of her, one in costume, on the day of Abigail's parade and one of her on actual Halloween in which she is not in her costume.


I wish that I could write about how amazing my Halloween was, how much candy my girls ate, and how much fun I had, but the truth is, I tried once again do too much and I felt sick Sunday night realizing that I had not snapped one shot of my girls. Sure, my friends came through and somehow managed to take pictures for me, but in the end it was me who failed. Where was the perfect pumpkin background with make up and hair done just right? Where was the perfect trick of treating picture candy in hand? Where were my priorities?
Tonight as I was looking through my phone pictures to make sure just one last time I had not taken a shot of the girl I found this taken at 8:46 PM October 31st.

Half of their costumes have been removed, hair and bodies wet from trick or treating in the rain, smiles of joy, and then I realized...oh yes, there they are. There are my two precious priorities. Mother of the Year, I did get a picture!










































