Snow, penguins and begging for candy

We had our first snowfall of the year in Maine on Halloween this year! It was beautiful, peaceful and strange to see snow on all the yellow leaves. I quickly ran outside and chopped down the rest of the swiss chard from my garden and threw it into a pot of boiling water before it wilted.
Then we followed the lead of the snow and stuffed our kids into their penguin costumes (thanks again for the hand-made costume borrow Elissa!)

Sandi and I were laughing so hard as we heaved our children into the car (and barely managed to strap them in) that we wondered aloud when we would ever tire of overstuffing our children on Halloween. 

Reed, as Spiderman naturally and Skyler as Rosie the Riveter next to the penguins.

After the first street Ella turned to me and said, "My legs are TIRED."

Near the end she muttered, "I wish I was a fairy."

Then she asked:  "Do you know what the penguin sign for 'I want to be picked up now' is?" 

Apparently it is this:

And people take pity on you.

There is something so inherently funny and totally WRONG about this picture.  My child so large she couldn't get herself onto our friends' couch yet she is laying back immobilized and sucking on a ball of sugar.  Only funny because she was stuffed with removable fluff.

After we got home and the kids peeled out of the penguin suits, we realized we had failed to visit our friend Chris up the street and new to the neighborhood.  There was no way the suits would be donned again.  Sandi had the idea that we find big sweatshirts and tuck the girls inside and trick-or-treat as pregnant women. 

So, of course, we did.

Ella wanted me to promise her that she could be a mermaid next year and wouldn't have to match Maya AGAIN.  I say damn.  I knew it wouldn't last forever.

But it HAS been fun...