This year, Halloween has been filled with pumpkin carving, Super Hero masks and capes, and the usual Halloween paparazzi also known as “Mom.” For some reason Tiny-Small has been photo adverse lately, but I did manage to take a few pictures of her this year.

I bribed her with cookies to let me photograph the actual pumpkin carving. She was pretty annoyed with me for not letting her use a knife to carve her own pumpkin. After we were finished making jack-o-lanterns I asked Tiny-Small if she thought pumpkin carving was fun. Without even hesitating she replied. “No.”

Then we went outside to light those jack-o-lanterns up and Tiny-Small declared the “lighting of the pumpkins ceremony” to be off-limits to the paparazzi. Luckily, I did manage to get this one picture just to prove that she was in attendance.

I made all of us capes and masks this year. The capes were made out of bed sheets and the masks were made of glitter foam. So far, the only person I have been able to photograph in the entire ensemble is Underdog (He was named by Tiny-Small. Apparently working at Aaron’s is his day job). If someone had asked me, five years ago, what I would be doing for Halloween in 2013 I never would have answered, “Making a Halloween costume for a stuffed dog masquerading as Underdog.” Life sure makes some funny twists and turns, doesn’t it? All I can say is I am having a blast and at least stuffed dogs don’t complain as much as real dogs do. Or kids. Or husbands.

Anyway, I just wanted to say Happy Halloween! I am hoping to get everyone in costume and to take some group shots before dark. Hopefully the paparazzi will be welcomed. If not, I may have to be more like the real paparazzi and stalk my family like a mom on a mission. Like a mom determined to document the Halloween of 2013 like the blogger that I claim to be. I’ve got to make sure this Halloween makes it into the history books.

If the family refuses to cooperate I’ll just unleash the cat on them. He’s already scary, no costume necessary.

Long live the Halloween paparazzi and cats and trick-or treating and family fun that just requires laughter, a little imagination, and a very persistent mom with a camera, a blog, and a dream. Long live the run-on sentence too and the ability to self-publish your own ramblings and to use punctuation (or not) at your own free-will.

Happy Halloween! Let’s get out there and keep our dentist in yachts and fancy, European vacations!