Halloween Pre-Funk

Ho boy.

Did we ever have a Halloween this year.

There were pumpkins and costumes and too much candy and meltdowns and parties.....

Since Halloween was on a Saturday, I'll do a separate post about the day-of... the events leading up to Halloween were just as spooky and crazy though!

We carved pumpkins....

Owen thought the big cardboard we used for the floor was really a slide... and that was all fun until Austin got involved and started yanking it from underneath him and injuries occurred. Sigh. Boys are so not gentle.

Austin just wanted to hack at chunks of pumpkin with his little carving tool, so really Neal and I had a lovely evening carving 4 pumpkins for everyone. Ha.

Maybe after the fact Owen realized he missed out on the carving.. or maybe he was mad I chose to carve his pumpkin into a ghost and he really wanted a bat.. but whatever the reason he was not happy when it was time to light them.

It's tough being 1 year old guys.

A few days later, on Friday... it was Trick or Treat at my office! Since daycare is right there, all the kids troop over in costumes and walk through each floor (5 total! That was a lot of stair climbing holding Owen) and just make out like bandits in the candy dept.

Austin wore his costume into school that day, but Owen didn't so I went over early to help him turn into a little golfer!!

Austin with his class, all ready to walk over to Mommy's office!!!

He kept running ahead of me and Owen, getting candy then running back to me going "Mommy! Look at dis candy!!!!!"

Auntie Sarah got a picture of us when we were up at her desk!! Owen wants to know why he had to stop to take a picture, and why his bucket was fairly empty (hint- he kept taking his candy out of his bucket and putting it back!)

The kids were all so cute and so good! Well, they were good while gather candy at least.. after..... eeesh.

The Energizer Bunny appeared at my office too! He had mini stuffed bunnies he gave out to all the kids.

So then the Biggest Meltdown Ever occurred as we left my office to walk back to school. Someone was handing out small toys and gave Austin a light up ring.

He started to pout and cry because he wanted the sword. He really really really wanted the sword. I don't even think there was a sword toy.. and I told him so, but he wouldn't get over it.

He cried. CRIED for 10 minutes about this while we walked back to school.

I got Owen back to his room, changed, and left him with his teachers to deal with the sobbing Austin outside Owen's classroom.

Granted, Austin was tired. He has not been sleeping well (another post on that sometime) he was over stimulated from the Trick or Treating, his day and schedule wasn't normal... so not too shocking he had a meltdown.

I tried positive talk "don't let it get you down!!! Forget the sword. You got a cool ring! This is a fun day!! Forget about it!"

I tried meditation "breathe in.. now breathe out.. calm down... calm down.... forget about it all.. just watch me breathe..."

I tried hard discipline "If you don't stop right now we are not going Trick or Treating tomorrow! This is ridiculous!"

I tried begging "Please Austin. Mommy needs to go back to work. I need to work to make money for us. Please. Just go in your class and enjoy your snack. Please."

NOTHING worked. This kid sobbed and sobbed and gulped air and sobbed for 30 MINUTES as we sat outside his classroom, then in the bathroom in his classroom, then outside the school completely and he JUST WOULDN'T calm down.

I finally had to just leave him with his sweet teacher Miss Carmen, and have my heart break as he screamed "MOMMY!!!!!!" as I walked away.

I don't care who you are, that NEVER gets easier as a working Mom. EVER.

Well, to the shock of no one, he crashed soon after for a long nap at school, and Miss Carmen gave him tasks the rest of the day to keep him busy and make him feel special. By the time I picked him up, he was all perky and happy again. The biggest shock is that he had one small piece of candy... so it wasn't a sugar meltdown. He was just so tired and couldn't handle all the excitement when it was over. Like I said.. another post coming on his sleep issues.. it never ends!!! If one kid is sleeping the other isn't.

Anyways.. that was our Halloween Pre-Funk frightful good time!