Why yes, I did...

...just put the kids to bed a half hour early, because it seemed like a better option than murder completely losing my temper in a spectacular and regrettable manner.  It's possible that some degree of physical and emotional exhaustion was playing into the whole lovely scene, because the one who swears she's wide awake until she is actually laying down in bed didn't object in the least to that part happening so early, and the one who stalls and stalls still did so, but wound up settled down at the time the stalling usually begins.  I have a feeling this is a trick that will only work if we hardly ever use it, but I think tonight was a good benchmark of when we need to pull it out. 

obligatory cute holiday pictures

But bear with us, there are no actual costume photos.  Yet.  We were at their cousin's, and the kids were posing on top of the stairs, and there were already two photographers on the stairway itself, so I just said, "Send me some of those," forgetting both photographers are Film People. 

I think Jon got some on his phone at the end of the night, so maybe we'll be able to share those.

I also want to light the jack o'lanterns and get some photos of those.  Not because pictures of jack o'lanterns are particularly original or interesting, but because it IS the kids' first year, and they may want the record.  Of course, the VERY first pumpkins rotted by the weekend before, but we carved new ones the day before, and they still look good.  BTW, I always refused to buy those kits, because a) why spend the money when I already own knives and b) it's not like I'm going to be one of those people who carve Dracula's castle, complete with a mob storming the gate, carrying little tiny pitchforks and torches.  But they had the kits at the party where we first carved the pumpkins, and dang if those little saws aren't so much easier to use than a kitchen knife.  Sasha was able to free-hand carve a very cool face on his first try.  So when we did our second ones, we also used the (simple!) patterns, and although it kind of irks me to mechanize the art form, I also have to admit that my standard face isn't particuarly creative either.

The pumpkin carving featured this statement, "Can we play the be-quiet game now, because I want my pumpkin be very pretty and I no can think when everyone blah blah blah."  Given that a more typical version of this request is "AAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGHHHH!  WHY YOU ALWAYS BLAH BLAH BLAH TOO MUCH?  OKAY, I COME BLAH BLAH BLAH AT YOU" followed by a completely successful attempt to drive the talking sibling to tears via space invasion, we were more than happy to comply. 

and addendum: jack o'lantern shots: