Spook & Spirit: It's TIME!

Okay, peeps.

It is a a truth universally acknowledged (within our household) that is NEVER too early or too often to begin celebrating any given holiday!

So if my son is wandering around looking like this on September 5th, all is right in the world.

Now. To rewind for some much-needed context... ;)

When Bath & Body Works sent me an e-mail declaring it Summerween the week after 4th of July, I was HERE FOR IT. And when Homegoods started stocking their spooky decor that very same week, I almost WEPT IN JOY.

I am totally that person who will always be game for launching a seasonal celebration, and the lead-up to autumn/Halloween has long been an absolute favorite time of year for Yours, Truly, because it signals the start of alllll the fun months ahead.

Somebody sent me a funny meme the other day about people who love the 'Ber months (September/October/November/December), and that is hands-down, 100% my time to thrive and shine!

'BER months for the win!

Okay. Now. Obviously, since my kiddos have half my DNA, they're also early-and-often celebrators (for the most part. (With the exception of when they start shaming me for putting up my Christmas trees and bypassing Thanksgiving-specific decorations, but I'd like to see them tackle nine trees, all on their own it a short amount of time!)

So, it's NO surprise that the moment it hit September (and, let's be honest, wayyyy before then), they were begging for a visit to Spirit Halloween to start looking at costumes. :)

My Chicklet even bemoaned the Covid that hit the household the weekend before last, because it delayed our planned outing. And when we still hadn't made it to the store to prowl last week, she boldly declared that we were so "late" in getting there that all the good stuff would be gone. (Mind you, this was September 2nd, ha.)

I mean...I DIE.

Also. I'm not sure she's wrong!

It was a JOY to end the school/work week and make an evening visit to Spirit as a family, last night! And we were far from the only ones there! It' was hoppin'!

AND, I gotta say: Chicklet was kind of right that some of the costumes would already be gone, because we snagged the last of a certain size for her particular selection. Wild!

It's always a riot to see what the kiddos gravitate toward. They might go in with an idea (like Little Man, who planned to find some sort of glow-in-the-dark skeleton costume), and come out with something totally and completely different (again, like Little Man, who left the store with Peely Bone from Fortnite).

I've learned to go with the flow regarding their selections--AND to save the receipts, because there's always (always!) one child who changes their mind between early September and Halloween).

We had such a fun hour (yes, HOUR) in the store, and everybody came away with a selection (or at least the idea of what they wanted). 

Chicklet landed on a costume I have long wanted one of the girlies to tackle: Poison Ivy! It's going to be fantastic, and we snagged alllll the really fun accessories. So fun! My heart is so happy!

Little Man, of course, came home with the outrageous mutant banana situation (I mean, typing that, alone, gets me laughing).

And...true to form, Chica wasn't so quick to make a decision, but...she did make one! We're just going to be piecing together some of her costume. She's going to be a Devil/Angel, and it will be glorious.

Part of the reason we have to piece hers together is because all the options skewed either too childish, or too, shall-we-say, revealing, ha.

I got the biggest laugh when she looked at this bustier, waved her hand in its general vicinity and said, "Yeah. No. It's giving Easy A vibes."

Bahaha.

If you know you know--and I adore that Chica now knows! (Bless you, Olive Pendergast and your hilariousness). 

We brought some white/red wings home, an eye mask and some gloves, and we're going to piece together a skirt and top based off of some inspiration like this:

But in a white/red combo, obviously.

I seriously can't tell you how much joy it brings me to be back in this seasonal time of year that I love, love, love. And this year will be extra fun, because we're going on a family adventure for Halloween that will make it extra-special. (But, more on that, soon!)

I also can't tell you how much joy it brings me when the kiddos have their costumes on hand early, and I get to see them creep around the house looking all adorable and hysterical. Like Little Man, last night, getting his Peely Bone mischief on.

Creeping around downstairs...

Then creeping around to scare Daddy...

Then creeping up on Chica, trying to record her violin Chair Test, baha:

That one wasn't so appreciated (by Chica), but it was hard to intervene when it was so stinking funny.

Needless to say, it was a great way to kick off the weekend, and the first official weekend in September, and we've got nothing but positive momentum to help us forward from here on out!

Looking at the Big Picture of our family calendar for September/October, it's going to be a busy one (shocker). Chica started Cross Country, this week. Little Man starts soccer in two weeks (just before his birthday!), the same week he starts Chess again--not to mention his regular Table Tennis.

Chicklet is acclimating to all the demands of middle school--plus the commitments of Dance, Theater Arts and Band! She spends so many fun evenings practicing away at the moves she has to learn for an upcoming school festival. It's presh-us. She also officially begins Confirmation in two weeks, and that's a major event for her 6th grade year!

Add in Chica's long-standing violin and choir commitments, the Robotics Club Little Man is going to join, and a lot of other odds and ends, it's...A LOT. Our wall calendar is getting pretty dang colorful.

All that said...it never gets chill or easy, but if we make it to Halloween, a couple of things will come to a close or spin off into other activities, so that's looking like a finish line, of sorts.

So...here we go! Busyness and seasonal fun is RAMPING UP. But we're pretty stable and excited about it all.

And, lookie here! A double post day, to boot!

Okay, peeps. More, soon!

Until then...OVER AND OUT.