Trick or Treating

This was the costume I wanted Bella too wear, sent to us of course, by Grandma. I call it a Burlesque Ladybug. It is the freakin' cutest "stume" I've ever seen. (I threw that lingo in there for all of you 'Office' fans-) Unfortunately, it was a rather small size 2 and since Bella is 3 1/2 it looked closer to fitting Fiona. I tried to swing it because she loved it too, but it was painful for her to wear. So, I'm saving it for Fiona.
We settled for a slightly less cute version of a butterfly made by the same company. (Both were purchased at Marshall's.) It's a size 5, so we can reuse it again next year, Bella willing.
Requisite pictures of Bella modeling the costume, indoors and out. After I took these I wisely put a white long sleeve shirt on under her bodice, and it was still cute and she was warm(er). I was so glad she agreed to wear the antennae and kept them on the whole time without complaining! Also that she didn't insist on wearing her neon green Crocs with it.
Me, attempting a self-portrait of the three of us. I'm not looking at the lens, Bella's unsure about the whole venture, and the blurry back of Fiona's head tells us she's squirming. Still I consider it a success.

Bella, pounding some Nerds along the way.

Ringing the doorbell. She went up to all the houses by herself while I waited at the end of the driveway. She was never scared to go alone, or of any of the various Halloween decorations. Despite my reminders at every single house, I'm pretty sure she stood there, mute, ready to receive her loot and walk away without incident. Except however, for the first house we went to. She said 'Trick or Treat', picked out some candy and then proceeded to ask if she could come in. I only know this because the woman called down to me, and I replied, "Yeah, she's new at this!" I'm pretty sure that is a cardinal rule of trick-or-treating: You should never, especially small children, enter a stranger's house who offers you candy. Alone.


I thought she was pretty cute, and apparently I'm not just being a mother crow because everyone we passed, saw, or trick-or-treated, praised her profusely, admiring her person and costume. It made me glad.
Timm stayed home to dole out candy with Fiona while Bella and I trekked. We went for a little over an hour, walking down the main drag of our neighborhood, our street, and back. She did great until the very end she started complaining that she was tired and didn't want to walk, but we got home with only minimal whining. I however, tried to unsuccessfully coerce her to keep going.
"This is the only night of the whole year when people are just giving you candy for free! Everyone! And we're giving it out too, so it's our due! Let's keep going and get more candy! I know you're tired but think of the greater good- think of the cause: More Candy!"
"But I don't want to get too much candy and get sick."
"But you won't get sick because you won't eat it all at once, you can save it so it lasts forever! Are you sure you don't want to go out with daddy now? Just to the end of the block? Are you sure you don't want more candy?"
Oh well.
(Un)Fortunately, I bought 9 bags of candy in expectation for a heavy crowd in our neighborhood. I think we might have given away 2, and that's only because Timm started giving more and more generously as it became obvious we had a surplus. Now I won't have to pillage Bella's stash.
We did complete the night without any costume trauma for the first time. You may remember:

this,

and this.

We were still subject to the way past bedtime, tired and sugar-loaded tantrums that came when we finally insisted on bedtime at about 10:00. Luckily she didn't sleep in at all and woke up at her normal time, so she is sleep-deprived with a huge bowl of candy she can't eat on the first day we once again begin, Potty Training. Yep. I had to stick to it because we scheduled it with her a while ago and did a paper chain. So, tired or not, we're doing it. Again. For the last time. Really. I mean it.
Updates to come...