Here she is . . .

Playing with severed heads and whatnot. That last photo was the only one I could get with her hood on (if you shift your attention from our forced smiles you can see the death grip we both have on that hood). She would have nothing to do with this costume business, as evidenced by the black facepaint smeared all over her face and hands (I tried reapplying her nose during every diaper change and before I could get the makeup back in the bag she'd already rubbed it off). Oh, Halloween with babies . . .


The party actually went relatively smoothly. There were no surprises other than a lower-than-expected turnout, and our rendition of "The Spooky Old Tree" was an unexpected success. You can pull off just about anything with a ladder, a park bench, some cardboard and under-pressure imagination. I would say I'm a little sad about this being my last gem school Halloween party, but I think three in one lifetime will more than fulfill my masochistic needs. The teachers (who, it is thought by some, have an unlimited supply of physical and creative energy) along with the Japanese staff are the brains, advertisement, entertainment and physical labor behind this arduous task each year. They did a phenomenal job and deserve all the credit I know they won't receive.