Neverland

Allow me to say this before you think it: we're a silly bunch. I own that entirely. There aren't many people I know who've had professional Halloween photos taken and yet...here we are.

It all started with a vision. If you must know, Halloween is my favorite holiday (minus anything that begins with a gh). Think about it - all that's expected of anyone is to dress in costume and collect candy. SIGN ME UP. I love all of those things. Thanksgiving is a close second. I think it has to do with eating copious amounts of green bean casserole and mashed potatoes. This year we'll somehow be doing this in Mexico, which is to say I think my dreams of canned foods dumped into casserole dishes may be postponed.

Also, if you know me at all, you know that once I happen upon a vision, it's over. And by over I mean IT'S ON. Let me explain the genesis of Operation Halloween 2016.

Jonathan and I took a parents-only trip to Disneyland last December because we're 5 and I came across Tinker Bell. Sure, I've seen this sassy fairy many times before but something clicked when I saw her this time: For the love of everything holy, that's my child. A) Josie looks like her. Although I passed all required hard science classes (with great disdain), I will still never understand how I made a blue-eyed, blonde-haired babe. B) Josie is the sassiest little thing you've ever met. Lately she's been faking us out, pretending to offer an object and then snatching it away quickly whilst forming a small O with her mouth to indicate she's well aware of the naughty action. The thing is - we taught her to do this. Well, he did; I giggled and recorded it. #willingaccomplice #parentsoftheyear

Tell me she is not the perfect Tink!

In full disclosure, this is not my first Peter Pan rodeo. I was Pan in high school. I adore him. He's whimsical, adventurous, curious, and mischievous. Check, check, check, check. At this point, Jonathan had two options: Hook or Wendy. While blue is his color, it would seem red is as well. I mean, c'mon. He rocked the heck out of that plastic toddler-sized hook we borrowed from our dear friends, the Justice clan (pictured below).

Okay, I've kept you in suspense long enough. Here's why I forced my family comprised of good sports to take these. Josie is 14 months old. Trick-or-treating happens around 6 or 7 pm, at the earliest. And it's on a Monday. So, if you're taking notes on your own paper, what we have is:

14 month old + one hour before her bedtime routine begins = Halloween meltdown!

So, we'll have one adorable fairy casting spells all over the sideway with her wand as she thrashes her arms and throws a fit, one frantic Pan trying to comfort the fairy, followed by one Hook trying to take a cute photo of his crumbling family members because his wife will throw the next fit over a missed photo opportunity. 

Our besties, the Justice family, joined us!

It took me a while to accept that I cannot control so much of what happens now that this little fairy has joined our family, so I've adapted. Instead of banking on one special night, I've made sure we have adorable pictures of that time our child became her spirit creature.

I enlisted the help of an amazing local photographer, Jamie Grotty, who owns Grey Fox Photography and said, "Humor me. Make this happen." And she did. Flawlessly.

This parenting thing, I'm getting it.

Until next time!

Love,

J Cubed