Of course, October found me still reeling from one of the most rewarding life changes anyone can have. I accepted the fact that my house gives the impression that hobos have taken up happy residence in the living room. My usual enthusiasm for costumes got channeled into helping my little goblin grow into a slightly bigger monster. I picked out a couple of old costumes, thinking that I could slip into one before trick-or-treaters arrived but the lack of enthusiasm from my husband and his parents who were visiting left me dressed as a homicidal maniac ("they dress just like everyone else"). Luckily, my foxy sister sent two costumes for my princess and she got to dress as minion in the cutest little knit overalls. Since my daughter didn't inherit my gargantuan alien head, I had to stuff the minion cap with a burp cloth and she refused to show her excitement for being adorable long enough for a photo. That's parenthood.