Spooktacular...

Holidays have a way of making me fall even more deeply in love with parenthood.

Halloween is no exception.

Let's talk costumes for a minute.

When the children are tiny, there's no pressure to put them in anything bloody, gory or terrifying -- so the result is nothing short of ridiculously adorable.

Red quickly became my favorite color, and I was struck by a craving for bananas that I simply couldn't kick.

Can you blame me?

And trick-or-treating.

The stuff dreams are made of.

When you have kids, it suddenly becomes socially acceptable again.

 I'll admit, having an entire bucket of candy to sort through after bedtime was pretty fantastic.

Yes, I'm horrible and steal from my kid.

But watching the pure, unadulterated elation on my little girl's face as we approached each doorstep (with the exception of those that were decorated with creepy creatures) was one of the highlights of my life, and I'm not exaggerating one bit.

Joy in the simple things.

I've got to remember that more often.

I was so proud of my little devil.

Though she definitely grabbed one too many treats from more than a few buckets, she never failed to whisper a sweet, unprompted "thank you" before running at full speed to the next house.

Also, isn't it amazing how the prospect of limitless candy gives a child unfailing energy?

Well that, and a lift from Pop Pop.

We ended the night with taco soup at the Carpenters, where Winny and Lola helped each other survey the loot.

I am so glad Lola is into sorting, because growing up in the Rogers household, the great "sort and trade" was the very best part of Halloween.

Hope your night was as bewitching as ours!