Where the Wild Things Are is one of our very favorite books, read over and over without complaint every time one of the kids climbs into my lap with our well-loved copy. Evan can recite most of the story by heart and shouts all of Max’s lines with the enthusiasm of a child who really understands what a wild rumpus means.

It’s a beautiful story, so beautiful some nights I can barely get through it without choking up. I hope my kids always have amazing, heartbreaking, wild adventures but remember to come home for good things to eat in the end.

Sometimes a wolf suit is all you need for an adventure in your own little yard. Well, a wolf suit, an apple box from BJ’s and a little imagination. Two dowels, an old pillow case and a gallon jug full of sand for a sail doesn’t hurt, but mother nature can provide all the extras you need to turn your box in a private boat.

In a month full of new toys and big trips and dollars spent on experiences and cider donuts and candy and costumes, it’s nice to remember 3 year olds don’t need much to be happy. Just a place where someone loves them best of all.

Costume from PBKids

I decided Caroline should be Tinkerbell for Halloween because, hello, the child practically IS a magical pixie.

Shut up.

And in typical Suzanne-fashion I also decided I should MAKE her a Tinkerbell costume. Because this one with the light up wings from the Disney store is too gaudy (it’s not) and this one in the baby-size isn’t pretty enough (it is) and this one is too yellow and the wings on this one aren’t cute enough and GOSH, if I’m going to end up spending $30 on a costume I might as well just sew it myself! That will be cheaper, easier AND cuter! I’ll just check Pinterest for a pattern.

Go ahead and punch me in the face now, since anyone with half a brain can tell you “I’ll just do that thing I saw on Pinterest” NEVER ENDS WELL.

I started with this pattern from Make It Love It and…improvised. I might rock a party or a bake sale or a set of knitting needles but I am TERRIFIED of my sewing machine. Luckily, I’ve never let being terrible at something stop me from trying again. I’m slightly oblivious and stupid that way.

So instead of writing the blog post I was planning to write yesterday or working on the sponsored post I have due Wednesday or making a healthy family dinner for my kids or doing the breakfast dishes or any of the other things that actually need to get done I dragged Evan and Caroline to the craft store where I spent $65 on supplies and then wasted 4 hours attempting to sewing a green leotard I probably could have ordered from China for $12.

Well, that’s not strictly true. I spent like $40 on fabric (it was on sale!) and $15 on the CUTEST Tinkerbell-green wings and headband and wand they were selling in the pre-made costume section and another $10 on random craft supplies because that’s what happens when you go to Joann’s with a bunch of coupons.

The good news is Caroline is SUPER excited about her costume. I had her try on Attempt #2 and she refused to take it off. After I put the kids to bed I got Attempt #3 sewed and hemmed (note to self: YOU ARE TERRIBLE AT SEWING. Next time pick something easier to work with that lycra) and the ruffled sleeves done. Then my machine started jamming and I almost went blind with rage so I’m giving myself a break before I attempt the 3 layer petal skirt. Maybe I’ll make the sparkly green tutu tonight (at least I know the tutu doesn’t involve any sewing!!) and try the skirt again tomorrow.

Second-worst case scenario is I throw the whole mess in a box and mail it to my mom to fix. Truly worst-case scenario is I throw the whole thing in the trash and just order that dress from the Disney Store. Although those shoes are super cute.

————————————UPDATE————————————

BOOM.

I asked Little Evan what he wanted to be for Halloween and he said “DINOSAUR! RAWR!!!” Of course, that’s also what he said when I asked what he wanted for breakfast, what he wanted to do today, and why he kept trying to lick his sister. He’s a little bit obsessed with dinosaurs right now, thanks to that horrible Dino Dan kid (just shut UP already, NO ONE CAN SEE THE DINOSAURS. YOU MIGHT BE INSANE). Luckily, dinosaur costumes are cheap and readily available from every single costume store on the internet so I didn’t have to kill myself trying to sew one.

Instead, I pinned all my adorable handmade costume hopes and dreams on Caroline. And what’s more adorable than a baby in a tutu?

Can you tell what she is yet?

How about now?

Don't say "a yellow statue of liberty" because that doesn't make any sense

It would help if she was smiling

The headband is just felt cut and hot glued around a piece of elastic. The tutu I made with my own tutu tutorial on a piece of elastic instead of a ribbon (which was a mistake, because it’s a little too big and if I had used a ribbon I could just tie it tighter). The onesie was on clearance at H&M. BOOM. Sunshine baby.

I’ve been trying to take pictures of her in the costume for three days now, but she’s been a crying, snotty mess every time she was awake. I forced her into this photo shoot yesterday and couldn’t figure out why she was STILL such a crying, snotty mess until an hour later when I finally tracked down a thermometer (hereby officially labeled with a big giant black “R” for…well, you know how to take a baby’s temperature, right?) and discovered she had a fever of 103.6.

I’m expecting my Mother of the Year award to come in the mail any day now.

So we’re stuck at home today, not having photo shoots, hoping Caroline feels better soon and I don’t end up at the pediatrician and/or the hospital with a dehydrated baby. Little Evan is thrilled he’s not being forced to interact with humans and can watch all the Nick Jr he wants while I cuddly the sick-o and try to (literally) nurse her back to health. Thank God Dino Dan is only on once a day.