Sugar.

Here are the Halloween costumes and loot and an exhausted Gumbo (who spent hours guarding the house from all the creatures of the night). Ainsley was an ocean princess, but really all that meant to her was that she needed to have as much blue and green sparkly stuff on as possible. This is a really good thing because I suck at costumes, but I can so do glitter and jewels. Hawthorne was a baseball player—again. I couldn't even get him to wear his new baseball pants and belt. He insisted on the too-short and clay-stained baseball pants from last spring. I'm glad they were in the dark most of the time!

The kids had a blast walking the neighborhood with the Stults family and their friend, Erin, from next door. I stayed home and tried to hand out more candy than I ate, but Carter kind of set me up by buying caramel-filled Dove chocolates for the trick-or-treaters. How could I not eat those?! I was supposed to be detoxing after a beignet and lemon drop martini filled trip to New Orleans last weekend, but I just can't say no to chocolate. Actually, today's sugar hangover may go a long way to strengthening my resolve.

The New Orleans trip was our first non-kid weekend getaway ever. We were celebrating college friends' 40th birthday, and the invitation said no kids, so I was coerced. I thought I'd be super nervous, but I knew the kids were in good hands with my parents. I think what made it so easy for me was that the kids were in their element and we weren't getting on a plane. I always like the security of being the one behind the wheel. Never mind that I never know how to get where I'm going. That's why I have my handsome handy-dandy navigator riding shotgun or, in a pinch, a son who is obsessed with maps.

Even without the kids, our trip was very different than past New Orleans trips. Morning runs, no hangovers, more sophisticated food and drinks, happy hours spent exchanging family photos and stories. There's something to be said for getting older. We had such a blast, and it was so nice to spend time with old friends who knew us when we were just becoming "us." Maybe we should start planning our 40th birthday celebration. It really doesn't even seem painful that it's only 6 months away for Carter and 9 months for me. Wow! I think we should all meet at the beach!