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erin

erin

I'm Erin Jo. I'm thinking, writing, dreaming, mothering, loving, living, praising, BLESSED to be Fiona to my Shrek and Mommy to my four amazing kiddos.

dave

dave

Shrek is "like an onion with many layers" but has a heart of gold. He's my husband and my friend, and we just get better all the time.

lily

lily

Lily is my first baby and only girl. She's smart, funny, tall and kind. Keeping up with this girl is a challenge and a joy. She's terrific!

max

max

Max is one part ogre, two parts lover and all boy! Our little man has a temper but gives the best hugs of anyone I know!

colby

colby

Colby is as ornery as he looks. He flirts shamelessly, even with strangers. He's all mouth and curls and the loudest by far.

luke

luke

Luke is the baby of the family, but holds his own. He's happy and adorable. And he's a terrible sleeper. =)

Carving Out Memories


Well, I suppose this is a good time to admit that if I hadn’t been so %$#&)^%# frustrated while letting the kids help me ice a kajillion sugar cookie ghosts last night that I might have really liked to have taken a photo of them to go with this post. Ah well. This still photo of the cookies tonight will have to do. No regrets, right?

What’s that? They don’t look like ghosts????? Oh well. They are ready for preschool tomorrow, and they taste so delicious!

Ironically enough, I’ve had a bit of a crap day, and it was one of those lovely little ghosts I just ate that gave me the energy and the desire to write this post. I think it reminded me of Christmas, which I love. And eating the cookie also reminded me of Thanksgiving overindulgence, which I also love.

I also think we’re a little closer to all of the Roberts kids knowing what they are going to be for Halloween this year. Max is loving a zebra costume we borrowed for Tuesday School, but I think he’ll be Captain America for tomorrow’s Halloween party. Lily has decided to be a rock star, though she informed me tonight that she thinks her microphone is in the camper at Lake Tweet. Lovely. And Colby? Well, that kid’s easy. He’ll either be a mummy or a puppy or just the cutest curly-and-red-headed 17-month-old in the world.

Halloween is special for our family. We’ve never shied away from the whole dress-up thing. In fact, for the longest time, Halloween was Shrek’s FAVORITE holiday. I think our laid-back and fun family has finally allowed Christmas to edge in front now, but I’m not sure.

So I’ve dressed up as many things over the years with my love. Most memorably, I was a flapper and he, Marquis de Sade, on Halloween 2001, at a party at which we were ENGAGED! That’s right. Shrek asked me to marry him in a smoky, crowded bar while wearing a white yarn wig, tights and knickers. And I said yes!

I wish I had a scanner so I could show you a photo of the happy couple. But I don’t. But I remember it all well: Shakebomb, tons of friends, my baby singing his crazy rendition of “Mr. Suit,” and then a summons to the front, where he fell to one knee and proposed. I was crying by the time I got to the stage, and I couldn’t see the ring for anything, but of course, I said yes. And then there was happiness, champagne, Shakebomb singing “Pretty Woman,” and my baby and I dancing and laughing and loving our rock star proposal. Good times!

And that’s just one small reason why I LOVE Halloween. What’s that you say? What am I going to be this year? Well, I’m thinking I might just hike up my shirt to paint a pumpkin on this spectacular belly. I tell you what, at only 25 weeks, nobody seems to grow them like I do, and it might just be time to show off my amazing womb/gardening skills!

I encourage you to dress up too and to not be a fuddy duddy by looking like you do every other Saturday night of the year. Find the kid in you, and see Halloween from fresh eyes!

And now, just to prove that we dress up with the best of them, here are a couple snaps of the Roberts from Halloween of 2008, when we won Best-Dressed Family at a school-wide party at St. John’s Central School in Churchtown. (I think it might have been the seven-foot-tall tin man that clinched the title….)


In the words of the wizard, “A heart is not judged by how much you love; but by how much you are loved by others.”

Happy Halloween!

2 Responses

  1. Danielle says:

    I love this post! I have been in a Halloween rut, but after reading this I am excited to kind a costume that makes me feel like a kid again, so excited for a night I will never forget. Keep up the good work Erin because your blogs sure do inspire me and all the people around. I may not have children, or an engagement, but I do love to read your posts! God bless 🙂

  2. EJ says:

    Thanks, Danielle! Glad to help with that all-important holiday spirit! Keep reading!

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