Halloween 2014: It could have been worse.

Someone told me recently that the key to happiness is low expectations.  As sad a thought as this was to me at the time, I'm beginning to thing there's some truth to it.  

Those of you who know me in real life know that I love October.  I love everything about it.  Halloween is my favorite holiday and I'm trying to convince my children that pumpkin patches are better than fireworks or presents or turkey dinners.

Plus, when you  live at the beach, you can go on a hay ride in your flip flops and then head to the beach for a swim in the gulf on the very same day.  This is the life.

Ah, but into every life a little rain must fall.  Two weeks before Halloween this year, Andy took a wonky fall off his skim board and broke his ankle.  So much for trick or treating and that awesome gargoyle costume we were planning.

Of course, for Andy, the abrupt end to his soccer season is the bitterest pill to swallow.

He has still been at the field every chance he has gotten, cheering for his team and giving the coach his very 'expert' advice.

Of course we have been making the best of it.  Carving pumpkins and planning as much Halloween fun as Andy was up for.

We changed gears and had Nanny make Andy a costume that he could wear in a wheel chair and Zadie planned to dress as princess Jasmine with Rosie as her pet tiger Raja.

That is until Halloween day when Rosie began running fever and throwing up.

I was a little grumpy (read impossible to be around).  Yep, Halloween is my party, and I'll cry if I want to.

But would you believe that several amazing friends and neighbors talked with several more amazing friends and neighbors and invited us to trick or treat again the next night.  Rosie was so excited.  She has been practicing saying 'twick or tweet' for weeks and she loved every minute of it.

I can't tell you how grateful I am to all our friends who helped save Halloween and I promise next year I'll set the bar a little lower and try not to cry in my candy when life happens.  After all, this year turned out pretty great despite all of it.