Happy Halloween!

Ruth and I are both currently plague-ridden, which explains why I am sitting here posting on the blog while feeding Ruth pieces of chocolate, instead of out with my family trick-or-treating.  The girls were highly energized while they got ready before going over to Becky and Dante's to trick-or-treat, though, and here are the pictures I took before they left.

 We had Hermione-being-turned-into-a-cat:

 A zombie sleepwalker:

 A zombie bride:

A butterfly (who, it broke my heart, had to wear a heavy coat over her costume since it snowed four inches this weekend!)

 And a surly pre-teen.  Oh, wait, I mean....a bumble-bee.

Poor Ruth never even put on her costume, she is too boogery and unhappy.  She was going to reprise her role as a butterfly, since she still fits into her costume from last year, but it was not meant to be.  Now I am going to go make myself some tea and watch as much of a scary movie as Ruth will let me!  Happy Halloween to everyone!

Abbie's first fifteen minutes of fame. Huzzah!

We went to the Renaissance Festival last weekend, one of our favorite yearly things to do.  Huzzah!  We love the cheesiness of it!  Huzzah!  We love the people who come in elaborate costumes, many of them having quite literally nothing to do with the Renaissance!  Huzzah!  Most of all, though, we freaking love the performers.  Knife-throwers, jugglers, singing wenches - Huzzah!  I have this itchy feeling whenever we go, the same feeling I get when we go to the circus,  this feeling that I could have very easily ended up as a Carnie.  The idea is very, very appealing some days!

This is not about my desire to run off and join the circus, though.  This about Abbie, and whatever magic she's got going on that makes people kneel at her feet.  Here she is in this video, plucked from the audience to assist our all-time favorite Renaissance Festival performer, Hilby the Skinny German Juggle Boy.  We have literally been watching him (and loving his act) for years.  Note the crown she is wearing;  some random woman stopped us and insisted on giving it to her earlier.

What cracks me up is this:  I understand when people who know about Abbie's brain tumor make a fuss over her.  I understand (although it gets on my nerves) when people ask me how Abbie is, as though she's my only kid who matters.  The random lady who gave Abbie a crown, though, she did not know a thing about Abbie.  Hilby, when he called her to the stage, had no way of knowing that she was ever a cancer-patient.  The crowd, who cheered so much for her that she ended up going back up to bow again at the end of the show (something that we've never seen happen in all the years we've been going to this) did not know that she was once one of those brave-but-plucky kids they put on St. Jude commercials.  This is just the pure attractive magic of Abbie at work. Is it because she actually cares so little for what people think of her that they always seem to love her so much?  I don't know, it's kind of a mystery to me.  But she had a blast here, as you will see on the video, and whatever the various reasons that go behind why people single her out for attention, she always handles it well.

The winner of the first Pittsburgh StorySlam was....

...My Uncle Mike!!!

I am extremely proud!  Here's the video of his talk (which is sideways, but still effective.)