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I Love it were not alone, I can hear my daughter pestering my wife for one more story right now.

When every detail of the outfit for "costume day" has to be historically accurate and fact-checked against a century-old photograph.

I love that, toothpaste! Halloween has got to be my least favorite holiday- every year the costume ideas become more and more complicated and elaborate (and basically impossible to achieve)!

Her original idea involved a famous historical decapitation. I was so grateful that one went by the wayside, because I could not begin to figure out how to "execute" that plan.

When, at parent teacher conferences, the first grade teacher at DD-6's immersion school shows us examples of DD's math work... and sheepishly points out that DD has been correcting grammar errors in her 3rd grade workbooks, in both Spanish and English (as well as getting all the answers correct).

I know I'm not the first one to say this....

when your DD4 is being supervised by someone at a bbq for 10 minutes, and the adult comes down and says "wow your daughter is really clever" after modest nods, "no she's like really, really clever" "compared to other 4 years olds she is really clever" I said oh what did she say, "oh nothing she is just really really clever" with that look that says have you thought about calling the newspaper because like wow.

Ah thanks - yep she's pretty clever

DD9 is a writing and drawing fiend. Since kindergarten she's written numerous illustrated journals that are strewn all over the house. Now she's writing fantasy stories - the latest is "Allsas' Journal (fantasy - none will believe - but true!)" a book that includes step by step details of how one dies from the plague, including illustrations done with an old fashioned quill pen and ink (from my art school days).
She is waiting to start writing in the NaNoWriMo young writers' event!!

How about a roundup of atypical costume requests?

DD at 22 months wanted to be the sun.

Oh, this reminds me of DD's astronomy phase last year. She too wanted to be the sun and she wanted to round up 8 friends so they can dress up as planets and orbit around her.

She still thinks she ought to be the center of her parents' universe but she is slowly learning that with just about everyone else, it doesn't quite work that way.

DS3 hosted a children's Hallowe'en party last evening for some of our neighbors. When he discovered that one guest's father is completing a residency at a local hospital in emerg, DS ran up to him with his toy cat:

"Oh good, a qualified doctor! My cat has fractured his vertebrae. I think it's a c-spine fracture. We need to get him into imaging now. I've secured a temporary brace."

DS was thrilled to learn that the hospital has a full complement of radiologists and anesthesiologists.

A few of the parents, also doctors, stood aghast. I have a feeling my response to some of their questions ("he's really into medical imaging technology these days") did not satisfy their curiosity.