Halloween

These are the Jack-o-Lanterns carved in our first annual (maybe) pumpkin carving contest. Since we didn't go to an actual pumpkin patch to pick out pumpkins (Tess and I got them at the grocery store...boo), and each kid didn't even get their own pumpkin, I had to get the kids excited somehow. So, we had a contest. All the kids wanted to be on Jordan's team, but Ellie volunteered to help me and Tess was forced to. My team carved the cat, and Jordan's did the traditional face. The winner was... I guess it wasn't much of a contest. there wasn't a winner or a prize given.

Tess was Little Red Riding Hood. She has wanted to be this for months. I had some "jamas" that have a darling little red on the tummy. the picture totally looks like her with little brown piggy tails. they are her favorite pajamas and were the inspiration. I got the dress at Goodwill (it was a ladies size 8) and made a few alterations and added the ribbon and a petty coat and made the cape. She picked out the basket. It was a must. She had been talking about the basket since she decided to be "riding hood" for Halloween. I have to say something about the petty coat hanging out the bottom. It wasn't like that when the evening started (only 5 minutes before the picture was taken). But it was also from goodwill and as I was doing a last minute adjustment, I ripped it so it kept slipping down. After this picture, I used a chip bag clip to tighten it up and keep it from slipping.

Ellie was Pippy Longstocking again this year. she thought it was great idea since she loves the costume and none of her new friends had seen it. I think she loved the attention she got at school. She said everyone stared at her and although not many kids knew who she was, all the adults commented. She even inspired our neighbor (Jill Pickles) to dress up as Pippy. The highlight of Halloween for Ellie was acting like a teenager. After our neighbor hood trunk-or-treat (mis-named by the way...I'll write about it later) she went trick-or-treating with her friends, then hung out at her friends house, then went to another friends house to watch a movie. She didn't get home until 10:30 and thought it was so AWESOME!

Maddox insisted on being optimus Prime from transformers. I think its so funny how cool he thinks iron man, superman, batman, and transformers are even though he has never seen any of the movies or cartoons. I hate costumes from the store, at least the ones I would let my kids buy. We don't buy the costumes that cost $100. But Maddox was so excited to pick this out and so proud to wear it around. He's really excited that he doesn't have to put it in the costume box for anyone else to wear since he's the only boy. Now he can "wear it anytime I want. Even to bed". and he has. If you notice he also has on something else I HATE light up transformer shoes. His grandmother (Rita) bought them, a little too big, and surprised me with them. So yes, Maddox, wear your costume, wear it out, wear it out fast! (this shouldn't be a problem, it already has runs and a hole:)

I took these pictures so I can show teenage Maddox how cool this costume really was.

Reagan was a mummy. I love that Reagan never wants to be something pretty. She wants to be scary. We its not the most well made costume ever. We had to re-make it (glue strips of fabric to the long underwear underneath) every time she wore it. She loved it. she looked exactly how she had pictured herself. She might be an actress when she grows up; it took a lot to break her character. no smiling for these pictures!

This was my centerpiece for our Halloween dinner. We had our traditional Witch's Brew and Witch fingers with salad.

We did our neighborhood "Trunk or Treating" on Saturday (again, more info to come) So Sunday evening the kids passed out candy to the few trick-or-treators we had come by. they thought it was as much fun as going them selves. Nice pose.

Ellie and Reagan's school didn't have a parade (Im going to have to get on the PTO board and change that!) but Maddox did. Here he is with his cute, and tiny, teacher, Miss Glenda.

So the trunk-or-treat story. they have been advertising the Kensington Groves Neighborhood trunk-or-treat for since before we moved here. There are posters all over the neighborhood, its in the church bulletin, I even got a cute flyer on my door. Not once did anyone mention that the TRUNK or treat was not in the trunk of your car. So we head over to the park, I sent my family over to play the carnival games while I get all set up. I finish and head over to try to see my kids jumping in the bounce house before the trunk-or-treating begins. Luckily Jordan asked someone how we do the trunk-or-treating. There are not trunks involved. They set up lawn chairs around the basketball court and the kids get in a line. OK. no wonder no one else was getting their cars ready and why my immediate neighbors walked over. Problem, I don't know where our lawn chairs are and we only have 10 minutes until the carnival portion is over. I rushed home got a card table and speed (cautiously) back. I sat up my table and used most of my trunk decorations to decorate it. I was so frantic in trying to get ready that I didn't even notice that I was one of 3 adults who dressed up and the only one with any sort of decorations. let alone had a table set up with a centerpiece and things around it. so now Im the crazy new lady who dresses up and decorates a table at the trunk or treat. To be honest I don't care. I wish other people would have put a little more effort into it. Maybe next year they will.

A few people also told me that the neighborhood does this instead of trick-or-treating. This was a lie. We had trick-or-treators on Saturday night and Sunday night. and not just the kids who's parents come drop them off in our neighborhood. I gave candy to lots of neighbor kids. Luckily we had plenty of candy. too much candy actually. too much despite my best efforts to eat it all.

Anyway..... HAPPY HALLOWEEN!