Halloween Edition 2011

This year's Halloween costumes included some old staples, some new costumes and some last minute additions.  

I got a little sad watching Abby in her school parade, realizing she only has one left.  Boo-hoo.

Abby made and adorable pirate this year.  I especially love the striped socks with Isaac's red converse.  What a cute girl.

Isaac had a hard time figuring out a costume this year.  We talked through several ideas, but nothing seemed to work.  Finally, ten minutes before our ward "Trunk or Treat" started, I told him to put on Abby's fairy costume and asked my sister if she could bring over the wig for Isaac to borrow.

It worked out well. Isaac's friends were going as a cheerleader, a princess and the tooth fairy, so Isaac blended right in with all the "dudes" his age.  (As a side note, Isaac's long dark eyelashes are enough to make any girl jealous.)

Henry sneaks a piece of candy before Trick-or-Treating even begins.

Henry found an old pair of boots and chaps in Grammy and Papa's costume bin.  The boots were several sizes too big, but it was enough to inspire a great cowboy costume.  And, if he wore his Converse inside his boots, they stayed on pretty well.

Peter at his preschool program.

Eat your heart out Edward.

Peter decided to be a vampire this year.  He looked so cute with slicked back hair and dark eyebrows.  

Peter hit the jackpot during trick-or-treating this year.  When we got home at the end of the night and the kids were sorting through all their candy, Peter came running out of his room and said,

"Do you want to see a dream come true?"

How could we resist that invitation.  We went into his room and there in his pile of candy was a package of gum - fifteen pieces of orange Swerve gum all for him.  I have never seen him so excited.  It really was a dream come true for my Peter.  He was so happy with the gum, that when I went to tuck him in that night, I found him asleep with his gum lying on the pillow next to his head.

All along, I had planned to have Lucy be a pumpkin for Halloween.  She wore our tried and true pumpkin costume to Disneyland and looked cute in it, so I figured we were good to go.  On the night of the Trunk-or-Treat, I tried to put it on her, and she freaked out.  She wouldn't let me within ten feet of her with that costume.  I tried again the next day, and again she freaked out.  (Now, she is TWO.  I don't know why she thinks she gets to have an opinion about a Halloween costume.)

Anyway, I figured we could skip a costume for Lucy this year, but on Halloween Day, she and I were at Costco when I saw a $12 lady bug costume that I loved.  I held it up and Lucy immediately fell in love with it too.  We bought the costume and she hasn't taken it off since.  

Lucy was so proud of her costume and even slightly cocky on Halloween night that she couldn't be bothered to let me get a picture of her.  There was a lot of attitude in that little lady bug.

Lucy perfecting her very grouchy ladybug face.

The nonchalant trick-or-treater.

 Lucky for her, she made and adorable lady bug and even with all that sassiness, we all thought she was darling.  And, oh yeah, those shoes didn't hurt either.  (I forgot we even had them.  It was Peter who remembered the shoes so Lucy could wear them.

Finally, a decent shot of my girl.  

Anyway,  it was a fun Halloween; great costumes, cute parades and programs, too much candy and lots of yummy homemade donuts.  All in all, a successful holiday.  Now I just have to get motivated to put all the decorations away  - at least before Thanksgiving.

Halloween Edition 2010

I remember when I was little, I would spend days and weeks imagining and plotting what I wanted to be for Halloween.  Starting sometime in September, I would begin trying on dress-ups and accessories in various combinations until I found the perfect look and my Halloween costume was created.  From that point on, I would wait impatiently for Halloween Day - the ONE and ONLY day on which it was truly acceptable to wear the costume out of the house.

WOW, how things have changed!  Somewhere along the way, Halloween changed from a one-day-a-year spook-fest, to a weeklong celebration and donut/candy eating marathon.  By the time Halloween actually rolled around, my kids had grown weary of their costumes and we had acquired over 20 pounds of candy.  Whew!

What a crazy, but fun action-packed week we had.  There was the ward trunk-or-treat, three school parades, a pre-school program, parties at school, a costume party at a friend's house, the neighborhood party with homemade donuts and root beer (yum!) and of course, a full night of trick-or-treating.  (This was all combined with Abby and Isaac trying out for the school musical, piano lessons, soccer practices, two performances at Piano Federation, three kids sick with the stomach flu, and a family wedding.)  Needless to say, it was a crazy - but great week.

This year, Abby decided to dress up as the tooth fairy. (Notice the tooth I sewed on the front of her leotard and the bag of marshmallows, cut to look like teeth.)  Abby made this decision soon after she lost a tooth a couple of weeks ago, and right after we found the great skirt/wing combo.  I think Abby looks lovely in her costume, but to be honest, I always think she is lovely - in every possible way.

In the school parade.

Lucy was supposed to dress up as Abby's apprentice - a sort of "Tooth Fairy, Jr."  Unfortunately, she hated the little crown we had for her and she had no patience for the wings, so she ended up being "a baby in a full skirt."  Oh well, we thought she was pretty darn cute, anyway.

Who needs wings, when you've just learned to walk?

Isaac had a great costume this year.  He decided to be a magician.  He was pretty happy with the costume when it was just the cape, the hat, and the wand -- but he was even more excited when he tried it all on with the wig.  Although the wig looks like something between Lady Gaga and Tom Petty,  we all agreed it made the costume.  

Lucy wasn't content to just be Abby's assistant.  She decided to try her luck as a magician's assistant as well.  It's a role she may have to grow into:

When we were figuring out costumes, both Henry and Peter wanted to be astronauts.  Initially, I encouraged them to be different things for Halloween - you know, mix it up a little.  It turned out that it was impossible to dissuade either of them from their dream, so they ended up wearing matching costumes.  I have to admit, it was pretty adorable watching them walk around together.  It was probably just my imagination, but every time I saw the two of them walking toward me, it felt like they were moving in slow motion.

At the neighborhood "trunk-or-treat" they wisely positioned themselves right next to the donut table.  That way, as soon they finished one, they could immediately start the next one without interruption.  I can only assume Peter got more sugar into his mouth than he did on his face and uniform.

Space/snow explorers.

Peter in his preschool parade.

Two cute brothers.  I think they'll be ready for Space Camp next summer.

It was a great Halloween.  Today I am breathing a slight sigh of relief that it's over, but we really had so much fun this year.  Just think, only a few more months until my kids start talking about what they want to be next year.  Happy Haunting!

Halloween Costumes 2009

Last year, when I was pregnant and as sick as could be, the last thing I had energy for, was figuring out Halloween costumes for my kids.  So, when Abby found a costume she loved in a catalogue, I was more than happy to fork over my credit card number and pay through the nose for a complete geisha costume.  Yes, it was a cute costume, and yes Abby looked darling, but there was something about it that bothered me.

For me, the fun part of Halloween, has always been the creative process in figuring out a costume.  I love looking through old clothes and costume bins until inspiration strikes and a Halloween costume materializes.

So, this year, I told the kids I wasn't buying any costumes.  A couple of weeks ago, I took them to my parents' house and told them to look through their dress-ups and figure what they wanted to be for Halloween.  It turned out to be a successful venture.  Amazing costumes were discovered and pulled together, and with a little sewing expertise from my mom, all the kids looked great.

And so, I present... the Halloween costumes of 2009.

Now, let's break them down, one by one...

Abby was a gorgeous gypsy.  She looked darling decked out in bright colors.  And when I put a little blush on her cheeks and mascara on her eyelashes, she looked stunning.  (And I decided it would be the last time she wears make-up until she's 25.)

As Isaac rummaged through the costumes at my parents, he found a gray wig.  I told him he should be an old lady for Halloween - but Andrew told him he looked more like George Washington.  Well, Isaac took that idea and ran with it - and how lucky that my parents actually had this coat hanging in their costume closet!  He looked awesome.

This was Henry's second year talking about being a vampire.  Last year, I didn't have the energy.  This year my mom made him this great cape, and with his own incredibly vampire-like teeth, he was ready.

Peter was a pumpkin for the second time.  Why?  Because I love this costume and because he's two and doesn't have strong opinions about Halloween costumes.  There are two things I love about this costume;

First, I bought the pumpkin hat when Abby was about five months old.  I found it at the Gap Outlet in Leesburg, Virginia.  It cost around $10.  I remember feeling so extravagant and slightly irresponsible for spending that much money on a hat Abby would only wear for four weeks.  Well, the great thing about this hat, is that it has been worn every fall, by every one of my children since then.  Easily the best $10 I ever spent.

The outfit itself, was bought by my mom, the day after Halloween when Isaac was six months old.  She paid about $5 for it.  Since then it has been worn for two Halloweens by each of my boys.  That equals 83-cents a year for that costume.  That is easily the best $5 my mom has ever spent.

I think this may be the last year for the pumpkin costume - but it breaks my heart to finally retire it.

Lucy got to be a leopard this year.  This is the same outfit Abby wore when she was Lucy's age.  Andrew's aunt Betsy gave us the leopard print outfit when Abby was born and Andrew made the ears...

and the paws.

Andrew comparing his two girls.

(Hopefully this will never show up in People Magazine under "Who Wore It Best?")

We have had a great October.  We had a blast putting together these costumes and showing them off at the school parade, the preschool program, trunk-or-treat, the neighborhood party and, of course, trick-or-treating.

(Whew, I'm exhausted.)

Halloween

Halloween has come and gone and suddenly it's November! Like most children in the country, my kids started discussing their costumes shortly after school started and in the end, these were the choices that won out.


Abby decided to be a Geisha (or a girl from Japan or a Japanese princess depending on who was asking the question - just don't confuse her with Mulan.)


Isaac went with with traditional favorite of Indian - or Native American. Andrew single-handedly made the top/cape portion of the costume. I admit I was skeptical when he came home with a piece of leather and some lacing, but he really pulled it off and Isaac loved his costume.

After months of asking if he could be a vampire, the night before Henry's preschool program, I was able to convince him that he should be a pirate. Luckily he agreed, because I had done nothing to get a vampire costume ready and had no back up plan if he refused. Henry really made a cute pirate and he grew awfully fond of the old pair of red shoes he wore. (Maybe too fond of those shoes.)


Peter learned to walk just a few weeks ago and he made the cutest toddling pumpkin you've ever seen. He has also developed a sixth sense for candy and can find it hidden anywhere in the house. He also has three older siblings who are willing to feed it to him on demand. Needless to say, Halloween is his new favorite holiday.

This is Peter's newest expression. He walks around like this all day long.

It was a fun Halloween that seemed to last all month. We had a trunk-or-treat, a preschool program, two parades at school, a parade at the "assisted-living facility" where Andrew's grandma lives, an amazing potluck neighborhood party, and of course, trick-or-treating. We have enough candy to last throughout the year and well into next year.

Anyway, good times. Now we all need to come down off our sugar highs.

The Halloween Edition

Halloween is over and we are just now starting to come down off our sugar highs.

We had a great Halloween this year with school programs, a school parade and a great neighborhood party - complete with fire pits, roasted hot dogs and incredible homemade doughnuts. Our kids had a great time trick-or-treating and came home with enough candy to keep us supplied through the winter. (Can this count as food storage?)

We loved sitting on our front porch and carving pumpkins as a family and we'll always remember this as the Halloween that Henry wore his pumpkin suit (and made mischief of one kind and another) everyday for an entire month.

So, here is our photo tribute to Halloween:

Abby as Raggedy Ann & Isaac as a pirate

Henry, the pumpkin with all our pumpkins (they all came from our garden!)

Ready to trick-or-treat

Andrew & Peter dressed as tandem skydivers (Yes, that is a milk carton helmet on Andrew's head.)

Cute Peter - ready to skydive

At Isaac's preschool program

At the neighborhood party