If your concern is that we're all going to forget a bevy of these children's memories because I blog annually, you're probably right.
But! I'll be damned if we forget a single Halloween moment!
To kick things off and show you how mature and refined we've become since I last blogged, check this: Candy trading didn't take place until the morning after Trick-or-Treat!
Unbelievable.
Prep, as you know, started ages ago. This year, Patrick and Elliott were ultra-dedicated to the gutting part of pumpkin-carving. At least one of them (Elliott) LOVES roasted pumpkin seeds, but at this point, Patrick was convinced he loved them, too.
Patrick's design and finished product--
Aaaaaaaaand Elliott's--
(Don't you worry. That's a plastic knife from the play kitchen.)
God bless Patrick. We had quality one-on-one time working on creating his costume. These are the memories we'll remember forever.
I know, I know. Enough with the touchy-feely, lovey-dovey stuff. Here. This photo of a hungry lion will snap you right outta that!
Well, HOW ELSE would you dress for your errands when it's October 31st??!
(P.S. Pictured here is the lovely little lady James and I babysit. She's pretty cute, but let's be honest. She's just a prop in my never-ending photo shoots.)
As you may have heard, this was the first year Riley was an only dog for Halloween. (Rest in peace, Tragus!) To brighten her spirits, I decided she should be included in the fun.
As it turns out, Riley was less than thrilled. But her brothers loved it!
This was the moment when she looked right through me, as if to ask, "What did I do to deserve this? What, Mom?" (Sorry, girl. But you look supercute, AND you have the same size neck as Pete! NOW we know!)
I didn't torture Riley past that point, so I moved on to the human subjects. Here, in his first real trick-or-treat appearance, is James as Cookie Monster! (Obviously, he carried a cookie jar that said, "but me like candy too.")
And THIS is why I love Halloween!
Here's the exact moment when Cookie Monster noticed the giant chocolate chip cookie approaching. Look at that crazed glint in his eye!
Patrick's "help me" sign was a last-minute (but crucial) addition to his costume. The mixing bowl as a candy catcher was Patrick's idea. :)
COOK-IE!!! Um, mum, mum, yum...
Ah, yes. There IS another kid living here! Thank you for remembering.
Elliott approached me a month or more ago and asked if he'd be allowed to go trick-or-treating with friends this year. Had it already come to this?! I'm already out of the creative equation?? The answer, basically, is yes. So, I said he could, but I challenged his group of pals to come up with a group costume. They agreed.
This is the result.
If I have to spell it right out for you (dummy), he's Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon and star of a literary series these little brainiacs love. Each of the four kids picked a character. But the funniest part? Elliott rejected the first wig I bought and insisted on the one you see above. Then, by the time he met up with his friends, he got self-conscious and didn't want to look silly. He lost the wig entirely once the lady friends entered the party!
Nevermind that the only other boy volunteered to be the Cyclops. Wrap your arm around the girls!
But look at me getting ahead of myself!
Pre-T-or-T, our awesome neighbors hosted their annual potluck dinner party. I made this and promptly told anyone who'd listen it was the cutest thing I'd ever made! You should make one, too. It was easy, but even children were impressed. (Whoa.)
Here's a majority of costumed kids on our street. Don't you love it??
I caught James, just after he dropped half his hot dog, lifted somebody's purple pumpkin and was out. Ding-dong, candy, got it. See ya, Mom!
Since Elliott was too cool for us, I joined a couple of other parents with Patrick, James and two other second-graders. And if you're thinking, "My, but it looks wet and freezing and miserable," you would be entirely right.
But the haul was great. Elliott had A BLAST with his friends, even watching the Percy Jackson movie after trick-or-treating! Patrick did great, too, and his costume held up surprisingly well in the weather conditions that seem to be our new norm. James lasted longer than any of us imagined and fared pretty well, even if he was saying, "Trick-or-treat! Fank you!" to the driveways, long before he got to most doors...
Details. Those are just nit-picky details.
It was an awesome Halloween 2014! :D
