I'm not a big fan of Halloween...I think I used to be, but not so much any more. I think I just don't really care for the "barely-there" girls' costumes that are popular or the blood and gore boys' costumes. What ever happened to Ragedy Ann and Andy costumes or a simple sheet over the head??
Growing up, we always carved pumpkins, dressed up in costumes and went trick-or-treating to our country neighbors. We usually came home with a pretty good haul considering the generosity of our "neighbors" who didn't get many trick or treaters. When I say neighbors, I mean at least a good mile in between houses! Mom would make our costumes and take us out for the evening and then we would come home and dump our candy into the middle of the table to see it all and sort it--one for Janel, two for dad...one for Alexis, three for dad. :) He usually got the good chocolate stuff!
From the moment trick-or-treating was an option--when Jakob was old enough to hold a bucket and say "trick-or-treat" (I think when Josh was 7 months old), I enjoyed putting them in cute little costumes and parading to a half dozen houses. We've continued to have fun over the years, and each year, the kids have been pretty good about frugal costumes, or allowing me to "coordinate" the group.
One year, because they were all a little rambunctious, we ended up staying home on Halloween. It took all of about 3 minutes for the "I just deprived them of a childhood memory" guilt to set in, but we couldn't go back, so we improvised a little and as things calmed down, we allowed them to get all dressed up and run around our own house to each door where they rang the doorbell, chimed "Trick-or-treat" and held their little bags open to get the candy Tim and I dumped in. (In six years, no one has ever rang our doorbell on Halloween, but we've always got some candy just in case!) We watched a movie afterward and ended up creating an event that was indeed memorable.
We gave some thought to doing the same thing this year. The kids were initially reluctant when we introduced the idea, but as we continued to build it up and then eventually offer no other options, they didn't really even ask for more. Sooo...October 31st...All Hallow's Eve...the kids decorated their bedroom doors, pilfered through the play clothes to put together some make-shift costumes and manned their bedrooms. I brought home a little something for Tim to wear, and he took care of answering our bedroom door.
Millie really didn't know what to think of the gruff sounding man with the long black hair and the tattoos all up and down his arms that was in our room handing out candy. She just stood wide-eyed for a while as the rest of the kids laughed hysterically!
It's okay Millie...he's no stranger! :)
The concession seller.
Getting ready for the last stops of the evening...upstairs!
No one answered this door, but he did jump out of the closet. Like Joe's broken zipper??
The "Candy Thief" handing out his loot.
The Motley Crew...who would've guessed we trick-or-treated in a five minute, 800 square feet span??
We retreated to the family room for a movie, induced a sugar coma while watching and Tim and I were thanked for the evening with such comments as "This was the best Halloween EVER!" Ha! Hopefully worth a repeat at some point!!
We carved pumpkins over the weekend. As the kids have gotten older, this has turned into one of those things that never quite goes in real life the same way it does in my head...it was fast, messy and not at all as artistic as I imagined. Everyone of course insisted on carving their own...I got to carve some letters in the back of Ben and Joe's pumpkins, but that was the limit of my influence.
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I did get to use my creative hand in cookie-making though.
Joshua and I made Saint Sugar Cookies for his class party to celebrate the Feast of All Saints. I am definitely not a cake-decorator...I thought the frosting bag and I were going to go rounds! The icing sheets though?? Brilliant!! From Holy cards to edible icing sheets!! They turned out pretty cute though...not quite as well done as the
inspiration cookies, but none the less, very cute! I've been in need of distractions this week, and celebrating All Saints Day and Halloween was just right!
