This Halloween was a goodie. A little crazy, but a goodie. And just in case you didn't get the memo, Halloween is no longer a one day affair--it is more like a week-long affair. At the beginning of the week, pumpking carving, Halloween parties and preparations ensued.
Things started picking up seriously on Wednesday with our ward Halloween Party. As I patiently waited for Amazon to bring me my pirate costume I was to wear that night, I got a brilliant idea about how to decorate our car for the "trunk or treat". I was going all out people--all. out. The general idea being our ship in the waves, with a "sandy" beach that the kids had to dig through to find their "gold doubloons". I spent a good portion of the day working on this, making chili for the cook-off, getting the kids ready, burning said chili until I was in an appropriate holiday fluster right as it was time to leave for the party.
Luckily, the chili recovered and we had fun. We even won 3rd place for "Best Coordinating Costumes" and my Jack pumpkin won a prize for the "Scariest Pumpkin". So in the end the fruits of my labors were at last delivered!
Truly, I don't know if would've been everybody's first choice to be a pirate, but everyone kindly obliged to see my family theme through. All my children should be happy to know, now that I have that out of my system (it's a lot of work!), they can now be whatever they want for Hallween from now on.
The next evening, Phil and I attended a Halloween Party sans the kiddos. At this party I had somehow been talked into doing a flash mob dance to Thriller with some of my friends. Actually, there was only like eight of us, so what is that? Like a flash blob? Anyhow--Phil really wanted to dress up in these peanut butter and jelly costumes his parents had given us last year. But guys, there was NO way I was dancing in a jelly costume. Well, until the idea of getting dolled up as a pirate one more time made me fall asleep standing up--dancing in a Jelly costume sounded like a really nice idea. So PB and J we were and what do you know!? We won a costume award for "Court Jesters". Magic was on our side this year, I tell ya.
Although, here is a far cuter sandwich if you ask me.
Friday, of course, was Halloween and I was beat! But fun does not rest for the weary. I believe that morning, while scrambling to get everyone in their costumes for school, I remembered Ryder had his Halloween Parade first thing at school. Which meant, I needed to somehow find the time to get myself presentable in the mist of this mayhem. Which we did. And Hazel and I managed to cram ourselves onto a lunch table bench, squished between hords of parents, who most of which, are dressed up to the nines in THEIR Halloween costumes at 9 o'clock in the morning. All of us waiting for 30 minutes with the hope of catching a two-second glimpse of our child.
Sigh. But I'd do more to see that boy's face.
And then it was on to even more fun. I mean, can you stand it?! My sister graciously hosted us at her house this year for Halloween. My parents came down and we feasted on ribs and potatoes (who cares about candy?), and pumpkin cake...and hot chocolate. Yuuummmmyyyy.....
We got the kiddos primped and out the door with their daddies to ask for tricks or treats (while we stay behind to hand out candy), when lo and behold, we see THE Headless Horseman come riding down the streets of my sister's neighborhood.
Considering this was one of my sister's and I's most favorite Halloween stories from our childhood, it only seemed appropriate that we started jumping up and down giggling like little school girls. I then, set out on a dead run to catch up with the kids, and then we all chased down the Headless Horseman to get a picture....or ten. The only photo op I did miss out on was Autumn running after him into the sunset. Really, a Halloween highlight.
We got those cute kiddos back, and ate our sweets while they counted their spoils and watched Ichabod, of course.
A Halloween for the books, that's for sure.
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