Halloween!

 I only remember a few things about Halloween while growing up. I remember trick or treating with my besties Denise and Candis.  One  year Candis' mom made mermaid costumes.  I don't remember much about them except they were sewed pretty tight near our fin feet, so walking was tricky and climbing stairs nearly impossible.  I also remember my bros Tom and Ty, who hated Halloween since they were little.  They stopped trick or treating pretty early and instead loved scaring everyone around.  Tim vaguely remembers Halloween growing up.  He surely remembers coming home and going through all the candy though!

Neither him nor I cared too much for Halloween, and it never went on like it does now.  It seems like Halloween was on Halloween only.  Since we've had kids, Halloween has become big. It has lasted.  And lasted.  But it's a lot more fun.

 This year's carving included a jack o lantern Copper drew herself (far left), a happy face for Dakota (middle) and a flying bat pumpkin for Micah (far right).  Micah didn't mind digging out the guts and Kota thought it was disgusting.  Once was enough for Copper.

This is our first annual haunted house.  I cheated and used Elmer's glue to stick crackers to a half-gallon milk carton.  Thank you Pinterest.  Dakota and Copper fervently covered the roof.  Enter Micah... stealing and eating the candy.  Our finished product consisted of our haunted house, leaking milk drops, a candy corn crooked sidewalk, our spooky skeleton home owner, a few tombstones, a spider, and a little candy corn bush.  It's lasted a few weeks, surprisingly.  Then Tim noticed our sidewalk was disappearing.  "Who's eating the house?" Tim asked, and Dakota and Copper (as if they had practiced), groaned, "Oh, Micah..."

 So begins the annual school Halloween parade.  This too I remember from school days. It was pretty horrible walking around in a costume to show a hundred parents who now I know really didn't care about anyone else but their own kid.  It wasn't so horrible as the parent.  Especially 'cause they had Kindergartener's go first and I didn't have to stay to watch all the other grades.  This year I think I counted at least three or four dozen Elsa's and Ana's.  Groan.  Copper walked by like a little witch model.  She posed mid-step for a quick picture and was all smiles.  Later I said, "Copper, you looked so great down there, so cute."  She replied, "Well some other people said that too!"  I bet they did.

Afterward I helped a few other parents in Copper's class throw them a Halloween party.  She has such a cute teacher and class and lots of moms who spend lots of time in the classroom helping.  It's fun to watch and be a part of.  I helped groups made monster boxes.  No picture, but imagine 30 five year olds with glue, googly eyes, pom poms, and pipe cleaners.  It was a sticky, sloppy Halloween heaven.  They also decorated (and ate) cookies.  Copper's was full of enough candy to feed her whole table with.  Feeling a bit full in the picture...  I didn't get a picture of the twins, but they arranged and re-arranged Copper's classroom library books and furniture at least half a dozen times.  Grateful for a patient teacher who welcomed the littles!

 Trick or Treating time!  My girls were witches by choice, after subtle convincing from me, who didn't want to spend $20 each on a costume of their choice.  We borrowed Copper's and made the other girls.  Cost us nothing but the twin's hats.  Thank you Pinterest.  We hit the streets early with Taryn, who looked ridiculously stylish and totally in fashion but was by costume a hippie.  Wish I could dress like that.

 I just love this picture of my Kota Witch and her dad.  She's so beautiful.  I just love her golden hair, her moody and changing eyes, and her generally serious nature.  And my Tim, the perfect dad.

My Micah and my mom in the upper left picture is pretty classic.  Whenever my mom is around, Micah usually forgets she has a mom and is glued to grandma.  The bottom right picture too is great, though I wish it wasn't just from my phone.  I love Dakota's face behind her gigantic hat, and Micah's "I don't want my picture taken" face.  I had just caught her in the shoe closet with the candy for trick or treating.  Haha.

 After trick-or-treating we held our first annual Halloween party.  We have a (newish) standing tradition of Barb and Henry coming down on Halloween night.  This year we talked about making a party of it.  The girls an I spend much of Halloween day getting ready.  Monster cookies.  Eyeballs (grapes) in a hallowed pumpkin.  Homemade rootbeer.  Ghost (toilet paper) bowling (with a pumpkin). Thank you Pinterest.  Halloween Bingo.  And spooky homemade root beer with haunting dry-ice.  Plus soup and pasta.  And candy.  And carmel apples.  Tim thought it was a bit much.

Now that Halloween is over...as of last night... Tim and I have been planning next year.  Tombstone graveyard that won't blow away, a spider web garage door, orange Halloween lights, and lots of "spooky."  Thank goodness for November 1st 50% off sales!