Halloween Recap

It was a fun fall week!  In school, we focused on the letter P and did all kinds of fall and pumpkin activities (and counting pennies below). We carved several pumpkins and saved one for when our buddy Sam came to play. We had 2 grasshoppers that seemed to enjoy our pumpkins on the front porch. We also learned about our bones made Mr. Skeleton.  I cut, he glued. :) We enjoyed the warmer than normal October weather a few days before Halloween. After last year’s amazing costumes, and with how lousy I was feeling, I decided to take it easy and do store bought costumes this year.  Wouldn’t you know that we got almost more compliments on my matching cows than the ones I (and my mom) spent hours sewing.  haha.  Owen wore Ellie’s costume from his first Halloween and I found his costume for $3 at a garage sale.  Score! We walked across the street to Prairie Fields to participate in their little parade around the neighborhood. It was a little drizzly, but the downpours we’d had all day stopped before we left and didn’t start again until we got home.  Perfect!  Owen totally got it this year and Ellie had no fear walking up, holding out her basket and saying “trick or treat.”They got quite a loot for how many houses we made it to.  I’m looking forward to helping them eat it. :)  Ellie had quite the fun time and was pretty tuckered out at the end of the evening!

Halloween 2012 {trick or treating}

I know you’re sick of seeing these, but I have to officially have a blog about our night of trick or treating. We had to fight Owen to get him back in his costume as I think he was over it. But as soon as I handed him his glow in the dark “scepter” he agreed to put his hat on and get in the spirit. :) We walked across the street to the neighborhood parade. We walked around one large block and then spent about a half an hour trick or treating, ending up back by our house.

on our way to the parade

my cousin Julie, with Dragon Ty and Tiger Tate

thanks Mike for the good family picture!

my cuties

we brought up the rear of the parade

brrr, it's cold out here

my cute guys

his first house

he was pretty timid the whole night and need William or I to go with to each house

we met up with Erica, Dan, and Asher

a fire truck drove with it's lights on and made frequent candy stops

checking out his loot

Halloween 2012 {the party}

On Halloween morning, Anne invited us to a fall party!  She had 3 cute games planned – pin the nose on the jack-o-lantern, coloring pages, and pumpkin, pumpkin, squash (like duck, duck, goose).  She also had an amazing spread for us to eat for lunch.  Owen loved the pumpkin muffins she made and well, everything else she had too!  It was a great way to spend the morning, despite the craziness of getting out the door and then wrangling that many little kiddos!  Thanks Anne for planning such a fun party!

Anne and Ellie

Anne's Grace.  They don't look anything alike, do they?

and Anne's Caleb - looking adorable and just like his dad

attempting the duck duck goose game

Owen didn't quite understand the blindfold

and then the fun part - getting all 10 kids to cooperate for a picture

I did think it was funny that everyone there had 1 boy, and 1 girl

left side of the couch

right side of the couch

   All in all, a wonderful morning!  Thanks again Anne!

Halloween 2012 {reverse trick or treat}

On Monday, we debuted our costumes at a Reverse Trick or Treat and the Champaign County Nursing Home.  Holly plans this every year and it’s the first year we’ve been able to go.  Basically, all the kiddos dress up and bring little treats/stickers to hand out to the nursing home residents. 

We got a few pictures before heading out: The minute we arrived, out came the serious faces and the refusal to talk.But look at this happy little guy.  I don’t think I ever see him without this sweet smile.It was pretty chaotic as everyone arrived.  But we organized ourselves into a few groups and set off to the different wings in the nursing home.This is how Owen stayed the whole time.  Clinging tightly onto his sister’s stroller.  My cuties!He ventured out with me a few times as I handed out his treats from his bag.  He refused to even hand anyone a sucker.  But the other kiddos did a great job handing out their treats and saying Happy Halloween.  The residents were so super sweet and complimentary of all the cuteness.  I had a sweet conversation with one lady named Nancy and she told me all about her kids and how they were all over the country.Here is Annabelle, the cutest little candy corn ever. I made this sweet little bow to go with the awesome costume her mom, Jill, sewed up for her!This was the start of some of our kiddos melting down.  Mine being one of them.  I hope we get to do this every year.  It made the residents day and ours.  It was so sweet to see the kids loving on everyone they came into contact with.  Hopefully Owen will come out his shell a bit next year.  Thanks Holly for putting this together!