The Halloween Post

Our Halloween celebrations were many this year.

We began with a spooky dinner sponsored by Granny.  We visted a pumpkin patch twice. We attended the ward Fall Festival.  We carved jack-o-lanterns.  The big boys attended a costume party on Saturday.  All three boys had class parties, too, and the girls and I participated in Gavin's.  Then, last but certainly not least, our four ambulatory children went trick-or-treating.  The result is four happy, wired kids, four bulging bags of candy, and three goldfish.

Are you tired yet?

My instinct is to relate all of these fun and exciting events in detail, but the reality of my life demands a post that takes ten minutes start to finish.  So here are the highest of the highlights.

Carving pumpkins was much less harrowing than buying pumpkins (remember this?). Garry and the kids gutted them, I drew on all the designs, and Garry, Zach, Tyler, and I wielded various sharp implements to craft the jack-o-lanterns.  We should have taken pictures on Saturday, because by Monday the pumpkins were all dried out and curled. (Sometimes I forget we aren't in lush Oregon.)  From left to right we have a monster with many eyes and teeth (Gavin); a skull in flames (Zach); Kate's name (Kate); a cat (Lexi), and a howling wolf head (Tyler).

Gavin's preschool party was spectacular.  Lexi went in costume and trick-or-treated around the district office (she received a treat from the superintendent himself!) like she was one of the preschoolers.  Then she sat at the table with Gavin and his classmates for a feast of orange food.  She also participated in circle/song/story time with the class.  She was in heaven!  Gavin was so happy for his little guest to be there.  And I was thrilled to finally have a two-year-old who knew how to behave at a school function!

Kate made her Halloween debut as a bunny at the ward Halloween party.  She was perfectly darling and slept the entire time.  I stole her bunny ears for the preschool party, but she didn't seem to care.

And here's the crew just before they embarked on trick-or-treating.  Ron Weasley, Harry Potter, a purple dragon, and a little green frog haunted the neighborhood just long enough to have a great time but still go to bed at a reasonable hour.  Back at home, not a single trick-or-treater knocked on the door!  (I'll spare you my commentary on the neighborhood.)

This year we are instituting a candy buy-back program.  Zach and Tyler are still mulling over our offer, but we hope they accept a cash contribution to their trampoline fund!