We had such a fun Halloween this year... majorly improved from last year's Halloween when I failed in every way possible. Last year I planned our family's Pumpkin Day, and we drove 45 minutes to a fabulous pumpkin patch, only to find that it was closed for field trips during the week, and my two toddlers did not count as homeschooling. Then on Halloween the Officer was working, so I took the girls trick-or-treating by myself. We walked out the front door, and I realized I had forgotten their candy baskets and (much more importantly) my keys to the house. I frantically called the Officer, who had to leave work and drive 30 minutes home to unlock the door for me. The girls were also wearing second-hand lame costumes that I chose for them. So last year Halloween was kinda not so great, but this year... this year was perfect.
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| this year the girls were old enough to help clean out their pumpkins |
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| The Officer's awesome Papal flag pumpkin. Just in case anyone in the neighborhood was wondering how much we love being Catholic.... |
The week before Halloween we went to a really fun pumpkin patch 10 minutes from our house. We enjoyed the hayride, moon bounce, pumpkin launcher, straw maze, perfect weather, and found 5 good pumpkins. Then we easily drove 10 minutes home in time for lunch and naps. Pumpkin Day this year was a success!
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| "Hi, I'm Olaf and I like warm hugs" |
For the first time in years, the Officer was off for Halloween!! Weeks ago (right after we watched Frozen on Ice) the big girls asked if they could be Anna and Elsa for Halloween, and their Aunt Mantha delivered. Oh boy did she deliver. She sewed them beautiful dresses, and made a little Olaf hat for their little sister. She also made homemade costumes for all 4 of her boys. She is superwoman. I'm going to have to do an entire post just on the 7 costumes she made, because they were all awesome.
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| homemade Anna, Olaf, and Elsa costumes on some very excited little girls |
We joined the Mikboys (Aunt Mantha's family), our friend Miesha, and a lot of other friends from our Church Mom's group at the Little Sister's of the Poor nursing home. I don't know who thought of this fantastic idea, but everyone with little kids needs to do it. We donate some candy a week early, and then we bring our children in their trick-or-treating at the nursing home (indoor, not dark, not cold, no streets, minimal walking...). The sweet elderly residents get hours of adorable little visitors, stopping by their rooms, saying "trick-or-treat", and showing off their costumes. It is perfect, and I hope we get to do it every year.
Then we went over to the Mikboy house for some dinner and some neighborhood trick-or-treating.... their neighborhood gives out the good candy. You know... king size bars, snickers, skittles.... only one pack of pretzels and no candy corn. I got to watch Belle run through the yards holding hands with her Godmama singing "Let it go". I got to watch Bug smiling from ear to ear in her pink cape that she waited and waited to wear. I got to push a chubby cheek Olaf in the stroller all night, and she never cried once, even though I didn't let her have a single piece of candy :). I got to watch so much joy from my girls, my nephews, our "frezins", and every little child I saw along the way. Oh I also saw an incredible Transformer costume on a friend (complete with sound effects as he "transformed")... it was worth remembering! Then we had a big sleepover and were ever so thankful that the Mikboys moved back from the West coast.
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| The girls are blessed with some incredible "Frezins" |
This Halloween was a good one. Holidays can't always be magical, but this one was.
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