Happy Halloween!

Halloween is like the last "hurrah" before winter sets in...even though some years it has already snowed feet in Colorado before Halloween...this year, the weather has been relatively mild--woke up on Wednesday to 31 degrees and was glad that I moved those last two pepper plants inside.  Plans this year include watching Purdue and Nebraska, visiting our puppy at her foster home, and a little trick or treating.  Here are some links to Halloweens of the past:

2014

Decorating, 2013

2013

Memory Lane

And Bonus--photos from 2013 and 2014, not pictured in Memory Lane!

2013--A minion in a really short skirt and Captain Jack Sparrow (I didn't know Minons wore skirts..)

Twins, 2014

Wolverine, 2014

As well as what appear to be 1993 and 1994 (or maybe two from the same year...who knows)

and one last from 2010--professionally done, with the donation of two cans of food per child...

Happy (very late) Halloween!

Halloween fell during my fall break, as it often does, so I had the day off.  The kids also had the day off...apparently their school just couldn't deal with the idea of having school on Halloween so they scheduled a teacher work day.  The Girl opted to spend her day shadowing at a high school near our church, so that left The Boy and I to entertain ourselves (and everyone else).


Our festivities started the night before--with The Boy demonstrating what they did at their classroom party ("hello, Mr. Ghost"), carving pumpkins, and making stuff out of the pumpkin parts (spicy pumpkin seeds and real pumpkin pasties).

Halloween morning The Boy and I visited Target to pick up misc stuff (like mac and cheese for dinner and Halloween clearance--no good clearance--boo!) and to stalk all the toys (he had me take about 30 photos to use to write his "I want" list for Christmas and his birthday).

We had lunch at Chick Fil A with some friends and then headed to downtown for Trick or Treat Street.  It takes a lot less time than it used to...I told my friend, T, that it used to be like a death march...taking hours to get through one street.  This year we were done in about an hour...benefit of kids who can walk!













We returned home to meet up with The Girl and Mr. IM--shadow day was successful--and had Halloween mac and cheese and mummy dogs for dinner while The Girl and her friend primped and got ready to go out.  The original plan was for the middle school girls to take their brothers, but one of the boys (not The Boy) wanted his dad to go along, so the girls struck off on their own while the dads took the boys and I passed out candy at home (about 50 kids came by, including my kids and their friends.  Twice.).  Liberty had to hang out in her kennel because she can't be trusted to behave.

Happy Late Halloween!

Happy Halloween!

This weekend is going to be a whirlwind of fun--I'll have to give a good update when it is all over.  In the meantime here's a link to a couple Halloween history posts--here and here.
This year The Boy plans to be The Wolverine and The Girl and one of her friends are going to be "Crazy Best Friends" (whatever that means).

At this point the plan is that the kids will trick or treat independently in the neighborhood this year--we're embracing Free Range Parenting with both arms this year.

The other articles I'm really enjoying this week are from Huffington Post--1970's Halloween compared to today and one about Six Foot Tall Trick or Treaters.  My 1970's Halloweens were very different from the one in the article, but it described many of my friends to a t--and it was funny.  Actually the only Halloween I remember with any clarity is the year my neighbor, M, caught his costume on fire trying to put out a leaf fire. (Don't worry, everyone was fine). The Six Foot Trick or Treaters struck a chord...as I have an 8th grader, who although much shorter than six feet, is beginning to seem a little old to be going door to door without her younger brother in tow.

Here's a classic 1970's (maybe early 80's) Halloween Picture--I'm not really sure what's going on here, but there is a lot to look at.  I really liked that nightgown...I kind of wish I had it now..and don't get me started on that chair--it eventually made it to my room, with a different cover--most comfortable chair I've ever owned.  There is a rumor that my brother released toxic fumes into the world by burning it many years later, but that is a story for another day...

Halloween 2013

As promised....here are some treasures from Halloween 2013

Halloween costumes and such

 I have too many boxes of stuff for every holiday, including a box of "old Halloween costumes"...

 What a bunch of treasures....

 Mr Ranch's "scream" costume from the 90's

His George Bush mask from even earlier

The Girl wanted to be a minion...but not a minion like this...adorable little child, but rather an "Adult woman minion" (gulp)...Here are some pictures of her costume in progress--stay tuned for the final product!

Thrift store women's size XS overalls, cut off

 Leg seams unsewn












and pinned back together to sew...I'm not sure I love how they turned out, but if she loves them we can always get more thrift store overalls and try again for "real" not just for a costume.

Halloween

This week has been cold and rainy, I'm hoping that today isn't so icky!

Time to take a trip down memory lane...The Girl's first Halloween...in her spooky shirt and Purdue cardigan.  That chair is still sitting in the family room.  Hmm..









And here is a very sleepy baby pumpkin, same year.  We don't have that couch, but we do have the baby chair.  Interesting.







After much searching I found 2002 pictures--I have to tell you, I'm not sure that electronic storage is all it is advertised to be...

Here we have a baby Girl at Grandma and Grandpa's house and dressed up as a puppy (in her Uncle's hat and tail), ready to go to the nursing home and spread some cheer.

And a bonus...Tigger is a costume!  I'm surprised we don't still have those toys...

Two cows...the bigger cow also wore this costume in college...I'll have to look for those pictures! 2003

2004, a pile of Elmos...waiting for The Boy to arrive in a couple months.  The question of the evening when I was writing this was "Where are all those Elmos?"  Um, hmm..don't know (wink, wink).








We seem to have a real problem with pictures from 2005...I know they are saved "somewhere" but I can never find them...Here is a herd of cows though and a bonus baby in a (really tight) pumpkin suit sitting with a bonus Elmo...

2006...

Pumpkin carving

Another Elmo, this time with a bucket on his head...and a princess

A.

And some more pumpkin carving...

2007  Mater and a pretty witch.  In a related note, Mater hated this costume and cried pretty much the whole time he wore it.
















2008, A kitten (thanks, Grandma!) and a red Power Ranger..again, kind of tight..what is it with the Boy and tight costumes?

I

2009.  Not really sure what is going on here--we seem to have Luke Skywalker and a princess with purple hair.
















In 2010 we have not only Hermoine and Harry, but also Lucious Malfoy!  Harry had glasses somewhere...















And 2011 brings us a young Tonks (from Harry Potter again) and Anakin Skywalker.











2012 brought out Indiana Jones and Katniss Everdeen--complete with bow and arrow for part of the festivities!



And here's a real blast from the past...

1977...A (politically incorrect) Indian (wearing a sun bonnet under her headband) and a tiny leopard, wearing boots and sucking on his finger.


Just wait until you see what we have planned for this year!


Happy Halloween, Everyone!