Halloween

Happy Halloween, everyone!  We weathered Sandy not too badly - 26 hours without power, just enough time to bundle up, have a fire in the fireplace, and share a couple of cold meals tempered with hot cocoa and cider we made on the camp stove. 

Unfortunately, most houses in our neighborhood, and our elementary school, are still cold and dark.  But it takes more than a power outage to cancel Halloween!

Things were rushed tonight getting out the door, but here are some pictures of the girls in their costumes at our church party last weekend.

The Cupcake:

The Pirate:

The Tooth Fairy:

Strike a pose:

 

The donut eating contest:

And here are the pumpkins Ed and the girls carved when we were homebound on Monday:

As I've been handing out candy tonight, Ed's pumpkins have gotten serious praise, especially from the middle school-age contingent.

The girls are trickling in now, with their heavy bags of sugar and loot.  Time to check out the takings, trade, sort, and eventually get them to bed - hopefully before the inevitable meltdowns - crossing fingers!

Halloween 2011 (part 2)

 Um, it was a little more work than I expected to get a good shot of the kids in their costumes.  Everytime I said, "1, 2, 3..." Poppy ran towards me, and my stupid idiot camera was never fast enough. 

 Finally Knight Hazel laid down the law with her sword and I got a shot.  Baseball bat and all.  But can we all still please agree I need a new camera?  A GOOD camera?  You know I'd use it.  This is the beginning of my Christmas hinting.  I've only done this five Christmases in a row.  Maybe one of these years it will stick.

 But back to the kids.  They were really cute, right?

 Trick-or-treating in our neighborhood is awesome.  The neighbors really deck out with decorations, scary-but-not-too-scary music, costumes, etc.  One house even had a platter of pumpkin muffins for the grown-ups, and another had a full spread on a table in their driveway - hot dogs, cookies, and big thermoses of steaming hot chocolate.  So thoughtful because it was kind of a chilly night, and it got us through the last stretch.  Several groups had fire pits going in their front yard and were making a fun night of it with friends. 

 We took Poppy with us to a few houses, then brought her home to stay with Ed while he ate dinner and carved our pumpkin - never too late!  After only a few trick-or-treaters at our door, Poppy caught on and took that duty upon herself.  First, watching out the window for people:

 Then handing them the candy when they came and calling, "Happy Halloween!"  Then her favorite part was closing the door and watching out the window again. 

 Here's the jack-o-lantern Ed carved - not bad, eh?  Love those template books!  A NICE camera could have taken an amazing shot of it in that low light.

 

The girls had a good haul - Hazel liked the Tootsie Rolls and Ginger discovered the wonder of Skittles - they are her new favorite treat by far.  I still go for the Reese's and Snickers myself. 

 

 And just for some final spooky fun, here's a picture of my brother Dave and me, circa 1981?  He just loaded a bunch of pics to his Facebook page in an album called, "Look Who Found a Scanner", and this was one of them.  Don't you miss the days when you had to make your own C3PO costume?  And you know I was working that wig!

Halloween 2011 (part 1)

This post has it all: photos.  Parades.  Parties.  Cakes.  Giant inflatables.  Videos.  Everything Halloween should be and more.  In no particular order.

First of all, thank you to FX for playing "Twilight" several times over the last few nights.  It's been real. 

Last year I mentioned an enormous, house-sized black cat our neighbor put up.  The girls called him "Scary Skip" and were scared to walk by him.  This year we were thrilled to see his return, and instead of fear, we greet him heartily each day. (And let me just say - it is SO amazing to be able to send videos straight from my phone to YouTube!)


Last week Ginger's preschool had their annual Halloween sing-along and outdoor parade, always a crowd-pleaser.  I have got to get a playlist from their music teacher, some of those songs are super cute.  Her class had a small cupcake-decorating party first.

Ginger was Olivia this year.

 We got the ears headband from an Etsy seller, the leggings at Target, and a red sailor dress from ebay that my Mom added the collar and tie to to make it look right.  She was lacking some girth but not much we could do about that.

Poppy was the same ladybug that both Hazel and Ginger were at her age.  Easy peasy.

This month my friend Sheri traveled to England to see, among other things, the Bears play an NFL UK game - see her awesome write-up here.  While galavanting and basking in kidlessness she also managed to remember I LOVE Cadbury creme eggs, and picked me up a bunch of these Halloween versions - "Screme eggs" with green in the center.  Oh, yes, they are all the Halloween candy I need.  YUM!

In preparation for our church Halloween party, a bunch of chicks-in-aprons got together one night to assemble this cake and this one, which would be prizes for the pumpkin carving and chili cook-off contests.  It was a great night of gabbing and frosting.

Last Friday night Hazel's school had a Halloween party, so we all donned our costumes and schlepped over to the school.  There was a movie, stories, crafts, a "spookhouse" (= the music room draped and darkened with a few scary things), and DANCING.  Yes, a DJ was there, and from the moment we got there to the moment we left, Hazel was cutting the rug.  She's got moves and she loves to dance.  It's kinda dark to tell, but she was a knight.


Saturday was the church party.  But before that, we got the season's first SNOW!  The girls were beside themselves and talk of Christmas immediately ensued.

But we did still go to the party.   From the decorations to the activities, to the astounding "Thriller" dance performance at the end, the whole event left me speechless.  Games, cupcake walk, Pirate's Cove, live music (yes, a BAND).  It rocked.

 

It was also fun that I got to be a chili judge, tasting 19 different concoctions, and realizing there is a very wide berth when to comes to interpreting "chili."   Another thing I always love about the church party is that the adults dress up.  Ed and I were salt and pepper shakers.  Unfortunately my costume snagged on a door and fell apart before we could get a picture together, but here is Ed with Poppy.  I looked like him but with black pom-poms and balled up newspaper in my shaker.

 Here were some of my other favorite adult costumes -

Alex Trebek and Jeaopardy contestant - nice winnings, Ashley!

 Mr. & Mrs. Pacman

Facebook page and National Geographic cover - this NG fellow had the most rocking homemade robot costume last year, he is one to keep an eye on!

I never did get a proper shot of all the girls together, but maybe tonight I can take one.  We're all looking forward to trick-or-treating since we skipped last year (Halloween being on a Sunday.)  Speaking of candy, both Hazel's school and a local scout troop are collecting leftovers for Treats 4 Our Troops, do you know about this?  Genius everyone-wins program.  Or there's this feature on candy-filled treats (but like I said here, does anyone really have Reese's left over?!)  Let's take Halloween candy and ADD MORE SUGAR!  Who's with me?  You couldn't pay me enough to make or eat the Taffy Ice Cream Bomb (who gives out taffy for Halloween?) but I could be persuaded to try the Kit Kat Crescents...

Finally, I got this "tasteful" black wreath for door, what do you think?  I went out to get the paper one morning, and when I turned around this was what I saw.  What on earth could be more welcoming?

So there's our Halloween except for our actual Halloween.  What are you doing and being this spookiest day of 2011?

A Few Things on Halloween (with bonus videos!)

Not that this comes as a surprise, but Halloween is a big deal in the little kid world. I think the schools are just so happy to have a holiday without any religious conflict (arguably.) I'm not crazy about the holiday myself, but have a reasonable tolerance for its milder side - pumpkins, costumes, and candy. When things get gory, creepy or overly spooky I turn off.

Like my neighbor, who has some kind of zombie chainsaw massacre all set up in his front yard, and which we have to pass walking to and from school each day. Thanks, man. Luckily the girls don't even notice it anymore, due to another neighbor on the walk who has a giant inflatable black cat in their yard - seriously, it is as tall as the house - with sharp teeth, red eyes, and yellow claws. When the wind blows, as it often does in October, the cat looks alive, like it is about to pounce on us, and even I am freaked out. Ginger named it Scary Skip. Again, thanks man.

But mostly it has been a fun couple of weeks. As mentioned in the last post, there was the church party - a simple way to have some fun and see everyone's costumes. Here's the pumpkin we (Ed) carved. We put a rainbow clown wig on it and won "Silliest" in the contest. I spent some time trying to come up with a great couples costume for me and Ed, but most retail adult costumes are hoochie, and I didn't have time to make something, so togas was a default. I want to think of something better, but still easy, for next year. Suggestions? I have more to say on costumes further down.

Friday was really the BIG DAY for us because both girls had school parties, and had to take their costumes. Friday morning we took Hazel to school, came home, and Ed took Ginger to her school while Poppy and I walked back to Hazel's school. We sat in her classroom while they sang us the cute songs they've been learning. Then the moms left and spread out around the block and waited while all four kindergarten classes paraded by in their costumes. So cute. They all had plastic bags and we handed them candy as they went by. It's hard to hand out candy and take pictures but I managed a few. Poppy was a trooper, as it was the first truly chilly day we've had this fall.Then we hustled home, fed and changed Poppy, and headed over to the preschool for Ginger's thing. Parents gathered in the gym and the classes filed in and sat in the middle, facing parents. The music teacher - a gem among gems in enthusiasm - led the kiddos in a Halloween sing-along showcasing all the songs they've been learning this month. I have got to get the playlist; some were fantastic and most I'd never heard before. Then the parents - this time I was toting my 20-pounder asleep in her carseat - went outside and lined up along the sidewalk, again awaiting the costume parade. Here is the music teacher. In case you're wondering, she is "Five Little Pumpkins Sitting on a Gate" (which Ginger sings below.)That afternoon I recorded the girls each singing one of their songs.

Friday night was the PTA Halloween party at Hazel's school. Ed took the older girls. They were tired of their costumes so they just delved into the dress-ups and wore whatever. This, to be precise: While they were gone, I bought myself a few precious minutes to unload the dishwasher by sticking cups on Poppy's feet.And finally, tonight they are having a blast handing out candy and pretzels to the trick-or-treaters that come to our door. Again, dressed up from the dress-up bin. That rainbow wig gets around. Honestly, I think passing out is as much - or more - fun for them, especially when they see kids they know.

I know this post is like, forever because of all the pictures and I ramble, but a final word on costumes. They are hard for the uncreative! My mom gets all the credit for Queen Hazel and Mary Poppins - she bought their dresses and Ginger's hat at Unique (best thrift store ever), and sewed Hazel's cape and Ginger's red waist thingy. I think the best costumes I saw this year were:
Baby - Yoda
Kid - Cookie Monster and a Peacock (two different costumes)
Family - Star Wars crew
Couple - Dorothy and Scarecrow

The costumes I hate the most are muscle-y Transformer-y things, and I'm not just saying that because I don't have boys. I am equally sick to death of all princess-fairy blah-blah-blah costumes. We walked a fine line this year with the Queen but next year I will think and plan way ahead, planting seeds deep and offering way different options. I am not creative, but others are and the internet is a wealth of help if I just take the time.

So how did Halloween go for you? What were the best costumes you saw? Any serious candy meltdowns? How about unusual events or traditions? It was a good year. I actually wish it was on Sunday more often.

Phew

I haven't been on here for awhile. I've had a few things going on, most of which are over now. Phew.

Phew, Hazel's fall break is over. It was fun while it lasted. Two weeks of kindergartner energy was put to use - a visit from the England cousins, a trip to the zoo, a day at Grandma's, park runs, dentist appointments, and many TV shows, art projects, and baking sessions at home filled our time.

It was good for her to see what the rest of us do while she's at school; dropping Ginger off at preschool was especially hard for her, being the one that drops off and then runs Mom's errands, which is what Ginger did for two years. But we also got her one of those big kindergarten workbooks so she could keep up her reading and writing progress. I also taught her alphabetical order and two-digit subtraction so she stayed busy. But we're all glad she's back in school.

Phew, Ed's hunting trip is over. He was gone for eight days, which I think is the longest he's been gone since before we left Colorado, since before we had kids. It was extremely difficult for me to be supportive of the trip this year, with Poppy not sleeping well, three kids on my own day and night for over a week seemed trying. I feel a little lame saying that, knowing some readers do more kids on their own for more days on a regular basis, but for me this was hard. Poppy continued to not sleep well, and we all go our first taste of good old-fashioned hard-core crying-it-out so I could get some sleep and function the next day. Single parents have no back-up. That said, by the end of the week I really had my game on, probably adrenaline-fueled, and plus I need to shout out a thank-you to those who invited us over to play, eat and visit (and those to whom I invited myself.)

Ed kept his beard, my one non-negotiable condition of the trip, and while the girls and I loved kissing and rubbing it, Poppy was not a fan. It took her awhile to warm back up to him. Oh, and for those who care, the hunt was all he hoped for - great weather, major hiking, several dead animals, blood stained clothes, blistered feet, etc.

Phew, the church Halloween party is over. My friend Shanna and I are the activities committee co-chairs and Halloween is definitely our biggest party, followed closely by Christmas. Halloween just has a lot of little parts, all of which need their own supplies and staff. But it pulled together fabulously: trick-or-treating, cupcake walk, 2-and-under room (with balloons and fly swatters, love it), doughnuts and cider, pumpkin carving contest, ring toss, beanbag toss, pumpkin bowling, disk drop (plinko), story time, and new this year a photo booth set up in the foyer. People's costumes were fabulous and now is as good a time as any to show you ours: Ed and I were in togas, and there is Queen Hazel, Mary Poppins and of course our Poppy the Poppy. So glad that's over. But no time to rest - we are already working on the Christmas party.

Phew, our family photos are in and they turned out well. Thank you Alia! I will do another post soon to show you a few more, but here is a sneak peek:Cute, right?

Phew. Now on to November!