Halloween.

Remember when Halloween meant a school parade and trick or treating and it all happened on the same day?  Oh, the good ol’ days.  Halloween now drags on lasts about a week and by the time the actual day arrives I am ready for it be over already.  I can only dress up six kids so many times and try to keep their costumes clean for so long before I am ready to store those babies (the costumes, that is) away.

No one could decide on what they wanted to be for Halloween this year.  We wanted to try to do a family theme again but nothing really sounded that great.  Until I saw a link on Facebook for a tutorial on Angry Birds costumes.  I jokingly asked my friend, Jenni, if she wanted to do an Angry Bird Flock with our family and make the costumes together.  Not only was she game, but she helped me pick out all of the stuff needed to make them and did all of the sewing while I did the cutting.  All I know is that we would have never made it by Halloween 2011 in these costumes without all of her help.  What took her a few days would’ve taken me a few months.  

Flock of Angry Birds

Jack thought we looked like we wearing big pillows on our stomachs (not that there’s anything wrong with that!) and wanted to do his own thing.  He decided he wanted to be the Joker from Batman and was willing to pay the difference of the store bought costume from the home made costume which meant he really wanted to be the Joker if he’s willing to pay $25 for it.

The school parade was 4 days before Halloween which made the real Halloween feel like just another day when they didn’t wear their costumes or have class parties on the real day.  The school PARADE was more like a 5K sprint.  The kids run by their parents as they try to snap a picture, usually of the back of their child’s head, before they’re gone.  Hadley was one of the few who actually stopped and posed for a minute.  That’s my girl!

Morgan loves her morning aide, Brittany.  She talks about her all of the time and now likes to add that Brittany was “Jessie” for Halloween.  We’re so lucky we got her!  She was a first grade teacher who decided to go part time after having a baby.  She’s been amazing to help Morgan with her IEP goals and doing the classroom curriculum.

My friend signed me up to be in charge of Griffin’s kindergarten classroom party.  Luckily I found out a few weeks before the day.  I love volunteering in my kids’ classrooms and seeing how they interact with their peers and their teachers.  It was so fun to be a part of his party!

We had several different stations:  Halloween story book time, Popcorn hands, Spider donut decorating and Pumpkin bowling.  Lesson learned--it takes more than one pumpkin to do bowling.

Morgan had a costume party the next day with her cheerleading group, The Elite Angels.  She really did have fun just wasn’t in the mood to smile by the end of class.

She loved all of the games!

The next day was our ward’s Trunk or Treat.  We had yummy soup, costume and carved pumpkins contest, a carnival and then trunk or treating in the parking lot.

Griffin put the mouth on the ghost on his first try. 

Trunk or Treating

Every Halloween we go to our friends’ neighborhood pre-Trick or Treating dinner.  My favorite part is watching as my friends arrive in the craziest costumes.  This year the hosts' house is under construction so the party was in the circle and they dressed up as construction workers.  Tiffany rocked the 'stache!

Jack went trick or treating with his friends and then ended the night at our house for a little party and movie watching--Poltergeist.  Even with the outdated special effects, I heard screams several times coming up from the basement.

Hadley with her best ANGRY bird face.

These little yellow birds were my favorite.  They could barely walk in their costumes and waddled as they walked.  So cute!

Last year they were Napoleon Dynamite and Pedro.  This year they were "the King" Pig and “the Bomb” bird.

It was a beautiful night for trick or treating.  The rain and snow waited until the day after Halloween and we appreciated its hospitality.  It made trick or treating even more enjoyable.  The little kids went to a record number of homes before coming home to help pass out the candy.  Morgan loved giving the trick-or-treaters not just one candy but handfuls as she said, “Here you go, honey.  Happy Halloween!”  Sounding just like all of those cute grandmas who had given her candy earlier in the evening.

I’m enjoying the quiet that comes between Halloween and Thanksgiving.  Using the time to get caught up on projects and prepare myself for the busyness that comes with the Christmas season.  I’ve finished a  few furniture refinishing projects, furniture from my grandma's that has been sitting in our garage for way too long.  Gavin’s hoping to be able to fit his car in the garage again one day soon.  Finished up the school directory and now hoping to have some time to start working on homemade Christmas gifts. Can’t believe it’s just around the corner!