Halloween, Kind and True

Let's just get this out of the way - my kids could not have been cuter for Halloween.  Look at them!  Come ON!  I'm posting this photo out of order because I can't stand it.  

Halloween really started a few months ago when I looked through some patterns to see if there was a costume I could make.  (Is anyone else like this?  I get very excited for holidays a few months ahead of time and by the actual holiday I'm over it completely.)  I saw a cute poodle skirt pattern and decided that was IT.  Then I asked Bridget what she wanted to be for Halloween.  "I don't know.  'Brave', I guess."  What?  A Disney princess?  What did I think she was going to say?  Her feelings weren't strong, so I talked her into the 1950s outfit.  Her only terms were that she would get to wear make-up.  Specifically lipstick.  Done.  I told my mentor, Brittany, my intention to make a poodle skirt and she asked if I wanted to use the one her daughter wore a few years ago.  Are you kidding?  IT'S A HALLOWEEN MIRACLE!

I had a conversation about Halloween costumes with another friend a few days later and she asked if I wanted to borrow her size 2T leather jacket.  What?!!  The only thing I bought was Emil's letterman sweater.  I finally experienced the true meaning of Halloween this year, you guys.  It made me so happy that I cried a little bit.

Back to the celebrations.  Multiple.  We had to buy $45 worth of candy.  Brian needed a big bag for work, we had a trunk-or-treat with our church on the 26th, and then there was actual Halloween.  No wonder my enthusiasm for holidays wears thin as the day approaches.  Brian and I were not brave enough to take the boys to the church party.  There are so many exits to the building that we couldn't possibly create a perimeter.  And there were fire pits.  And pirates.  And guys in scary homemade costumes.

Can you see him in the background?  We tried the pink sweater that night.  Bridget preferred the white one.  The talk of the town was her awesome earrings.  They're my Great Grandma Bessie's!  Grandma Shirley gave all the granddaughters a few pieces of Great Grandma Bessie's costume jewelry when Grandma Bessie died.  For some reason I still have the stuff I chose.

The next celebration was the Halloween-themed piano recital for my students.  All the kids wore a costume and played one song.  

It was Kodi's first piano recital and she was dressed as a nerd.  I didn't notice the toilet paper until she was playing her song.  Ha!

Grandpa came in a little late (with one song each, the whole thing went pretty quickly), so Bridget played her song twice.  I can do that because I'm in charge.  (I'm not in charge of the lady who rents this space, though.  She charged money this time and I had to set up the room and vacuum afterwards.  Not cool.)  The recital was a success, except for the part where I got everyone's balloons tangled up and took 10 minutes and two kind friends to undo everything.

Halloween day finally arrived and Bridget frantically did her homework while I put her hair in the ponytail.  (Surprise!  No homework got done the night of the recital.)  The boys and I stayed home and took it easy.  I even made sugar cookies.  Emil skipped a nap (too excited, I'm sure) and we woke Colin up so I could gel up his hair before we picked Bridget up at school.  Colin REFUSED to put on the leather jacket.  He put his head on my bed (with the freshly gelled hair) and cried and cried.  I thought Halloween might be ruined.  I was already a little skeptical that Emil was even in a costume.  Once we got to BRIDGET'S SCHOOL (that's what the boys call it), though, Colin put on his jacket like a champion.

Off to Daddy's work for some craziness, trick-or-treating, and meeting Cousin Ian, the Blue Crayon.

You may be wondering how I decided which boy would be a greaser and which one would be a prep.  The boys are against type here, but Colin kept doing thumbs-up and acting like a rebel in his leather jacket.  And Emil was a perfect gentleman, holding my hand and being obedient.  Huh?

Time to go see Grandma and Grandpa!

I love Bridget's face here.  She hasn't seen her Grandma for a few weeks because Grandma is having knee problems.  We've missed her. :)

Nate was Frankenstein.  The boys were STOKED to see Nate.  It's one of the few names they can say perfectly.  (As you can see, Emil got comfortable immediately.)

I told Bridget I should have put a tattoo on Colin.  "Not a real one, though."  Hahaha!  Bridget likes to keep me in line.

Finally it was time to come home and try to trick-or-treat.  Daddy left with the boys and I handed out candy.  Colin was done after about half of the neighborhood.

(I made the boys' trick-or-treat bags several years ago.  I found them a few days ago.  Seriously, what is up with all the Halloween miracles?)

We were at the house across the street and I saw Millie, Annie and Abby walking by our house.  This is so Halloween night in our neighborhood that I made them walk by again so I could get a photo.

This is also Halloween in our neighborhood.  Jennica had this spider in her yard all month.  Every time we drove by (sometimes several times a day) Colin would squeal with delight.  "SPIDER!!"  She put the candy under the spider and when the kids reached into the bucket, a loud horn would go off.  Colin didn't make it this far.  He would have loved it.  Emil grabbed my hand and was ready to get going after this house. :)

I declare Halloween 2013 a SUCCESS!  And also strangely miraculous.