Halloween Parts 1, 2 and 3

That's right, we celebrated Halloween three times.  And while Halloween is up there as one of my favorite holidays, I did not want to celebrate it three times.  Months ago, I decided that my parents should visit for Halloween because it would be fun and we timed their trip to coincide with what I thought was the perfect day for our ward trunk or treat--the 30th.  The bishop of the other ward in our building just about had a throw down when he decided to switch the combined ward trunk or treat to Wednesday night.  I mean, really, trunk or treats are for small children who have early bedtimes because they have early school.  And besides my parents weren't coming in until the next day.  I don't even feel bad because he's not my bishop so technicially I don't have to support him.  Greg really wanted to go because they were also having a chilli cook off, but I decided to stay home with the kids and put them to bed at a reasonable hour.  Then Greg volunteered me to head up the judging for the chilli so I'd be more excited about going.  It's a good thing he's so cute.  We all ended up going and it was pretty horrible because the kids were running around like crazy people and I spent the night yelling at them not to ruin their costumes.  And then we got home around 9 with a bunch of sticky kids and we still had to get up for school.  Not cool Bishop Cohn, not cool.

So that was night one.

This was the only picture to took that night because I was too stressed about the kids ruining their costumes, etc.  Rex and Derick Wheatly both as black widows.

Night 2 was the trunk or treat for the ward that used to be part of our ward until about 2 years ago.  They had their on a Friday night, like a normal, rational person.  We went again, because by then my parents were in town and I made my mom dress up with us.  We went as us--a circus act.  I was the ring leader (obviously); Greg was the strong man (I totally messed up his "costume" about an hour before we were supposed to leave, but he wore it any way); Alice was an acrobat/ballet dancer; Henry was a tiger; Mom was a gyspy (I tried to get her to be the bearded lady but she passed); and Rex was a black widow (he didn't want to do a group costume this year).  Night 2 went much better.  The kids ran around like crazy and I didn't care because we didn't have 2 more events to go to in their costumes.

I do have to tell this funny story: before the trunk or treat started, the Cub Scouts sold hot dogs for a fundraiser.   Just before the candy part was to begin, I sent Alice and Henry with my dad back to the car.  They weren't going willingly and the Young Women's president of our ward (half our ward showed up to both trunk or treats, it wasn't just us) noticed.  She didn't recognize the strange man walking off with my children, so she decided to follow him.  I caught up with her a few seconds later and she informed of the strange man with my children.  We had a good laugh.

Note: Apparently no one wanted to stay still for pictures.  These are the good ones.

Night 3 was actual Halloween.  We started in the morning with donuts and bike riding at the park.  Then Henry took a nap so Mom and I ran to the consignment store to look for shoes for him and a jacket for Alice.  Once he woke up the party started.  (I really like throwing holiday parties, but having to have the house clean and having everything perfect stresses me out, so I've decided to have parties with just my kiddos and we have a good time and the house is a mess--we just make sure not to get the mess in the pictures). We had an early dinner of mummy dogs and grilled cheese with tomatoe soup.  Then  we played pin the spider on the web, Halloween Twister and Halloween Bingo.  I had a few more games but by then it was time to get back in our costumes and head to my friend's house to trick or treat in her neighborhood.  They invited half the ward and most of another.  All-in-all, we went trick or treating with 52 people.  It was pretty crazy and a little confusing at times about which street would yield the most candy, but I loved watching Rex run up and the street with his friends.  Henry walked up to every house too because, well, Henry loves food.  Alice crashed about half way through, decided she had enough candy, and just sat on the stroller.  We ended the night at the Fillerups with candy apples--he's a pastry chef.  I hear they were delicious.  I wouldn't know.  Well, we didn't really end there.  We came home, put Henry to bed, then headed over to the Wheatley's who were also having a Halloween party.  We stayed for about 20 minutes and then really, the night was over.  We probably just watched a bunch of TV.

Then my kids ate candy exclusively for the next 2 days until they got so sick of it they quit eating it of their own accord and I wasn't the bad guy for taking the candy away.  Win-win.

Mom made these.  They took FOREVER!  Cutting up all those little strips...pretty time consuming.

Alice is the biggest cheater pants ever.

I won by the way.

At the Wheatley's party

Oh, I almost forgot.  The next day, we decorated our Halloween cupcakes, while putting up the Thanksgiving decorations.  It was a little wierd but it worked.