Halloween Fun!

Yes, I do realize that this should be two, maybe three separate posts. It's a long one, that is for sure. But I'm under a time crunch people! I'm just happy and proud that I posted about an event (or season) within weeks of the event actually occurring!

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I have to say that the time surrounding Halloween is one of my favorites - so many fun activities in which to partake! Pumpkin patches and costume-making and jack-o-lantern carving and yummy treats to make (and eat) and pumpkin spice lattes to enjoy....so much to do and such fun to have!

We kicked off our Halloween season this year with a fun evening with some of our dearest friends.


Yummy food, watching Charlie Brown on a sheet outside, pumpkin carving, and the company of good friends - you just can't beat that!


Oh yeah, and don't think for a minute that Emmerly carved that spider by herself! Or that she had much part in it at all, really! She insisted on choosing a design from the book, insisted that SHE would do it! And of course, who ended up with a pumpkin on her lap (a lap with not much room to spare, by the way) and painstakingly carved a stinkin intricate spider on the dang pumpkin? Well it wasn't Emmerly!!



Our pumpkin patch visit this year was with our home school group, and to the same patch we visited last year. It's great because it's at a local high school, so it supports their educational efforts, and it's just plain pumpkins - no rides or carnival games, just pumpkins. The patch was a little sparse this year due to the fact that they lost their first crop, but the kids had fun just the same.


Nola enjoyed pointing at each and every small pumpkin, which was basically ALL of them, and Em enjoyed collecting beetles in her bug catcher - no surprise there!


Last year we noticed these beetles crawling all over the pumpkins, so Em was especially excited to go this year, and could not forget her collecting equipment. Last year I just thought it fairly gross that there were beetles everywhere you turned, but this year, we learned that these beetles actually help to pollinate the pumpkins - who woulda thunk it?!



So, my Em is a planner and most likely it was the day after Halloween 2010 that she told me she wanted to be a mommy next Halloween (that would be this year). I thought it was so cute and asked what she would wear? Curlers in her hair, baby on the hip....and she gave me the strangest look. "Ummmm.....no.....you know, just wrap me up with rags or whatever." Oh, that would be a MUMMY, dear! So, this year we had two rag girls - Raggedy Ann and a glamour mummy. :)


And thank God for no-sew, cheap costumes this year!! The Raggedy Ann was sewn by Scott's mom 35+ years ago for Scott's oldest sister Tiffany, and worn by Em when she was 3 and I was pregnant with Nola (so sweet).




..and the mummy was just strips of fabric I cut from a white sheet - fabulous!




Boo at the Zoo has become one of our favorite Halloween events - cruising the zoo at night, getting to hang out with Auntie Jen, and getting candy and fun prizes - again, can't be beat!



Nola even found herself a boyfriend!



And, at long last, the actual day arrived! The girls woke to fun pancakes...




And that night, they again donned their rags and we headed out to trick-or-treat. For the last few years we have visited a near-by neighborhood where everyone is so friendly and you really get a great sense of community. It definitely makes for a fun night! So, Nana joined us and we rang doorbells and shared stories and visited with our neighbors. Oh, and collected free candy!



And of course, then we came home and spread out the loot! Sorted, traded. The best part! The girls definitely scored this year, so Mommy and Daddy were happy campers!!




Then we watched Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - definitely a favorite in our house, and an appropriate Halloween movie, seeing as how it's all about candy! Brushed teeth, then off to bed.....and of course my planner is already talking about next year.....now she DOES actually want to be a mommy! :)