Pumpkins

The olders were pretty anxious to carve their pumpkins this year.  I was a slacker and didn't buy a pumpkin for them until our grocery store was out of everything but these huge thick skinned ones that would have made us all insane.  Luckily, I got a tip about a place that sells them at a road side place and we found some cute ones.  Small, but cute.  We put the littles to bed and got to work.  

 It's so great that they are old enough to do their own thing!  All I did was cut off the top.

As you know, it's been the year of the Potter, so I made my pumpkin into Harry Potter.  It has a wand and everything.  It says "try for some remorse Riddle...Expelliarmus!"  I know that this puts me in the nerd category, but it is what it is.

 Jake made Voldemort.

 His says "Avada Kadavra"

 Allie wanted a traditional jack o lantern.  I think she did a great job.

Halloween

Jake couldn't sleep the night before Halloween.  He was so excited.  I thought it was cute.

He and Allie both set out their Halloween costumes and were ready to get out the door in record time.

Hermione Granger (complete with big front teeth :)

And, Harry Potter

Here they are at the bus stop.

I helped with Allie's class party and I loved her teacher's costume, so I made Allie pose with her.

Then, here's Nate...a dinosaur for the second year in a row.  I couldn't talk him into any of the other costumes that we had.  That's okay.  I think it's cute and it was really cute to hear him tell people to "check out my huge belly!"

Hermione again...

And Harry Potter

Then we have the grumpy rooster.  I had to take him to Allie's class party, so that means he got down for his nap really late.  Then we had to wake him up to go to the parade...
It took him an hour to cheer up and realize that people give candy to kids who smile and say "tick a teat".

I get a picture of them with their friends each year...

This little boy is the only kid Nate's age...

There is a pack of boys around Jake's age, but here are just a few.

The tenth annual Halloween parade.  It's still just as big as ever!  It's cute to see the neighbor kids all dressed up.

There's the grumpy rooster again...

He cheered up eventually and I got a picture with the only other kid his age...

I think Nate got the most candy of the kids.  He'd walk up to the door ahead of me (because I'd be at Jason's speed) and he'd just stand there and pick out treat after treat while he waited for me to get there and remind him just to take one.  The treat givers would just let him go because he was so cute.

Here's Jake's group.  This is right before he told me he lost my Harry Potter wand...the one that Mike brought me from Harry Potter world.  I was so sad.  Luckily it turned up about 20 minutes later.

Here are the kids with their loot.

They made out with enough to keep them happy for a long time.  It was a great Halloween!

Halloween dinner

We had our Halloween dinner the night before Halloween so we wouldn't be too rushed.  I still didn't plan things very well and was not as prepared as I would have liked to be, but that's just life these days.  The kids didn't seem to mind and they loved it all.

 We made pear witches for lunch.

 The for dinner, there were huge ugly eyeballs...

Witches fingers...

Brain...

Bones (that don't really look like bones)...

 Ghosts...

Monster mouths...

 And our very favorite witches brew...

We had monster poop (that's what Nate called the meatballs), and mummy hot dogs.  The stuff I make never looks good in pictures and it never looks as good as the pictures from the websites, but the kids are always happy with it.
We had ghosts in the graveyard for dessert.

It was a fun night and it's a fun tradition.

Flowers

Before all the flowers were frozen, cute little Nate brought me flowers every day.  He'd help Jason get some for me too.

They'd end up playing with them for a long time and by the time they got to me, they'd be pretty hammered, but it was a cute idea and I love them all the more for it.

Conversation with Nate...

I had to go to the bathroom, as anyone knows, it's nearly impossible to go to the bathroom by yourself when you have little friends like Nate and Jason.  So, here it is...

Me:  Nate, I'll be out in a second (as he followed me through the door).

Nate:  Okay.  I'll just be right here.

Me:  But I need privacy.

Nate:  Okay.  I'll just watch you have privacy.