Halloween

We made it through another long Halloween day! With a kitten, bunny and hockey star how could it go wrong? Ok-I know this matters to me more than anyone else, but her hat is really sewed straight, she just kept pulling it back making it look crooked. It is not sewn as bad as it looks in this picture. Thank you...
For the first time, we had kids having parties & parades at two different schools at exactly the same time. YIKES! Nathan went to Ethan's (thank goodness he didn't have to work!) and Jaleigh and I went to Saroya's. Unfortunately we only have one digital camera so it came with me to Saroya's party. Her class did a cute little play for us so I was glad I had it. The play was about the life cycle of a pumpkin and she was a tiny sprout. The kids would get up in groups to say their parts. Saroya's first line was, "Stretch... Hello!" It was soo cute! I could just see a little sprout just coming up out of the dirt saying that! :) (Ok- was that a total MOM comment??)

We usually have the tradition of going out to eat before trick or treating, so the kids will at least have something half way decent to eat that day. I think I may remember this from my childhood. Is that right Nikki, Sunny? Anyway, we went to Pizza Hut. Everyone was exhausted from too much partying (and Jaleigh without a nap) so it wasn't good to start with. We ordered a pitcher of soda and they just brought empty cups with lids for the kids. Well, Jaleigh insisted on showing us that SHE could do it herself. I said, "Jaleigh, it will spill" as she put all her weight into pushing the lid on. "NO!! I CAN DO IT MYSELF!!!" as loud as a tired little 3 year old could. Within seconds... SPLASH! and soda all over the table. (Luckily not on Saroya's white costume!) Then I hear in a little tiny 3 year old voice, "oh, I see...".

After dinner we hit the road trick-or-treating. The weather was pretty nice, a little cold and breezy but it seemed like trick-or-treating weather. They kept saying it was going to rain, and thankfully it didn't, but the sky was really ominous looking, making it seem even more cool. We saw a adult couple dressed like Shrek & Fiona, and I swear it was REALLY them. Holy smokes! It made me laugh, and if my camera wasn't making me crazy, I would have asked for a picture! :) We only went to one side of a street before Jaleigh started giving me her bucket and saying, "Momma, you hold this" and then turning to Nathan and saying with her arms stretched out, "Daddy, you hold ME!" Hey- I was happy with the candy... :) We came to this older man sitting in his driveway passing out candy. Something about him, Jaleigh loved! As she walked toward him she was really giving him goofy smiles and waving. Then as we left she kept turning around saying things like, "I will miss you" and "See ya later" "Be safe" "Have a good day". WE all laughed. She was so funny.

Then with one last stop at a friends house (where we were invited in for desserts and a warm-up) we were headed home. The kids sacked out fast, and I was thankful! We had had a long week already and we still had 4 more days to go!

Every year I think as we are trick-or-treating, "This is really a strange thing that we do. Dress our kids up and have them go door to door to strangers houses. The strangers are excited to see them and give them candy." Weird, but fun. And even though they are "strangers", it is kind of refreshing that most "strangers" are good people, just like you and me. Happy Halloween!