Actual Halloween

We lucked out with a warm Halloween evening this year, so it was fun to be out trick-or-treating.  Here are a few photos from the evening. 

Sam's friend arrived dressed as a toilet, which was really funny as it looked like Sam was wrapped in toilet paper (it was really gauze).

Nana with a witch's hat with the kids.  Vivian is a rainbow vampire, Sam was a mummy, and Lanie was Curious George.

One of the fifth grade classes wrote persuasive essays about what the teachers should dress up as for Halloween.  One of the boys recommended homework, and then that our dog eats the homework, so here is my quick costume.

Lanie posing as Curious George.

Halloween Preparation and Practice

We did some pre -Halloween activities, Vivian's costume came so she wanted to try it on.  She choose to be a vampire, I painted her face and she put the whole thing together.  Then she looked in the mirror and said, "no mom, I wanted a butterfly on my face."

I said, "so this is usually how people dress up as vampires."

She just looked at me.

"Viv?" I asked, "do you know what a vampire is?"

"No," she said.  

I guess I really shouldn't have been surprised.  She went through the catalog that came in the mail and "chose" several costumes, until I figured out she was choosing only the costumes in which the models were wearing high heels.  We had a long talk about how the costumes didn't come with shoes and how she was not wearing high heels on Halloween.  I think the vampire costume was just the next best choice to her.

 Lanie by default is either Curious George or an owl (costumes we currently have in the house).  She wore the owl costume to go to a Halloween celebration with her caregiver.  Ironically she is currently scared of monkeys but loves Curious George.  However, looking in the mirror with the hat on also alarms her.  It just seemed like a warm choice for Halloween night.  Sam wants to be a mummy, which is fine as long as the gauze stays wrapped.  We went with gauze instead of toilet paper in case it rains.

Practice round to my parent's neighbors, MaryEllen and Mark.  Sam is half wrapped.

 On another note, they actually participated in carving pumpkins this year, I guess I complained enough about getting left with the pumpkins that they did it.  Vivian wanted a skeleton with flames, we settled for just a skeleton face and Sam pretty much did his by himself.  Lanie choose the littlest pumpkin she could find and then got distracted because we got "Booed" mid carving and she started to eat candy.  She drew "numbers" on hers (I think she was copying how Sam does his homework), but I carved a smiley face. 

Finished products.

 There's a street in our town where every house has a skeleton dressed differently with props.  It's really fun to walk down and check out.  Unfortunately I'm pretty sure Lanie dropped her prize Barbie somewhere on the street, she had earned it potty training and would not put it down.  Of course it's now long gone.

Halloween 2016

The kids were a knight, a princess, and a dragon.  They selected the costumes independently of each other, though the dragon obviously didn't have much say.  The knight was adamant that he was not a guard for the princess, the princess wanted to carry her own sword, so I ended  up carrying it, and the dragon was vey ferocious and slept through trick-or-treating.

The princess also would not wear her new princess dress and the princess's mother is probably not buying a Halloween costume next year for her as this seems to be a standard practice. 

    

Vivian had to be the first to ring every doorbell and if not she would scream bloody murder.  Then the homeowner would open the door and exclaim how beautiful and adorable she was, while Tess and I cringed.  I wish they had seen her moments before yelling at her brother.  Sam was very patient all evening.

Tiger Growls for Halloween

The kids practicing tiger growls- I think Vivian either forgot she was an animated mouse or is protecting herself!

Halloween trial

Sam is going to be a tiger for Halloween and Vivian is going to be Minnie Mouse.  They both tried on their costumes and have been wearing them around.  Sam decided he should have some prey to carry around with him.  "Good idea," I agreed.  "How about a stuffed animal."

"Great!" He said, then paused.  "Mom, do tigers eat mice?"

"I don't know, probably," I told him, not catching on.  Then realizing my mistake, I quickly added, "tigers certainly do NOT eat Minnie Mouse."

"Oh, he said, looking disappointed and slightly guilty.  

"Your sister is not your prey." 

He walked away looking thoughtful. : o 

Happy Halloween!

Captain America

Sam decided to be Captain America for Halloween, after falling in love with the costume at the store.  After he tried it on, I couldn't get him to take it off, except oddly, at bedtime.  He went grocery shopping, to Starbucks, the pharmacy, Target, and even soccer wearing it.  I did get the soccer coach to get him to take the mask off at least.  People's' reactions were funny though.  Apparently a lot of people (unlike his ignorant mom) know who Captain America is.  His shining moment was walking through the CVS parking lot, when a couple of firefighters spotted him and called out, "hey! It's captain America!"

Vivian, on the other hand, thinks her costume is the worst thing she has ever seen and screams, "no, no!" whenever I pull it out.  She has yet to try it on (not the paper bag costume from below, a hand-me-down owl costume that really is cute!)

Vivian's Halloween Costume

This is what Sam made for Vivian to wear for Halloween- he thinks that she should be a paper bag.  

Sam's Rocket Ship

He made this very cool rocket ship and decided to wear it for Halloween.  However, there is a design flaw- so mobility is limited.  It doesn't fly and he can't walk in it (refuses to cut leg holes,  it apparently can't blast off with leg holes ).

Halloween Pirates

Halloween 2012

Taking in the neighborhood sights from the porch and trying to figure out what was going on.  He was pretty excited to get his candy though and thoroughly enjoyed his lollipop afterward.

Halloween