This year Halloween started early. When we got home from Hawaii, there was an email in my inbox that said that Trunk or Treat would be the 9th of October. So instead of having several weeks to gather costumes, I felt as thought I was practically shopping for them before I could recover from trip. At first I thought we would just be skipping it, then I decided they would use old costumes. Of course, that didn't happen. A trip to Party City, and a little costume hunting for Ethan, turned out new costumes for all of them. Aubrie a Piratess, Boston a Hot Dog, Ethan a Ninja, and Sophia picked Strawberry Shortcake!
I used the same old cat outfit I wear every year, and Ben went as a soccer player.
The kids had a fun time with the carnival games, spook alley, and of course the "trunk or treating". We decorated the car with cobwebs, and such, and played the same Halloween CD we have used every year since we have lived here. It sits in my car all year long, and gets used for Trunk or Treat only.
lol Ben bought a bowl with one of those hands you control with a button. We had fun with that one this year. It even scared Sophia!
Aubrie tried to hide in the cobwebs and scare a few kids.
When the night was over, Boston said it was fun, but was sad there were no carnival games. Apparently he didn't see they had moved from the greenbelt to the parking lot this year, since he spent the entire time on the green belt playing football. We had a good laugh at his tunnel vision! Here are some more pics. I have to say that Sophia is the CUTEST Strawberry Shortcake I have ever seen!
The following Monday was Columbus Day, therefore the kids had off of school, and finally had time to put up all the Halloween decorations. For the first time, I let them to it all themselves. I was busy cleaning and doing other things, so I pulled out the box and said "go to it". I was quite proud of myself, not going back over their work and fixing things. I did add some spider webs the week before Halloween (per Boston's request because, "our house wasn't scary enough") but beyond that I was "hands off"!
The next Saturday was a Halloween first for Aubrie and Boston. Aubrie wanted to invite some girlfriends to a haunted house. I picked one that I thought would be appropriate, and told her she could invite 4 friends. She was soooo excited. She made cute invitations on her own, and passed them out. Only one of her friends was brave enough to go. Her best friend told her, "My Mom said I could go if I want, but there is no way I'm going to a haunted house!" Because we were down to one friend (which I was so thankful for later) I told Boston he could come along, too. We went to the Haunted Maze Farm in Glendale. They were so excited, and Aubrie's friend was very scared. While we were waiting in line, Freddy Krueger, along with another scary character tried to scare Aubrie. She is like me; hard to scare. Haunted Houses NEVER scared me, but I thought they were fun and I played into them. So fearless Aubrie went around taunting Freddy while we were in line. When we finally got in the maze, the first part involved us going through a corn maze with Freddy weaving in and out of rows trying to scare us, and the whole time he was saying, "Aubrie, I'm going to get you", "Aubrie, your mine!", etc. She thought it was funny, but her friend was extremely scared and clinging on to me with her dear life, to the point where I could hardly walk without falling. (The whole "glad there was only one friend" coming into play.) That is what I was dealing with for a 40 minute walk through a "scary" maze. Aubrie and Boston loved it and begged to go again. On the way home they were all laughing and talking about it, and Aubrie's friend decided she liked it after all! We ended the evening with Good Berry and took Aubrie's friend home. It was a good first "Haunted House" experience, and I'm sure they will be begging to go again next year. We probably will, since the farm also had fun stuff for younger children, like mazes, train rides, petting zoo, etc! A fun place for all ages!
Next came all the school parties. Of course, since I'm hating my new camera, it doesn't seem to be making it in my purse lately. I missed pictures for all of their parties.
Sophia had fun making the popcorn hand, tootsie ghost, and decorated pumpkin. She also had fun doing a cake walk (but for candy)
For Ethan's class, I volunteered to help out with pumpkins. We weighed them, measured them, guessed if it would sink or float, cleaned out the guts and counted the seeds. Afterward, they played pin the stem on the pumpkin, and made a craft. None of the kids classes got to dress up this year, which they were all sad about. Aubrie rebelled and wore a football jersey, saying she was a football player. She actually got compliments on her outfit that day! ha
So whats left?? Hmmmm...the hard part about summarizing over a month.
The night before Halloween, Ethan had a birthday party for a girl in his class, and I brought Sophia along. They had a fun time. When we got home we watched a pumpkin carving contest on Food Network. The kids loved watching that, especially Ethan. Before he went to bed, he started making sketches for a pumpkin carving, and when he woke up that was the first thing he started working on.
By the end of the day, Ethan and Aubrie had carved a pumpkin before church. It was Boston's idea to put sandwich bags on their hands. He doesn't like getting dirty!
Aubrie also made some Halloween sugar cookies, since she had to stay home from church as she was recovering from the flu. She made them all herself, and they turned out great! She is becoming my little cook...always wanting to try new things.
Halloween evening, I agreed to letting them trick or treat on our street. I stayed back and handed out candy.
When the kids got back they decided they wanted to take part in scaring the trick or treaters. Aubrie sat in a stroller by the gate, and jumped when people noticed something in there, and Boston and Ethan did this.
At first I thought there was no way that would scare anyone, but I was WRONG!!! They scared so many kids, especially the older ones. When the kids got close they would move, and sometimes Boston would start rubbing his belly and say "give me your candy! I want your candy!" One group of kids wouldn't come to the door, after several attempts, and said no candy was worth it. Another group walked to the door and asked someone in their group if it was a hologram, until Boston moved and scared them to death. Another group of teenage girls walked up to the patio and turned and ran away when they saw Boston and Ethan move. Aubrie had her fair share of scares, as most didn't expect anyone to be in the stroller. They had a great time scaring. I'm hoping they are up for it again next year!
Ben and I laying by the pool and Ethan brought us waters. Notice the flower taped to the side....he did that so I would know which one was mine! LOL
Then when Ethan was laying by the pool he decided he wanted some shade, and came up with this!
Sophia insisted on wearing this headband out to the store. Lucky for her she is my fourth and I couldn't care less, but rather got a kick out of how great she think she looked! 
Ethan had his Pie Night two weeks ago, which is a night where the parents come to their class, have pie, and listen to them read. Could he be more enthused about this?
This is what happens after a long day at church with no nap! Notice the dinner below that Aubrie made on her own from a cookbook she got as a party favor, at Kaelyn's party!
