halloween weekend

I'm not exactly sure how this holiday turned into a four-day, all weekend long, extravaganza...

I guess it all began with the kids not having school on Monday (the actual holiday). Teachers conveniently scheduled a work day.
So, school parties were Friday.
{the school principal really gets into it}


Then, Saturday we had the ward trunk-or-treat.


Sunday, a day of rest (thank goodness!) from the partying.

Monday, we visited my grandparents before going to Kempe's work for cubicle treat-or-treating.


And if each of the kids having a completely full pumpkin bucket wasn't enough, we set out for the neighborhood when we got home. The weather was gorgeous! (well, comparatively speaking. We've been rained out the past two years.)

At nine o'clock I made everyone come home.
We weighed each of the kids' bags.
Totals?
Parker: 9.5 lbs.
Riley: 9.5 lbs.
Emma: 8 lbs.
KJ: 6 lbs.
Yes you read that right.
My kids brought home 33 lbs. of candy! :P

KJ was a little disappointed when he found a box of raisins in his haul.

pumpkin carving

Trick-or-treating: Round 2

Today we went over to my grandparents' house.
Grandma always makes adorable little brown sacks full of treats for each of her great-grandkids.
Grandpa always likes to get a picture of all the kids by Grandma's festive trees.


Parker was a football player {instead of Bob} because he had just played a game and didn't want to change.

As we were driving home it started to rain.
And pour.
I was happy we had already trick-or-treated at Kempe's work.

We decided to go to the ward truck-or-treat. The kids had tons of fun with their friends, and were excited about more candy.
I thoroughly enjoyed the homemade sugar doughnuts our bishop's wife made. So yummy!
Afterwards we went home and the kids inhaled candy until their tummies were sick. {Eh, it's Halloween, why not?}
Parker's friend called and ended up going out with him and his family.
He was home by 9:30, but everyone else was in bed by 9.
I'm so excited to put all the costumes back in the garage. :)

Trick-or-treating: Round 1

We started off the Halloween weekend with trick-or-treating cubicles at Kempe's work.
Gotta love 5 floors of candy, each kid having their own completely full, plastic pumpkin of candy.
Plus, it gives Kempe and I a chance to dress up :)


I had to check out KJ's goodies. :)

pumpkins

This year we carved just 2 pumpkins.
The boys did one and the girls did the other.
KJ totally got into it.


Afterwards I cooked up the seeds and the kids loved 'em!

Halloween Parade

The Halloween parade was at the elementary school today.
We had to get everyone dressed up this morning, even the littlest two.
KJ was Superman. Emma, a princess {who refused to wear her crown}.
{Emma and her friend, Elle, waiting for the parade to begin, and looking so adorable}


The kids' principal led the parade.
She really gets into it.


I didn't get very good pictures of the kids in the parade, so I went to their classrooms.
{Riley with her witch friend, Amy. Riley insisted on wearing a wig}


And Parker:


For weeks I've been asking Parker what he wanted to be for Halloween.
His answer: Bob.
Alright, not sure who Bob is, but if he's not worried about it, then why should I be?
So last night I told Parker he should probably find his costume.
After rummaging around in the boxes of Halloween in the basement, he came up with this.
Bob.
I told him he looked like a vampire from the 70's {with Hammer Pants from the 80's}, and he went with that.
Alrighty then.

All Hallows' Eve

A weekend full of costumes & candy.

{Friday}
Trick-or-treating cubicles at Kempe's work.
The referee, player, and coach:

{Saturday}
Visiting great Grandma & Grandpa Norton's
Puppy Cousins
{Heather's little boy, Jake, & KJ}
Halloween Party at my friend, Jill's house.
And finally trick-or-treating goodies

Halloween Prep

Pumpkin Carving.

Individual assignments as follows:

All kids: Facial Feature Designing

Older kids: Inner Pumpkin cleansingYounger kids: Pumpkin-guts squishingAdults: Design transferring and sharp tool maneuveringAssignment Complete.

Gardner Village Witches

This afternoon we met a few of my cousins and their kids at Gardner Village in South Jordan. It's a fun little place full of expensive shops that are fun to sigh over, but at this time of the year the witches come out and the whole place is completely festive.
We had a fun time being outside and thoroughly enjoying the nice fall-ish weather.
Emma loved the candy shop which I talked her into the 10 cent candies, while I indulged in a fresh caramel apple ~ so yummy!
It was a fun afternoon with the little ones.

Candyfest 2008

Is it over yet? It feels like we've been partying for weeks. Or maybe it's just been on my mind for that long. Let me give you the rundown on the costume drama at our house:

(one month ago)
Me: What do you guys want to be for Halloween?

Parker: The Dark Knight (from the new Batman movie)

Riley: Hannah Montana!

Emma: Hannah Tana too!

In the weeks following:
Parker's costume:

• Found mask and cape at Smith's Marketplace
• 2 days later find mask, cape and entire one-piece outfit at Wal-Mart for same price
• That night we confirm that one-piece costumes are made for extra thin, but tall kids -- costume fits a little snug, but is nearly too long (next size won't fit)
• Return to both stores -- rethink costume
• Next week get out Halloween boxes and Parker finds new obsession with ninja costume that is at least 3 sizes too small
• I think, "Maybe I could make one out of a flat bed sheet -- that would be cheap."
• 4 days until school parade/party and I'm searching at K-Mart and discover this at 50% off.

Riley's costume:

• I veto Hannah Montana idea (too expensive) and find adorable BYU cheerleader outfit on Ebay.
• Size mishap again -- Riley wants to be a butterfly princess
• Go to DI and stumble upon a homemade Daphne (from Scooby Doo) costume - perfect for my Scooby Doo fanatic
• And voila!

Emma's costume:

• Me: "Do you want to be Jessie?" (Since she was about to have a Jessie birthday party)
• I think, "That would be easy. Just a little cow-print and yellow material, white shirt, and jeans."
• 5 days until Halloween and I'm searching at DI and stumble upon a Disney Store original Jessie costume in fairly decent condition for $4!
  
• Hurry home and throw it in the wash.
• While washing, neighbor calls and tells me that her sister-in-law made a Jessie costume and wanted to give it to someone who would use it.
• Now I have two Jessie costumes and materials for a third

KJ's costume:

• 3 weeks ago my mom calls and asks what KJ is going to be. I have no idea. She says she found this adorable costume and will get it for him. OKAY!

Mine & Kempe's costumes:

1 month ago:
Me: What do you want to dress up as for Halloween?
Kempe: I don't know.

1 week ago:
Me: I made a list of couple costumes we can be. What do you think?
Kempe: How would you do this one? What about this one?

Long story short:
Day before Halloween Kempe goes to K-Mart to pick out a mask. I run to the DI and miraculously find a decent dress suit that actually fits for $8! And then I hurry over to the dollar store for some reading glasses and remove the lenses. This is what we finally came up with:Is there this much drama at your house?

Candyfest festivities:

Thursday:
Kids' Halloween parade and class parties because on Halloween the teachers were having 'Quality Teaching Day' and the kids got the day off.

Friday:
Enjoy sleeping in until 8:15 am!
2:30 Trick-or-treat my Grandma and Grandpa Norton's house. My awesome Grandparents made one of these little goodie bags for each of their great-grandkids:3:25 to Kempe's office to trick-or-treat 3 floors of cubicles (Emma's bucket was overflowing by the time we were done -- 1:Because she had the smallest bucket and 2:I think she was taking 2 or 3 pieces of candy when we weren't paying attention)

5:00 Trick-or-treat Kempe's parents' house

5:35 Heading to friend's Halloween party

6:05 Thinking that we're lost

6:12 Calling friend to confirm we're lost

6:35 Finally arriving at the party.
Party highlights:

• Seeing my friend's cute house

• The YUMMY white chili chicken soup, rolls, salad, cookies...FOOD!

• Painting mini pumpkins -- and cleaning the paint off my kids...and the chair...and table...and their costumes

• Pumpkin bowling

then it turned into this...
and this...
and this!8:25 Headed home.

8:30 Realized there's no freeway signs and think we might be going the wrong direction again

8:32 Look for the mountains (they should always be to the east)

8:33 Turn around and head home

9:00 RUN (because it's raining) over to neighbor's house who has been anxiously waiting to see the kids

9:30 FINALLY home and have to make deal with kids on how many candies they can have before bed.

10:30 Everyone in bed

10:31 Checkin' out the kids' loot to see what sounds good.