I must admit it. I have a love/hate relationship with Halloween. Once I became a Mom, the holiday changed for me. There's just something not quite right about dressing your child up like a demon and sending them out into the darkness with other insane looking creatures in a quest to bring back a bag of diabetes... nope... not quite right. But whenever I start to really hate the holiday, I think back to my childhood Halloween memories. I LOVED Halloween! I remember planning my costume for months. When trick or treating, I remember running as fast as I could to each door... because getting a bag of candy was magical! And my mom made every holiday extra magical too. I remember my girlfriends always commenting that they loved how my mom decorated for each holiday, and I loved it too.
Yep... this is me on a Halloween night long ago. See? I haven't changed a bit!
So, in honor of my childhood, I try to make this month fun for my own kids--the kind of Halloween fun without all the gore! This is a quick look at our family's spooky traditions:
SCHOOL PARTIES!
This is Kyler enjoying Pumpkin Plinko at Rimrock Elementary's Spooktacular.
Carson at his first Preschool Halloween Party.
(His favorite part was eating a doughnut off a string!)
HALLOWEEN PIANO RECITAL!
Me as a retired piano teacher.
My piano students. They say they hate me making them dress up... but I know they love it!
For our Halloween group lesson/recital, we studied Hector Berlioz's spooky symphony, "Symphony Fantastique Movement #5." (I actually think a few kids were nervous in parts!) We performed creepy music, and enjoyed carmel apples! This was the first time I made them... and I think that tradition is going to stick. They were sooooooooo yummy!
WITCHES NIGHT OUT!
This is a tradition in my neighborhood. All the ladies dress up like witches and go out to dinner together. We think we're pretty hysterical.
I just had to post a picture of my neighbor, Linda, who started Witches Night Out. Each year, her costume is different. She cracks me up.
FUN HALLOWEEN DINNER!
This year's Halloween dinner wasn't as good as years past, but the kids loved it anyway.
BOO! Isn't this the SCARIEST picture you've ever seen?
PUMPKIN PARTY!
Since all of our pumpkins were so small this year, we chose to paint them rather than carve them.
Justin thought it would be a great idea to let Ashton paint one too... but Ash preferred sucking on the paint.
And painting his face.
And painting his Budda Belly!
Bootiful art!
COSTUME PARADE!
McKenna as a 5o's girl. Can this girl pose or what?
Ky as a football player.
(After scoring so many touchdowns this season for his flag football team, he fell seriously in love with the sport!)
Carson as Young Anakin Skywalker.
Ashton as a Dinosaur.
( By some miracle, I got a shot of Ash with his hood on... he hated the hood!)
TRICK or TREATING!
The Stevens cousins.
Ashton at our Ward's Trunk or Treat. He. Loved. It. After collecting three treats, he plopped down on the pavement, ripped open a sucker, and enjoyed it for the rest of the night while swaying and rocking to the Halloween music. He was in sticky-sweet heaven!
Carson and cousin Jake enjoying doughnuts and Hot Chocolate. Mmmm... that sounds good right now, doesn't it?
Just look at these faces! Facial hair... bullet holes and stitches... Nope. Not quite right... but so much fun! Happy Halloween!
2 comments:
Fun, cute pictures!! I have just a HATE relationship with halloween, except for the candy. I dread finding costumes and I did as a teenager as well. You guys look like you have a ball!!
love the photos! you are hysterical!! witches night out is a hoot! i may have to start up that tradition with my girlfriends! by the way... leave me your email address at mcninchsnippets.blogspot.com so i can send you a new invite!
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