Halloween 2010

This year, the boys participated in their first ever Halloween Costume Parade at school. I use the word parade as loosely as possible, it was more like a bunch of confused kids dressed in costume walking around the courtyard a few times. It was really super cute. Ryan and Evan had fun, but as you can see in this picture, not everyone was as happy.



On Halloween, we went to our friend's house for our annual dinner, cupcake decorating and trick or treating extravaganza! I love these kids almost as much as my own. I've known them almost all of their lives, and I've watched them go from fragile little things to amazing, a-ma-zing, boys.
When we get together it is always chaos and whirlwind of little boy energy, and it is ALWAYS a joy.

To say these kids were extremely excited for Halloween is an understatement. There was spinning and dancing at dinner, there was a noise level to rival a playoff game at the Staples Center, and there was a frenetic energy that had the whole house vibrating.

I was calm however, I was holding the baby. (sigh, watch out Linds, I may just take her home one day)

We took this same picture last year, with much less success. The difference between 3 and 4 is amazing.

We also had more success in the actual trick or treat process. No one ran into strangers homes, or up their stairs, although I do think there were a few feet inside doorsteps, but that was just the crush to get at the candy bowls, and who can blame them. Seriously cute four four year old trick or treaters full of excitement and joy, made my heart swell at almost every door. About half way around the block Evan was done.

I found out it was because he really wanted to go back and eat his cupcake. The cupcake decorating went better than last year too. I was holding the baby, so I have pictures of that. But this year no one dumped the entire container of sprinkles on one cupcake and the other all over the floor. There were some really cute creations, and they tasted good too!


So good it almost knocked Evan's glasses off!


Ryan was decidedly against frosting. He just shoved candy corn and candy pumpkins into the cupcakes. What'cha gonna do?

I put two very tired boys straight to bed, and nary a peep was heard from either all night. We (Scott and I) are still recovering as I'm sure our lovely hosts are too.

Frighteningly Fun Halloween 2009

This was our first real Halloween. We've always dressed up, or at least had costumes and taken pictures in them. Last year we went to Sea World and "trick or treated" but this year was the first year that we even thought that going door to door was even an option.

We decided to join our friends Dylan and Tyler in their new neighborhood, because everything is more fun with multiple sets of multiples. Also joining us in the festivities were friends Hudson and of course, Dylan and Tyler's baby brother Colin.

Before Trick or Treating we decorated Halloween cupcakes. I use that term loosely. Basically we slapped a bit of frosting on cupcakes, took some bites and licks, poured every ounce of sprinkles out on one cupcake and then stuck our hands in the frosting and licked them clean.




See in my hand, that's all the excess sprinkles that came off the solid black cupcake by Evan's right hand. He's about to pour out the rest of the bottle, on the table.

They really need to make the holes on those things smaller. Seriously.

The kids had a bunch of fun, which is all that really matters.

After getting the sprinkles out from between my toes, we started on dinner.

Lindsay made a yummy hearty soup and even though the boys were a little too excited to really enjoy dinner, we made it through!


And then came the chaos of getting 6 kids under 4 into costumes.


With that feat accomplished...









We tried to get 5 kids lined up on the wall, looking at the camera, for a "our first trick or treating" photo.


On to the trick or treating!!!!


I didn't get a lot of pictures of the actual event, however, it was hilarious. Kids everywhere, some, who shall remain nameless, kept trying to go IN to the peoples houses. So, funny. They really got the hang of knocking and saying Happy Halloween, or Trick or Treat, and I was pleased that they did a pretty good job of saying Thank You, too.

We pushed all of little darlings, but when we got back to Dylan, Tyler and Colin's house, Evan told me,

"You said that after Trick or Treating we could eat our cupcakes"

Well, because I am true to my word, we sat down and ate our cupcakes, and then we exploded in a sugar induced frenzy. Running, screaming, laughing. (It's once a year, It's once a year)

When we were leaving, saying our good byes, my dear, subtle, gracious child says to our hosts.
"I don't want to come back here" Thanks Evan, way to go kid, already totally embarrassing Mom and Dad! Frankly we were all laughing so hard I'm not sure anyone heard him add "because I don't want to leave!!!" Ah, Good Times.

Really? a successful night. Very few tears, very few fears...except that last house that had one of those bowls with hands that grab you if you try to take candy from it...Yeah, Ryan DID. NOT. LIKE. THAT. He is still talking about how it scared him.

Pictures from the last few weeks.

Reading at Grandma's

Piano lessons anyone?



Lunch with Mrs. Finch before the pumpkin patch.

Pumpkin patch with our classmates.

Can you guess how long it took to get this picture?
Thirteen three year olds do not sit still for pictures. EVER.

Corn Maze!

Hay Ride!

Sea World with our friends from Idaho.

Jumping off things, one of our new favorite activities.

One really tired pup.

Gin-gee-bread House!!!!

Nannie brought a Gingerbread House kit for the boys to put together, and then she promptly left town, leaving me to either do it with the boys or not. I decided, because you know I'm silly that way, that today (Sleep deprived, because Pickle Puss Ryan decided to wake up at 3:40 AM screaming to get his frog to play music, and because his "guys" weren't in the right place, and then proceeded to play and talk to his "guys" for an hour.) would be a great day to do a messy, complicated, and patience requiring project like a Halloween Gingerbread House.

In my pre-kid days I got all Martha and made a Gingerbread House from scratch one Christmas. It was really fun, and I'd love to do it again sometime. You know, with the boys, when they are 20 or so.

This was considerably easier than that Martha house. All the pieces were pre-cut ready to assemble. I did the assembly when the boys were sleeping. After naps we dove right in.

That's Evan EATING some sprinkles. Yes, they dissolve in your mouth, but so do M&M's and he doesn't swallow those!

Yeah, that's a car on our house, you got a problem with that?

This is what it is supposed to look like...

Ours looks like this...
but as we were cleaning up Evan said, "Fun! Gin-Gee-Bread House!!!" and I challenge even Martha to say that that is not the point.