Halloween Costumes!

The Ninja

 Crazy soccer player.

Maura changed her mind about costumes 3 or 4 times.  

First she wanted to be a spider skeleton.  

Then a warewolf spider ninja. 

We couldn't figure out how to do those costumes...

 So, for the neighborhood carnival we were witches together (I think she just wanted to wear the fake eyelashes and the sparkly lipstick).

Then this is what she chose for Trick-or-treating.

I think she said it was a "Skeleton ghost with blood".

 

We love to go trick-or-treating in our neighborhood.  The weather is always good, just a little cool but not so cool that you have to wear coats and boots!  Everyone in the neighborhood sits outside with their pumpkins and treats and it's a good way to meet the neighbors! I really love it!  

Before it gets dark most neighbors gather in driveways with their friends and have dinner.  This year we joined the Woolf and Grimes family.  We had spooky food like "Trolls toes", "Swamp Stew", "Mummy Rolls" and such.  It's a good way to get kids to eat a healthy dinner before sending them off to gorge on candy!

After we coerced the kids into eating some dinner they were anxious to start knocking on doors!  I sent Trenton home to hand out candy while I walked with Maura for a bit.  Maura loves everything spooky!  She loved the houses that had decorations and people dressed up in scary costumes.

In addition to trick-or-treating, Maura also carried a small box around for UNICEF.  Her school collects money each year at Halloween.  Maura did a great job explaining what she was doing.  She had an entire script; "You can help kids who don't have water, and cookies, and shots, and schools and doctors. (She got this from the pictures on the back of the little box)  I am collecting money for UNICEF.  Will you help?"   That was the general gist of it...sometimes it was MUCH longer.  I love that she was willing to help and that she wasn't afraid to ask!

Dallin wanted to go with a couple friends on his own because evidently I slow him down!  He spent the evening roaming the neighborhood with a pack of friends his age. Jeff did the same thing.  He found some friends and terrorized the neighborhood.  they were both too old for the pumpkin treat collecting baskets, so they got their pillowcases-much more cool.

I'm thinking their trick-or-treating days are coming to an end soon....they are getting pretty old!

The only problem I have for this time of year is I never buy enough candy! I thought for sure this year I was prepared! I bought 6 bags of the giant Halloween mix stuff and I still ran out!   Kids started coming about 6pm and at 8pm I had to shut off the lights and go inside.  It was a steady stream of ghosts and ghouls and princesses (and their parents...seriously??) for two hours!! Even after the lights were off, we had kids knocking!  It's a super fun event!  

Another reason I love, Love, LOVE my neighborhood!