It's Halloween!

That's right, I'm on the ball this year.

(shocked gasps)

It's NOT EVEN Halloween yet, and here I am, posting pictures of pumpkin carving and kids going trick-or-treating. YES, they are my kids, and they are even pictures from THIS YEAR!

(jaws drop. tears well up in a grandparent's eye).

That's right folks, remember this day. This sort of thing may not happen again in your lifetime.

(murmured agreements)

Certainly not with that kind of attitude!!

Here they are, getting ready to carve into some PUMPKINS! The kids were all SO excited!

Henry really liked his pumpkin (he was a little concerned when I started cutting it).

These guys knew what was coming. They couldn't wait!

Here are the 3 post-carving: Jack's, Henry's, and Sheridan's.

And here they are in all their illuminated glory!

Jack designed his and Tyler executed it.

Henry drew on his with a marker and I cut it out.

Kinda reminds me of "Mike" from Monsters, Inc.

Sheridan described what she wanted (roundish eyes with eyelashes, triangle nose, and lips).

She was pleased with the results.

And NOW....

The Costumes!

Here is Henry as "Prince Phillip." He had refused to wear the knight breastplate for trunk-or-treating on Tuesday, so I made him the fleece tunic (to keep him cosy). Thank goodness we had a trial run, or Halloween night would have been a little stressful! He loved the sword and spent a few minutes trying to slay the dragon...with the hilt. He ended up "slaying" himself far more often. Good thing he'll have other career choices!

Sheridan loves Aurora (aka Sleeping Beauty). I made this little number for her without a pattern. Yes, I am tooting my own horn and I am pretty pleased with the results! She was thrilled. When I showed her the finished dress, she gasped in excitement and exclaimed "Oh, Mother, see what my fairies have made for me?!?! It's a beautiful dress!" Then she fell right into humming "I know you" from the movie and twirling around. Success!

Jack inherited this AWESOME Maleficent-Dragon costume from his cousins. THANK YOU!! He loves this costume and was nice and toasty for trick-or-treating. Seriously, one of the coolest costumes ever.

They were so ready to go! Henry didn't know what we were doing, but he wanted to go, too. We could barely keep him still for pictures (although, that's fairly normal at this point for him).

Once we got out (here in Utah, they trick-or-treat on Saturday if Halloween is on Sunday), Henry figured out VERY quickly that if he knocked on the door and said "Tick-a-teat," he got candy. Far too many people let him pick out his own piece...to which he grabbed fist-fulls of candy and stuffed them in his sack! The boy is smart, no doubt! We kept him under control, but it was hard with the adults laughing at his antics and congratulating him for "doing what we all really WANT to do!" The other kids had a blast and were total troopers.

Such a fun night!

Happy Halloween!