Halloween '09

(I have no idea WHAT is up with the underline!!)

I have trained my daughter well. When I suggested we go to the local pumpkin "lot" rather than the real pumpkin patch (over an hour away) she was NOT happy about it. When I slipped and referred to it as a "patch" she corrected me and said it wasn't worthy of the title. So it was that we got our carving pumpkins at a pumpkin LOT last Friday. I had every intention of taking them to a real patch, but once Friday actually rolled around we were all pretty beat. (Dad had been out of town since Wednesday and we had a very busy couple of days without him.) Once Kate agreed that the most important thing at that point was just getting pumpkins, she admitted she wouldn't mind having more time to relax at home and finish her mummy costume.

Here's one little pumpkin:

He's faking.

See our car in the background? Yep, it's a pumpkin lot.

It didn't take too long to get our pumpkins so I thought I'd spice up the evening (and give myself a break from dinner) by taking them to our favorite Japanese restaurant, IchiBan. In case you're wondering, it means #1. Pretty lame name, but they've got some OISHII (delish) food! The kids are particularly fond of the miso soup and shrimp tempura.

Saturday morning William woke me up wanting to carve the pumpkins, NOW. Rachael wanted to get in on the action and was (thankfully!) pacified with markers. Elizabeth was dangerous enough with the little carving tools.

Will's pumpkin was an alien invasion (see the UFO and beams of aliens coming down?), Brandon got home by afternoon and carved the one with the stem for a nose, Kate specifically chose hers so it would look like a spider web (see the spider under the "web") and Elizabeth used a pattern to make her cute little bat. (Then she went bananas with the carving tools and free styled "Rachael's" pumpkin.)

Kate didn't get out of her pajamas until after 4pm. She was working on her costume ALL day.

The final product! She was happy with it, and I was happy she was happy since at one point she was in tears. Once she got to her friends house she blacked out her eyes so it looked even better.

It's amazingly easy to follow the directions for the cheap, drug store make up kits.

She's already got the next two years' costumes lined up: cheerleader and Hermione.

Cute as a bug!

The fearsome foursome.

Brandon's t-shirt says, "The beatings will continue until morale improves." Nice. Elizabeth begged me to wear my "Disco Mama" wig so I did, but next year I am determined to get real costumes for Brandon and I as well. Why should the kids have all the fun?

This is just a great pic of downtown I've been meaning to take for awhile. I took it from Will's best friend's driveway when I went to pick him up for trick or treating. Every time I go up there I think I've got to take a picture! You really get a feel for how close we are even though you'd never know it in our every day life. Our town is pretty small and quiet.

Another Halloween in the can!