Wonderland

Elena decided she wanted to be Alice, for Halloween, about two weeks ago. Because we like to work in themes (it makes decisions easier, that way), the rest of us sorted out what we would be. There was some debate over who would be the Mad Hatter, but Daddy won out because we couldn't figure out what he would be, if Joseph was the Hatter. In the end, I think it all came out pretty well.


We went trick-or-treating in Mike and Jeri's neighborhood, but since we were running a bit behind we missed almost everyone by just a couple of minutes. The kids still had a great time, getting the hang of trick-or-treating (Elena made sure James got candy, too, even though he didn't really go up to the doors) and then watching It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown with their cousins.

So Much Halloween

So, first up was Trunk-or-treat & Chili, last Saturday. Mom wasn't so on-the-ball with costumes, this year, even with Regan giving us some of hers (they were still on the other side of town), so these are discoveries from the dress-up bucket. Elena was all excited to be a "firelady," though, and who can say no to that? Joseph, meanwhile, wanted to be a big kid and do everything the big kids did, so here he is in with all the Primary kids.



They both had a great time trick-or-treating, Joseph learning very quickly that the right words mean candy.


Triumphant (and chocolate-covered, apparently)!


It's fast becoming a tradition to carve a pumpkin on my birthday, so here we are sorting through HEB's ever-shrinking pile.


Elena drew the face and helped cut the lid, then Joseph joined in for scooping.


Such a sweet Jack.


We also got to visit my oldest brother's house for more trick-or-treating, tonight.

Halloween Wrap-up

As a Wednesday, the day started with play group. I toasted my pumpkin seeds before we left, and we had a fun time playing at the playground and sharing seeds with all our friends. Jonathan decided I should be a damsel tied to the tracks (to go with his melodrama villain) and I finished pulling it together just in time to pick up Jonathan at school. We went to my oldest brother, Mike's, house for trick-or-treating. I hadn't realized half their ward would be there, but that was all for the better, because it was fun to get to know people and hang out while we watched the kids. Jonathan quoted Monty Python stuff with one of Michael's friends, and advised them to get candy while they can still get away with it. Elena and Joseph ran around and played with their cousins. I sat back and enjoyed all the fun.


When we went out Tick-or-Treating, Joseph knew immediately what we were doing and sprinted (as fast as his little legs would go) to each house, the tail of his Boots costume wagging behind him. He asked, "Pleeease!" for candy, then dropped it into his bucket, but then cried when we told him he couldn't keep asking for candy at the same house. So, I distracted him by getting him to run after Elena to the next house, where he saw the glimmer of new candy. Elena had no trouble going from one house to another, but suddenly turned shy when she encountered anyone with a candy bowl. The other groups of slightly older and more aggressive children we kept crossing paths with didn't help her case any, either. House after house we went, Joseph saying "oooh" to all the jack-o-lanterns and moaning ghosts, and Elena quietly saying her "Tick-or-Treat" from the back of the mob. After a street and a half, we started to slow down, and headed back to Mike's for snacks and the obligatory candy bag raid. Elena and Joseph both went in the moonbounce, set up in the back yard, but Joseph was tired enough by then that he didn't really like it. It was such a fun evening!

As for this weekend, Elena and are are invited to go on my mom's mother-daughter campout. Elena's really excited that she gets to go camping for my happy birthday, too.

Non-Paper Pumpkin

This was the first time Jonathan or I had carved a jack-o-lantern in quite some time, and Elena's first time ever, but I think we did a good job. We went to the store to get milk, and while we were there I let Elena pick a pumpkin to carve. She said she wanted a tall one and a fat one, and they just so happened to have this monster sitting on a bale of hay. I didn't think they'd have one that big this close to Halloween (I know, we're starting late, but we did pumpkin carving--200 of them--for FHE on my 22nd birthday, in Nauvoo, and I liked it) so I'm glad we got such a good one.


Since it was Elena's pumpkin, she had the honor of drawing on the face. It's harder to do an "up and down mouth" when you have to make it an open mouth, too.


Apparently we've been doing a good job of teaching her about knife safety because she absolutely, categorically, refused to have anything to do with helping Daddy cut the lid.


Inside was weird stringy stuff. And while you always start with a spoon, you inevitably end up using your hands.


Daddy cut the face out while mommy made birthday pancakes.


And here's our Jack, all lit up. Isn't he cute?

And, As Life Slows Down...

After a month of a record number of posts, we have this one. Trust me, we've had plenty going on, I just haven't posted it. Here's some of the highlights, though.

We've gotten to visit Zilker several times, this month, and Joseph loves running around the playscape and going on all the slides. Elena waves to the train and likes to watch the ducks down at the creek. She even got to see a heron, one time.


Elena's stick figures are starting to get more recognizable. The figure on the far left (now labeled as Cynthia) started off as the "other Elena." I don't know where that came from, but it was a bit unnerving.


The cat, Simon, showed off his hunting prowess by catching one of the lizards that keep sneaking into the house. It was not fun to head to the computer and find this blocking my path. (for the squeamish, skip past this one)


Trunk-or-Treat was Saturday night. There was the annual chili competition, a carnival for the primary kids (put on by the YM & YW, so the parents could sit and socialize), and of course the candy. Elena was Dora, so of course Joseph was Boots. She wanted me to be Swiper, but I didn't have enough time to pull that together, and Daddy was coming straight from work so I think I expanded his all-black theme quite nicely, for him. I love the picture of the four of us.



That's most of it. We had to get milk, first thing this morning, so we grabbed a huge pumpkin while we were at HEB. Elena's already drawn the face for it, and we're going to carve it this afternoon.