Halloween 2011

Such a boring title, I know, but accurate.

Halloween weekend kicked off this year when we woke up to this Saturday morning:

Yes, friends, it snowed BEFORE Halloween.  I haven't seen this since I moved out of Michigan 10 years ago.  I cordially invite Mother Nature to bite me.

Since it was disgusting outside that day we stayed in and I did the Great Toy Purge of 2011.  We had a lot of junk in this house that was either trash or could be donated.  I sorted through ALL the toys and did a major toss of junk, amassed a huge heap of donateable toys, and rearranged the kids' rooms.  Liam, in particular, was completely ruthless with the divesting of junk.  Good use of a nasty snowy day in late October.  We still have a lot of junk in this house but they're not junk toys at least.

Sunday morning we took the kids to Coffee Buddha (a local coffee shop) who was having Halloween specials all day, costumes encouraged.  Liam wore his Jedi costume and brought a light saber but Jamie was having NONE of that business.  

I'd rather lay on the coffee shop floor and read Vonnegut, Mom.

We met up with some friends while we were there and had a really nice time chatting, drinking coffee, and herding our kids.  Thanks, Coffee Buddha!

Today was The Big Day.  Liam had his Halloween parade and party at school - according to reports, everything was very fun - and then we had trick-or-treating this evening.  The weather was decent most of the day today, gray but not frigid, and precisely at 6 pm it began to rain in earnest. 

Oh joy.

But, we made the best of it anyway.

I really wanted to carve those pumpkins this year but my schedule is a harsh mistress and I simply ran out of time.  Luckily, Granddad had bought the kids kits to decorate pumpkins with and there was plenty for everyone to choose from.  Next year.  Next year I'll carve, dammit.

Jamie: Curious George

Liam: A Star Wars Bounty Hunter named Pre Vizsla

Liam's costume came with a helmet and toy guns but he chose to leave those behind at the house in an effort to streamline the candy acquisition process.  Good thought, as it was raining and gross out.  The quicker we got through trick-or-treating, the drier we would be.

Jamie was the polar opposite of his brother at this age.  Liam was completely uninterested in trick-or-treating when he was 2.  It was like pulling teeth to get him to go out and we just gave up.  Jamie?  He practically tripped over those floppy George feet while trying to keep up with the big kids.  He dug the whole concept.  He learned how to say "Trick or Treat!" and when I reminded him to say thank you, he blew kisses.  I kept asking him if he was getting tired and wanted to go home and every time I asked he responded with a growled "NO!"

It was Liam who finally said that he had enough candy and was ready to go home.  We hit a lot fewer houses than I expected but he was happy so I wasn't going to complain about it.  It was getting wetter by the minute.  So, we headed home, got the kids undressed, let them have some candy and then chucked them into bed.

The aftermath.  Jamie's costume came home DISGUSTING.

Happy Halloween to one an all!