Halloween Costumes 2013...

After last years "Incredible" family dress-up, Steve decided we would be better off just letting the kids dress up. If I hadn't just had a baby I would've fought him on it, but I let it slide this year. I warned him, that just means next year we've got to go big to make up for this year.

So this year we ended up with a dragon, princess and a knight. It took some convincing to get Mr. B in the dragon costume - whereas Hunter has been wearing his costume nonstop. Hunter just wanted to be clear that he wasn't just any knight - he was Peter from the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. And he played the part well. We left Cannon out of the dressing up festivities this year - but next year we'll try and convince him to keep a costume on that he refuses to wear. Gotta' love Halloween!

Halloween Birthday Carnival Part 2...

Yesterday I posted the decorations for the party (here) and today is all about the activities.

When I start brainstorming party themes and ideas I always make a list of activities that could go with each theme. It was fairly easy to come up with Halloween/Carnival games, probably one of the easier parties to plan activities for and then Hallie helped narrow down the list to what she wanted to do. The only thing that was on the list that I ended up cutting was apple bobbing. It screams fall carnival but I couldn't get past the idea of all those germs jumping from one kid to the other, I figured the parents would thank me! We started by decorating porcelain plates with permanent marker. After they finished we put them in the oven to make sure the marker wouldn't come off. I read a lot of tutorials online and some had positive feedback and some resulted in failures. I'm happy to say, ours worked great. We used cheap dollar store plates (which supposedly has a cheaper glaze allowing the marker to set in) and sharpie brand permanent marker. Several of the colors faded in the oven but the darker colors worked the best. Then we played some "Boo"go. I found it at Target and it was a huge hit. We played several speed rounds where Steve would read off the squares very quickly and as soon as someone got a bingo they would run up and grab candy and then hurry back to their card and continue playing. We did some potato sack races and ate donuts off a string. This was hilarious. At first they couldn't use their hands and the donut kept hitting them in the face (made for some very sticky faces). After we had some good laughs, we let them hold the string and it was still a little difficult for most of them. There was also "Spider Toss", tossing bean bags but somehow missed a picture of it.

Hallie was beside herself excited with everything about her party and had a hard time deciding what her favorite part was. We sent the kids home on complete sugar highs, their parents may never let them come back!!

Halloween Carnival Birthday Party...

Hallie has a birthday just around the corner, just days after the baby is born. Since it's an even year for her (8 years old) she got to have a friend party and we threw it a little early just so it's not lost in the newborn nonsense.

Although there were a lot of ideas circulated - Hallie chose to have a Halloween themed party; we made it a Halloween carnival. We used washi tape to label the cups and found the fun straws at Joanns. Caramel apples to send home with each kid. Donuts tied with bakers twine for one of the party games. I found Halloween Boogo (bingo) at Target and it fit the theme perfectly. Tune in tomorrow for all the details of the fun that was had!

Best of Halloween Costumes...

The Halloween decorations are out and the kids (as well as myself) are beyond excited with the transformation. Of course, we can't get the decorations out without looking through the costume box as well. Looking turns to trying on and before long every costume is thrown out the box and I have a dragon, princess and hot dog in my midst. It's always a stroll down memory lane with each costume that's pulled out. Many have been used and reused and it's fun to see each kid in the same costume. Many years, the kids wear different costumes for class parties and for trick-or-treating just because they can. I love the idea of a family theme - but after last years stint as the Incredibles, Steve's not sure we should do family costumes any more. What do you think? Here are a few of my other favorites. The kids are still undecided as to what they're going to be this year. Hunter wants to wear one of the costumes that is too small and Hallie is having a hard time deciding. Mr. B will end up wearing whatever costume we can convince him to keep on and Steve is claiming this year be a "kids only dress-up" year. We're having a baby just a week before so I think I'll agree with him, we're off the hook this year!

Halloween (part 2)...

Halloween is always a favorite in these parts, but yesterday, despite our fantastic costumes I wasn't feeling well. I'm battling a deep chest cold so that's what I will blame it on. That and I had to leave the house. Days I stay home are always better than days I have to leave!

It was a busy day running from place to place, party to party and making sure we caught up with family and friends.

Hallie's school had a parade. I told her before she left for school that I probably wouldn't be able to make it because I had to get Hunter to school. She replied, "That's okay, you can come late." Decision made, I would go to her parade. After her parade, I made it over to Hunter's parade. We had a quick lunch at home before going back to Hallie's school with Hunter for her class party- by this point I was really feeling under the weather and all I wanted to do was curl up in my bed. But instead I filled plastic gloves with popcorn and refereed the spider toss game. We made it home in time for homework and pictures before heading out as one big happy "incredible family". My camera wasn't working right and Bennett was unwilling to be cajoled. I debated even going out with the family, my bed was calling. But what's a family without Elastagirl??

Our neighborhood/ward held a fantastic party in the culdesac. We ate good food, let the kids run around with their friends and enjoyed the costumes of all the other families that dressed up. By this point, the kids were anxious to gather candy. We made a couple stops to see family and then made selective visits to friends that we know and love in and around our neighborhood. The kids (and especially me) ran out of steam before we were able to make it to all the houses we intended to visit. Which meant the kids didn't come home with tons of candy and for that we're all very grateful.

The costumes were a big hit. We even felt a little famous when several families asked if they could have their kids picture with us. We were kind of a big deal! It was so much fun we may need to do a family theme every year. Steve assures me however, no costume that he wears in the future will involve tight red pants - or any other color of tight pants. He continued to remind me throughout the night just how much he loved me to go out in public the way he did. He's right, he a rockstar...some might go as far to say he's incredible. The jury is out!

Halloween 2012...

I told Steve several years ago that if our third child was a boy, it was a no-brainer that we would need to be the Incredibles family for Halloween. That year was this year. Steve receives "Father of the Year" for his courageous role as Mr. Incredible. Not all men could pull off that outfit with such grace. Along with our three little ragmuffins. And although we managed the picture above, our ragmuffins really looked like this: It was just that kind of day for poor Mr. B. There wasn't any amount of candy that would change his mind!

Halloween...just around the corner...

I got my latest Pottery Barn Kids catalog in the mail and wouldn't you know it, Halloween costumes are out in full force. Now some may say that it is a little early but in my opinion it's never too early.

In fact that's a philosophy I live by when buying costumes. Years ago when I worked at PBKids I purchased tons of costumes on closeout (over the course of the years I worked there). I bought a wide variety of sizes and boy/girl options. Yes, that may seem a little eccentric, but my kids are still wearing new costumes and will for at least two more years. At the end of every season as we package up the costume box, Hallie and Hunter rummage through and decide what they want to be the following year. They talk about it all year long and come October, we pull that box back out and they quickly pull out their costumes. There are enough options that they will often sneak a different costume in for one of the 10 parties they attend during the season. I love it.

However, every time that fall catalog shows up in my mailbox I'm so tempted to pick up a couple more. But that would be over doing it, wouldn't it? I would hate to be overly eccentric. I'll just stick with what I have. Unless there happens to be a screaming after season sale and then I'll think about it. Have I mentioned I love Halloween?

In fact, we're nearing September, which means any of the Halloween projects I want to tackle I've got to get started on. Time is running out. I so badly wanted to create a series of tall haunted house cutouts to place in the front yard. I kept telling myself this is the year to do it. It's totally going to take away from house projects, but it's probably a worthy cause.