Every year, as the kids get older, holidays become more and more fun. But, also more frustrating. In the past I have enjoyed choosing a costume and dressing my kids up as whatever I wanted for Halloween, even last year Lilly and I were able to agree on a costume that was cute, warm and easy for me to make. So, this year I presented her with a great idea: Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf.
No Deal.
She turned that idea down immediately and wouldn't even discuss it. I tried to convince her by showing her pictures of elaborate costumes with beautiful red velvet capes, fluffy white tu tu dresses and adorable picnic baskets. She still wasn't buying it, but during one of these sessions, as I was trying to persuade her, once again, to be Red, Lilly saw a peacock costume. As this was a vast improvement over the many store bought character costumes that she had previously picked out, I outlined a binding agreement, we both signed it in blood and went searching for peacock feathers.
As it would turn out, Lilly was right all along...rather than being talked into a costume that she didn't want, she waited for the right costume to find her. And, in the process, Jack was spared the indignity of being dressed in a wolf suit, and instead got a new tool belt and hard hat, that he still wears almost daily.
The construction worker was pretty easy, Jack already had most of the things that he needed to complete the costume, flannel shirt, jeans, work boots, etc. All he needed were the accessories. Lilly's peacock, on the other hand, was a different story...peacock feathers aren't cheap, I had to buy a glue gun, and the building of the actual costume really were nothing compared to finding a plain, unprinted shirt in the exact right shade to match the feathers. But anyway...all of these things combined to motivate me to make it possible for Lilly to wear her costume at every available Halloween event.
We started with an invitation only special event at the Children's Museum hosted by my cousin Everett's company. The kids got to wear their costumes, tour the haunted house during 'lights on' hours, eat dinner, and participate in other activities and crafts.
Jack got his face painted for the first time. And, this shouldn't come as a shock, but during the painting Jack sat, stone faced and never moved. Then, touched his face and said "Spider? Spider?"
Lilly, of course, refused the artist's offer to paint her face with beautiful peacock feathers, and instead asked politely for a zebra face.
At the end of a fun and eventful night we tried to get a picture of the kids together in their costumes. This was the best that we got.
Close up of the zebra faced peacock.
Next on our calendar was the annual Boone Village Halloween Party and Costume Contest. As always, Bryan and I learn from our mistakes, and this time we took our group picture at the very beginning of the evening. Much better.
Lilly won first place in the costume contest for her age group and her smile when she got her trophy made it worth the effort.
It should be noted that the trophy was actually a lamp and has become something like the leg lamp from 'A Christmas Story'. Lilly took to using the prestigious award as a night light, and whenever I would walk into her room I would shut the light off. Whenever she walks out, she turns it on.
The night before Halloween we remembered that we hadn't carved pumpkins yet and got right on it. It's messy work, and given my aversion to unnecessary messes, pumpkin carving always falls into Bryan's ball park...recording this event through photography and clean up usually fall to me.
Lilly was a great helper and made sure to instruct Jack in the finer points of goop removal.
Under close supervision Jack removes some goop of his own.
Daddy carves the face that Lilly drew, taking a little bit of creative license.
After refusing to eat the labor intensive dinner that I prepared for them, both kids tried and ate some of the raw pumpkin rind. Not one of my happier moments.
The newly decorated porch.
Pumpkins all alight. The outstanding, clever and artistic pumpkin that Jack and I carved is on the left. The other one is Bryan and Lilly's.
Lilly requested a purple Halloween shirt with sparkles to wear to school. Target and I delivered.
Later that night, after seemingly hours of waiting and a severe drop in temperature, it was finally time to trick or treat. Jack, still unsure about what exactly was going to happen, Jack chose to ride in the wagon.
Lilly (impatiently) waited for him to get out of the wagon and follow her up the neighbor's driveway.
Eventually, she decided that dragging him was going to be the quickest way to get Jack to the door.
Finally, at the door.
After Jack was given candy at Miss Eileen's house (above) he wouldn't get back into the wagon and no longer required dragging.
Towards the end of the night Jack left his bucket in the wagon, but was unwilling to give up the hammer. I don't think he'll require any coaching next year.
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