Halloween

I love Halloween. Growing up, Halloween was a top-three holiday in my house. In the days leading up to Halloween we carved pumpkins, roasted pumpkin seeds, decorated the house, shopped for candy, baked and decorated dozens of my mom’s specialty Halloween cupcakes, dressed up in costumes from years past, and worked on our new costumes. Well, my mom worked on our costumes. It deserves mentioning that many of the costumes she made for us and for our friends, along with the stories that accompany those costumes, are – wait for it – legendary. Every year my dad dressed up as a vampire (“the count”, since he’s an accountant ☺) and counted, with an actual clicker doohickey, the number of trick-or-treaters who came to the door. Oh wait, he still does those things.

Halloween in my house these days is a little different than it was in my house growing up: until Will and Hallie can wield knives, only Tom and I will be carving pumpkins; Will’s allergic to the ingredients in most candy (more for me!!); and I do not sew costumes. But I’ve hung onto some traditions, including wearing and dressing the kids up in costumes days in advance, picking out new costumes to wear for trick-or-treating, baking and decorating dozens of cupcakes, and decorating the house. Oh, and now Will and I have our own clicker doohickey to count the trick-or-treaters who come to our door. ☺

There’s something special and magical about a day that allows us to pretend to be someone/thing we’ve always dreamt of being or someone/thing we hope to one day be. I want my kids to love Halloween for it’s magic, just as I do.

Oh, and at the Vineyard Church Halloween party Tom won a flat screen TV. So I think he loves Halloween too.







On our way to and enjoying the VCC Halloween party (Will = Buzz Lightyear and Hallie = ladybug) a few days before Halloween.




Not enjoying the party quite as much anymore.




Trick-or-treating on Halloween.




I'm not sure how Hallie got up there, but I assume Will and a chair and coaxing were involved. It should also be noted that Hallie is "enjoying" that Tootsie Roll Pop with the wrapper ON.




One of the seven dozen cupcakes baked and decorated for Red Cross employees, UM grad students, VCC preschoolers, and VCC toddlers!