Super Halloween

As we've done for the past two years, we went with yet another group theme for the kids' Halloween costumes. I swear I'm going to do this until they are too old to let me get away with it! I love it!  Going with a group theme just makes the whole process so much simpler.

This year they were all super heroes.  Even with a theme, they all chose their individual costumes.  The past two years, I was able to make most of the costumes handmade, but this year I just couldn't swing it.  But I'm certainly not disappointed.

Boy Twin, the little Web Slinger, in action.

Super Twins!  Sis is "Miss America," who we found out was a comic character in the early '40's.  Her super power was levitation, which is pretty cool.  

Edit: Husband has informed me that I got it wrong on Girl Twin's costume.  She is, in fact, "American Dream," who is the daughter of Captain America.  Her powers are super strength and a proficiency in martial arts.  In my defense, I did look at a "Miss America" costume for her, and it was eerily similar.  There.

And, of course, our Wonder Woman!  She was working it, for sure.

I had to work at Malloween on Halloween, so I made sure that Grammy could come help dad out to get all the monkeys dressed and ready to go. Since it was cold and rainy, they went to dinner in costume, then headed up to the mall to get some loot there. Thankfully, they weren't too worried about getting a lot of candy...they were just happy to wear their costumes.  

Here are some memories from Halloween 2011 and 2012.  And yes, I already have  a theme picked for next year, so get ready!

Seriously, this is the best photo I got from 2011.

Halloween 2012 rocked! My favorite so far.

It's Twin Tuesday!

The little kids really enjoyed Halloween decorations this year. In fact, "decorations" is the word I have heard coming from the back seat most often in the past few weeks. They both insisted that we drive past some nicely decorated houses every time we've been out and about.  But, sadly, they were disappointed this week when they saw that most houses have taken down decorations now.  We all went out together last night to take ours down--I let them say a proper "good-bye" to the witch that's  been hanging in our tree.  After hugs all around, she went back to her Rubbermaid home in the garage.

 

Rest assured, I have told them to just wait a couple of weeks and Christmas decorations will be out in full force.  Get ready, Boy Twin is going to lose his mind with excitement when he sees Christmas lights in the neighborhood!  He is so funny.  I can't wait to see what the holidays will be like now that they are a little older and talking....should be very entertaining.

 

Oh, and curses to the marketers who've already sent the toy catalogs to our house. All three kids have been looking at them non-stop. Big Sis has gone through and circled everything that's pink and/or has a Disney princess on it.  Girl Twin points out all the babies.  And Boy Twin excitedly points and yells, "Ideman" at every Spiderman toy.  Maybe we better start applying for Christmas loans now....

Sweet Nostalgia

 

 

This week, I'm participating in the Blogtober Fest Challenge sponsored by Arkansas Women Bloggers. Today's topic is Halloween Memories. 

 

 

Every year at this time, as the nights turn cool and the leaves turn beautiful colors, I think about the good times from my friend Buddy's birthday hayrides.  This was one event that I looked forward to every year.  I mean, look--I'm in my upper 30's and I still think about it EVERY. SINGLE. HALLOWEEN.  I grew up in a small, rural farming community without a lot  of commercialized things for us to do.  But God bless Buddy's mom, Mrs. Ruth, for letting 30-40 teenagers trample into her home each October for this party.  I don't know how many years Buddy had this party, but I'm pretty sure it was through junior high up until we started driving. 

Just imagine this--Buddy's house backed up to a cemetery, which is creepy on any normal day.  But the week before Halloween, you bet your hiney that place was scary! We'd start out in the yard around a big fire roasting hot dogs and drinking way too many Dr. Peppers. After dark, we'd all pile onto a flatbed trailer and go for a hayride through the cemetery.  Now, I have always been a big scaredy cat, but this hayride nearly did me in every year.  But I kept going back for more! Buddy's dad, cousins and various neighbors would hide out in the cemetery behind tombstones and trees in bloody zombie costumes....waiting to jump at us for a good fright. After the first year, we expected this to happen. But was it any less scary? Heck no!

Although I don't really remember, I'm sure some years I had someone to snuggle with or hold my hand.  But mostly I remember our whole gang huddled together and our shrieks echoing out into the dark, haunted night air. I remember once when some kids thought it would be fun to jump off the trailer and run back to the house. Well, I wasn't up for that, but also didn't want to get left behind in the cemetery. So, off I went into the dark.  I swear, my heart was beating in my throat as I was hurrying through the tall grass toward the dim lights from the house in the distance. I'd been here so many times, so why was I scared? And why didn't we ever bring flashlights?



Image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net
 

Image from Google Images--not Buddy's hayride.

After we all survived the hayride, it was time to hang out around the fire. We'd sit and chat, and watch the boys goof around.  Buddy's birthday is always during MLBs World Series. I have such cool memories of being the only girl hanging out in the family room watching baseball with all the boys and Buddy's dad. Maybe they thought I was cool, or maybe they thought I was weird. But I loved it!  Even now, when it's time for the World Series, I think about Buddy and those parties. I think about the friends that I grew up with, and rarely ever see anymore. These are all happy memories, and ones that I'll always have this time of year.

I looked for some photos of the parties to post on here, but didn't find any. I did learn that cameras back then were crappy; the quality of the photos I did find were very poor and dark.  So, if any of my WHS homies read this and have photos---please send and I will add to this post.  But I doubt any of us ever took our cameras with us, because we knew the zombies would get them!  Also, share some of your memories in the comment section; maybe I forgot something cool.