Trick or Treat

This year, Halloween preparations were made easier by one of my daycare families, who loaned us costumes for everyone but Carter. Berkleigh was Snow White, Merlyn was a butterfly, Myles was a dragon, and Carter was Frankenstein. On Wednesday afternoon we got the girls dressed up to go to school to see the Halloween Parade.

Carter doesn't like being in the parade -- he says he gets embarassed. I think it stems from his kinergarten year, when he was a piece of candy corn. Everybody laughed at his cuteness, but he felt like they were laughing at him. Myles enjoyed the parade, though, as you can see by his expression.

The principal of our school led the parade in her Principal Princess costume. Two of my daycare kids (the ones who lent us the costumes) were in the parade, too. Grant was a piece of pizza and Makenzie was a witch.

Normally on Halloween we trick or treat at Grandma and Grandpa's, then their neighbors' house, then at Faye and Jerry's, where we stay for a pizza dinner. This year Faye had to drive a friend to Burlington, so our routine changed. After school we trick-or-treated at two friends' houses, then at Grandma and Grandpa's, where we stayed until Faye got home from school. We trick-or-treated thereat Faye and Jerry's, then headed to Massena, where we stopped at Uncle Phil and Aunt Mary's, and at Uncle Randy and Aunt Val's.

The kids had fun climbing Phil and Mary's tree and playing in their front yard while we visited with Phil and Mary and Uncle Phil took pictures. When we got to Randy and Val's, Andrew, Erica, and Emma were there, so we got to see Emma in her cute witch's costume.

We took the kids to Ponderosa for dinner (sorry Aunt Kelley!). They were exceptionally well behaved, even though it was almost bedtime by the time we got there. Back at home, I gave each kid a speed shower so they could get to bed at a semi-resonable hour. The speed showers weren't too speedy, though, since I had to wash their hair two or three times to get the dye out.

It's amazing how much candy the kids got after only going to six houses. I guess when we go to relatives' houses, the kids get special treatment. By special treatment, of course, I mean spoiled rotten!