Halloween 2013

 This morning we woke to this…a wicked evil laugh as she took inventory of her candy stash. 

As I whimpered in the corner…in fear of what the next few days will bring…OH WAIT! I am outta here tomorrow so daddy can be the genius that figures out how to get her to forget about the candy…and get her brothers to not mention theirs either.  We will all be eating candy in closets and cupboards this year.  

Because the stash was mighty for all three trick or treaters this year.  

After trudging in the cold through the neighborhood with these spooky friends. 

My adorable crew this Halloween 2013! (look here for past 2012!)

Charley (9) is Harry Potter, Henry (5) is a power ranger, and Syd is once again a peacock!  

It was a super dreary day so it got dark and cold fast.  

Not ideal for taking pictures.  

But the Halloween trick or treating experience was not cut short by any means. 

And today will bring the manic moods that come with staying up way too late, sugar ingested, and even just the idea that sugar is sitting in the bowl.  

We will work on THIS project that we always do (back in the day I got super crafty and did it this way)…it helps to ration our candy and keeps me from eating it.  Then it is off to the dentist to sell it to the dentist for $1 a pound!  But there is also this activity. 

Hope your Halloween was wonderful and safe.  Cheers to  "mama sneaks candy with her head shoved in the cupboard" day!

loot vs. loo

 The loot, of one child.

Yesterday, one of my children was busy all day counting, sorting, and pondering his candy loot.

It is hard work for a little guy.

Yesterday they put a piece in 21 envelopes to enjoy from now until Thanksgiving.

The rest is getting donated...why am I having a hard time letting this stuff go. 

Probably because I enjoy this stuff, sadly, just as much as them...

And while one child finds candy entertaining...

Another little finds our loot  entertaining...

(get it loo...as in bathroom)

Lot's to do today.

Guests this weekend.

Busy morning.

Productive afternoon...

GO!

Halloween 2012

I hope that you and your crew had a Happy Halloween. 

The mama in me is so glad that it is over.

The woman who gets up at 5:15am to workout most mornings is desperate to rid the house of the loot. 

We will be assembling our November countdown to Thanksgiving calendars today.  We will once again just do envelopes instead of rigging up this contraption from two years ago.  

The rest will hopefully go to the troops overseas!  

Halloween 2012 :  Ninjas and a peacock (made by Grandma Charlie)

Sydney rocked her peacock costume last night.

She kept up with the boys for a good half hour or so and then Ed took her home and the boys and I conquered our usual route. 

Happy Halloween friends! 

pumpkin carving...

Yesterday afterschool the kids got down and dirty...or rather they attempted and I ended up elbow deep in the pumpkin goop.  But they did more this year than any year in the past so I was happy.

Sydney actually was the most interested and willing to touch.  

Once daddy arrived home we tried something new.  Yes, thanks to Pinterest, we got out daddy's drill and the boys had a blast drilling holes all over their pumpkins.  They have been wanting to do some real guy drilling...and this proved to kill two three birds with one stone.  Pumpkins got done, mama got a Pinterest project done, and pumpkin carving was that much less frustrating...because either the design they dream up is too elaborate or dad or mom just don't quite get it right.  

Syd throwing in her two cents.

Mama carved Syd's pumpkin free hand. 

And tomorrow night after we trick or treat we will light our pumpkins and witness their job well done!

I'll try and capture the end product :)

The solution to Halloween candy

One week ago from last night we were traipsing through our neighborhood, passing adorable superheros, princesses, and other ghostly creatures.  The boys bags were growing heavy and mama could feel her jeans starting to get tighter...just thinking of the full size Snicker bar, mini kitkats, and the Butterfingers (this years favorite). 

The first day Henry was obsessed with his bowl.  I think he counted and sorted his candy at least four times on Tuesday.  All. DAY. LONG. he was begging for "just one more piece mama."  And many times I gave in.  Day 2 he asked far less.  And by day three it was only an after lunch and afterschool snack requests.  The big issue wasn't necessarily the boys...it was me!  I had my hand in the bowls EVERY. SINGLE. TIME I passed through the kitchen.  Amazingly, there wasn't a single dish piled up on the counter for a week.  I felt the need to go in and wash a dish every 5 minutes.  Seriously, NO SELF CONTROL. 

So this weekend we solved it.  We went down into our basement and pulled out the "Countdown to Thanksgiving Halloween Candy Board" that we created last year.  It needed some repair so we tossed it and went for a new style.  Envelopes!

I gave each boy 19 envelopes and had them number them.  Charley is working on writing his numbers!  And Henry cut and glued the numbers that I wrote.  Then they decorated the envelopes - too fast and furious for my taste.  But they are boys.  Then they laid them all out and did some serious contemplating over what 19 pieces of candy would make the cut.  Only 19 pieces would fill those envelopes.  Each boy would then take out the few special pieces they wanted to keep.  The rest went to the Candy Witch (a new and loved Tooth Fairy relative). 

Then the boys stickered the envelopes shut and we hung them with clothes pins.  Each day they get to open their envelope anytime after breakfast.  This morning it was immediately following...8:13.  Normally, this would make me cringe.  But I decided, better to get it over with, let the school day wear off the sugar, and not deal with it after dinner. 

No longer is it as easy to nibble on the candy.  The guilt would kill me if I started dipping into their countdown stash! 



P.S.  The Candy Witch swapped out the rest of the Halloween candy for the Lego Advent Calendar that they will share and then they each got a Star Wars guy.  Everyone was happy! 

This is linked to Tackle it Tuesday!

Happy Halloween 2011

Happy Halloween from our crew to yours!

I hope you all survived the chaos that Halloween brings a knocking.

The boys have HUGE bags full of treats.

They were up late.

They had a blast.

I will always remember my 7 year old, Charley, running full speed from house to house.  He was SO happy.  It was hilarious.  We happened to head out at the same time as our neighbors.  So we walked with most of them for quite a long time.  This made the whole night 100 times more fun.

I will always remember my 3 1/2 year old, Henry, trucking along behind the crew.  Not missing a house.  His little feet zipping so fast up the driveways.  Luckily we had no wipe outs.  The kid runs with the big kids! 

I will always remember my 9 month old, Sydney, and how adorable she looked in her ladybug costume.  I remembered the shoes at the last minute and that put the cuteness factor over the top.  She made it almost the entire time trick or treating.  What a little trooper.

This other little lady bug is 6 weeks old.  And it just so happens that these two daddies were in the birthing class for their first son's together.  Both had our second boys within a year of each other.  And both of our families completed our troops with little girls this year.  Their grandma lives across the street so they will know each other.   

These holidays that roll around every few months that transform your house with decorations and bring excitement that throws off your whole day to day routine can bring out the scrooge in a parent.  I tend to have had enough before the event has started.  BUT, then I have moments where I witness the true bliss and joy and I remember that they are only young once, and I am only the mama of children at this age once.  And soon enough they will be ditching me for their friends.  So Ed and I both bundle up and walk the trick or treat route.  Both afraid to miss it.  Because the next morning...you realize it is over, and there are really only a few more Halloweens left where they are this magical for your littles. 

I hope you took a moment to enjoy a treat. 

Halloween 2010

Halloween 2010

Charley 6, Henry 2 1/2...well almost 3

It has become a tradition for Uncle Mike, Aunt Becca, and Grandma Charlie to come visit around Charley's birthday and it has worked out that they are here for Halloween the last few years! 

Morgan was not a fan of my camera...but I think I snuck a few pictures of the little peacock!

If we have a little girl we will definitely be borrowing this lovely creation that Grandma Charlie whipped together!  Always amazing that Mother in Law of mine.

 The evening begins catching all our neighbors as we wander down our street towards the fire station.

 At the fire station we run into friends.  This is one of Charley's good neighborhood/ school/ Mom's club buddies and it was his costume that our family appreciated a TON.  Charley loves Super Mario Brothers.

 We warm up at the fire station, play a few games, and grab some popcorn for the trick or treat journey.

Henry had some potty issues but thanks to a new friend of ours we were able to pop into their bathroom and check things out.  And all seemed to get better after we had that fixed.

 We walk the same route every year and this year Charley led the way and we had to beg him to wait for his little brother.  Charley was much braver too.  Henry enjoyed it all! 

And I enjoyed watching my little space guys...chatting with the company we had joining us...passing friends along the way....and realizing that next year I will either be home passing out candy with a little one sleeping...or wearing him/her in a baby carrier...or pushing him/her snuggled up in the stroller.  EEEEEK!

Happy Halloween!