Halloween

Wow. October sure did fly by. Despite two previous post dedicated to it, Halloween came from out of the blue this year. We had a fun night though. The ward had a party and trunk or treat. Since I'm an ogre mom and only let my kids trick or treat until they are 12, trunk or treat is the only chance they have to go beg candy from the neighbors. After seeing how unirritated I was by the teenage trick or treaters this year I've been rethinking the whole thing but it hardly seems fair to change it now after poor Autumn has been missing out. At the party, Autumn helped out with the cookie walk and Devin helped direct traffic in the haunted house. It's nice that they have the older kids helping out so that they have something to do. I think they enjoyed themselves.

Here we are in our costumes. I changed costumes at the last minute leaving Rob without one. John Smith is kind of a lame costume on it's own. Devin was some sort of "too cool for you" operative or something. Whatever it is, he did look cool (and very handsome) and came up with it about 10 minutes before we left. Autumn recycled the traditional pumpkin costume that they all wore when they were 2. They tell me Siri never wore it. I'm still not sure that's true but I don't have any pictures so it must be. She probably never wore it because the hat was the best part and it's long gone. Autumn wore it to school - very brave I think - and apparently it was a hit. I guess you never know.

Siri was Sally from Nightmare Before Christmas. We love that movie. I think it's one of the better costumes we've come up with. Rob did a great job on her make-up. My friend Jacque Madison made the dress. Jacque was over helping Autumn make her quilt for Young Women in Excellence and Siri told her that I promised to make her costume but she didn't really see it happening. How pathetic is that? You wouldn't believe what a good seamstress my mom was but I didn't have any desire to learn from her. When I was a teen I was pretty sure I would have "people" for that kind of thing. Little did I know that the "people" would be ward members who take pity on my poor children.

I have learned that my favorite part of Halloween is after the ward party when Rob takes the kids (Siri at this point) out trick or treating and the older kids are off doing their thing and I get to sit in the quiet living room and read a book while I wait for trick or treaters. What a peaceful time!