Halloween

This is the first year we actually carved pumpkins.  In the past, we usually just paint them or use markers - a lot less messy.  But now that the kids are older, Blake wanted to carve them.  We took the kids to the pumpkin patch this year and let them pick their own pumpkins, rather than just buying them at the store.  It was so fun!!  We'll have to do that every year now.  I just let the kids run wherever they wanted and look at whatever pumpkin they wanted.  Crazy, but fun.  Michael picked a $10 pumpkin.  Yes, $10 for a pumpkin.  It was HUGE and he was excited about it so we said yes.  Nathan didn't want a pumpkin, but at the last minute he found what they called a "Turban Gourd".  I have no clue what a Turban Gourd is, but Nathan thought it was unique and unusual so he decided to get one.  (It's the red one in the pumpkin pics below).

First, Elizabeth carving her pumpkin:

I don't know what she was mad about, but I just LOVE this picture - it shows Elizabeth's feisty side.  She definitely has strong opinions!

Lydia carving her pumpkin.  She designed her own... drew it on a piece of paper and then carved it just like she wanted.  Lydia the Creative.

 Katie carving her pumpkin.  She even helped scoop the "guts" as the kids call it.

Michael carving his gigantic pumpkin.  He made a Pokeball since  he's back to being obsessed with everything Pokemon.

Anna carving.  It was 75 degrees that day while carving pumpkins and bright... hence all the squinting going on in these pictures.  Beautiful day for carving pumpkins, it didn't seem like Halloween.

Blake's "Jack Skellington" pumpkin from Nightmare Before Christmas - one of his favorite shows.  Isn't this AWESOME?!!!!! I just love it!

The entire neighborhood joined us when they saw the kids out there carving.  Typical.  Whenever our kids are out, then the neighborhood swarms on over.

And all pumpkins, including some of the neighbor kids.  From left to right: (top row) Anna's Harry Potter, Michael's Pokeball, Blake's Jack, Katie's, Elizabeth's "with round eyes", plain pumpkin, (bottom row) Lydia's "vampire with sharp teeth and evil eyes", and the last 5 are neighbor kids'.

The second one from the front is Nathan's Turban Gourd.  He didn't carve it.  It's actually really red in real life and looks kinda like a mushroom.

And the kids in their costumes on Halloween.  It was crazy and I missed a lot of pictures.  Michael went with a friend and they ran off before I got ANY pictures of him.  Nathan stayed home to pass out candy.  But I got the other kids.

 Caleb was supposed to be a bear, but he absolutely refused.

I didn't want to fight that battle, so he was a "2 year old in a Halloween shirt".  I also put a pumpkin jacket on him and called it good.  Happy to get his way:

And Trick or Treating... At first Caleb didn't have a clue what to do.  He just ran around in our circle chasing all the kids.  He saw kids running so he ran.  He was just happy to carry a blue pumpkin around... which he loved and refused to let go of the entire night.  Caleb running:

Elizabeth was amazing at Trick or Treating.  After the first block, Caleb and Katie got tired so we took them home.  Then I went out with Anna, Lydia, Elizabeth and a bunch of their friends.  Elizabeth was the youngest by far, but she led the pack for half the way.  We were out for an hour and a half and Elizabeth ran the whole way.  Toward the end while we were coming home, some of the kids started to complain.  But not Elizabeth.  She was clearly tired and had to literally drag her bazillion pound bag of candy.  But whenever anyone asked her if she wanted to stop or if she was done or wanted to go home, she would say, "No, I'm fine!  I want to go to more houses."  She wouldn't let me carry her either.  She's such a determined little girl!  I love that about her!  A pic of her after Trick or Treating:

 And that's the end of Halloween.  Phew!  Now on to Thanksgiving, right?