Boo To You...Happy Halloween!

Mary Conlee decided she wanted to be Snow White this year, so we had an easy time finding it all at Disney World. Cole, on the other hand, was much more picky. He named several things before deciding upon Bumblebee, the Transformer. He also wanted the big helmet and gun to make himself look more authentic. I remember his first Halloween when he was 10 months old. He was a bumblebee, too. But not the Transformer variety. He was cute with in his yellow and black stripes, antennae, and stinger. My, how times have changed!

On Wednesday, we had the Family Fall Festival at church. This is always so much fun! The kids enjoy wearing their costumes before Halloween, plus they love all the games and activities. Daddy didn't resume the role of Professor Gizmo, but he did tell a sweet story about the pumpkin. Any time the kids get to see him in action, they just love it!

 
Our costume picks of the year...Snow White and Bumblebee

 
I wanted just one photograph without the helmet!

 
Mary Conlee gets a pretty rainbow compliments of Kara

 
Cole is enclosed inside the "ginormous" bubble

 
Snow White and the "wishing well"

 
Daniel and the Lions' Den

 
Girl with a gun

 
We have visited our sweet friend, Mrs. Vadine McRee, every year on Halloween since Cole was a baby. We loved getting to see her at the festival!

 
Daddy was telling us how our lives are like a pumpkin

 
God takes the "yucky" stuff out and puts a light in us to shine before others!

Thursday night was pumpkin carving time. Before kids, my favorite thing to do was trace an elaborate design on our pumpkin and carve the masterpiece. I continued this traditon while the kids were little. As much fun as it was for me, they have gotten old enough to create their own jack-o-lanterns. Both Cole and Mary Conlee gave me drawings of what they wanted their faces to be. I loved how each of their personalities came out in each pumpkin. Cole is the artist, so he carefully designed his face to have a scar, the nose of a skeleton, and the mouth of a scarecrow. Mission accomplished! Mary Conlee, on the other hand, is much more like me. She just wanted the traditional triangular eyes and nose, complete with a snaggle-tooth grin!

 
Cole's intricate design

 
Drawn and ready to carve

 
All lit up!

 
MC's template and pumpkin ready for carving

 
Mary Conlee's jack-o-lantern

 
Mr. Bones with the pumpkins

On Friday, we had Halloween parties at both schools. It is sometimes difficult trying to juggle the job of Homeroom Mom for both classes on party days, but the 3rd grade students didn't need Mom this time. So, I dropped off the goodies for Cole's class and headed to Parkway. We painted pumpkins and enjoyed lots of Halloween treats and yummy snacks. Besides Mary Conlee's birthday party on Friday, Cole had yet another party to attend. This week kept us very busy!

 
Mrs. Marlin's class party. Kids full of Halloween cheer!

 
Cole had a starring role as a vampire in Grace and Woody's Halloween Mystery birthday party.

It was fun having Halloween on a Saturday, plus...we had an extra hour for trick or treating due to the time change. This year, Judd made chili in the crockpot. I think this will be our new Halloween tradition at the Wilson house! It was actually very good :-) As soon as it got dark, Snow White and Bumblebee reprised their roles and combed the neighborhood looking for tricks and treats. They loved going door to door getting candy. This was the first year we attempted to visit our entire neighborhood! We finally got the goblins into bed and did what all parents do on Halloween night--raid the candy! Judd always tells the kids they have to pay their taxes to him (meaning they have to give him a portion of all their candy). Poor kids!

 
Ready to trick or treat. Poor Brody...we always dress him up, too. Last year he was a hotdog. This year, he was our little pumpkin!