Halloween 2016

*One of these years, I will actually post about Halloween before Christmas. But not this year!*

For Halloween we had a gyspy, a Quidditch playing Harry Potter, Strawberry Shortcake, and a monster. Besides Ivy, all the kids came up with their own costume ideas (okay, Brynn had some help from Molly), shopped for their costumes on Amazon, and used their own money to pay for half of them. Molly was the most frugal and ended up only paying a total of $7 for her costume ($14 total). Ivy wasn't given a choice, she just wore the monster costume Brynn wore when she was two.

We went to my mom's Halloween party the Saturday before Halloween like we always do.

I even got a little creative and dressed up as a Smartie pants. But my costume only lasted about 2 minutes because Ivy kept pulling the Smartie's off my pants and eating them.

The games this year were fishing for pumpkins, throw a ball and knock down cans, gunny sack races where they had to change into a different costume, disc drop, frisbee toss, darts, and spin a prize.

Molly, Abby, Chloe, Gavin, Ben

We decorated pumpkins. Our kids decided to carve theirs. This was okay with me because it meant we didn't have to do it at home. Molly had a problem with hers and it was ruined. There was one little pumpkin left but it wasn't shaped right for carving so she ended up painting and decorating it. On Halloween day, I made sure there was a pumpkin waiting at home for her after school so she could have one carved on our porch that night.

Brynn designed and carved her pumpkin completely independently. No one helped her at all and she was so proud of herself.

Grandpa, Tessa, Molly

Then there was dinner and a little gift bag from Grandma and Grandpa and then we went home.

Halloween Day. Before school-

Justin was having a market supervisor meeting on Halloween morning at 7:30. His branch plus the two Park City branches meant I was getting the kids ready for school in their costumes all while we had eight extra people in our home. And we were serving breakfast. It was originally planned to be at the branch but for a couple of weeks it was expected that I would be at jury duty that morning. We kept it low key and had made all the food the night before...two different egg casseroles and some cinnamon rolls. At least we had a super yummy breakfast for Halloween!

At the bus stop with Easton and Corbin.

I was able to help in Molly's class party this year. I initially had signed up to do a game or a craft (can't remember) but got a notice in the mail for jury duty on Halloween morning at 8:00am. So I told the teacher that I wouldn't be available to help out at the party. Then I got a phone call saying the case had been resolved and I wouldn't be needed for jury duty after all. Yay! So I ended up just being an extra pair of hands for the minute-to-win-it Halloween style party in Molly's class.

Some of Molly's classmates, Molly, and Mrs. Davis

*Molly has become good friends with the girl in the ninja turtle costume. Her name is Roxy (Roxanne) and she's been over a couple of times and Molly to her house once. She is a nice girl and I am grateful that Molly is always nice and makes friends easily.*

I took the kids to the Lee's Marketplace trick-or-treating. I only did this so we could stop at the AFCU table and see Justin.

After dinner it was trick-or-treating.

We went to the Cobblestone neighborhood with the Pauley's again. We walked a lot, until all the kids were tired and cold ready to go home. We got candy, hot dogs, and hot doughnuts. Even some healthy kodiak cakes pancakes mix. We stopped at the "haunted house" on the way home. Stockton stayed in the car with me and Ivy but when Molly and Brynn came back they said it was funny more than scary so he decided to go back and he liked it too.