Happy Halloween!

Following in the footsteps of my mother-in-law, my boys went in matching costumes for Halloween, but instead of matching daisies, I went with something that will be most likely less talked about over the next three decades - train conductors.  My tactic every year has been to find a costume that is easy for me to put together myself (so I feel like I "made" the costume) and wouldn't feel like a costume to the kids. Chris had to talk Oliver into wearing his costume both times, first by having a heart-to-heart with him about how wearing the costume and posing for a picture would mean a lot to Mom, and then tonight by telling him he had to wear his costume if he wanted to get candy.  So simple is good!  Plus, I think my kids look adorable in overalls. 

The best picture I could take of the two kids  together in their costumes.

The Halloween festivities started on Sunday when a friend from my hospital group hosted a Halloween party for all the kiddos.  Many of the parents remembered how Soren was only two weeks old when he attended last year's party.  This year he was in costume like the big kids and enjoyed sitting at the table with them while they painted pumpkins.  The kids also played a version of musical chairs and then everyone shared in a potluck dinner. 

My nanny sent me a picture at work today of Oliver gleefully scooping seeds from a giant pumpkin.  In her couple of years in this country, she had yet to carve a pumpkin, so I was surprised that she gave it a shot with the kids.  It turns out that at the weekly story time they attend, the librarian read a book that teaches kids how to make a jack-o-lantern, and it inspired her.  The nanny's well-executed jack-o-lantern in turn inspired Chris to carve the other two pumpkins displayed by our front door.  I made a last-minute run to the store to buy tea lights and by the time dusk approached, three jack-o-lanterns sat ablaze on our stoop. 

Soren was so tired this evening that he happily went to bed super early and missed out on trick-or-treating.  Oliver was really excited about getting candy, so we headed next door to the neighbor's house.  He can talk so much more compared with last year and had his lines memorized.  Our neighbor's daughter came out in costume to greet Oliver and the kids posed for some pictures and compared their loot and I thought we were off to a good start.  Then a group of kids approached, Oliver caught a glimpse of the lead kid's scary mask and he screamed.  I haven't seen him that scared since he was a baby.  The boy with the mask felt so bad that he'd scared Oliver that much and immediately whipped his mask off to show him it was just pretend.  Unfortunately, that experience killed Oliver's enthusiasm for trick-or-treating.  We coaxed him into going to two other houses, but then he wanted to sit on the front step, eat his treats and watch the other trick-or-treaters roam the street.