Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween to One and All!

Today is probably my favorite holiday of the whole year.  We decorate our house modestly, though I'm thinking I may amp it up next year (I say this every year) because there is just so much cool stuff out there.  I cruise Pinterest and pin tons of decorating ideas.  There are just so many ways to decorate and I love them all.  We do run into a bit of a cramp with a child's birthday during the month so we have to decorate after that is all put away - hence why the 'amping up' never happens I think. Regardless, the kids love playing with the decorations that we put out for at least a few weeks before we transition to the next holiday.  Their favorites this year have been the ghost and bat pillows and the plastic pumpkin treat buckets.

We also took a trip to the pumpkin patch and purchased over 40lbs of pumpkins.  Yep, you read that correctly - FORTY PLUS POUNDS!  We spent Monday night carving the guts out of those pumpkins - a good time was had by all.  Thankfully this year I remembered to bring the pumpkins inside more than 24 hours in advance so they could warm up and we weren't freezing our little fingers off.  Frost bite from pumpkin guts is something I never hope to experience - though I think I've come close.  Alas this trick worked!  The pumpkin goo was warm and toasty and it was so much easier to carve as well.  Both my husband and I were very happy with the results.  We will light candles in our pumpkins tonight and put them out on our front step to welcome all of our trick or treaters!

I also planned a very special dinner menu before we headed out for our trick or treating. We will be having jack-o-lantern grilled cheese sandwiches (grilled cheese sandwiches cut out with a pumpkin cookie cutter - I also drew on eyes, a nose, and a mouth with balsamic vinegar), bloody spider soup (tomato soup with a yogurt web), and monster chompers (apples slices held together with peanut butter with marshmallow teeth).  This is a change up from what we usually have.  Honest to Pete for the last eight years (I'm so sorry #1!) we have had mummy dogs (hotdogs wrapped up with crescent dough with mustard eyes), witches coins (carrot cut into circles), monster blood (ketchup), and tombstone tots (tator tots).  Last year, #1 was not excited at all with my special menu and was like, "oh no, not again."  So that's when I decided I needed to switch it up.  I sure hope they like it.  If you need some Halloween dining ideas, please check this site out - I get a lot of inspiration from these girls: our best bites Halloween food.

After dinner, the kids get all loaded up with their warm clothes first and then get their costumes on. Unfortunately we live in an area where Halloween is super cold and to avoid not having full viewing pleasure of our costumes, we put long underwear and jackets underneath our costumes.  Thankfully this year, it was pretty easy to do this with both of the kids costumes.  Some years - I'm having princess flashbacks - it was much more difficult.  I usually end up taking the kids out around the neighborhood so I can get some exercise and to monitor their manners while Thew stays home to answer the door which he thoroughly loves (I'm not 100% sure about that statement actually.)  Sometimes he terrorizes the kids that come to the door but I think both parties think that it's kind of fun.  Who knows, everyone has their role and we all do them very well.

When we get home, but only after trick or treating at our own house, the kids will dump out their candy and oogle over it all.  #1 will immediately start sorting it because I'm sure she has to report the next day in school how many of each kind she received.  I really love that about teachers, because it's not like we just were out all night and then we have to do homework when we get home - thanks guys!  #2 will just stare and then start asking how many he can have before he goes to bed.  If there are any new candies, I'll make sure to nab them so I can check them out first.  We wouldn't want our kids to get any bad candy, now would we?  Of course we expect all of their loot before anyone can have a bite, thank you freak-a-zoids from the 80's with your razor blades and poisons.  We end up throwing some out each year but then the rest goes to work with Thew.  Ever notice how office people end up eating all that crap within minutes?  It's amazing to me.

After putting the kids to bed with dreams of snickers, M&Ms, and Reese's peanut butter cups in their heads, I'll plop down on the couch and enjoy some Halloween TV of my own.  Oh what a beautiful time we will have had!

I'll report any updates on Friday!

Until Next Time,
J.K. Sasse