happy halloween!

Happy Halloween from our one-eyed Dada carved/Maria designed jack-o-lantern!  Oh how we enjoy Halloween around this house!  And you've never quite experienced Halloween until you've experienced it on an Army post.  It's amazing - costumes, and little people, and decorations abound.

Regardless of my planning, costumes always come down to the wire.  We were supposed to have 3 Care Bears - Grumpy, Cheer Bear, and Wonderheart.  Everyone was on-board.  (Well, Lila was as on-board as she could be if she could've given an opinion.)  

Then to Grumpy's dismay, Cheer Bear decided her costume was a bit too big, and she's still ever so in love with Maid Marian.  I was grateful for old blog posts that allowed me to remind Maria that she too, refused to wear her 'intended' Halloween costume when she was 3.  

In the end she was happy to help transform Camilly into a fox - because, of course, Maid Marian is a fox.  If you were introduced to Robin Hood via Disney, that is!

Between our rush to finish homework (I know, really, on Halloween?!), eat supper, don our costumes, and make it out the door for our neighbor's annual Halloween party… this was the best pic I managed of our three.  One Grumpy Bear, one little skunk, and one Maid Marian fox.

Off to party and then off to trick-or-treat!  I wish I could've captured more pics of the whole experience because it really is something out of Mayberry.  Costumed kiddos everywhere, porch lights aglow, the whole 9 yards.

Maria was completely into the whole experience this year.  She even made a 2nd round to trick-or-treat with Dada (who headed home after the party to put Lila to bed and hand out candy).  Previously, she has always looked forward to handing out candy more than trick-r-treating, but not this year!  She wasn't upset in the least to find that all of the candy had been handed out before we made it back to help.

Camilly was excited, until some moron in a bearskin jumped out the doorway of the 3rd house we visited.  Scared the daylights out of all of us.  I was one mad mama and let them know… because from then on poor Camilly was too scared to really enjoy the experience.  I carried her around and Maria checked every house before we walked up to make sure there weren't any scary bears, zombies, or other morons about.  Apparently not everyone received the 'Mayberry' memo.   We ended the night in our little 'cul-de-sac', trick-or-treating at houses of friends that she knew.  I think that helped.

While Ree made her second round with Dada, Camille sorted through her candy...

Then Ree came home and did the same thing.  I love their little brains.  And I love remembering doing the same thing on Halloween night.  Childhood really is the best!

Then we stuffed our faces.  Including this little half eaten box of candy that Maria returned with after her rounds with Dada.  She knew it was one of my favorites, so she ate a couple on their walk and saved the rest for me.  melt.