The Young and the Restless

Halloween 2012

I felt like I was slacking in the picture department, but all 31 photos prove me wrong.  Halloween officially begins with the carving of the pumpkins.  The carving of the pumpkins actually didn't happen this year because the carving of the pumpkins means that mom cleans out the pumpkins, carves the pumpkins and then the kids get the credit. So this was the year of the spray painted pumpkins.  Much quicker, much cleaner but just not the same.  And only a phone pic to prove it even happened.

Then came the party at Jason's work.  Kylie was at dance so it was a boys day out.

This has nothing to do with Halloween, Jason just came home early to take the boys to the work party and Ryder was so excited and ran out to see him and you can pretty much see why this picture had to make its way into this post.

It was costume night at Kylie's dance.  We're not exactly sure what her costume was, but I'm getting some Japanese anime vibes.

The ward trunk or treat happened.  The "monster mash" was the highlight (after the candy of course). Actually, I take that back, the monster mash was the highlight for all but one sad three time dance contest champ.  Jayden was still coming off his huge bowling alley dance championship high and when we were all excited to see his award winning dance moves, he just cracked under pressure.  He doled out a few disco beats, attempted the macarena with yours truly and added a dash of hipster vibe then he disappeared.  I finally found him in the car with tears streaming down his cheeks. He poured out his little soul, "I'm nothing with out my dance moves!" and "how is it possible that a THREE TIME dance champion can just lose his moves?!"  It was so sad and endearing.  He had won a dance contest at another birthday party and at a wedding then with the bowling one, he had so much riding on this Monster Mash and he just wasn't feeling it.  I hope he never looses his love of booty shaking, because he's got an awfully cute booty shake!

Maddox was born for Halloween.  Literally, he has an October birthday.  But figuratively, he has been preparing for the past year.  His blue plastic pumpkin never did retire from last year, he used it year-round to carry his treasures. He had bats hanging from the chandelier for decorations last summer.  His favorite song on Just Dance is "This is Halloween", he has the cutest dance and offers the scary version for those who are not faint of heart.  And then there's his costume.  He has probably changed his mind atleast 20 times during the past year.  Here is Kylie's costume idea:

and here is his:  a chocolate ghost.  I'll never understand how his mind works, but however it does, I love it.  I convinced him to let me turn it into a Hershey's chocolate ghost, because I didn't want him to be crushed when nobody knew what he was (and because he looked more like an African American ghost and I didn't want to offend anyone).

The chocolate ghost had a bit of an identity crisis and he decided he would rather be a ninja like Jayden.  So out came last year's costume with a Grade A certified wedgie.  Cutest wedgie I ever did see.

Have I mentioned how I love watching Kylie dance?  Oh, I would have been the queen of the church dances if I had only half her moves.

The spray painted pumpkins just weren't cutting.  This boy needed a full-fledged jack-o-lantern for his Halloween to be complete.  And I have found that it is almost impossible to say no to his cute face.  So we carved up his little pumpkin that he got from Jason's work and he promised to my best friend forever and ever. Until 10 minutes later when I told him that he had to blow the candle out because the pumpkin's innards were starting to singe.  He decided I was no longer his best friend.

So we finally made it to the official day.  Here is where I have mixed emotions.  First of all, I was kind of over Halloween at this point.  Over the costumes, over the candy, just over it.  But I love making a big deal out of holidays. I love traditions and I love creating fun memories for my kids. I especially love the holiday foods.  But I hate that I'm almost emberassed to post pictures about it. I feel like I'll be judged for trying to be a supermom.  I feel like people will think I'm trying to brag.  I know I shouldn't worry about what other people think, but sometimes I can't help it.  I just think that every mom has strengths and it's okay to toot our own horns sometimes because heaven knows there are times when we feel far less than stellar moms.  So, yes, I did go all out with the food this Halloween.  But yes, I also let Maddox zone out for 2hrs in front of Tom and Jerry the next day while Ryder slept and I dozed in and out of a coma on the couch, only coming to long enough to fast forward through commercials.  So indulge me as I try to put my best foot forward. Halloween pancakes...

Halloween lunches....

Halloween snacks...

And our traditional Halloween mystery dinner (goblin skin- salad, ghoul goo in a witch's cauldron- white cheddar corn chowder in bread bowls and graveyard gravel with worms- dirt desert with gummy worms).  The kids loved it all and were so grateful, but I also learned that attempting supermom status is exhausting.  I was cooking and cleaning all day (with a 3hr side trip to Wal-mart and Sam's Club that included every item getting thrown out of my cart by Ryder at one point or another) and by the time the sun went down and the kids were ready to go trick-or-treating I looked around surveying the damage and wanted nothing more than to go to sleep.  So I am beginning to wonder if the kids would rather have fun Halloween food or a fun and energized mom.  Food for thought for next year (pun intended).

I accidentally washed her eyelashes in my jeans so Japanese anime was replaced by cheetah girl:

an authentic Chinese ninja:

an authentic mini-Chinese ninja (or "inja" as he calls himself):

And this boy loved his dog costume.  He is the third baby to wear it and the first to actually not cry and try to rip it off.  He loved it so much that when he wasn't wearing it then he was making out with it.  Literally, he carried it around kissing it on it's mouth. Cutest.thing.ever.

I'm not sure what Maddox was mad about here, they really did have fun.  Once Ryder figured out that there was candy involved, he was all about the trick or treating.  He was so cute marching up to every door and helping himself to the candy bowl and sometimes into their houses.  His handle broke on his pumpkin so he just dragged it behind him like a puppy dog.  I think it's fair to say that he loved his first real Halloween (except his head was a massive ball of sweat after running around all night with that costume on).  I took the little ones home and Jason took the older kids to a haunted house in a nearby neighborhood.  Apparently it was a pretty good one, Jayden clung onto our neighbor who went with them and kept his eyes closed most of the way through.  I'm so sad I didn't get a picture of all of my kids together, they were never all dressed all together all at the same time.  But that was our Halloween!