Halloween

We love Halloween. OK, I love Halloween. And any chance I can get to come up with a group costume for us is a total win. Eli was totally in this year, but then he and his friends started talking in early September about maybe hanging out together that night. He still wanted to dress up (and do a group thing!) and trick-or-treat with us, so he proposed going to his friend's halfway in. We agreed and forged on with a costume that would likely just be Lehr, Ruby and I. (Maddux does NOT want to be part of a group costume.)

Then a few weeks before Halloween, one of Maddux's friends from school suggested some of them get together to trick-or-treat. All of the sudden I was facing 'losing' both big kids in the same year. I did not sign up for that! We compromised and decided to let them go to a neighborhood around the corner, but only after they did the beginning of the evening with us. They agreed and moved forward deciding costumes with their friends.

Eli and I talked about it and decided he should suggest ghosts for his group. It's a cool enough costume without giving the impression that it took much thought or effort, and it was easy to pull off when you didn't want to wear it anymore. Maddux and her friends all made Care Bear costumes. They each had a great time with some freedom during the main event (a parents was driving around keeping tabs on them and both groups of friends were in the same neighborhood), but they also admitted that they weren't 100% that they wanted to do the same next year. (Score one for mom!)

So what did we dress up as? I really tried to think of something that wouldn't be as 'involved' this year, and that might not cost so much to create. We have always made/pieced together the costumes ourselves, but that can be as expensive as the 'real 'costume!

Sooo, I landed on ET. Ruby LOVES to ride on the front of Lehr's bike, and she looks like a little E.T. on there, so it seemed like a no-brainer. I decided on Elliot for Lehr (so he could ride the bike) and Gertie for me. Easy costume for Lehr and I, and I just had to figure out the face paint for Ruby. Lehr constructed the bike the weekend before while I practiced Ruby's face, and it all came together really well. She had a great time and still talks about being E.T. (Yes, she's seen the movie a few times and loves it.)

 Ruby had a lot of fun trick-or-treating and seeing friends from the neighborhood. She took advantage of having a bike seat to sit in for about 90% of the night, but that didn't stop her from getting candy from the many people that set up shop in their driveway (our neighborhood really goes all out!).