We all had a pretty happy Halloween this year. Annabel was both a lion and a cat (on two different days), Gabby was a chicken, and mom and dad were both vampires (although never in front of the kids).
We got the chicken costume from Maryann who had used it for her daughter Lily last year. It was homemade, with a white feather boa for feathers and yellow dish gloves for the chicken feet. Somehow Gabs kept kicking the feet off though, and we had to pluck the feathers because they were itching her, so it quickly became just a white onesy with a red chicken head thing (what is that called, a chicken crest?).
Annabel had the lion outfit at least two months in advance. I think we ordered it during her second Lion King infatuation stage which has been over for at least a month (She has since moved on to Cinderella). Occasionally, maybe once a week she would ask if she could put it on then run around the house and say "roar".
But then a week or so ago she saw the cat costume at Costco on a trip there with Kristin and Nanna. Apparently Nanna helped her put on the costume in the store and then of course we had to buy it for her. We felt the need to use both costumes so it was lion at the party in the park and lavender kitty cat for trick or treating.
I think Annabel found the idea of trick or treating a little to good to be true. We had explained it to her in advance and explained the system and taught her how to say "trick or treat." She did quite a good job in the dress rehearsal.
On the big night though, it was a little different than in practice. I had to carry her to the doors since having her walk would be too slow. By the time we got to the doors, she was too distracted by the candy and the costumes and all the people at the door to remember what to do. We would walk up the steps to someone sitting on their front porch with a big bucket of Candy. Annabel would stare, transfixed.
I would have to prompt her, "What do you say?"
She would say nothing, totally focussed her orange bag as the candy is being placed in it.
"What do you say?" I would ask again, this time getting close to face to get her attention.
"Thank you," she would answer.
I would sort of shrug and laugh and start to walk away and then she would turn to me and say, "Daddy, I got more candy!"
In the car on the way home she actually said gleefully "Candy is for eating!".
We also made two pumpkins this year. On the second one she was a little bit scared when I poppede the eye out of the eye-hole I had cut in the pumpkin. She is starting to get the idea that some things are scary.
Kristin and I went as vampires to a costume party hosted by a co-worker of mine at a local restaurant. I put some time into getting the costumes together. I got us colored contact lenses and fake teeth. It came together well, I thought.
Pictures attached.
