Halloween Wrap-up

Our Halloween festivities began with chaperoning the youth regional dance. We knew our family theme was going to be Wizard of Oz, so we figured we might as well wear the costumes we were planning on for the rest of our activities. I already had my Glinda costume from college, and luckily I can barley zip it over my baby bump if I don't breathe. 

Mike had planned on making his tin man costume for weeks, but had been swamped at work and hadn't found time. The morning of the dance he went to Home Depot and bought all the materials--sheet metal, rivet gun, funnel, spray paint... then he went to the church and decorated for the dance, and at lunch time he came home and started work on his masterpiece. He drilled and riveted and snipped and taped away without stopping until it was time to get dressed.

We didn't have much time for a run-through, so we had to work the kinks out along the way. We got him all painted and dressed, and then realized he couldn't even get down the stairs to the garage, let alone sit in the car! His arms and legs look like they have hinges, but they allow no movement! After much maneuvering, he made it carefully down the stairs and out to the driveway. We decided the bed of our old truck was the best idea, so I hopped in the beater in my pink fluff and man-handled it around (sans power steering). How we expected to get him from standing to lying in the bed of the truck I can't imagine, unless my good witch magic could help, but alas, I couldn't lift him. After popping the straps on my dress, each sustaining cuts from the sharp metal, and breaking his knee hinge, we finally decided to take it all off to drive over.

So we arrived late and in pieces, and just a little flustered, but in style. (At the time I was still hopping mad, but tried to smile. I knew it would be funny later, but I had to cool off a little!) 

Mike turned heads wherever he went. He couldn't dance much, but that was fine with him. I enjoyed joining the flash mob dance our youth learned, and did some line dancing with the best of them. :) 

We did get some funny footage in the hallway, including a costume malfunction! Luckily he won best costume, and it was fun to watch the kids, so it was all worth it in the end.

Next on the Halloween agenda was carving pumpkins!

My specialty is gutting the gourds and roasting the seeds. I helped Ella make the jack-o-lantern face she had been planning: triangle eyed, a heart nose, and a wiggly mouth.

Mike helped Maddie carry out her spider plans.

Then he set out to make a Y pumpkin better than last year's, this time eating a recent rival win, Georgia Tech!

The girl's both had lots of Halloween-y activities for the week. Ella started us off with parties at her playgroup and preschool. Have you ever seen a sweeter Dorothy?

Maddie donned her Wicked Witch of the West costume for ballet class. She didn't want any green face paint, so she looks more sweet than scary.

That night we amped up our Wizard of Oz spirit by watching the movie again. 

Tyler is slightly obsessed with the pumpkins! He loves looking in them and helping me light them.

It was fun to go the school and watch Maddie in her first Halloween parade! It brought back so many memories from grade school and my mom coming with the little kids to watch us and help with parties.

Then it was Ella's turn to wear her costume to dance class. 

Ms. Lynn was so creative and led the class on adventures related to each character. Below they are hiding from the Wicked Witch of the West. So cute!

For dinner I tried to be festive and had broccoli cheese soup in pumpkin bread bowls, but it was kind of a flop. The kids didn't like it, and Mike and I inhaled so quickly we didn't even taste it! Then we were off to the Trunk or Treat, or as Ella called it, the Trick or Trunk.

There's our cute Cowardly Lion! He had a hay day roaming around outside all night and eating suckers to his heart's content. 

And here is the whole crew, on the yellow brick road to Emerald City. 

Another shot for good measure...

After the Trunk or Treat we wandered the neighborhoods a bit. My favorite house was the one with homemade donuts frying and hot chocolate in the front yard! As usual, Mike couldn't get in the car, so he walked home and we met him there to knock a few more doors before the kids begged for their jammies. Shocking, I know! I guess those buckets were getting heavy and the candy was calling.
 

Mike made a few adjustments to his costume and was a little more mobile the second time around. He also added nickels for buttons down the front as a final touch. Now we think we might have to put it in the front room for awhile, like a suit of armor on display.

It was a hard-working, but Happy Halloween!