happy halloween!

Happy Halloween from Tinker Bell--
wishing you tricks, treats, and a side of pixie dust!

Happy Halloween from sweet Peter Pan in Never Never Land!

It was a happy Halloween indeed!  There were actually Halloween festivities all week long, which made the week feel both extremely long but also super fun.  Plus, Harper and Hunter sure got to make the most of their costumes, which is always a good thing from a mama's perspective--given the amount of time and preparation that Halloween costumes require.  Here is a look at our Halloween week!

Waiting in the wings

The celebrations began on Monday.  Harper attended dance class with her friend, Amelia, who also happens to be our next door neighbor.  Typically Harper has dance on Fridays, but with all the Halloween activities scheduled for that day, we knew she wouldn't be able to attend her regularly scheduled class and thought it would be fun for her to make up the class with her friend.  She had a blast!  Amelia's teacher is Miss Amanda, the same teacher that Harper had last year, so she AND Hunter were both so happy about that.  In addition to wearing their Halloween costumes to class, it was open studio day too, which meant that Hunter and I got to sit inside the class with the other parents and siblings to watch the girls dance to fun, festive songs like The Monster Mash and Thriller.  Halloween treats at the end of class were like the cherry on top of a great morning!

That week, submissions were also due for the pumpkin decorating contest at our local 5&10 store.  The contest guidelines were to decorate a large orange paper pumpkin (provided by the store) using only the color black.  Harper was excited for the challenge, and she spent pretty much all month layering different black mediums on her pumpkin: black paint, black strips of paper, black pipe cleaners, black pom-poms, and black tape.  The finished product was the most adorable little witch pumpkin you have ever seen.  She was SO excited to drop it off at the store.  We watched them hang it up in the window, which was such a proud moment for Harper.  Every time we have passed the store since, she always shouts, "There's my pumpkin!" so much that now Hunter always shouts, "Harper's pumpkin!"  

Clearly, the store agreed because we got a call a few days later, and…SHE WON!  I think that Harper was actually more excited about her pumpkin in the window than the fact that she was the winner--and that in itself is probably a good thing.  However, she was over the moon about the fact that, as the winner, she got a store gift certificate that she was allowed to spend on anything she wanted.  Her pick: a mermaid doll that she promptly named Aurora.  Interestingly, when I was taking the tag off her doll later in the evening, I noticed that the tag clearly listed the mermaid's name: Aurora.  Coincidence?  Or toddler genius?  Hmmm...  

Harper's entry for the Halloween pumpkin contest

Harper, proudly pointing out her entry in the window

This year, Halloween was on a Saturday, which I was super excited about since it meant Dallin would be home from work and could join in the festivities of the day (an action packed holiday is always more fun and more manageable with two adults in tow).  At least that is what I initially thought would happen.  What it actually meant was that Halloween would begin on Friday and extend all the way through to Saturday night.  Whew!  Exhaustion.  But we sure did make the most of every moment...

On Friday morning, Harper, Hunter, and I ventured into Harvard Square to attend a special Halloween story time at the Curious George Store.  This fun activity is something they hold every year.  We had heard great things about it from friends, but the timing had never worked out for us in the past so the kids were pretty excited to be able to go this year.  We met up with a couple of friends there, which made the experience all the more fun. First, they read a couple of Curious George stories; then they did a craft; and then the kids had the opportunity to meet George!  The Hs loved the story time and making Halloween masks, but they wanted absolutely NO part of seeing George.  Unfortunately, larger-than-life costumed characters are pretty much their nightmare--but we all have our limits.  We needed to duck out anyway to make it to Harper's school in time for her Halloween parade so all is well that ends well.

Brenn and Harper, wearing the Halloween masks they made!

When we arrived at Harper's school, the students all lined up by class, while the parents and family members gathered on the sidewalk.   They paraded out in their cute costumes, Harper walking alongside Abigail, one of her little school besties.  The best part was that all of the teachers were decked out in full costume.  Harper's teacher, Mrs. Sacca, was wearing an Incredibles superhero costume, mask and all.  I love how much they embraced the holiday, making it so much fun for the school community.  As the kids passed, parents joined alongside their child to parade around the block.  Hunter was with me, of course, so it was kind of slow going, but we had a lot of fun on such a beautiful, sunny day.  

I spy a cute little Tinker Bell!  Do you see her???

Little friends, all dressed up!
Hunter, baby Kathryn, Harper, Ian, and Alice

After the parade, we returned home for lunch and a nap so that we could recharge for the rest of the day.  In the afternoon, we planned to head over to Hunter's school to see all the little Payson Playmates friends in their Halloween costumes, before continuing on to Cushing Square for Belmont's annual Halloween stroll.  It was fun walking over there with our school friends, including Harper's little friend Alice who is now in preschool like Harper and no longer attends.  It's always fun having the chance to catch up with friends. During the Halloween stroll, all the local businesses open their doors, and everyone passes out candy to the kids by the bucket full.  I was a bit surprised that they decided to hold the stroll on Friday instead of on the actual day of Halloween, especially because it meant manning the mad scene on my own, rather than with Dallin.  And what a scene it was--PACKED with people--but the kids scored tons of treats and had a blast.  Dallin met up with us towards the end, and we walked back home together, nibbling candy along the way.

But our night wasn't over yet!  I had signed us up for a special night time Halloween benefit at Drumlin Farm.  The major selling point for me was the promise of a spooky hayride, and I figured that it would be kid friendly since Drumlin Farm is such a family spot--our favorite farm, in fact.  I was a little off with my assumption--oops.  The hayride was really spooky, with people planted along the way acting like zombies and grabbing at the wagon and yelling as it rumbled by.  Fortunately, Hunter was totally oblivious, but Harper couldn't wait for the ride to be over.  That said, she was super brave, snuggling up close but never saying a word.  You win some, you lose some.  But we did run into some friends, which was fun, and Harper got her face painted with an adorable little pink glittered paw print.  It had been a loooong day so we didn't stay very long at the farm, especially knowing we had the whole Halloween day ahead of us.  I was glad we tried something new though.

The next morning, we attended a Halloween brunch party at our friends', the Staples, home.  I had spray painted two dozen mini pumpkins with chalkboard paint for the little friends to decorate at the party.  As a special tribute to Marjorie, I also spray painted a large pumpkin and then monogrammed it with a large gold "M."  It brought tears to my eyes to see Marjorie's little friends decorating her special pumpkin, and my mind flashed back to last Halloween--when she was dressed up like a pumpkin, a happy little flash of orange tulle darting around our Halloween party with her signature excitement.  The image of her staring up at Harper, who was dressed as Princess Anna, remains one of my favorites, etched in my mind and on my heart.  I feel grateful for the treasured memory, that we can return to each Halloween.

The party was a lot of fun.  All the kids did a little ghost parade, parading around the lawn with little ghosts made of cheese cloth on sticks.  We also had a Halloween costume contest, and Harper and Hunter won for best couples' costume!  They do make a pretty sweet pair...  

Best couples' costume for the Neverland twins!

That afternoon, we returned to Wilson Farms for a final Halloween field trip.  Instead of the spooky hayride they have had in years past, this year they did a haunted hay maze.  We had been wanting to try it out but the timing just hadn't worked out, and Halloween was our last chance.  I was so glad we made it--just under the wire too!  Harper and Hunter were excited to have Daddy along for this Wilsons trip.  After we made it through the hay maze, we grabbed some hot cider and fresh apple cider donuts for the road.  After all, proper fuel is crucial for a busy Halloween.

Then it was FINALLY time for the big event: trick or treating!!!!  This year, we planned to go trick-or-treating with our neighborhood friends.  We are lucky to live on the best little street imaginable, and so we had been looking forward to spending Halloween with our treasured neighborhood crew.  We started out next door at our neighbors' house for pizza dinner, and from there we hit the neighborhood.  Trick or treating was such a fun experience because both Harper and Hunter were totally into it.  I was actually surprised by Hunter's enthusiastic "trick or treat!"  What was especially sweet was the way Harper's neighborhood besties, Amelia and Lara, would ask at each house, "Do you have a doggie or kitty?" to make sure the coast was clear for Harper to approach the door.  We are so grateful for these sweet little friends who make our neighborhood feel like home.

Amelia and Harper--two little girls, one big bowl of candy corn.

We lasted a lot longer out trick or treating than I expected, but soon enough the candy buckets were filled, and it was time to head home. The Hs made out like bandits, and we all had the best time. We let them eat their weight in candy when we got home because, well, they sure earned it.  Then it was off to bed because, well, we all earned our bedtime this week.  Happy Halloween to all--and to all a good night!

Until next year!