Halloween!

So Halloween is come and gone and we are slowly coming out of our candy coma.

We don't make a huge deal out of Halloween here, but it is fun to carve pumpkins and dress up, and hey, who's going to argue with free candy?

 I know as they grow older we are supposed to allow them more freedom and more responsibility, but this really makes me nervous!  Maybe it's that wild look in her eye while she is wielding that knife.

Or perhaps it is the power and joy that she took in plunging the knife in?  In any case we all came away unharmed (except said pumpkins) and Katie and Anne were so proud of themselves for carving their pumpkins all by themselves.

 

 

 Megan grew this pumpkin all by herself from seed this year, and from the beginning it was the one she was going to carve.

 

 

 Dad and Ryan carefully planning and designing the perfect scary, but not too creepy Jack O'lantern.

 

 

 

 Again, Mommy kept counting fingers to make sure no one lost any during this process.

 

 

 I love that my kids think outside the box--why can't you color your pumpkin with markers?

 

 

 Megan and Ryan decorated squash at an art class they attend.  This one reminds me of Madame Mouserinks  from the Nutcracker.

 

 

 There is that wild look again.  It makes me nervous.  She picked one of the biggest pumpkins that we grew this year, and I think it weighed more than she does!

 

 

 Oooohhh, so scary!

 

 

 Ryan was the most handsome pirate.  Thank you Strouds for lending us the eye patch, vest and sword.

 

 

 Here is the whole crew.  Looking forward to a night of trick or treating.

 

 

 Our little Angel.

 

 

 Heaven help us!  Do I see a Rodeo Queen in her future? (We will just ignore the fact that she has never been on a horse in her life.)

 

 

 Anne the crack shot.  Really, you don't want to be on the other end of a rifle she is holding.  She won't miss.

 

 

This picture doesn't accurately portray the deluge we were having while they were out trick or treating.  You can sort of see the waterfall behind the van.  The rain came down so hard and so fast, it overwhelmed the gutter capacity!  Yes, we live in Oregon, so rain should not be a surprise.  However, normal rain here in Oregon is basically a heavy drizzly for 7 months.  It rarely really rains here.  So that is why when we got 2 inches of rain in 2 hours it was a surprise.  They troops went trick or treating for about 5 minutes and then headed for a Harvest Party at a nearby church.  Which, by the way, had the largest turn out ever! 

 

(Mom stayed at home in front of a warm fire and watched some of the World Series, and a movie--in peace and quiet. )