Happy Halloween!!!

On Halloween we got up out of bed and the first thing we did was put on our costumes...well, the kids did. And because it was early day for Ryan and Tyler, their Halloween Costume Parade was at 9:30am. So we rushed over there, luckily my niece, Ashley, didn't have school, so she came along and helped me with the kids. For some reason Tyler didn't want to wear his costume (kids can be so cruel) and he chose to walk around with his jacket pulled tightly around him....hmmm....

He is supposed to be a Clone Trooper. Ryan was Darth Vader. My little ones had so much fun seeing all the "big kids" in costumes. They would walk by and give them "fives" it was great!!!

Afterward we went home and decorated some pumpkin and ghost sugar cookies. I think Alyssa, Austin and Abby did more eating than decoration. But why limit their sugar intake on Halloween?!?! (I'm horrible) 

Later my sister Melissa and her kids came over to have some of my moms homemade chili and my attempt at cornbread (super good, but of course that comes along with super fattening, I made it with evaporated milk, and sweetened condensed milk. Jen made it for Jeff's birthday party a few weeks back, and I liked it better than the cake!!) I told the kids the following story:

" Your mom, and Aun't Melissa haven't been able to tell you this because you were too little, but now that you are older, I can tell you. She is really a vampire!! (Melissa bared her teeth, this story was spontaneous so we did great together) And after she drinks her victims blood she saves all their body parts, and I have them in our kitchen in bowls right now, and if you don't want to get eaten tonight you have to come feel them, we won't make you look but you have to feel them..." I had everyone 6 and under convinced (yes, I know I am horrible) We brought them in one at a time and made them feel the "brains--to get smarter" the "eyeballs-to see better at night to go trick or treating" and the "blood and guts- so they didn't get a bellyache from all the sweets" their reactions were priceless. My nephew Jack, was so brave but he was really shaking a little bit, and Abby and Austin started to cry. (Yes, yes, I know very horrible) Then we revealed the brains "spaghetti noodles", eye balls "black olives in thousand island dressing" and blood and guts "fruit cocktail in jello" It wasn't until after we told Austin that it was pretend, and held him on my lap, that he would feel it...

We got an early start on trick-or-treating at about 5pm. We were the first ones out for quite a while. But that's ok, because we were the first ones done too! I don't want to teach my kids to be greedy, by staying out as long as possible (sorry, to those of you that do) and my kids have enough sugar anyway. Besides, they love answering the door and handing out the candy to all the strange, scary, gross and totally awesome people that come to our door. It was so cute to see Alyssa running to the door, she wanted to do it all by herself. So I hung back unless there was a porch or a door that I thought they could get knocked down, or over by. Austin and Alyssa and their cousins would take turns ringing the doorbell. They thought that was the best!!!  They got their little buckets full, and that was plenty for me...now the trouble is, keeping ME and THE KIDS out of it!!! HELP!!! Lastnight when I was tucking in the kids to bed Austin told me he never wanted to go trick or treating again...I think some of the images and sounds and costumes and ok, maybe my story, scared him a little. I told him he didn't have to go again until he was 5 and if he still didn't want to go, the choice was up to him. We'll see how long that holds up! Alyssa on the other hand is just enjoying hers and the others spoils, everytime I turn around she has a piece of candy in her mouth, I swear she has a hidden stash somewhere!!!

Oh yes, our dentist loves us. I see dollar signs in his eyes when the Spencer Family walks through the door. Us Spencer's are candy loving folk!!!