October Traditions

I think this year is the most I have ever enjoyed Halloween with the kiddos. I guess it's because both the kids are big enough now to really enjoy all the activities so it has made it super enjoyable for me as well. Here is a recap of our festivities.

Carving pumkins. Bre wanted a cat and Wes really just wanted to use the apple corer to make a bunch of holes, but then when I suggested that we trace and cut out his hands as well, he thought that was a good idea too.


Wes and I have been going to a couple of 2-gether Mommy & Me community education classes while Bre is in school and this weeks theme was Fall. I forgot that we was supposed to go in costume, but they had some dress up clothes there and he chose spider-man. They got to paint spider webs and play with pumpkin spice scented play dough and go trick or treating in the gym with the preschoolers and make silly monster faces with construction paper and play with seed corn and a bunch of other fun things too. He never wants to leave when it's done and always asks when he gets to come back to "his" class. :-)



One of my Mom's groups in Rochester does a Trunk or Treat every year and this is the second year we have taken the kids to that. I gotta say it is NEVER that cold when you go trick or treating in TN. I had on bunny ears and a painted nose and whiskers (the kids thought it was a hoot that a grown up had a costume too) and by the time all the kids walked through the line up of vehicles and got their candy I could no longer feel my little pink bunny nose.



We also took them to a Hallelujah Party that our old church does every year. We had hot dogs and chili for supper then the kids got to play a bunch of games and be in the costume contest, Bre participated in the pie eating contest, and then they both came home with brown lunch bags 3/4 FULL of candy loot! Wes also won a GIANT chocolate bar for his firefighter/firetruck costume and his eyes got as big as the chocolate bar when they handed it to him. Here is their combined stash from both events. Dear Lord help me!!!

I am trying to decide if I want to ration it out over time, let them have a free for all for 1 day and one day only, let them choose a given number of items and donate the rest to a women's shelter or Operation Hometown Gratitude (sending boxes of goodies to military men/women who are overseas) or let them take some of it to a dentist friend in the area who does candy buy backs ($1/lb I believe). So many learning opportunities to choose from, patience, indulgence, giving, gratitude, bartering, not sure which way to go with this one. My heart and my head can't seem to agree. I'm really liking the Operation Hometown Gratitude thing though, maybe we'll go with that option. It's NEVER a bad thing to show our appreciation to our service men and women and you are never to young to start being thankful for your freedom.