Halloween, our style

Okay, so Halloween was almost a month ago. Goodness, I can’t believe I’m that far behind in posting blogs!

So, here we go: I really, really, really dislike Halloween. I can’t stand the decorations in the stores, the scary movies, the teenagers smashing pumpkins. I think the whole thing is just plain dumb and I’ve never really understood the fascination behind dressing up. Never. I do not get it. I don’t even really remember playing dress up as a little girl…I like to GET dressed up – like, in nice things, but the whole dressing in costume is just beyond me.

When the big girls were little, we had a fun tradition with our friends that on Halloween we could get together as families, eat pizza, carve pumpkins, and read “The Pumpkin Patch Parable.” The kids would dress up, but generally as little lady bugs or princesses, etc. It was cute and we were with our friends. It was a good tradition. In addition, the preschool that the big girls went to hosted a Harvest Party, so we generally would dress the girls up for that and go to the party. But we have never gone trick-or-treating or anything. I really don’t like trick-or-treating either and would prefer just to shut the lights off and watch a movie. However, my DH is afraid we’ll get egged or something if we don’t answer the door to trick-or-treaters, so we answer the door. I keep telling him that this is not Southern California, but he doesn’t want to take any chances.

A few years ago, the girls started their own tradition of seeing what they could come up with in the house for costumes. We usually carved pumpkins and they would answer the door for trick-or-treaters in their costumes. It was a fun alternative for us.

This year, things were just a little different…the big girls were both invited to parties over the weekend of Halloween! Sarah’s was the Friday before (just a costume party with her friends) and Bethany’s was on Halloween and they actually went trick-or-treating. I hesitated even letting her go because I really hated the idea of her going door to door begging for candy, but because of the girls and family she was going to be with I decided that it would be OK.

Sarah decided she was going to be Obi Wan Kenobi. She did a GREAT job going through closets and coming up with her costume idea. The only thing we had to buy was a large piece of brown fleece that I found at the thrift store. Score! She didn’t have a light saber, but borrowed one from a friend. The first picture is from the party, the second I took at home before she left.

 

Bethany & her friends got the idea to be “The Cat in the Hat” and Thing 1, Thing 2, Thing 3, Thing 4, Thing 5, & Thing 6. Cute! The brother was the Cat and all the girls were the Things. Here are the girls with their amazing music teacher after they went visited her on their trick or treating route:

They even had a little song they sang when they went to the door. I was thrilled that they used their creativity and their personalities to come up with something that would BLESS people when they went door to door. That’s my kind of trick-or-treating…as opposed to the first few groups of kids that came to our house who just stood there looking at me when I answered the door and didn’t even say “Trick or Treat!” Sheesh!

Becca & Elise also used their imaginations and came up with these costumes:

a sweet & cute cheerleader

and Princess Leia

We had lots of fun!

So, while I still prefer to think about the Protestant Reformation on October 31, I’m proud of the way my family has been able to think imaginatively and enjoy the night, even if it’s just a little differently every year.