Halloween

A SCURVY PIRATE AND...

A BEAUTIFUL BRIDE

This was the first year they both insisted on being what they wanted. Carter was consistent...always wanting to be a "PY-WET for HOW-WEEN" and Alexis was undecided up until a few weeks before when she finally figured it out. She came in the house screaming for joy after looking in an American Doll magazine with her friends and saw one of the dolls dressed like a bride. I was glad to finally hear that because I was sick of taking her to Target to look and showing her different ideas on the internet...only to hear: NO, NO, NO.

When I searched for a dress, they were over-priced and really not that cute. So I had to make it. I made Alexis costume for less than $15...including the cute mini roses. (Gotta love Trader Joes! I found lots of $2 fabric and was a little afraid it would be too thin and cheap. But it turned out I didn't even have to line the top. I raided my Mom's stash of patterns and found an empire waisted nightgown about Alexis' size. I had to tweak it a little to make the dress "look like my wedding dress" as requested by Alexis. I'm the type of person that sticks to a patterns directions but I found myself improvising a lot with this dress as I thought..."oh, the sleeves would look cute short and puffy, and a ribbon sewn in around the waist...and lots lots of layers of toule to make it extra pouffy!" I was really happy with the outcome.

Carter's costume was made by The Children's Place...for $15 so I really couldn't beat that! Seriously, it's the cutest little pirate costume I've ever seen. But, I'm biased...since I picked it out and it's my child in it! When I woke Carter up from his nap to get him ready, I made him lay down so I could put black eye liner around his eyes like Jack Sparrow. Carter was laughing the whole time I applied it. Then I made him show Chad because I really thought Chad would be a little upset I put makeup on my son...but he shocked me and really like it! I love that my kids like to take pictures. I usually don't have to tell them what to do. I just snap pictures of them being them. But occasionally, they get ideas...and this pose above was her idea.

When I took this picture above Chad thought I was crazy...but who ya calling crazy now!

Watch out...this pirate knows what he's doing.
Too late! Isn't this the cutest?
We started our celebrations by going to a CARNIVAL in a circle in my parents track that a family puts on for the kids. Alexis loves being silly with her cousin, Chelsea.
The kids won a stuffed animal (if they won) or a piece of candy (if they lost) at each booth. I'm not a huge fan of stuffed animals, but I think these snakes are pretty dang cute. We played for an hour then we went to my parents house to get dressed and take the cute photo's at the beginning of this post.
THEN, WE WERE OFF TO CHAD'S PARENTS FOR DINNER... I think Carter looks so much like Chad in this picture.
THEN WE WENT TRICK OR TREATING TO A FEW HOUSES WITH GRANDMA... My kids love trick or treating but they are afraid of dogs...this was pretty funny. They knocked and this huge docked popped up. It scared both of them.
THEN IT WAS OFF TO DOWNTOWN TO PLAY ON THE BOUNCE HOUSES...
Carter on the obstacle course. Going up the HUGE slide. Chad made me go too even if I was in a skirt because "it was so fun."
Coming out of the huge slide. Brandon and Alexis. Does this tell you what the big slide was like? They went on it 3 times in a row. As we were leaving downtown, Alexis asked if she could take a picture with the "Girl Gingerbread-man." When the "BOY Gingerbread-man" asked her if he could be in the picture too...ALEXIS FROOZE! Hmmm, I wonder why?

Ahh, it was a fun night. We walked the kids home in the jogging stroller and they fell asleep on the way home just like last year. I like that tradition. Two kids, completely beat. Chad and I put them to bed at his mom's so we could play games at the Baltzer's till the wee hours of the morning. It was so much fun.